Block Designer

Block Designer

Release type: Retail (Game-Maker suite)
Release date: 1991 (original release)
Author: G. Andrew Stone
Related tools: Palette Designer, Character Maker, Monster Maker, Map Maker, Integrator, Xferplay

Produces and edits .BBL, .CBL, and .MBL format files. Programmed by Gregory Stone.

Version history

1991 - Version 3.00

The subscreen in Block Designer.

Tips

Interface notes

UNDO Workaround

There is no UNDO feature, so be careful to save your block set regularly -- and possibly under several file names. In case of error, you can exit to the main Block Designer menu and import blocks from an instance of your block set -- including the one currently being edited. This method emulates a sort of UNDO functionality, at least to the point of last save.

Secret Third Color

Unlisted feature: if you have a middle mouse button, you can use it to hold a third color on your brush. Try it out!

Copy Attributes

To copy the attributes from one block to another, enter the info screen then right-click and drag the source block (i.e., the block with the attributes you want to copy) onto the target block (the block you want to receive the attributes).

Technical notes

Timer is Absolute

The timer used to animate blocks is absolute, not relative to the individual block. The moment a level begins, the clock begins to tick. If a block is set to permanently change to another after 10 ticks, then all instances of that block change 10 ticks after the level begins, regardless of whether a given instance was visible at the time.

Time Conversion

There are 18 ticks in one second, and 1092 ticks in one minute.

Negative Repetition Counters

Be aware that unlike special counters, repetition counters can be reduced past zero -- often to undesirable results.

Bouncy Monsters

Although monster blocks can be solid, in practice their collision is... iffy. Unless you know what you're doing, it's often best to avoid solidity unless you have a certain usage case in mind (e.g., you want your character to bounce off them as if they were made of Jell-O, of for the monsters to push the character through a solid wall). You can do some interesting things with these physics, but they are erratic and weird. Experiment before you commit.

Workarounds

Stable, Pixel-Perfect Environmental Hazards

For hazards (spikes, water, lava) without the pop-in that you get from raw monster sprites:

1. Create a harmless background block of your desired element, with no solid edges
2. Layer a monster sprite on top, identical except with clear pixels where you don't want any collision
3. Unless you want the element to be destructible, make the monster invincible

Links

• The Making and Unmaking of a Game-Maker Maker (Gamasutra)
  • Bonus Time with Andrew Stone (Gamasutra)