Block Designer

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Block Designer
Blockdesign.png

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[edit]

1991 - Version 3.00

The subscreen in Block Designer.

Tips[edit]

Interface notes[edit]

UNDO Workaround[edit]

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[edit]

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[edit]

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[edit]

Timer is Absolute[edit]

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[edit]

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

Negative Repetition Counters[edit]

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

Bouncy Monsters[edit]

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[edit]

Stable, Pixel-Perfect Environmental Hazards[edit]

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[edit]