Copyright: Corel


The Games Factory Help:Objects

This section gives you a general explanation of the Objects used in your game levels.

Click below for more information on:

An Introduction to Objects

The Basics of Objects

Adding objects to your game

Controlling your objects

Object menus

Using the Movement options

The Animation Editor

The Picture Editor

The Icon Editor


An Introduction to Objects

All Game Levels are composed out of series of "objects" placed on the screen. These objects provide the building blocks for your games. They’re used to create your animations, display movie clips or ask the user questions.

The Games Factory comes with an impressive range of different object types. You can use them to create anything from a simple game to an impressive multimedia game.

Available object types include:

Active Objects for your moving aliens, floating banners, animated pointers, or missiles.

Video for Windows and QuickTime Objects for your movies and tutorials.

Backdrop Objects for backgrounds and scenery.

Text Objects for your messages, titles, and stories.

Counters for displaying numbers, gauges, or countdowns.

Question Objects for entering an answer from the user.

Score, Lives, and Hiscore Objects for keeping score.

For more information, see the “Object Types” Help.


The Basics of Objects

Here are a few quick pointers for using GF objects

Creating an object

Objects are created from the Level Editor. You can enter this by either clicking on the “level 1” box from the Storyboard, or selecting the “Create” icon from the Level Editor.

Each icon represents a different type of object for your games. Simply click on your selection with the left mouse button, and a dialogue box will appear so that you can enter the details. When you've finished, select the OK button to continue.

The mouse will change shape. You can move it over the play area, and drop the object into place using the Left mouse button.

You can add objects from a library by choosing the selection box from the top control panel.

A menu will be displayed with a list of available library files. When you pick one, a list of icons will be shown in a selection area to the left of the screen. You can select these icons with the left mouse button and click again to drop them on the screen.

If you change your mind, you can abort from the selection by clicking on one of the icons below:

You can find out what the object looks like by holding down the mouse button over its icon. After a few seconds, the object will be displayed in a small window, which will disappear when your release the mouse.

Objects can be moved at any time by dragging them with the left button.

Setting the object's options.

You can set the options from a pop-up menu. Just move to the Level Editor and click on your object with the Right mouse button. A list of appropriate options will appear.

See:

Object Attributes

Cloning an object

Copying an object;

Adding an object to a group

Entering your Events and Actions

Creating a completely new object

Selecting an object from a library

Selecting an object from an existing game

Selecting an object from the current Game Level

Selecting an object from a different level in your game

Creating a new object using an existing definition

Creating a new object from within a game


An Introduction to Object types

The Games Factory provides you with a wide range of different object types

Backdrops produce solid backgrounds such as walls or skylines. They can be either generated by the computer (Quick Backdrops), or drawn using a separate picture from the disc (Backdrops)

Active Objects are used for the spaceships or balls which need to move around the screen, or react to events. Each Active Object can be assigned up to three "Alterable values", or thirty two different "Flags". You can test their status using a range of "functions".

Text Objects display simple messages or titles. Each Text Object can have its own list of messages, which can be printed on the screen at the appropriate points in your game.

Question Objects ask the users a question and let them choose an answer using the mouse.

Counter Objects hold the values used for your calculations. They can be displayed on the screen using anything from a simple number to a complex animation sequence. or hidden away in the background for the exclusive use or your game.

Game Objects are used for fun. They keep the score, remember the remaining lives, and display your hi-score tables.

Multimedia Objects play a movie clip, check the Timer, read your control buttons, or play music from your CD.

Many objects can be either "Global" or "Local". You can choose the type by simply setting an appropriate option from their "Preferences" menu.

Global Objects stay in existence for the duration of your games. Local Objects are automatically destroyed at the end of a level.


Cloning an object

Clones provide you with multiple copies of a single object definition.

Each clone of your object has the same name, and will share a single set of events, actions, and control settings. So if you edit one of the clones from the Level Editor, the changes will be made to all the versions on the screen.

But clones can be created and destroyed as individuals, and you can change their positions and the alterable attributes independently during your game.

Clones let you reuse an object in a range of different positions, without have to define each one separately.

In an arcade game, you could create a single object for your aliens in an arcade game, and clone it into an entire attack wave.

In a racing car game, you could draw a series of Backdrop Objects for the various sections of your track. Each object could be recycled as many times as you liked, so you could create dozens of different tracks out of a single set of components.

See:

Creating a clone


Creating a clone

You can create one of these clones by simply selecting the same object icon repeatedly from the “Object window”. If you want to add several clones at a time, you can drop them into place with the Right mouse button. You can then leave this mode by dropping the last object with the left button.

Alternatively, you can grab the objects with the mouse and use the cut and paste options to clone them on the screen.


Copying an object

Sometimes, you'll want to make a rough copy of an object, and then modify it for a new purpose. In an arcade game, you might want a new wave of aliens.

In this case, you'd make a copy of the object rather than a clone. Copies are completely separate from the originals. When they are created, they'll inherit the appearance and the control settings from their source. But any actions and events will be discarded. The new object will be represented by its own icon from the Event, Step or Through editors.

See:

Creating a separate copy of an object


Creating a separate copy of an object

You can create one of these copies by simply selecting an object with the right mouse button, and calling the appropriate "New object" option from the pop-up menu.

Each object type has different copying options. So if you clicked on an Active Object, you'd be given a submenu with:

New Active Object

New Backdrop Object

New Quick Backdrop

If you chose "New Active Object” you'd get an identical copy of the original. If you chose "New Backdrop", you'd get something which looked the same, but had a different, more restricted set of attributes. If you chose "New Quick Backdrop", the Active Object would be converted into a fill pattern.

If you clicked on a Text Object, you could either create a new Text Object, or an Active Object. This second option is extremely useful, as it allows you to enter your titles as Text Object, set up the font and colour scheme, and then convert into an Active Object which can be moved around as a banner.

After you've copied an object, you can clone it on the screen, or resize it at will. Any changes you make will have no effect on the original source object.


An Introduction to Object Attributes

Each object has its own unique set of "attribute" settings.

Attributes define the appearance and behaviour of the objects in your game. You can change their attributes from the Level Editor to customise the object's to the particular needs of your game.

Without the appropriate attributes, your objects will be rather boring. An Active Object will just lie there on the screen, waiting for something to happen. A Text Object will be displayed in a standard colour and the simplest font. A Quick Backdrop will be just a solid block of colour.

You can add a little excitement to your objects by entering a few attribute settings from the Level Editor. This is dead easy, as you just select the object with the Right mouse button, and choose one of the options from the resulting menu.

In a matter of moments, you can set your object in motion, customise the font, or pick out a nice fill pattern for your Backdrop.

See:

Fixed Attributes;

Alterable Attributes;


Fixed Attributes

Some attributes are fixed when you define your objects from the Level Editor.

Typical examples include:

The groups the object belongs to;

Active Objects have an animation sequence, movement system, and fixed value.

Backdrop Objects have a fixed appearance, style, and location;

Text Objects have a font, type, and message;

Question and Answer Objects store the position, size and text settings;

Counters and Lives Objects have a display type and location;

Score Objects have a style and position.

These "Fixed Attributes" can only be edited from the Level Editor. So once you've started your game, they'll be fixed for the duration of its run.


Alterable Attributes

Alterable Attributes are much more flexible. They can be initialised from the Level Editor, and changed using a simple action in your game. They can also be tested using a wide range of functions and conditions. You can enter these using the Event or Step Through Editors.

Examples are:

The speed, direction, and current animation frame of an Active Object;

The messages displayed by a Text Object;

The values in a Counter, Lives, or Score Object;

The clip displayed by a Video for Windows Object.

If you use the right combination of fixed and alterable attributes, you can make your games come alive.


Adding an object to a group

If you clone an object, all its versions can be controlled using a single set of Actions and Events. If you make a copy though, you'll need to start again from scratch. So each type of banner or alien will require a separate set of Events.

Inevitably, some objects will look different but behave similarly. You can save time by linking these objects into "Object Groups". Object groups are composed of a series of objects of the same general type, but with different animations and attribute settings.

Each group is represented by a single icon from the Event and Step Through Editors. If you use this icon for your Events or Actions, they'll affect all the objects in the group.

In an arcade game, you could bunch all the attackers into a single "baddie" group. Each type of attacker would have a different animation and a different movement pattern. However, they'd all need to react a missile hit in the same way. You could test the "baddie" group for a collision using an single "Collision" event, and kill an attacker with a "Destroy Baddie" action,


Controlling your objects

Each object type has its own set of attributes, events, and actions.

Attributes

Fixed Attributes are entered from the Level Editor. They set the position, appearance, and style of an object.

Alterable Attributes can be changed at any time from your game.

The available attributes depend on the object.

If the object can move, it needs to be assigned to a movement system such as the mouse or joystick. You can use the attributes to set the speeds, direction or movement pattern.

Multimedia clips also require you to set the size and type of the viewing window.

Active Objects need to be assigned to an animation or a particular player.

Text or Question Objects let you enter their messages and titles entered, and allow you to choose the colour and type of the current font.

Backdrop Objects can be cropped or edited.

Events

Events let your objects react during the game. They're created out a series of different conditions which check the objects against a range of possibilities.

As you'd expect, the nature of the conditions depends of the type of object.

Here are a few general pointers:

If the object has the ability to move, you can check its position during the game.

If it plays a media clip, you can react depending on the section you are currently watching.

If it displays an animation, you can check whether its reached a selected frame.

If it asks a question, you can test for a response from the user.

Each event can consist of several conditions. So an Active Object can be checked for both its position and its animation sequence using a single event.

After you've detected an event, you can choose an appropriate action. This will depend on the needs of your game and the type of object you are controlling.

Actions

Actions do things in your game. They bounce objects across the screen, play multimedia clips or change the value of a Counter.

Every object in your game can be assigned to its own set of actions.

Active Objects can be created, moved, or destroyed.

Multimedia Objects can be controlled using as if they were a video. You can enter actions to fast-forward, reverse, or replay your clip from the beginning. You can also load the video from the disc to play a group of movies through the same window.

Text Objects can have their message changed or flashed on the screen.

Question Objects can be asked.

Counter Objects can have their values changed.

Score Objects can be increased or decreased

Lives can be gained or lost.


Entering your Events and Actions

You enter the Events and Actions in three ways:

From the Event Editor

This lets you enter you Events directly from the screen. It's perfect if you already have a good idea of the Events and Actions you'll need in your game.

From the Step Through Editor

The Step Through Editor is used when you're a little unsure about what's going to happen. It tests your game for all possible events and displays a dialogue box when one's been detected. You can now enter the appropriate actions interactively from the screen.


Adding Objects to your game

This section contains information about:

Creating a completely new object

Selecting an object from a library

Selecting an object from an existing game

Selecting an object from the current Game Level

Selecting an object from a different level in your game

Creating a new object using an existing definition

Creating a new object from within a game


Creating a completely new object

If you want to add an object from scratch, you can click on the "Create object" icon from the Level Editor.

.

A control panel will appear with a list of object types. You can move through the types using the left and bottom scroll bars.

You can now click an icon to enter the details from the screen.

Active Objects will need you to define the Image sequence used for the animation. This can be drawn directly using the Picture and Animation editors, or imported from your favourite graphics package.

Backdrop objects will ask you to create or import a background.

Counter objects store or display numbers. You can set the maximum or minimum values and choose a display style when you’re defining your objects.

Lives, Score, and Hiscore objects keep track of the player’s progress on the screen. you can set the appearance from a range of options..

INI objects store information in an INI file for future use. You’ll be asked to enter a filename for each object.

Text Objects will require you to input the text from the keyboard or a file.

Question Objects will prompt you for the questions and answers.

Edit box objects will let you pick out a text file to display, and set up the Window style

Button objects will ask you to enter the details of your buttons on the screen.

Multimedia Objects display pictures or video, and provide fine control over your CD, MCI devices, or MPEG graphics cards. You’ll be asked to choose a file or device, and enter some appropriate control settings.

If you're unsure about any of the options, you can get more information by selecting the "Help" button from the object’s control panel..

Once you've defined your object, you can click on "OK" to position it on the screen with the mouse.

As a rule, you can now click on the Left mouse button to drop the object into place. Clicking on the Right button will let you insert multiple copies of the same object.

Like most rules, there are exceptions. The only one to watch out for, is if you've created a Backdrop Object which fills the screen. In this case, it makes no sense to create several copies. So the left button drops the object at the top left corner of the playing area and the right button inserts the object at the current mouse position.


Selecting an object from a library

The Games Factory is supplied with thousands of ready-made objects on the CD. The objects are grouped into "libraries". You can display a list by clicking on the selection area like so:

When you choose one of these libraries, its contents will be loaded into the selection area to the left of the screen.

You can now simply click on an object with the left button, and drag it to a new position on your playing area. If you make a mistake, you can abort the selection by clicking on one of the icons from the Object area.

You can get a preview of the object's appearance by holding down the left mouse button over its icon. After a few seconds, the mouse will change shape:

The object will then be displayed in a small window on the screen. It will stay in position until you release the left mouse button.

See:

Selecting an object from an existing game

Selecting an object from the current Game Level

Selecting an object from a different level in your game


Selecting an object from an existing game

You can grab some objects from an another game using a simple option from the "Objects" menu. Choosing "Pick objects from a game" will show its objects in the selection area. You can now drag one of these objects onto your game screen with the left mouse button.

Selecting an object from a library

Selecting an object from the current Game Level

Selecting an object from a different level in your game


Selecting an object from the current Game Level

Whenever you add an object to one of your games, its icon will be entered automatically into the Object Selector. If you've been grabbing objects from a library or game, you can return it to the screen by choosing the "Level objects" option from the Library selector.

You can now add a new version of your object by simply selecting it from the window, and dragging it onto the screen with the left mouse button.

This option will create an exact copy of your chosen object, with the same actions, events, and animation settings. All the different versions of an object have the same name, and are grouped together for testing purposes. This means that you can check all the "alien" objects for a collision using a single Event in your games.

See:

Selecting an object from a library

Selecting an object from an existing game

Selecting an object from a different level in your game


Selecting an object from a different level in your game

If your game contains several Game Levels, you can move between them by clicking on two icons from the Object Selector.

 moves to the previous level

 moves to the next level

If you're displaying the objects from a library or another game, you'll need to select the "Level objects" option first.

See:

Selecting an object from a library

Selecting an object from an existing game

Selecting an object from the current Game Level


Creating a new object using an existing definition

Most objects provide you with a "New object" option from their pop-up menus. This can be selected by clicking on an object from the play area with the Left button.

“New object” creates a different object using the current animation and picture settings. The new object will look identical, but it will be treated totally separately by the system. So it will have its own name, and its own icon on the screen. The name will be derived from the existing one by simply adding an appropriate number at the end.

If the original object was called "Active Object 1", the new object will be "Active Object 2". If you made a copy of an object called "Alien", it would be changed to "Alien 2". You can edit the name from the Level Editor using the "Edit name and icon" option from its pop-up menu.

The new object can be of either the same, or a compatible type. The available options vary depending on the original object. But it's worth noting that you can convert the following object types:

Active to Backdrop

This takes the first frame of your Active Object's animation sequence and uses it to form the Backdrop.

Backdrop object to Active

This generates an active version of the current Backdrop. You can move the new object around the screen at will, and animate it using all the standard options.

Active to Quick Backdrop

This takes the first image in your animation sequence, and uses it as the fill pattern of the Quick Backdrop. The Quick Backdrop is created using the Mosaic option, and can be resized to create an attractive wallpaper effect.

Backdrop to Quick Backdrop

This converts the picture into the fill pattern of the Quick Backdrop. If the new object is larger than this picture, or its subsequently resized, the object will be filled with a solid block of the original image.

Examples:

An Active Object used as a button.

An Active Object which has been copied to a Quick Backdrop for use as a fill pattern.

You can use this option to create rectangular platforms and large buildings in an adventure.

Text to Active

This converts a static piece of text into a banner which can be moved around on the screen. It's also useful for the buttons in control panels.

Your object is created an Active Object using the first piece of text in the message. The contents of any “Paragraphs” will be ignored.

The new object will be drawn using the font and colour settings. You can change it from the Picture Editor to add a background area or border.


Creating a new object from within a game

You can create an Active Object using a simple action in your game. As usual, you can enter the actions from the Event or Step Through editors.

There are two possibilities:

Use the "Shoot an object" action from the Object menu.

This launches one object from another. It's used for things like missiles and fireworks effects.

The new object is known as a "child object".

The object which fires it is called the "parent object".

"Create a new object" from the Create actions

This creates a new object anywhere in your game. It's used to add new objects during the course of a game. in an arcade game, you could create new aliens after the current wave had been destroyed. In a screen saver you could gradually fill the screen with messages.

In both cases, the new objects must be available from either the current game, a library, or an external game. Once these objects  have been selected, they'll be saved automatically along with your game. So the previous definitions can be safely discarded.

You can edit the objects directly from the Level Editor. If an object creates others, it will be marked as a parent using an [image] icon.


Using the Object menus

In the Level Editor, click an object with the right mouse button to display the Object pop-up menu.

The menu options that are available will depend of the type of object you select. Typical menu options include:

Movement

The Movement menu lets you choose the movement settings for the object. If this option is available, you will be able to assign the object to the mouse or joystick, bounce it like a ball, or move it along a pre-set path.

Player

The Player menu lets you choose a player for a Lives or Score object. Each game can have up to four different players at a time.

View

The View menu lets you define the display order for your objects. This tells The Games Factory which objects should appear in front or behind other objects. You can the View option to push an object forward, or pull it back on the playfield.

Edit

The Edit option displays an appropriate Editor system for the current object.

Edit Name and Icon

The Edit Name and Icon option changes the appearance of the object as seen in The Games Factory’s editors. Each object can have its own icon which will be displayed by the Object selectors, Event screens, and Action boxes.

New object

The New object option creates a copy of your object on the screen. Each copy has a different name and can be assigned its own actions, events, and conditions.

.

Resize

The Resize option changes the size of the object using a simple dialogue box.

Align

The Align option lines your objects up with either the playfield, or a selection of other objects.

Object Preferences

The Preferences feature lets you customize the internal settings of an object.

Setup

The optional Setup screen displays a dialogue box for you to define the type and style of your object.


Using the Movement options

The Movement options let you assign a movement system to your objects.

When you select the Movement option, there are several features to select from:

Select Movement

Set Direction

Change Movement

Edit movement

Moved By


Select movement

Choosing the Select Movement option displays the Choose a Movement dialogue box. Each icon in this box provides a different control method for your object.

Player Controlled movements:

The icons in the Controlled by a Player section, make the selected object controllable by a player. After you have entered your movement choice, you can choose the player from the Moved By option in the Movement menu.

There are four Player Controlled movements available:

 	Mouse Controlled assigns an object to the mouse. This option is perfect for the bat in a rebound game.

Eight Directions controls your object from the keyboard or joystick (if connected).

Race Car steers an object like a car.

Platform walks a character along a platform.

Computer Controlled movements

The Games Factory can make an object appear to move by itself. You define a few settings and the computer will do the rest. There are two Computer Controlled movements available:

 	Bouncing ball provides an easy way of moving your object in straight lines.

Path movement allows you to move your object through a predetermined movement pattern. It’s great for generating the attack sequences in an arcade game, or moving a banner in a presentation.

Static movement

The Choose a Movement dialogue box also contains a Static option. Clicking the Static icon leaves your object in its original position. The object can now be animated or destroyed from your game. This feature would be used for the bricks in a rebound game or for animated diagrams.

See:

Making your objects move

Mouse movement

Eight Direction Movement

Race car

Platform

Bouncing ball

Path movement

Static (Default)


Making your objects move

These options give you the power to sweep aliens down the screen, control a world saving character, bounce balls around your display, and much, much more.

There are eight movement systems to choose from. To access the Movement menu, in the Level Editor, click your object with the right mouse button and choose Movement, Select Movement from the pop-up menu.


Player controlled movements

The Player controlled movement option lets you assign an object to the user’s mouse, keyboard, or joystick.

Each game can have up to four different players, numbered from 1 to 4. You can choose the player number using the Moved by option in the object’s Movement menu. This option will appear whenever you have assigned a player controlled movement to your object.

Note: If there are several versions of an object on the screen, each clone will move in step when you assign a Movement setting to the original object.

There is nothing stopping you from assigning several objects to a single player number. If the objects have the same movement option, they will move in a neat group. If they have different options, each object will interpret the player’s commands in its own way.

See:

Mouse movement

Eight direction movement

Race car movement

Platform movement

Moved By


Using Mouse movement

Clicking the Mouse Controlled icon in the Choose a Movement dialogue box, assigns your object directly to the mouse. You can use this feature to generate your own pointers for control panels.

When you activate this option, your object will be surrounded by a rectangular box. This represents the limit within which your object can move on the screen.

You can expand this area by dragging one of the square resizing handles with the mouse. The movement zone is centred at the object’s hot spot. Therefore, if you change the position the object in the Level Editor, the movement zone will move as well. The Games Factory won’t let you drag the box outside the object. If you try, the box will spring back to the hot-spot.

You can test the mouse movement at any time by clicking the Try Movement button in the Mouse Movement Setup dialogue box.

Move the mouse around to “try” the mouse movement, then press the ESC key to stop the test.

Note: The Games Factory also allows you to read the mouse coordinates directly from your game. The Event Editor provides a series of conditions for this purpose.


Using Eight direction movements

If you are an experienced game player, you will recognise this system of movement immediately. Eight direction movement moves your object using either the Joystick or the cursor arrows. It’s perfect for arcade games.

The movement is in eight directions because this is the maximum number of directions available from a standard Joystick.

You can adjust the responsiveness of the joystick by selecting one of the tabs in the Eight directions Movement Setup dialogue box. Each tab affects a specific control attribute. There are three tabs in the Eight Directions movement Setup dialogue box:

Movement

Directions

Initial direction

You can test the movement at any time by clicking the Try Movement button. Press ESC or click the Stop button to end the test and return to the dialogue box.


Movement

There are four movement settings you can adjust in the Movement tab:

1)	Speed sets the speed that your object will move. Drag the slider to the left to decrease speed, or to the right to increase speed.

2)	Acceleration determines how long it will take for your object to reach its final speed. For example, you may wish to have a high acceleration speed if your object is a car. On the other hand if your object was an Elephant, you would want the acceleration to be much slower.

3)	Deceleration determines how long it will take for your object to stop. If we were setting the deceleration of the car, it would take a lot longer to stop than the Elephant because it is moving at a much faster speed.

4)	Moving at start specifies whether your object will be moving when the game begins.


Directions

The Directions tab is used to limit the movement of your object to the specified directions.

You can enable or disable a direction by clicking one of the square points. An arrow will point to the square to indicate that this direction has been enabled.


Initial direction

The Initial direction tab sets the direction your object will be facing at the start of the game. If you pick several directions, The Games Factory will choose an initial direction at random.

These icons let you set or clear all the directions quickly:

 Clears the direction box.

 Sets all the directions at once.


Using Race Car Movements

The Race Car system simulates the movement of a race car on the screen. The car is seen from a birds-eye (top down) view, and can be steered using the arrow keys or joystick.

This feature was originally intended for games, but you can also move multimedia video windows or control panels with this as well.

The player is provided with the following commands:

Accelerator - Up arrow or Joystick Up

Brake -Down arrow or Joystick Down

Turn Left - Left Arrow or Joystick Left

Turn right - Right arrow or Joystick right

Obviously, this system is not limited to cars. The same options can be applied equally well to anything from a sailboat to an aeroplane.

The performance of the race car object can be set using the Race car Movement set-up dialogue box. This dialogue box is divided into three tabs:

Movement

Rotation

Initial direction

You can test the effect at any time by clicking Try movement button. When you have finished testing the effect, you can return to the control panel by pressing the ESC, or clicking the Stop button.


Movement

The Movement tab sets the maximum speed of the objects in your game.

There are five movement settings you can adjust:

1)	Speed sets the normal cruising speed of your object.

2)	Acceleration determines the effect of the accelerator. If you choose a large acceleration, a car will race away at the slightest touch on the gas pedal. Great for a Ferrari! If the value is small, your object will speed up slowly, like a heavy truck.

3)	Deceleration controls the brake! The higher the value, the faster your object will slow down.

4)	Enable reverse movement provides your object with reverse gears. If it is disabled, you will only be able to move your car forward.

5)	Moving at start determines whether or not your object will be moving when the game starts.


Rotations

The Rotations tab sets the number of directions the object can be turned on the screen.

Number of angles 4, 8, 16 and 32

Enable one of these radio buttons to set the number of turning directions.

Rotating speed sets the turning speed of your object. If you increase this value, you will tighten up the turning circle, if you decrease it, the turn will be more gradual, and it will take some time to change direction.

Here is a list of the possible direction options:

Directions	Angle	Effect
4	90	Very coarse
8	45	Rather jerky
16	22	Smooth
32	11	Very smooth

 As you can see, the higher the number of directions, the smoother the turning effect.

Note: You can easily assign a different picture to each of the available directions. The animation editor provides you with a built-in rotation option which will generate the entire animation sequence automatically.


Initial direction

The Initial direction tab sets the direction your object will be facing at the start of the game. If you pick several directions, The Games Factory will choose an initial direction at random.

These icons let you set or clear all the directions quickly:

 Clears the direction box.

 Sets all the directions at once.


Using Platform Movements

Platform movements make your characters “walk” along a landscape or floor.

You can use platform movements to create Platform games. These games are set against a scrolling landscape, and let you walk a character around, solving problems and beating up opponents.

You can control your character using the following options:

Walk Left -the Left Arrow or Joystick Left

Walk right -the Right Arrow or Joystick Right

Climb using the Up Arrow or Joystick Up

Jump Left with the Left Arrow + SHIFT or Joystick Up and Left

Jump right with the Right Arrow + SHIFT or Joystick Up and right

The movement of the platform object can be set using the Platform Movement set-up dialogue box. This dialogue box is divided into three tabs:

Movement

Jumps

Initial direction

You can test the results at any time by clicking Try movement button. This lets you walk your character on the screen. Press ESC or click the Stop button to return to the dialogue box.

You can create a platform for your objects using a range of background options.

See:

Platforms-Ladders and obstacles

A quick Introduction to screen scrolling


Movement

There are four available movement settings:

1)	Speed chooses the running speed of your character. Move the slider to the right to speed your object up and to the left to slow the object down.

2)	Acceleration determines how long it will take for your character to reach the final speed. A large acceleration value makes the character spring ahead quickly. A small value gradually increases the pace as the character moves.

3)	Deceleration sets how slippery the surface is. If the deceleration is high, the character will stop immediately when you release the control. If deceleration is low, the character will gently slide to a halt.

4)	Moving at start determines whether or not your character will be moving when the game begins.


Jumps

Gravity changes the speed at which a character falls towards the ground. If the setting is high, the character will fall quickly and if the setting is low, the character is fall slower.

Jump Strength enters the jumping power of your character. The larger the value, the further the character can jump. Gravity will also have an effect on how this option works.

Jump Controls change the control system used for the jumps:

No Jump turns the jumping feature off.

Up Left/right arrow allows the player to jump using a combination of the Up arrow key, and either the Left or right arrows.

Button 1 allows the character to jump when the player presses the fire button on the joystick, or with the keyboard key assigned to button 1 (SHIFT as default).

Button 2 allows the character to jump when the second fire button on the joystick, or button 2 key is pressed on the keyboard (CONTROL as default).


Initial direction

The Initial direction tab sets the direction your character will be facing at the start of the game. If you pick several directions, The Games Factory will choose an initial direction at random.

These icons let you set or clear all the directions quickly.

 Clears the direction box.

 Sets all the directions at once.


A quick Introduction to Screen Scrolling

The Games Factory uses a Tile scrolling system, just like professional games.

You can build your screens out of a series of reusable "tiles". Each tile can be defined using its own Backdrop, or Quick Backdrop object. These objects are only stored once, no matter how many times you use them on the screen. Therefore, they are ideal for displaying standard parts, like bricks, buttons, floor tiles, letters, or road sections. You can use them to generate massive areas using a small number of sections. This will save you oodles of memory!

In the Event Editor, you can set the scrolling of the screen by clicking a grid box under the Storyboard Controls icon with the right mouse button. Choose Scrollings from the pop-up menu.

There are three scrolling settings that you can choose from:

Centre Window Position in Playfield takes your new coordinates and moves the window over any section of the playing area. You can use it to scroll through a map in any direction.

Centre Horizontal Position of Window in Playfield action moves the games display window left or right along an extra large playfield. As it scrolls, new areas will be revealed for your characters to explore.

Centre Vertical Position in Playfield is limited to up and down movements. You can use it to create extra tall message windows, and vertical scrolling arcade games.

If you want to generate really smooth effects, you can change the display into a full screen 320 x 200 mode by clicking Edit, Games Setup. From the Window tab, select the 320 x 200 option.

See the Actions, conditions, and Functions section for more information.


Platforms-Ladders and obstacles

Once you've defined a Platform Object, you will need to create some obstacles for it. These can be generated using either Backdrop or Quick Backdrop Objects.

Here’s the procedure:

Move your Backdrop Objects into position on the playfield and click the object with the right mouse button. Choose Obstacle from the pop-up menu. There are four different options in the sub-menu:

No moves your object into the background.

Yes defines the object as a normal obstacle, such as a wall.

Platform creates a platform which can be used as a floor for a Platform object to walk on.

Ladder makes a ladder which can be climbed by a platform object.


Computer controlled Movements

Computer controlled Movements allow Click and Create to control your objects directly. They are used to generate anything from the attack sequences for your aliens to the balls in a rebound game.

If you have “cloned” your object, each version will move independently, starting from its current position. It is possible to generate large attack sequence using just a single movement definition.

See:

Bouncing ball

Path


Using Bouncing Ball Movements

Bouncing Ball Movements bounce your objects around the screen. It is mainly used for pinball type games, but you can also create bouncing messages for screen savers and advertisements.

Bouncing ball movements can be controlled from your game. You can move your object directly using your own actions and events.

To control your bouncing ball movements:

In the Event Editor, the movements can be made using a Set position, Set X coordinate, or Set Y coordinate actions. You can now trigger these actions at regular intervals with an Every condition, producing guided missiles, movable control boxes, or elevators.

The Ball Movement dialogue box is divided into three tabs:

Movement

Bounces

Initial direction

At the bottom of each tab, there is a large button labelled Try movement. Click this button to test your new settings on the screen. Press ESC or select Stop to abort the test.


Movement

The Movement tab sets the maximum speed of the objects in your game.

There are three movement settings you can adjust:

1)	Speed sets the speed of your object on the screen.

2)	Deceleration sets the amount of friction working against your object. By default, deceleration is set to zero so the ball object will bounce on a surface without friction. The objects will move around forever. If you increase the deceleration, your object will lose speed as it moves. After a while, it will grind to a halt, just like a pinball.

3)	Moving at start launches your ball when your game begins. If you disable this option, you can release the ball using an appropriate action from the Event Editor.


Bounces

The Bounces tab sets the number of directions the object can bounce on the screen.

Number of angles 8, 16, 32

Enable a radio button to choose the number of rebound angles in your game. The more angles you select, the smoother the bounce effect.

Randomizer gives the ball a random chance of bouncing off into different directions. The higher the setting, the more varied the effect. If you would prefer your rebounds to be predictable, turn this feature off by sliding the randomizer bar all the way to the left.

Security jiggles your objects around to stop them getting stuck in a corner. As a result, your rebound effects will become a little more random.


Initial Directions

The Initial direction tab is used to set the direction for your ball to move at the start of the game. If you select several directions, The Games Factory will choose one direction at random.

These icons let you set or clear all the directions quickly.

 Clears the direction box.

 Sets all the directions at once.


Using Path Movements

Using Path Movements allows you to set a predetermined movement path for your object. This feature is useful for creating a guard who patrols the screen or a message that moves to a particular screen position.

These patterns are easy with The Games Factory.


The Path Editor

The Path Editor is the key to creating impressive movement effects in your games and games. Click Path Movement from the Choose a Movement dialogue box. The Path Editor Setup dialogue box will appear:

Your movement patterns are made up of a number of points or “nodes”. These nodes provide a series of stepping stones for your object. Whenever your object is moved, it will jump from node to node in the sequence.

An “anchor” node is assigned to the hot spot of your object. The anchor represents the first point in your movement pattern. You can create additional points by clicking the New Line icon in the Path Editor. This option stretches a line to a new position on the screen.

You can also generate smooth curves using the Tape Mouse option. This option samples the mouse position at regular intervals, and inserts the appropriate points into your movement sequence.

The Try movement button tests your movement on the screen. Press ESC or click Stop to abort the test.

See:

Editing a movement sequence

Using the Path Editor’s icons


Using the Path Editors Icons

The available Path Editor options are:

 New line

This option drags a new line from the last position.

 Record mouse

This option records your mouse movements and loads them into a path.

 Set Pause

This option waits for a selected period at the current point.

 Loop the movement

This option repeats your movements continuously.

 Reverse at End

This option turns the object around and retraces its path after it reaches the end.

 Reposition at End

This option returns your object to its starting point after the path is completed.


New line

The New line icon stretches a line between the current “node” and the next one in the sequence. You can drag your line into place and click the mouse button to set the line into position.


Record mouse

The Record Mouse icon starts the mouse recorder from the present position.

Hold the left mouse button down and move the mouse to record the new path into memory.

Here is an experiment for you to try:

1)	Create a small object such as a “dot” that will act as a “pen”.

2)	Assign this "pen" object to a Path Movement and record your signature with the mouse. The pen object will appear to write your signature on the screen!

To set up this effect:

1)	Click your "pen" object with the right mouse button and choose Preferences from the pop-up menu.

2)	In the Advanced tab, disable the Save background check box and enable the Wipe with colour box. Select a colour for your signature from the colour palette.

3)	Click OK.to accept the settings.

4)	Click Run, Run game to see your pen object move through your signature leaving a trail of colour behind it.


Set Pause

The Set Pause icon stops your object at the currently selected node, and waits for the specified time interval

Enter the time from a dialogue box. Type your delay in seconds and hundredths of seconds.

Each point in your path can have its own delay setting. You will see this delay as a small number in the path definition:


Loop the movement

The Loop the movement icon repeats your movement path from the beginning whenever the object reaches the end of the path. The movements will start off from the object’s new position so the object will appear to fly across the screen.


Reverse at End

The Reverse at End icon sends the object back along the same path when it reaches the end of the current pattern. The object will gradually return to its starting position.


Reposition at End

The Reposition at End icon places your object at its original position when it reaches the end of the path.

The object will appear to cycle through the same locations again and again.


Set Speed

The Set Speed enters the speed of your object on the screen.

You can adjust the speed at any point in the path. A number will appear next to the node to show the new setting.


Using the Path Editor

Create an object

1.	In the Level Editor, choose the Space Crafts library from the Library menu.

2.	Click the alien ship 2 icon and drag the object over the middle of the playfield. Click the playfield to drop the ship into position.

To Add Movement to your object

1)	Click the object with the right mouse button and select Movement, Select movement.

2)	Click the Path movement icon ( [image]) to display the Path Editor on the screen:

3)	Click the Add a new Line icon ( [image]). The mouse will jump to the center node of the ship. Move the mouse pointer to stretch a line from the node to the mouse. This shows the path the ship will take when it moves on the screen. Position the mouse up, and to the right of the starting point. Click the right mouse button to drop the point into place. The ship should now look like this:

4)	Drag the mouse down and to the right to draw another line (as shown below). Click the left button to drop the point into place.

Note: To add more than two points to the movement path, click the right mouse button to drop the points into place. Only click the left button to drop the final node into position.

5)	Click the Try movement button to test the movement on the screen. The ship will follow your lines and stop when it reaches the last node.

6)	Click the Loop the Movement button ( [image]) in the Path Editor to restart the movement from the current position.

7)	Click the Try Movement. The ship will zoom around the screen.

Now that you have set up the movement path of the ship, experiment with the other options in the Path Editor.

Change the speed of the ship

Click the Reverse at end button

Click the Reposition at end button

Set a Pause

Remember the following tips:

1)	If you make a mistake, don't forget that any node can be edited directly on the screen. Click the node with and drag it to a new location.

2)	Click a node with the right mouse button to edit the point using a pop-up menu.

3)	To delete a node, click it with the right mouse button and choose Delete from the pop-up menu.

4)	If you are creating lots of movement lines, fix them into place using the right mouse button. This will stretch a new line from the current position. Click your final line with the left button.

5)	You can select part of your path by dragging a box around it with the left button. You can now choose the Cut, Copy, and Paste options from the Edit menu.

6)	Use the Set a Pause button to stop an object in it's travels. You can enter the delay in seconds or hundredths of seconds. The object will halt for the specified period and then continue on its path.

7)	You can change the object's speed by clicking a node and selecting Set speed option from the pop-up menu. The object will now speed up, or slow down when it reaches the current location.

8)	Use the Record mouse option to record the path directly from the mouse.

9)	Experiment with the various settings. You never know what terrific effect you can create.


Editing a movement sequence

Once you have added a movement sequence to your object you can easily edit it using the Level Editor.

To edit a movement sequence, click the object with the right mouse button and pick the Edit Movement option from the pop-up menu. The Path Editor will be displayed. You can now edit your pattern directly on the screen. To move a point, click the point and drag it to a new location.


The Path Editors Edit menu)

To make larger changes to your movement path, it is possible to edit entire sections.

To edit large sections of the movement path, click outside the area to be changed with the mouse pointer. Hold down the mouse button and drag the mouse diagonally until the section is surrounded by a box. Release the mouse button. When you release the button the selected nodes will flash on the screen.

Edit the path using Edit menu options:

Cut removes the current section from your path and saves it into memory

Copy saves the area into memory without affecting the existing path

Paste copies the information stored in memory into your movement pattern

Delete completely erases your selected points.

See:

Deleting a point

Deleting an area

Editing a line

Editing a point


Deleting a path node

1)	Click the node.

2)	Press the DELETE key on the keyboard.

Note:  Another way to delete a node is to:

1)	Click the node with the right mouse button.

2)	Choose Delete from the pop-up menu.


Deleting a path area

1)	Click outside the area to be changed with the mouse pointer. Hold down the mouse button and drag the mouse diagonally until the section is surrounded by a box.

2)	Release the mouse button.

3)	Press the DELETE key on the keyboard.

Note: Another way to delete an area is to:

1)	Click outside the area to be changed with the mouse pointer. Hold down the mouse button and drag the mouse diagonally until the section is surrounded by a box.

2)	Release the mouse button.

3)	Click Edit, Delete.


Editing a Movement line

1)	Click a node at the end of the line to edit.

2)	Hold the mouse button down and drag the node to a new position to move the line.

3)	Release the mouse button to lock the line into position.


Editing a point in the Movement Path

Click the node with the right mouse button. A pop-up menu with the following options will be displayed:

Draw Line adds a new line and node at the current position.

Record mouse reads the mouse position, and enters the mouse movements starting at the current point.

Set Pause stops the object for the selected period of time before proceeding to the next node.

Set Speed changes the speed of the object when it reaches the specified node.

Delete erases the node completely.


Using the Static option

The Static Movement option is the default Movement setting in The Games Factory. It is usually used for items like bricks or diagrams which do not need to move.

Static Objects don’t have a speed or acceleration, and they can’t be bounced off walls. But they do have a direction and an animation effect. You will be asked to choose the initial direction after you select this option.

Static Objects can use all the standard object actions, except for Movement.


Set direction

The Set direction option is used to select the initial direction of the movement. Use this option if you have not chosen a movement option with Select Movement.

Click the points around the dial to enable or disable the selected initial direction. If you pick several directions, The Games Factory will choose an initial direction at random.

These icons let you set or clear all the directions quickly.

 Clears the direction box.

 Sets all the directions at once.

See:

Select movement.


Change movement

The Change movement option is only available if you have assigned a movement system to an object. Choosing this option will display the Choose a movement dialog box to enable you to select a totally different movement type for your object.

See: Select Movement


Edit movement

The Edit movement option is only available if you have already assigned a movement system to your object. The edit option will display the appropriate set-up screen to enable you to change the settings within the chosen movement type.

To pick a new movement system, choose the Change Movement option from the Movement pop-up menu.

See:

Select movement

Moved by


Moved by

The Moved by option is only available if you have already assigned a Player Controlled movement to your object.

Choosing this option will display a sub-menu to let you assign the object to a particular Player. There are four different players to choose from, numbered from one to four. Each of your players can have their own Score or Lives Objects. You can also give your players control over the Active Objects, using the Mouse, Eight direction, Race car or Platform systems.

Note: Each player can be assigned to several objects at a time. Each object will interpret the player’s commands in its own way, depending on which of the movement systems you have selected. If your object has clones, they will all move together in the chosen direction.


Choosing the Player number

The Player Number is used by Lives or Score Objects to assign an object to a specific Player.

The players are selected from a menu, and are numbered from one to

four. Each of your players can have their own score or Lives Objects.


Setting the Viewing distance

Normally, your objects will be shown in the exact order they are drawn. Therefore, the first object in your game will be displayed in the background, and the later objects will be displayed towards the front.

In practice, this can cause real problems because it is impossible to predict precisely how your objects will appear on the screen.

If you want a missile to move in front of an attacking alien or one of your characters to walk behind a wall, it is possible to achieve these effects. The Games Factory provides you with total control over the display order.

To change the View, click the object with the right mouse button and choose View from the pop-up menu. The View command contains four options:

To Front. Brings your object to the foreground, and moves it in front of all the other objects on the screen.

Forward One. Moves your object one step forward through the display order.

Backward One. Moves your object one step back through the display order.

To Back. Places your object behind all the other objects in the game

These viewing options are only useful for certain types of objects:

Quick Backdrops and Backdrop objects can only be positioned in relation to each other. They’ll always appear to be behind the other objects on the display. Therefore, the To front option won’t be available.

Active, Text, Counter, Lives, Score, Hi-Score, and Question and Answer,objects can be displayed on top of each other in any order. They’ll always appear to be in front of any Backdrops.

All objects which open in a window will be shown on top of the display. Typical examples are Button, Edit box, Video for Windows, QuickTime, and FLI or FLC.

There are also objects which don’t appear on the screen. These objects don’t use the viewing system at all. They include objects such as: INI, Mixer, CD Audio, and MCI.


Editing your objects.

Choosing the editing option will allow you change the general appearance of an object. Depending on the type of object, the Editing options will be different.

See the “Object Types” Help for more information.


Editing your Objects Name and Icon

By default, The Games Factory will automatically allocate a name and an icon to every object you create. These icons provide a standard way of representing your objects in the Level Editor, the Step Through Editor, and the Event Editor.

Each icon is exactly 32 units wide by 32 units high. The icon is loaded with a reduced version of the object’s image. If your object has an animation assigned to it, the icon will be created using the first frame in the sequence. The name is generated from the type of your object and a number.

Typical names include: “Active Object 1”, “Score 2”, and “Quick Backdrop 3”. To edit the name or icon, click the object with the right mouse button and choose the Edit Name and Icon from the pop-up menu.

See: The Icon Editor


Creating a separate copy of your object

The new object can be of either the same, or a compatible type. The available options vary depending on the type of the original object.

It is possible to convert between the following object types:

Active to Backdrop

This conversion uses the first frame of your Active Object's animation sequence to form the Backdrop.

Backdrop object to Active

This conversion generates an active version of the current Backdrop. You can move the new object around the screen at will, and animate it using all the standard options.

Active to Quick Backdrop

This conversion takes the first image in your animation sequence, and uses it as the fill pattern of the Quick Backdrop. The Quick Backdrop is created using the Mosaic option, and can be resized to create an attractive wallpaper effect.

Backdrop to Quick Backdrop

This converts the backdrop into the fill pattern of the Quick Backdrop. If the new object is larger than this picture, or the size of the object is made larger, the object will be filled with a solid block of the original image.

This option is useful for creating rectangular platforms and large buildings in an adventure.

Text to Active

This converts a static piece of text into a banner which can be moved around on the screen. It is also useful for the buttons in control panels.

Your Text Object is created as an Active Object using the first piece of text in the message. Any data strings are ignored. The new object will be drawn using the font and colour settings. You can edit the text in the Picture Editor to add a background area or border.


Changing your objects size

The Level Editor provides you with a powerful Re-size option which lets you change the shape or size of your objects.

To resize an object:

1)	Click the object to change with the right mouse button.

2)	Choose Resize from the pop-up menu.

3)	A Resize box will appear around the object. Drag the control points of the Resize box to the desired size.

4)	Click OK in the Resize Object dialog box. Click and Create will automatically resize the object to the fit into the new box.

The following diagrams show the result of the previous procedure.

Before:

After:

Note: You can also resize an object using exact percentages of the original object. Enter values for the percentages in the Resize Object dialogue box (shown below). The number on the left shows the percentage increase/decrease to the width, and the number on the right shows the percentage increase/decrease to the height. Enter the new values from the keyboard and Click OK to accept the values. Click and Create will automatically resize this object to this exact percentage of the original object.

The Memory section shows how much memory will be needed to store the new object.

This object is used if there is only a single object.

All shows the memory to resize the current selection.

If your object is large, or contains a lot of animation, you may have to wait a while for the object to resize. An expanding bar will be displayed to let you track the progress.

Warning! If you resize an Active Object, you will change the size of every frame in its animation sequence. If your objects are big, you will need a lot of spare memory, and even more patience! The quality of your images will deteriorate badly if you change their size by too much.

See:

Resizing several objects


Resizing several objects

To resize several objects:

1)	Click outside the objects to be resized with the mouse pointer.

2)	Hold down the mouse button and drag the mouse diagonally until the objects are surrounded by a box.

3)	Release the mouse button.

4)	Click on one of the selected boxes with the right mouse button. Choose Resize from the pop-up menu.

You will now be presented with a “grow box” around one of the selected objects:

This box sets the proportions of the entire group. If you double the size of the box, all the objects will expand by twice.

Note: You can also resize the objects using exact percentages of the original object. Enter values for the percentages in the Resize Object dialogue box (shown below). The number on the left shows the percentage increase/decrease to the width, and the number on the right shows the percentage increase/decrease to the height. Enter the new values from the keyboard and Click OK to accept the values.

The following dialogue box will be displayed. Choose to modify only the object surrounded by the "grow box" or all of the selected objects.

The Games Factory will automatically resize the selected object or all of the objects to the exact percentage of the original object

Warning! If you have selected a lot of objects, or they have large animation sequences, you might end up waiting ages for the process to complete. If you are unsure, resize each object individually.


Align

The Align option provides a quick way of lining your objects up on the display. You can align your object either with the left, right, or centre of the playfield, or with a group of objects.

In each case, click your object(s) with the right mouse button, and choose Align from the pop-up menu. A submenu will open with two possibilities:

Horizontal moves your object(s) left or right to a new horizontal position.

Vertical moves your object(s) up or down.

See:

Aligning a single object on the Playfield.

Aligning a group of objects on the Playfield.


Aligning a single object on the Playfield

If you select a single object, you can position it neatly on the screen.

The Horizontal options move the object to the left, right, or centre of the current playfield. They have absolutely no effect on the object’s vertical position, they’ll only move the object left or right from the present location.

You can choose your option from:

Left side moves the object to the left edge of the Playfield

Center in Playfield places it over the middle.

Right side positions your object at the far right of the Playfield.

The Vertical options position your object at the top, bottom, or middle of the screen. They move the object up or down from the current location, leaving its X coordinate unchanged. .As with the horizontal version, there are three possible options:

The options available are:

Top moves the object to the top line of the Playfield.

Center in Playfield moves it to the middle.

Bottom moves it to the lowest point on the play area.


Aligning a group of objects on the Playfield

If you select several objects, you can arrange them in neat pattern. You first need to pick out your objects from the playfield. You can either drag a box around the objects with the mouse, or hold down the SHIFT or CTRL keys and click each object individually with the mouse. You can now control the entire group by clicking on a single object with the right mouse button.

The Align menu will change so you can line up your selection on the screen.

Horizontal

These options line up the objects in a horizontal group, without changing their vertical position.

Left sides lines up your objects from the leftmost item in the selection.

Centers positions your objects at the midpoint of the selection area. This will be halfway between the leftmost and rightmost items.

Right moves your objects to the rightmost example in the selection.

Space equally arranges the objects in the selection area so that there’s an equal horizontal gap between them.

Vertical

These options move the objects up or down so that they line up vertically. They don’t affect the object’s horizontal positions at all.

Tops moves your objects so that their tops are on the same horizontal line. The object’s will be lined up with the top example in the current selection.

Centers lines up your objects over the midpoint of the current selection area

Bottoms places your objects so that they are on the same horizontal line as the lowest object in the selection.

Space equally arranges the objects vertically in the selection area so that there’s an equal distance between them.


Setting your object Preferences

The Object Preferences dialogue box changes the way your objects will be handled by The Games Factory.

Each object type has a different range of settings, but they all follow the same general pattern. Most objects display the Preference dialogue box, which is divided into three tabs:

Object Groups

Extra

Advanced

Backdrops or Quick Backdrops have a menu instead. However, the options are very similar.


The Object Groups option

The Object Groups tab links a number of different objects into a single category. Each group can now be tested directly for an event, just as if it were a single object.

You can use these groups to assign a range of actions to a collection of objects. For example, deal with all your attackers using a single set of events or manage your titles with another.

Groups can be created for Active Objects, Text Objects, Questions, and Counters. However, each group can only be used by a single object type at a time. You cannot assign a Counter object and an Active Object to the same group. If you try, your new selection will be ignored.

The Group window

The Group window shows all the groups that you have assigned to the current object. Each object can be entered into several different groups. So an alien might be classified as both an "attacker", and a "bonus".

Each group is represented by its own icon. Here are some examples of icons:

The Add button assigns your object to a group. A box will be displayed with a list of the available objects.

The Delete button removes your object from a group.


Setting the Extra options

The Extra tab provides you with a range of different options.

Depending on your object’s type some features might be greyed out.

The tab is divided into three sections:

Game used to define your objects as local or global

Scrollings changes the way objects move on a scrolling background.

Collision detection controls the way a collision is detected

See:

Global and Local Objects

The Scrolling options

The Collision Detection options


Using Global and Local Objects

The Games Factory’s objects can either be local or global.

Local Objects are discarded at the end of each level.

Global Objects exist for the duration of your game.

If the checkbox in the Game section of the Extra tab is enabled, the object will be a permanent fixture of your game, and will remain in play until you physically destroy it. If it is disabled, the object will be discarded at the end of the level.

Global Objects can be used for

The players ship in an arcade game;

The viewing window in a presentation.

The difficulty level in a tutorial.

See:

Using Global Objects

Local Objects can be used for

The aliens in an arcade game

The controls of a presentation

The counters used for intermediate calculations


Using Global Objects

Global Objects are permanently available in the Level Editor. You can select Global Objects from the libraries on The Games Factory CD.

Note: Global Objects are not positioned automatically. You will need to add these objects directly into every level that needs them.

Similarly, you'll need to add a global object to a level before you can create or shoot it using actions. It is a good idea to drop the Global Object into the grey holding area outside the playfield.

If you have defined an object as "Global" and there are other objects with the same name in different levels, The Games Factory will let you replace these objects by your new definition. This can save you a lot of time when you are defining your global objects. Beware of substituting the standard names, like "Active Object 1". These objects could be completely different in your other levels. If you're in any doubt, you should select No and change your objects' names using the Edit name and icon option from the pop-up menu.

If you have a game with many levels each including the same global object, you won't be able to make the object Local from the Preferences option. If you want to do this, you'll need to manually destroy the object in all but one level. Once you've done this, you'll be able to select the object and turn off the global option from its preference box.


Changing the scrolling options

The Scrolling options affect the way your objects will be appear against a “scrolling background”.

In the Scrolling section of the Extra tab, there are two check boxes:

Follow the playfield

This option is important if you are scrolling the playfield using the Centre actions.

Normally, the coordinates of an object will be measured from the top left of the current window. This means that they will stay in the same position, even if the playfield is moving. The playfield will seem to move under the object. There are a lot of games where this is ideal.

Sometimes, you will want to move the objects with the playfield. You might, for instance, have “characters” walking around a platform. If the platform moves, these objects should move in the same direction. You can achieve this, by enabling the Follow the playfield option.

Inactivate objects if too far from playfield.

This option stops your object from being tested for collisions, if they get a move a large distance outside the playfield. Enabling this action will saves a bit of time, and keep the rest of your game moving quickly.


Setting the Collision Detection options

The Collision Detection options are used by both Background Obstacles or Active Objects. They change the way that collisions will be detected by the system.

In the Collision Detection section of the Extra tab, there is a single check box.

Use Fine Detection

By default, collisions will only be detected if the two objects are visibly touching on the screen. This system is extremely accurate, and this is ideal for arcade games. In many situations this accuracy is not needed

However, if an object is more or less rectangular, it is faster to use Box Mode. This option defines an invisible box around each object starting at the hot sport and tests to see if these boxes overlap.

Box Mode would be useful in the following situation. Supposing you wanted to let the user select a piece of text with the mouse. If you were using fine mode, the button would only be activated when the pointer was directly over the letters. If you had chosen box mode, the button would be highlighted if the user entered the box containing the text.

If you've defined the object as an obstacle, you can choose between Box mode (default) or Fine mode. Select the Preferences option from the pop-up menu, and choose Collision with Box to activate or deactivate Box mode.


Setting the Advanced options

The Advanced tab of the Objects Preferences dialogue box contains options are only suitable for Active Objects.

There are three sections:

Background changes the way the background areas will be treated when the object moves over them.

Ink Effect changes the way the object’s colours are drawn on the screen.

Memory changes the way your objects are stored in memory.

See:

Setting the Background options

Using Ink effects

Setting the memory options


Setting the Background options

Save background

By default, this option is enabled. Normally, The Games Factory will keep track of the background area underneath your object. Therefore, you can position an object anywhere on the screen without destroying the objects in the background. If you move the object, the original background area will be redrawn at its previous location.

Wipe screen with colour

To enable this check box, you must disable the Save background check box. The Wipe screen with Colour feature will leave a trail of colour behind an object. The old background will be replaced by a block of your chosen colour. When you enable this check box, you will be asked to select a colour from the colour palette.

This feature enables you paint lines across the screen or add an attractive 3-D effect to your text.

You can also generate fancy screen wipes. You just sweep an object across the screen, and the background will gradually be replaced by a solid band of colour.


Using Ink Effects

The Ink effect option changes the way an Active object will be drawn on the screen. You can adjust the Ink effects to generate range of useful effects.

Note: There’s no effect on the pictures or animations in memory. You can adjust these options as much as you like, without changing your object permanently.

The “Ink” menu lets you select from one of the following possibilities:

Transparent

This is the standard drawing system. As a rule, anything in colour zero will be treated as “Transparent”, and won’t be drawn on the screen. Therefore, the background area will be shown through the transparent areas of the object. Any other colours will be drawn just as they appear in your animations.

Here’s an example:

Opaque

The Opaque option draws all the colours in your object, even the areas in colour zero. The effect is to add a solid background to your object.

Here’s an example:

Note: Since The Games Factory has to display more information, each object will take slightly longer to draw.

Semi-transparent

The Semi-transparent options lets you fade your objects partly into the background. It takes your animations, and combines them with the existing graphics to create a neat “ghosting” effect.

You can set the transparency using a number from 0 to 100. 0 draws every non zero colour directly onto the screen. It’s the same as the Transparent option. 100 makes the object completely invisible. Any value in between, mixes your object with the background. Parts of the Playfield, show through, and other parts are hidden. The higher the value, the more transparent the object will appear.

Below you can see three characters:

The first is displayed with 25% semi-transparency, the second with 50% and the third with 75%.

Note: The appearance of the object will depend on the background. It will change as the object moves. This effect takes a lot of computer power to achieve. You should limit it only a few small active objects at any one time. Otherwise your objects will move very slowly on the screen.

Inverted

The Inverted option flips the colours around, generating results like this:

XOR

The XOR option combines your object with the background using a logical “XOR” operation.

AND

The AND option merges your object with the Playfield using a logical “AND” operation.

OR

The OR option performs a logical “OR” operation between each point your object, and the background areas underneath.


Setting the Memory options

When you move to a new level, any Local Objects will be loaded immediately into memory. If the level is large, you might require large amounts of space for objects which aren't even on the screen.

The Memory options let you load your objects from the disc when they are required. They can be used by anything from a background object to an Video for Windows object. These features will enable you to create large game levels without using a great deal of memory space. Using these features will also make your finished game load much quicker from the desktop.

Load on Call

The Load on Call option loads an object from the disc when it is needed by your game. If your object is large, this can save a lot of memory. However, it is obviously slower than keeping the object permanently installed.

Discard After Use

Discard After Use removes the object from the memory of your computer when it is no longer needed.

Destroy object if too far from the playfield

This option automatically destroys the object after it has passed out of range. Enabling this check box speeds up the system by stopping unused objects from wasting your computer’s time and memory.

You can think of the playfield having an invisible border zone which is 480 points wide, and 300 units high. If the object leaves this area, The Games Factory will remove it. If you want to keep your objects safe, you should limit their coordinates to greater than (-480,300) and less than (playfield width + 480, playfield height + 300)


Using the Set-up option

The Setup option sets additional options which are not covered by the standard preferences dialogue box. If this option is available, it will call up a dialogue box and lets you enter the object’s settings from the screen.

If an object creates others, you can click on it's icon and display its children using the "Show children" option from its menu. The selected objects can now be edited. It will be marked out with an arrow icon ( [image]) to show that it will be created during the game. You can return to the parent by choosing "Hide" from the pop-up menu.


The Animation Editor

The Animation Editor enables you create fantastic animation effects for your Active Objects. Animations can include professional quality zooms, and terrific Morphing effects.

The Animation Editor is mainly intended for Active Objects, but it will also work with Counters. The Animation Editor is used to produce objects which change over a period of time. Examples of possible animations include: a chart drawing an expanding line showing the current sales figures, a message rotating on the screen, or a spaceship exploding.

Animations work by splitting an object into a number of images called Animation frames. These Frames are arranged in an Animation sequence. Animation sequences display each animation frame on the screen one after the other. The Animation Editor displays each frame in the Animation sequence for a fraction of a second. This fools the eye into thinking that the object is actually changing shape. In reality, a series of still pictures are displayed on the screen.

The Games Factory lets you assign up to sixteen Animation Sequences to each object and each sequence can be displayed in up to thirty-two different directions. Therefore, a single object can have more than 500 animation effects!

The Games Factory Animation Editor lets you enter animation sequences yourself. You can draw each frame using the built-in Picture Editor or import the frames from an "FLI" or Picture file on the disc.

You can also get The Games Factory to generate animations for you! You can flip or rotate your animation sequences using the Reverse and Rotate icons from the control panel, or call up a pop-up Frame menu, and produce amazing Resize Zoom and Morphing effects.

See:

Anatomy of the Animation editor

Editing an animation frame

The Animation window

Creating an Animation Sequence

Setting the Animation Speed

Choosing the number of directions

Repeating an animation

Using the "Loop back to frame" option

Using the command icons

The Frame menu

The Edit Menu

The Resize zoom option

The Morphing Editor

Tricks and Tips


Creating a Simple Animation Sequence

In this section, you will create a simple animation using The Games Factory.

In the Level editor, click the Create new object icon ( [image]) from the Toolbar.

Click the General tab of the Create New object dialogue box. Click the Active Object icon ( [image]).

The Animation Editor will be displayed. The animation type for the object will be set to "Stopped". You can change this animation type by selecting a different type from the Animation menu. For this example, "Stopped" is fine.

At the bottom of the Animation Editor, the animation is divided into boxes called frames. These frames are numbered sequentially starting at the number 1.

We will now create an image for the first animation frame. Double click the first frame in the animation sequence. The Picture Editor will be displayed to enable you to draw your new image.

If the object seems small, click on the "x4" icon to expand it into view.

Pick a colour for your object. Choose a bright Red from the colour palette. Move the mouse pointer over the Colour Palette and click the colour of your choice.

Now you're ready to draw your object on the screen.

We will draw a solid circle in the object box. Click the Filled ellipse icon ( [image]). Position the mouse pointer over the centre of the drawing window and hold down the left mouse button. As you drag the mouse, the ellipse will expand and contract on the screen. When the ellipse fills the box, release the mouse button to lock the shape into place. If you make a mistake, click Edit, Undo, or click the Undo icon ( [image]), and try again.

Click OK to return to the Animation Editor.

The first frame should look like this:

Copy the red ellipse to the next frame. To copy the ellipse, click the ellipse to highlight it and drag and drop a copy of the ellipse into Frame 2.

Lets edit the second frame. Double click the second frame to display the Picture Editor.

Let's change the colour of the ellipse in frame 2. We will use "Blue". Click the new colour from the colour palette, and click the Fill icon ( [image]). Click the mouse pointer on the red ellipse in Frame 2. This fills your image with a solid block of the blue colour. You can use this feature to instantly switch the background colour of a picture. Click OK to return to the Animation editor.

The animation frames should now look like this:

Change the "Anim speed" to 100 by dragging the slider to the right. Click the View icon ( [image]) to see the effect.

Did you see it? The red and blue ellipses appear as one purple ellipse.

Now, drag the Anim Speed slider to the left to slow the animation down. When view the animation again, the ellipse will flash between red and blue.

If you want to repeat the animation effect continuously, click the left arrow marker in the Repeat section to change the box to "looped".

When you view the animation again, the ellipse will flash on and off until you click the close icon to stop the animation.

Click OK to return to the Level editor. Finally, position your new animated object on the play area with a click of the left mouse button.

Congratulations! You just created a simple animation.


Anatomy of the Animation Editor

The Animation Editor is split into several sections.

The Edit menu

The Edit menu provides a list of useful options including:

Cut

Paste

Copy

Delete

Select all

Unselect

Replace mode.

The Animation Menu

The Animation pull-down menu provides a list of the sixteen available Animation types you can use for an object.

Each animation type can have as many pictures or sequences as you like. The last four animation types are special. You can change their names using the Change animation name button. This button will be activated whenever you select one of the four User animations.

The Animation Sequence

The Animation Sequence is displayed as a series of numbered boxes or Animation Frames:

You can edit these frames using the left or right mouse buttons.

The left button is used for editing a frame. If you click the frame once, the frame is highlighted. You can now choose the following options from the edit menu:

Cut

Copy

Paste

Delete

If you double click the frame, the frame will be loaded into the Picture Editor so you can draw or edit an object on the screen.

If you hold the left button down, you can drag and drop a copy of your frame to a new position.

Clicking the right mouse button displays a pop-up menu with the following options:

Insert

Resize Zoom

Rotate

Morphing

Delete

The Direction section

The Direction section  is used to choose the number of angles an object can be rotated. Each direction can have it’s own animation sequence. You can edit these individually by selecting one of the boxes in the Direction area. An arrow will appear showing the chosen direction. You can also generate the directions automatically, by clicking the Rotate button.

The Repeat section

The Repeat section sets the number of times the Animation will be repeated on the screen. You can increase or decrease the count using the scroll arrows below the word Repeat. If you enter a value of zero, the number will be replaced with the word Looping. The Looping option will repeats your animation continuously on the screen.

Loop Back to Frame enters the number of the frame which the animation will return to when it reaches the end. Normally, the animation is restarted at frame 1.

The Anim Speed Section

The Anim Speed sets the speed of the Animation. You can drag the slider to the left to slow the animation down or drag the slider right to speed up the animation. Some animations use a slightly different system they provide two sliders labelled Min. and Max.. Min. sets the minimum animation speed when the object is moving slowly and Max. sets the maximum speed when the object is moving quickly.

The Command Icons

The command icons perform the following functions:

 Reverse the animation sequence Horizontally

 Reverse the animation sequence Vertically

 Import a new animation sequence from the disc.

 Creates a new animation sequence for each possible direction.

 Views the animation in a small window.

OK, Cancel, and Help Buttons

The final section of the animation editor is the OK, Cancel, and Help buttons:

OK assigns your animation to your current object.

Cancel aborts from the editor and loses any changes you made. It returns your object to its previous states and is a great way to recover after a mistake.

Help brings up the on-line help for the Animation Editor.

See:

An Introduction to animation

Editing an animation frame

The Animation window

Creating an Animation Sequence

Setting the Animation Speed

Choosing the number of directions

Repeating an animation

Using the "Loop back to frame" option

Using the command icons

The Frame menu

The Edit Menu

The Resize zoom option

The Morphing Editor

Tricks and Tips


Choosing the Animation type

Each Active Object can be assigned up to sixteen different Animation types. Each type has its own set of images and generates a different effect in the game. Typical animation types include "Stopped", "Walking", and "Running".

Use the Change Animation action to assign a new animation type to the object. The default animation type is called "Stopped". Despite the name, this game is excellent for moving objects such as balls, characters, and banners.

You can choose the type animation pull-down menu in the Animation Editor. If an animation sequence has been set-up, a small star will appear to the left of the name of the animation used.

Once you have selected an animation type, your animation sequence will be loaded into the frame boxes. You can edit these images, or copy them to a new position using the Cut, Copy, and Paste options from the Edit menu.


Using the built-in Animation types

Some animations will be called automatically in your game as they are needed.

For example, the "Appearing" animation will be performed whenever you create an object or display it for the first time. The "Disappearing" animation will be run whenever you remove an object with the Destroy action. The "Shooting" animation will be called if an object launches something with the "Shoot an object" action. "Walking", "Jumping", "Falling", "Climbing", and "Crouch Down" will be used when you control an object with a "Platform movement".

The Games Factory will only call these animations if you have assigned some images to them.


Entering the User defined Animation types

In addition to the standard animations provided with The Games Factory, you can also enter up to four custom animations for use in your games. These animations are called "User animation 1", "User animation 2", "User animation 3" ,and "User animation 4".

To edit the names of the user-defined animations, choose the User animation from the selector and click the Change animation name button. Type in the new name from the keyboard. Click OK to accept the new name. This name will be saved automatically along with your game.


Using the Animation window

The animation window is divided into rectangular frames.

Each frame holds a single picture which will displayed in the animation sequence. When the animation runs, these frames will be displayed one after another in sequence so the object will appear to change shape in front of your eyes.

The Animation Editor displays a snapshot of each frame in your animation sequence.

Below the animation windows there is a scroll bar. You can use it to slide back and forth through the frames.


Editing an Animation frame

There are two ways to move an animation frame to a new location in the sequence

1.	Click a frame to highlight it. If you want to highlight several frames, hold down the SHIFT or CTRL keys as you click the frames.

2.	Once you have highlighted your frames, click Edit, Cut, or Copy.

3.	Highlight a single frame or several frames, click the highlighted frame and drag and drop it into a new position in the animation sequence.

If there is already a frame in the new location, space will be made for the new image. If you would prefer to replace the existing frames, disable the Replace mode in the Edit menu.

To edit the animation frames:

Double click an animation frame to display the Picture Editor. You can now edit your image, and return to the Animation Editor by clicking OK.

Clicking a frame with the right mouse button will display a pop-up menu containing the following editing options:

Edit Frame calls up the Picture Editor so you can edit the image on the screen.

Insert adds another copy of the frame to the animation.

Resize Zoom changes the size of your image as part of an animation sequence.

Rotate turns your object in a circle using a animation sequence.

Morphing generates dissolve effects for your games.

Delete erases the current image

See:

The Resize zoom option

The Morphing editor

The Frame Menu


Setting the Animation speed

The Games Factory generates your animation by displaying a sequence of pictures on the screen. Each picture is held on the display for a short period of time.

Set the speed with which the frames are displayed on the screen using Speed sliders in the Animation editor. These control the speed of the animation on the screen.

If the speed is high, each frame will be displayed for just a fraction of a second, and the entire sequence will be over in the blink of an eye. If the speed is low, each frame will visibly pause on the screen, so the animation will appear to move in slow, jerky steps. The best setting is usually somewhere in the middle.

Depending on the type of animation, the speed slider will appear differently.

The "Stopped", "Appearing", "Disappearing", and "Shooting" animations display your frames at a steady speed. You will be presented with a single slider bar which enters the animation rate. You can now move the slider the right to speed the animation up, or move the slider left to slow things down. The default values will be fine for most purposes.

Other animations use a different system. They vary the animation rate according to the actual speed of your object on the screen. You can change the animation rate using two sliders:

Min. enters the starting speed. This will be used when the object is moving at its slowest pace.

Max. sets the maximum speed. This will be used when your object is moving at its fastest speed.

If the speed lies somewhere in between, The Games Factory will automatically adjust the animation rate. By adjusting these speeds it is possible to generate a smooth animation in your game. After you have made a change to the speed, test out the effect using the View icon ( [image]).


Changing the Number of directions

The Direction buttons in the Animation Editor enter the maximum number of directions used by the animation. Each direction can have its own animation sequence. You can edit these sequences by clicking one of the points in the direction window. The selected direction will be indicated by an arrow.

You can select the directions from four possibilities:

4 directions - used for pointers, buttons, and player characters.

8 directions - perfect for eight-direction movements.

16 directions - a nice setting for race-cars.

32 directions - makes for a very smooth animation, but requires lots of memory.

If you reduce the number of directions, you will be given the option of preserving any unused animations.

The Games Factory will generate rotations for you. You simply create a sequence for the first direction, select the number of directions, and choose the Rotate icon from the control panel.

Note: Since each direction has its own animation, the memory requirements will increase dramatically as you add more directions.


Repeating an animation

Some animations only need to be played a set number of times. For example, an explosion effect will normally need be removed from the screen after it has finished. Other animations need to repeat continuously from the beginning of the game.

The Repeat slider in the Animation Editor provides a simple way of setting the number of times an animation will be repeated. Enter the number of repeats by dragging the slider to a new position or entering a value from the keyboard.

You can select the Looped option or enter a value of zero. This will repeat the animation forever.

The Loop back to frame option is only used when you are repeating an animation on the screen. Normally, the animation will begin at the first frame. But you can also enter a different frame in the box provided. This lets you create an "introductory sequence" which will displayed once at the start your animation.


Using the Animation Command Icons

The Command icons control the Animation Editor.

Note: Each Command icon will affect the entire sequence of images in an animation. Use these options with care.

 Reverse Horizontally

 Reverse Vertically

 Import

 Rotate

 View

See:

Reverse Horizontally

Reverse Vertically

Import

Rotate

View


Reverse Horizontally

The Reverse Horizontally icon flips your frames from left to right. This option is handy for creating animation sequences for characters. You can define your movement, copy it to a new direction, and reverse it using a single option.

Before:

After:


Reverse Vertically

The Reverse Vertically icon turns the entire animation upside down. You can take a sequence, copy it to a new direction, and reverse it with one step. This is perfect for things like spaceships and arrow icons.

Before:

After:


Importing an animation sequence

The Import icon is used to read your animation sequence directly from a disk. The sequence can be created using your favourite drawing package, and should be saved in either "PCX", "BMP", "IFF", "RLE", or "DIB" formats.

You can also import Autodesk compatible "FLI" or "FLC" files straight into an animation.

Import works in three ways, depending on whether you are importing a single frame, an whole animation, or an FLI sequence.

See:

Grabbing your images from a picture file

Copying your images from an FLI animation


Copying your images from a picture file

To import from a picture file, click the import icon in the Animation Editor. In the Load a Picture or Animation dialogue box, find the directory where the picture is located and type the File Name in the appropriate box. Click OK to import this picture. A Capture window will be displayed. Click Capture and choose an option from the following menu:

Transparent mode

Box images

Full Window

Cancel

Transparent mode tells The Games Factory to treat any areas in colour zero as Transparent. These sections will not be loaded from your image and will appear as "holes" in the picture.

Box images lets you copy either a single picture or a whole group of images. If this option is enabled, you will be able to copy a whole sequence at a time. In order to use it, you need to save your images in a special format.

The Games Factory reads the settings from two dots at the top left corner of the image. The first dot enters the transparent colour used by your images, usually zero. The second dot gives the colour of a box which you will be using to separate your frames, usually 1. It is a good idea to create a standard file for use as a template. This can be loaded with the standard The Games Factory colour scheme from "GF256.PCX" or your chosen palette settings.

Once you have set this up, you can create your images as normal. Each image should be enclosed in a one dot thick box. You can now enter these images into your animation sequence by clicking Import, selecting the file, and clicking the Box images option from the Capture menu. The images will be cut from your file, and pasted into the sequence starting from the current frame.

You can disable box images to copy a single picture at a time. Just select the Box images option from the Capture menu to remove the checkmark. You can now highlight your chosen area by dragging a box around it with the Left mouse button. When you release this button, your selection will be automatically loaded into the current frame.

Full Window copies the entire picture as a single frame. If this option is disabled, you will be able to select a section of the image to be loaded.

Cancel will abort the importing of a picture from the disc.


Copying your images from an FLI animation

To import an "FLI" file, click the import icon in the Animation Editor. In the Load a Picture or Animation dialogue box, find the directory where the "FLI" file is located and type the File Name in the appropriate box. Click OK to import this picture. A Capture window will be displayed. Click Capture and choose an option from the following menu:

Transparent mode

Start

Cancel

Transparent mode tells The Games Factory to treat any areas in colour zero as "Transparent". These sections will not be loaded from your image and will appear as "holes" in the animation.

Start starts your FLI animation running, and copies a new frame whenever the sequence changes. Tip: If your FLI is large, or contains a lot of animation, the eventual sequence could be enormous. The conversion process could take a VERY long time.

Cancel enables you to abort importing the animation sequence.

When the animation has been captured. Each frame will be loaded into your Active Object. It can now be displayed as normal.


Creating an animation for each direction

The Rotate icon automatically rotates your object through all possible directions. Each direction will have a new animation based on the original sequence. Therefore, your object will appear to turn naturally on the screen. You can use this option to create race-cars which need a different animation for each direction.

You can choose the number of rotations by clicking a button from the Number of Directions box.

Tip: If your animation is large, the new directions might require a LOT of additional memory.


Viewing an animation

The View icon displays your animation sequence in a small window on the screen. If the animation is set as "looping", you can stop the display by clicking the window with the left mouse button.


Using the Edit Menu

The Edit menu provides a simple way of cutting, copying, and pasting your images. You can use it to copy anything from an individual frame to an entire animation sequence. You can edit the copied frames using the Picture Editor, or generate new effects by changing their speed or orientation.

The Edit options are called from a menu bar at the top of the Animation Editor.

Before you can use the edit menu, select a few images. Click a frame to highlight the image. If you want to edit more than one frame, you can hold down the SHIFT or CTRL keys as you click the frames.

If you want to cut, copy or delete the entire animation sequence, you can use the Select all option from the Edit menu.

See:

Cut

Copy

Paste

Delete

Select All/ Frames

Select All/ Frames and Copy

Select All/ Frames and Cut

Select All/ Frames and Delete

Unselect

Replace


Cut

The Cut option removes the highlighted frames from the animation and saves them in the Clipboard.


Copy

The Copy option stores the highlighted frames in the clipboard without changing the original frame(s).


Paste

Paste restores a previously saved animation at the currently selected frame position. If Replace mode has been enabled, any existing frames will be deleted. It is possible to copy frames between animation types or between Active Objects.


Delete

The Delete option erases the highlighted frames completely.


Select All

The Select All option provides a fast way of changing the entire animation sequence. There are four possible options to Select All:

Frames

Frames and Copy

Frames and Cut

Frames and Delete


Select All Frames

The Select All Frames option selects all the frames for a future operation. You can delete them by pressing the Delete key, or edit them using the Cut, Copy, or Paste options from the Edit menu in the Animation Editor.


Select All Frames and Copy

The Select All Frames and Copy option copies the entire animation into the Clipboard. This animation can now be pasted into another object, or the Number Editor to be used by Counter, Score, and Lives Objects


Select All Frames and Cut

The Select All Frames and Cut option copies all the animation frames into the Clipboard, and removes them from the current animation.

These frames can now be pasted into another object’s animation sequence, or the Number Editor to be used by Counter, Score, and Lives Objects.


Select All Frames and Delete

The Select All Frames and Delete option deletes the entire animation sequence in a single operation. If you delete an animation by mistake, click Cancel to leave the Animation Editor.


Unselect

The Unselect option reverses any selections made using the Select all option.


Replace

The Replace option enables or disables Replace mode. If Replace mode is enabled, anything you paste into the animation will destroy any existing frames in that location. If Replace mode is disabled, a space will be made in the animation frames, and the new frames will be inserted after the current image.


Cut & Paste example

The following example will help illustrate the uses of the Cut and Paste system.

Imagine you have designed a character that is walking from left to right across the screen. You might also want the same character to walk in the opposite direction.

This can be achieved using the following procedure.

1)	Double click the character. Choose Edit Animations from the pop-up menu. The animation sequence of the character walking from left to right is displayed in the frames of the Animation Editor.

2)	Click Edit, Select all, Frames.

3)	Click Edit, Copy.

4)	Click the dot on the left of the "Direction selector". (If the direction selector were a clock, click at 3:00). An arrow will appear pointing to the left, and the current animation will disappear from the frames.

5)	Click Edit, Paste and click the first empty frame in the sequence.

6)	Click the Reverse Horizontally icon. The animation will change direction in front of your eyes.

You have just created a new animation for your character!


Using the Frame menu

Clicking a frame box in the Animation Editor with the right mouse button will display the Frame menu with the following options:

Edit Frame

Insert

Rotate

Resize Zoom

Morphing

Delete


Edit Frame

The Edit Frame option displays the Picture Editor to enable you to edit the image on the screen. If you have already created an animation, you can move between the frames using the arrow icons. To edit an animation sequences, you can edit each frame individually in the Picture Editor.


Insert

The Insert option adds a copy of the selected frame into another frame in the animation sequence. A space will be made for the new frame. All of the existing frames to the right of the new image will be shifted one place to the right.


Rotate

The Rotate option creates an animation sequence which turns your object in a circle. You can use Rotate to generate spinning aliens or twirling banners.


Resize Zoom

The Resize Zoom option changes the size of your image as part of an animation sequence. In the Resize Animation dialogue box, enter the new dimensions and enter the number of frames to change. Click OK to create a new animation for your game.


Morphing

The Morphing option displays the Morphing Editor. Morphing provides a simple way of generating fancy and complicated dissolves for use in your games. Morphing will display the currently selected image and gradually change it into the next frame in the animation.


Delete

The Delete option erases the currently selected image completely. Any frames to the right of this image will be automatically moved one place to the left.


Using the Resize zoom option

The Games Factory allows you take an image gradually change its size in a smooth animation sequence. Therefore, you can gradually shrink a character into the distance, or zoom a message onto the screen.

Before using this option, you need to define an image as the starting point. Click this object with the right mouse button and choose Resize Zoom from the pop-up menu.

The Resize Animation dialogue box will be displayed. This dialogue box contains the following options:

Original Size - shows the width and height of your original image.

Final Size - allows you to edit the size of the image. The left box sets the width and the second box specifies the height. You can enter the dimensions as either a fixed size, or a percentage of the original size.

Proportional - changes all parts of the image to the same proportions. Therefore, the image will keep the same shape during the animation. If this box is enabled, you will only need to enter a single value in the "Final size" boxes. The others will be worked out automatically by The Games Factory. If it is disabled, you will be able to squeeze or squash your image during your game.

Number of Frames - enters the total number of images in your new sequence. The more frames you use, the smoother the effect, and the greater the memory requirements.

Insert before the current frame - places the new sequence before your source. It places your frames from right to left, rather than from left to right. So the animation will appear to change in the opposite direction.


Creating a Resize Zoom sequence

The following procedure will illustrate how to Create a Resize Zoom sequence.

First, you will need to create a starting point for your animation. We will use a simple rectangle but feel free to use anything you like. A scanned image of one of your friends would be perfect.

See:

Generating the source image

Creating a Zoom sequence

Resizing Tips


Generating the source image

1)	In the Level editor, click the Create new object icon ( [image]) from the Toolbar.

2) Click the General tab.

3)	Click the Active Object icon ( [image]).

4)	Double click the first frame in the Animation Editor to display the Picture Editor dialog box.

5)	In the Size section of the dialog box, type the value 64 into each box. When you have finished, click the "x4" button.

6)	Click a colour from the colour palette and click the Fill icon ( [image]).

7)	Click the drawing window in the picture editor to fill the area with a solid block of the colour you selected.

8)	Click OK to load the rectangle into the Animation Editor.

9)	Click OK to exit the Animation Editor

10)	Click the play area in the Level editor to place your rectangle on the screen.

Note: You will be using this rectangle several times in this example. Therefore, you might want save to save your object on a disk.

To save the object:

1)	Click File, Save As.

2)	Enter the file name for your game into the Filename box. Use a name like "blob.kca".

3)	Enter the directory to save the object.

4)	Click OK. You can now return to the animation for this object by clicking it with the right mouse button, and choosing the "Edit Animation" option from the pop-up menu.


Creating a Zoom sequence

1)	In the Animation Editor, click the rectangle in Frame 1 with the right mouse button.

2)	Select ResizeZoom from the pop-up menu.

3)	In the Final size section of the Resize Animation dialog box, and type 1000 in the left % box. "1000%" means that the rectangle will be expanded to ten times its original size.

3)	In the Number of frames section, click the "1" and type a new value of 10.

4)	Click OK to generate the animation sequence. The new frames will be added to the animation starting at the current position.

5)	In the Animation Editor, click the View" icon to test the results on the screen.

The rectangle will seem to move towards you. You have just create a Zoom Sequence!


Resizing Tips

Here are a few tips for Resizing objects.

Make your object disappear into the distance

1)	Click the object with the right mouse button and choose Resize Zoom from the pop-up menu.

2)	Set the left "%" box to 0, and enter the Number of frames as 10.

3)	Click OK to generate the new animation sequence.

When you view the animation, the object will shrink and disappear.

Stretch an object horizontally

1)	Click the object with the right mouse button and choose Resize Zoom from the pop-up menu.

2)	Disable the Proportional check box.

3)	Set the left "%" box to 1000, and enter the Number of frames as 10.

4)	Click OK to generate the new animation sequence.

Stretch an object vertically

1)	Click the object with the right mouse button and choose Resize Zoom from the pop-up menu.

2)	Disable the Proportional check box.

3)	Set the right "%" box to 1000, and enter the Number of frames as 10.

4)	Click OK to generate the new animation sequence.

You can experiment with different values in the Final size boxes to expand or reduce your object in any way you like. With a little work, you can create thousands of different effects: pictures can wink into existence, banners can be rushed towards the player, aliens can vanish into hyperspace, and characters can move in and out of the playing area.

Experiment. You'll be amazed at the results!


Turning your object through a circle

Click the object with the right mouse button and select Rotate from the pop-up menu to generate a complete rotation sequence for an object. The Rotate option takes a frame and rotates it in a full circle around it’s hot-spot. This option is great for producing spinning discs or rotating banners.

The Rotate Frame dialogue box is divided into two sections Number of Rotations and Direction.

The Number of Rotations buttons let you choose the number of rotation steps. Each of the selected directions will have it’s own animation frame in the finished sequence. The more directions you use, the smoother the animation, and the more memory will be needed to hold your frames.

The available Number of Rotations buttons are:

4 -rotates your object in 90 degree steps.

8 -turns your object in 45 degree steps.

16 -spins your object in approximately 22 degree steps

32 -rotates you frame through about 11 degrees in each step.

Direction

The Direction option allows you to choose between a clockwise or counter-clockwise rotation sequence.

Click OK to rotate your object through the selected number of a directions. Each direction will have its own frame in the resulting animation sequence.

Click Cancel to quit from the Rotation Frame dialogue box the Animation Editor, without generating a rotation sequence.


Using the Morphing Editor

"Morphing is a technique used in many of the latest television advertisements. Morphing takes an image and slowly transforms it into something completely different. For example, a man might turn into a machine, or a bird could change into an aeroplane.

The computer gradually moves each point in the source picture to the equivalent spot in the destination. The result is a smooth transition between the two images. The Games Factory lets you add these effects to your games or presentations. Load your pictures into the Animation editor and choose the Morphing option from the pop-up menu.

See:

Calling the Morphing Editor

How the Morphing Editor works

Creating your effects

Anatomy of the Morphing editor

Morphing-Step by Step

Morphing Tips


Calling the Morphing Editor

Before using the Morphing Editor, you will need to define two images for your source and destination pictures.

Note: The Morphing feature needs two images. You cannot select the Morphing option if only a single frame is added to the animation sequence.

The Source and Destination pictures should be placed in adjacent frames in the animation sequence.

Click the first image with the right mouse button and choose the Morphing option from the pop-up menu.

The Games Factory will then display a Morphing Editor to allow you to define your morphing effect on the screen.


How the Morphing Editor works

The source and destination images are loaded into separate boxes on the display.

Each image will be automatically sized to fit in the box. This is purely for editing purposes and will have no effect on the final animation sequence.

Inside the two images, there is a series of grid boxes. If the grid is hard to see over your image, you can change the colour by clicking the Grid colour icon ( [image]).

Each gird box encloses a specific area in the source and destination images. As the Morphing proceeds, the contents of the source box will be gradually changed into that of the destination.

If the boxes have the same dimensions, you will get a simple fading effect. If they are different, the points in the source image will seem to melt into the destination.

The boxes are composed of lines which can be stretched by clicking the lines. Hold down the left mouse button over one of the dots and drag it to a new position.


Creating your effects with the Morphing Editor

Create your morphing effect by dragging the grid lines around the equivalent points in the source and destination images. Supposing the source and destination image contained two faces. They might be pictures of your family and friends. You would begin by dragging some lines around the general shape of each face. You would then outline the vital areas such as the eyes, nose, and lips in the two images.

Each outline should enclose the corresponding region in the two pictures. The Morphing system will now squeeze the contents of the source boxes and merge them into the equivalent shapes in the destination.

The number of points used in the grid is important because it effects the overall quality of your transitions. The time needed to define and create the animations will increase as you use more grid points. Start out with a minimum number of grid points to see the effect.  Then, slowly expand the number of points until you achieve the desired result.

You can choose the resolution using the Number of points menu. There are four possibilities:

5x5

This grid has five rows by five columns and contains a total of twenty five points. It is best for simple shapes and images which don't have a lot of detail.

7x7

This option provides 49 grid points and offers a nice compromise between speed and quality.

10x10

This option gives you a hundred points and generates good effects for most images.

15x15

This option provides the maximum quality, but with over two hundred points, it is time consuming to set up. You should reserve this mode for the most detailed images.

Another thing that affects the animation quality is the total number of frames in the sequence. The more frames you use, the higher the quality and the longer you will wait for the processing.

You can choose the number of new frames using the Number of the frames box. When you create your sequence, these frames will be automatically added between the source and destination images.

Warning! As a rule, the current grid settings will be LOST when you leave the Morphing Editor. You can save your grids onto the disk as a ".gfo" file. They can now be reloaded into the Morphing editor at any time, and modified for future use.

Click OK to assign them to your new animation sequence.


A Brief guide to the Morphing options

The available options in the Morphing Editor are:

 Clears your current effect.

 Loads a Morphing file from the disc.

 Saves your settings as a ".gfo" file.

 Changes the grid colour

 Creates your effect.

 View

See:

Save

Load

Number of points

Grid colour

Number of images

Process

View

OK

Cancel


New

The New option erases the current grid settings, and replaces them with the default grid.


Save

The Save option is used to save the current grid settings before you exit the Morphing editor. The Games Factory will discard your current grid settings completely when you exit the Morphing Editor if you do not save them. If you want to keep the settings for future use, you can save them on the disk as a ".gfo" file.


Load

The Load option loads a previously saved grid from a ".gfo" file from the disk. The new grid will be immediately placed over the existing images.


Number of points

The Number of points menu lets you select the number of points in the source and destination grids.

Warning! If you change the number of points, the current grids will be erased!

5x5	Quick to set up but the effect is crude.

7x7	Great if your images are small.

10x10 	A good all round choice.

15x15 	Top quality, but slow to create.


Grid colour

The Grid colour icon lets you select a new colour for the grid lines. The default is black, but if your images are dark, you may want to choose something a brighter.


No. of images

Click the No. of images box to enter the number of intermediate images in the animation sequence.

Note: These images will be added between the source and destination frames. Therefore, the total number of frames will be the value you entered plus two.


Process

The Process icon generates the Morphing effect using the selected settings. If you have created a previous sequence, only the Morphing effect will be replaced. The processing may take quite a while, especially if you have chosen the highest quality. You can abort by clicking the Cancel button.


View

Click the View icon ( [image]) to display the Morphing effect in a small window.


OK

Click OK to assign your Morphing effect to the present animation sequence. The new frames will be automatically inserted between the source and destination.


Cancel

Click Cancel to quit from the Morphing Editor. Clicking Cancel will cause you to lose any previously created morphing sequence.


Help

Click Help to display the on-line help for a particular dialogue box.


The Source and Destination Grids

Each grid is composed of a series of boxes, joined by lines. You can drag these lines around by clicking one of the control points (dots), and holding down the left mouse button. Each box in the source image has a corresponding box in the destination. As the Morphing progresses, the contents of the source will be gradually changed into that of the destination.

Note: Points along the outside edges can only be moved sideways. You cannot drag them inside the image.


A Step by Step guide to Morphing

Here is a detailed explanation of the Morphing procedure:

1)	In the Level editor, click the Create New Object icon ( [image]).

2)	In the Create New Object dialog box, click the General tab.

3)	Click the Active Object icon ( [image]).

4)	Double click the first empty animation frame to activate the Picture editor.

5)	Draw your source image using the drawing tools, or click Import to load the source image from a disk.

6)	Click OK when the source image is complete.

7)	Double click the animation frame to the right of the first frame.

8)	Draw your destination image using the drawing tools, or click Import to load the destination image from a disk.

9)	Click OK when the destination image is complete.

10)	Click the source image with the right mouse button and choose the Morphing option from the pop-up menu.

11)	In the Morphing Editor, set the Grid size and the No. of images.

12)	Click Process ( [image]) to create the Morphing sequence.

13)	Click OK when you are satisfied with the Morphing effect.

14)	Click OK in the Create New Active Object dialog box to place the active object on the Playfield.

See:

Save

Load

Number of points

Grid colour

Number of images

Process

View

OK

Cancel


Morphing Tips

Here are a few tips for using the Morphing feature.

1)	Always leave a space between the sides of your image and the animation frame. This will provide you with more room to work with, and will make it easier to drag the control points around the outline of the picture. When you have created your sequence, you can edit the images from the Picture Editor to cut out the border areas.

2)	If your pictures are large, it is faster to create your grids using a smaller copy. First import your source and destination images into an Active Object, and position the objects onto the screen. Click on an object with the right mouse button, and choose the New object option to create a separate copy of the object on the screen.

3)	Now change the size of the object using the Resize feature from the pop-up menu. Enter proportions such as 25%, or 50% to reduce the size of your images.

4)	You can then edit this object using the Animation Editor, and create your Morphing effects using the new size. When you  have fine tuned the effect, save the grids on the disk as a ".gfo" file, and reload them into your original object.

5)	Save your grids regularly in the Morphing editor. The Morphing Editor will discard the grids when you return to the Animation editor. Therefore, it is vital to save a copy of your settings before you leave. If the result needs more work, you can edit each frame individually using the Picture Editor

6)	If you want to stretch and squeeze your images, use the Resize Zoom feature rather than Morphing. Resize Zoom is faster than morphing and it changes the size of your image in a smooth sequence. Enter the final size as a percentage of the original. A value of zero will make the picture vanish into the distance. If you disable the proportional feature, you can change the width and the height of the picture independently. Therefore, you can make the picture taller, smaller, fatter, or thinner.

See:

Resize Zoom.


Actions

Actions are used to do things, like playing a sample, setting a value, or destroying an object. Actions are dependent on the results of a test or "condition" in your game.


Action Box

An Action box enters an action into the Event Editor. Actions can be added by clicking the action box with either the left or right mouse button.

Clicking the left button selects the actions and allows them to be dragged and dropped into a new position.

Clicking the right button displays a menu that allows you to choose a new action for your game.


Action Icon

The Action Icon shows the type of action being entered into the Event, or Step Through Editors.


Action Marker

The Action Marker is a small indicator used in an Action box in the Event Editor. The action marker indicates that there is an action of a specific type assigned to that object. You can select the Action Markers with the either the left or right mouse button.

Clicking the left button selects the actions and allows them to be dragged and dropped into a new position.

Clicking the right button displays a menu that allows you to choose a new action for your game.


Action Point

The Action Point is a place on an object where an action will occur. An Action Point is used to assign an action to an object that needs to be released from a specific part of another object. For example, bullets need to be shot from the barrel of the gun.


Action Order Editor

The Action Order Editor allows you to change the order that actions will occur in your game when the test for a specific condition becomes true.


Active Objects

Active Objects are objects that respond to events in your game. Examples of active objects include spaceships, bullets, characters, bricks, balls, and racecars.


Alterable Attributes

Alterable Attributes are features that can be changed using actions. Examples of alterable attributes include coordinates, speed, and alterable values.


Alterable string

An Alterable string is used by a Text Objects to hold a fragment of text or a message. Alterable strings can be loaded using a Text paragraph, read from another object, loaded with a number, or entered from the keyboard using the "Ask for Input" option.


Alterable Values

Alterable Values store vital information needed for the running of the game. The Games Factory provides three Alterable Values for each object. These are represented by the letters A, B, or C. They can take any WHOLE value between -2000,000,000 and +2000,000,000. Fractions such as 1.5, or 3.141 are NOT allowed.

Alterable Values hold the statistics in an RPG. For example, the status of an attacker, or the value of an object.


Animation

Animation brings the objects in your game to life. The Animation is created by displaying a number of still pictures or "Frames" one after another in sequence. By making small changes to the object in each frame, the object will appear to move when the frames are played in sequence. Animations are supplied for most of the objects in The Games Factory, but it is easy to create your own animations using the built in Animation Editor.


Animation Frame

An Animation Frame is a single picture displayed in an Animation sequence.


Animation Sequence

An Animation Sequence is a series of still pictures used to animate an Active Object on the screen.


Arcade Game

An Arcade game is a type of game that pits a number of fast moving "bad guys" against the player. An example of an arcade game is Space Invaders.


Attributes

Attributes are any values or information that are used by an object. Typical examples of attributes include the Alterable Value of an Active Object, the Animation file of an FLI, and the Text in a Text Object.

There are two types of attributes: Alterable Attributes and Fixed Attributes.

Alterable Attributes are features that can be changed using actions. Examples of alterable attributes included coordinates, speed, and Alterable Values.

Fixed Attributes are features that can not be changed during a game. Examples of fixed attributes include the size of an object and the available movement directions.


Automatic Icon

An Automatic icon is used to display an object by using a small version of the first picture in the Animation sequence for that object. Automatic icons keep track of this picture, and automatically change the shape of the icon whenever the object is edited.


AVI

AVI stands for Audio Visual Interleaved. It is a file format for playing "Video for Windows" movie clips.


Backdrop

A Backdrop is a static picture that is used for the background area in your game.


Backdrop Objects

Backdrop Objects are objects that remain in the same position for the duration of your game. These objects are used for obstacles such as walls, doors, or rocks. A backdrop object can be changed to a Quick Backdrop object or an Active object in the Level Editor.


Backdrop Obstacles

Backdrop Obstacles consist of Backdrop or Quick Backdrop objects which block the movement of an Active Object in your game. Backdrop obstacles can added to your game using the Level Editor.


Ball Objects

Ball Objects simulate the movement of a bouncing ball. Ball Objects are great for games like Rebound, Arkanoid, Tennis, and Pinball. Ball objects can also be used for general purpose objects which can be controlled directly from your game.


Booting-Up

Booting-Up is a technical term for the process of starting up a program on the computer. It comes from the fanciful idea of pulling yourself up by your bootstraps.


Boot-Up Screen

The Boot-Up screen is displayed at the start of a program before the program is run.


Bounce Randomizer

The Bounce Randomizer adds variety to the way a Ball Object bounces against other objects in your game. The higher the Randomizer is set, the more random the bounces of the ball object will be.


Box mode (Collision detection)

Box mode is a method of collision detection between objects in your game. When Box mode is enabled, each object in your game is enclosed in an invisible box. These boxes can be tested using the "collision" option to find out if two boxes are touching and therefore, a collision has occurred.


Box mode (Capture menu)

Box mode imports a series of images from a disk using a single operation. Box mode is ideal for creating Animation sequences.

The format of this file is important.

The first point in your picture should be set to the colour used by your background (usually zero or transparent). The second should hold the colour of your box (usually 1).

Each image should now be surrounded by a ONE point thick box.


Button objects

Button objects let you generate clickable buttons on the screen. You can test these buttons from the Event Editor, and assign actions to them as needed.


Capture Menu

The Capture Menu loads an object with some previously prepared graphics from the disc. The Capture Menu is activated using the Import feature.

Transparent mode ignores anything drawn in the colour zero.

Box Mode grabs a whole series of images surrounded by boxes.

The top left point in this file should be set to the Transparent colour (normally zero).

The next dot should be set to the line colour used for your boxes. Each box should be exactly ONE point thick.

Full Window loads the entire picture.

Cancel returns you to the Picture Editor or Icon Editor as appropriate.


.CCA  files

These store Corel Click & Create applications on the disc. Providing the Click & Create application uses the standard GF object types, you can load these directly into The Games Factory. If you try to access other objects, the operation will be aborted automatically.


CD ROM

A CD-ROM is a special type of Compact Disc that can contain large amounts of graphics, text, or music for use in your games. The contents of a CD-ROM can not be changed once they have been created and therefore are used as Read Only Memory.


CD Audio Objects

CD Audio Objects are used to play an audio track from a normal music CD or from a CD-ROM.


Child Game

A "Child game" is a separate The Games Factory game with its own set of Storyboard levels, objects, actions, and events. It is launched from another The Games Factory game using a game Level. When the child game has finished running, the game will return control to the "Parent Game".

See: "Parent Game"


Child Objects

Child Objects are created by another object during the course of a game. Typical examples are the bullets in an Arcade game, or the small rock fragments in games like Asteroids.

See: "Parent Object"


Clone

A Clone is a copy of an object which has the same definition, but its own existence on the screen. These clones can be created clicking an object in the Object Selector and dragging and dropping it onto the playfield. Each clone has its own set of values, coordinates, and attribute options.


Collision Detection

Collision Detection is the process of testing for impacts between various objects in a GF game. There are three available tests for Collision Detection between objects:

Active Object tests for a single collision between two objects.

Overlapping tests whether the selected objects are continually overlapping on the screen.

Obstacle tests whether an object has hit a background obstacle.

Collisions can be tested in either box mode or fine mode. The mode you use to detect collisions can selected by choose the mode by setting a button in the Preferences dialogue box.


Command Icons

Command icons call up a specific option from the GF system.


Comments

Comments are text items that are added to the Event Editor to help explain your game to other users or developers. They are typed in from the keyboard, and can be highlighted in a variety of different styles.


Computer Controlled Movements

Computer Controlled Movements are used to propel an object through a pre-programmed movement pattern generated by the computer.

Available movement systems include:

Bouncing Ball movement where an object moves in a random bouncing pattern.

Path Movements where an object follows a specified path. This type of movement can be used for the aliens in an arcade game.


Conditions

Conditions are single tests that are performed at frequent intervals throughout the course of your game. Conditions like a player pressing a key, an object moving into a specified zone, or an object's value exceeding a certain range can be tested.

Conditions can be either true or false. If they are true, the selected actions will be performed. If they are false, the actions will be ignored.

See: Events


Coordinates

Coordinates are used to give the distance of an object from a fixed reference point or origin.

The position is read in two directions. The X coordinate measures the horizontal distance from left to right, and the Y coordinate measures the vertical distance from top to bottom.

The two coordinates are usually enclosed in brackets, and are displayed as follows:

(X-Coordinate, Y-Coordinate)

Example:

(10,50) Ten units right, 50 units down

(-10,-50) Ten units left, 50 units up

See: "X-Coordinates", "Y-Coordinates"


Counter Objects

Counter Objects are used to store the numbers in your game. Counter objects can be used for things like fuel gauges, speedometers, or the read-outs from the dials in the cockpit of a spaceship.

The counters can be displayed as a bar, an animation, or a simple number. Counters can also be hidden in the background for use in your own calculations.

Counters can be changed at any time using an Action from the Event Editor.


Create new object

Create new object is found in the Level Editor and is used to add a new object to a game. Create new object provides a list of the available object types that are ready for use in your game.


Data

Data is another word for information.


Device Driver

A Device Drivers is an independent program which manages a specific part of your computer system. Device Drivers are used for controlling printers, joysticks, CD players, or Level objects.


Dialog box

Dialogue boxes contain a list of options which can be selected with the left mouse button. A dialogue box appears in a window.

The following is an example of a dialogue box:


Display Order

Display Order is the order that your objects will be displayed on the screen. Normally, your objects will be displayed in the same order that they were created, so a new object will appear in front of an existing object. You can control the display order using the View option from the object's pop-up menu.


Edit button

The Edit button appears when you are entering a value into a dialogue box. Clicking the Edit Button displays the GF Expression Evaluator so you can enter an expression. Now, you can click on the Retrieve Data from an object button to access a range of GF functions.


Edit object

An Edit object is used to create an editable text field in your GF game. You can use an Edit object to create a User Entry zone or an Input field.


Eight Direction Movement

Eight Direction Movement assigns an "Active Object" to one of your players. This object can now be controlled using either the Joystick or the Keyboard.

By default, you can move these objects in a maximum of eight different directions. If you want to restrict your object still further, you can choose the possible movement directions.


Events

Events enable your game to react to certain situations. An event contains a series of "conditions" that are set to occur as the game is completed. If all of the conditions are true, the selected actions will be performed. If any one of the conditions are False, the actions will be ignored.


Event Editor

The Event Editor provides the intelligence for your games. All of the possible events and the required actions to be taken if all of the conditions are met are specified in the Event editor. The Editor is arranged as a simple grid, rather like a spreadsheet.


Event Grid

The Event Grid is a series of boxes which are displayed in the Event Editor" Each box can contain an optional set of actions which will be performed when the event becomes true.


Event Group

An Event Group holds a series of Events, Conditions, and Actions which can be treated as a single unit in your game. Event Groups can be either local or global.


Expression

Expressions are calculations involving numbers, Alterable Values, or Functions. GF expressions can also take their values from an object.

Here are a few examples:

Random(5)+1

Value("Ship")*10

Width("AVI")/4


Expression Evaluator

The Expression Evaluator is a form of calculator that can be called up using the Edit button from a GF dialogue box.


Fade

A Fade is the process of dissolving the screen between your various Game Levels.

There are two types of fade effects:

Fade In -creates a transition from the previous screen to a new one.

Fade Out -creates a transition from the current screen into the next Level screen.

Fades will be called automatically when you change levels in the game.


Fade In

A Fade in is used when new level starts. The screen will display the previous level or a solid colour. The screen will dissolve into the new level using a fade effect. The Games Factory provides dozens of fade effects to choose from but it is also possible to create your own transitions.


Fade Out

A Fade Out is used when the current level ends. At the end of the current level, the picture will be gently transformed it into a solid block of colour using a fade effect. There are dozens of fade effects in the GF fades directory.


File Selector

The File Selector provides a standard way of loading or saving games on the disc.


Filters

Filters limit the Event Grid to only those events which affect a specific object.


Fine mode

Fine mode is used by the collision options to test whether two objects are visibly touching. Fine mode is slower than box mode but is more accurate.


Fixed Attributes

Fixed Attributes can not be changed during a game.

Typical examples of fixed attributes include the object’s size, and available directions.


Fixed Menus

Fixed menus appear as a list of titles along the top of the current window. When these titles are selected with the Left Mouse button, a list of the available options will drop down.


Fixed Values

Fixed Values identify an object using a fixed number which is chosen at random when the game is started.


Flags

Flags record the on or off values in the game. Each Active Object can have up to 32 of these values numbered from 0 to 31.


FLI Animation

FLIs are Autodesk compatible Animation files which can be played at any point in your game.


Floating Menus

Floating Menus are displayed directly under the mouse pointer. The Games Factory displays these menus whenever you click on an object or select an event.


Focus

Windows only lets you control a single Edit box at a time. If you have several of these objects on the screen, the users will be able to choose between them by clicking the contents with the mouse. They can then scroll through the list using the arrow keys, or select an option with the mouse.

In technical terms, the currently selected object has the "focus" of the user's attention. You can set this focus in your game using the Get Focus action. This activates the current object and selects it for the user. This object will now be used for all future keyboard commands.


Fonts

Fonts are a set of characters in a given typeface and point size. For example, 10 point Times Roman. Most fonts are available in families that include different weights or styles such as bold and italic.

10 pts 18 pts 36 pts


Frames

A Frame is a single element in an animation or Multimedia sequence:


Frame mode

Frame Mode enables you to control your position in a multimedia sequence using a series of numbered frames as reference points. Each frame is assigned a number starting at 0.

Frame mode works like the "pause" option on a Video recorder and enables you to step though the video frames one shot at a time.


Functions

Functions change the contents of an Alterable Value or the state of an object. They can be accessed via the Retrieve Data from object button in the GF Expression Evaluator.

Examples:

X("Object")

Y("Object")

Random(10)

Value("Object")

Xmouse

Ymouse


.GAM files

".GAM" files store your GF games on the disc.


Game Level

A Game Level holds a series of objects, actions, and events that can be used in your GF game.


Game File Level

A Game file Level launches an entire GF game from the disk. These levels can be used to split your game into simpler, easy to manage sections.

The game that stores the level in its Storyboard is known as the "Parent game" and the level that is loaded is called the "Child game".


GF

A shorthand name for The Games Factory.


Global

The term Global is used for objects or event groups which exist for the duration of a game. These global objects or events can be turned off by an action.


Global Objects

Global Objects exist for the entire game rather than just for one level. Global Objects can be created and destroyed at will. In contrast, Local Objects will be destroyed automatically at the end of each level.


Global Event groups

Global Event groups are collections of events which continue to work for the duration of the game. They can be activated or deactivated using a simple action from the Event Editor.


Global Values

The Games Factory provides you with up to sixteen Global Values, numbered from 1 to 16. These values keep their contents whenever you move between Levels. You can use them as a fast way of transferring information between Storyboard levels.


Gradient Fill Patterns

Gradient Fill Patterns are useful for creating attractive backgrounds for your games. Any Quick Background object can be optionally assigned to a colour gradient. A gradient fill displays a progression between two colours in the colour palette. A gradient fill can be generated from left to right, or top to bottom. The result is a smooth wash of colour which is perfect for skylines or seascapes.


Handy Hints

Handy Hints provide helpful messages which are displayed whenever the mouse over an object or icon. These handy hints can be turned off using a simple option from the Edit/Preferences menu.


Hiscore Objects

Hiscore Objects record the scores of the best players on a disc. These scores can be displayed or changed at any point in your game.


Hot Spot

A Hot Spot indicates the position of an invisible "handle" on an object. This handle is used as the starting point of the object's coordinates, and it can be changed using the Picture Editor.


Icons

Icons are small pictures which can be selected by the mouse to perform an action. There are two basic types of icons

Command Icons

Object Icons.


Icon Editor

The Icon Editor is used to change the appearance of the Icon for any object. The Icon Editor is very similar to the Picture Editor.


Initial direction(s)

The Initial Direction sets the direction(s) an object can move at the start of a game. The available direction(s) may changed as the game progresses.


Joystick 1

Joystick 1 is the joystick plugged into the LEFT joystick port. If only a single Joystick is being used, it must be plugged into the left joystick port.


Joystick 2

Joystick 2 is a Joystick plugged into the RIGHT port. Many computers have only a single joystick port so use this option with care.


Jump Strength

The Jump Strength sets the speed at which a character in a platform game can jump.


Levels

Levels split your game into separate sections, each with its own unique set of challenges. The Games Factory allows you to use as many levels as you like.


Ladder

Ladders are backdrop objects which can be climbed by a player controlled Platform Movement. You can set these ladders up using a simple option from the Obstacle menu for each backdrop object.


Level Grid

The Level Grid divides the play area into a number of rectangular sectors. Each object can now be positioned in units of a single sector.


Level Editor

The Level Editor provides you with everything you need to create a level in your game. You can use the Level Editor to set the position, movement type, and animations of the objects in your game.


Library

A Library is a set of predetermined objects which can be selected at any time from the Level Editor. You can also create your own libraries using a simple menu option.


Library Menu

The Library Menu is a pull down menu on the Toolbar. It can only be used from the Level Editor. Each option represents an entire library of objects which can be loaded into the Object Selector with a single click of the Left mouse button.


Limit Conditions

Limit Conditions control how your events will be tested during your game. Options are provided to repeat your tests, stop after a single check, or restrict selected actions.


Lives Objects

Lives Objects display the number of lives the player has left during the game. You can display the lives as either a simple number, or a complex graphic.


Local

Local refers to objects or event groups limited to the current Game Level.

See: Local Objects, Global Objects


Local Objects

Local Objects only exist for the duration of the level they were created in. These local objects will be destroyed automatically when the level ends.

See: Global Objects


Local Event Groups

Local Event Groups are discarded after the current level.

See: Global Event Groups.


MCI Objects

MCI Objects provide fine control over any multimedia device which understands the official Media Control interface.


Menus

Menus are lists of options which can be selected by clicking on them with the mouse.

See: Fixed Menus, Floating Menus, and Sub Menus.

Each game has its own menu bar. You can define this using the “Change menu” button from the Game Set-up dialogue You can read the user’s selections using the “Has an option been selection?” condition from the Event Editor. It’s listed under the “Special” options.


MIDI

MIDI is a standard format for used for recording professional quality music.


Mod

Mod is a function which returns the remainder of a number after a division.

e.g.

5 mod 2 = 1 (5 = 2*2 + 1 left over)

5 mod 3 = 2 (5 = 3*1 + 2 remaining)


Mouse Controlled

The Mouse Controlled option lets you assign an object to the mouse. The movement of your object can be restricted to a specific screen area if required.


Mouse Zone

Mouse zones are rectangular areas which can be tested for the presence of the mouse pointer.


Movement Selector

The Movement Selector is a dialogue box that can be viewed when the movement option is selected from an object’s pop-up menu.


Mosaic Fill Patterns

Mosaic Fill Patterns generate an effect very similar to Windows wallpaper. Mosaic fill patterns can be used to add texture to a Quick Background object.


MPEG

Motion Picture Expert Group (MPEG) is the latest file format for Multimedia movies.


Multimedia

Multimedia is a standard term for any display which includes music, sound, pictures, or film clips.


Multimedia Device

A Multimedia device is a program or add on which lets you play multimedia effects on a computer.


Multimedia Objects

Multimedia Objects let you add high quality sound and movie clips directly from The Games Factory

Available multimedia objects include:

CD audio Objects -music from a normal CD

AVI Objects -Microsoft Video for Windows

QuickTime Objects -movie files from an Apple Macintosh computer

MCI Objects -Any device which uses the Media Control Interface


Music

Music can be added to your game. It can be played from either a "MIDI" compatible music file, or straight from the audio track of your CD-ROM.


Obstacles

Obstacles are immovable background objects which block another objects progress. Typical obstacles include walls, doors or towers.

See Background Obstacles


Objects

Objects provide the raw materials for your games.

There are many types of objects including:

Active Objects -used for spaceships, balls, or aliens.

Backdrop Objects -provide fixed barriers such as walls.

Counter Objects -hold the numbers used for your calculations.

Lives Objects -indicate the number of remaining lives.

Score Objects -hold the current score.

Question and Answer Objects -ask the player questions.

Button objects generate clickable buttons for control panels

Hiscore Objects -save the best scores achieved in the game.

Multimedia Objects -display movie clips or play music from the CD.

Mixer objects control your MIDI music and sound effects.

Edit box objects display scrolling areas of Text.

Most of these objects can be either Local or Global


Object Bank

The Object Bank contains all the objects used by your current game. The Object bank is updated automatically, and is saved along with your games. It is displayed in a small window near the top of the Level Editor.


Object Group

An Object Group is a collection of objects dedicated to a single purpose. Object groups can be tested and changed using a single icon from the Event Editor.

All the objects in your groups MUST be of the same type.


Object Icons

The Object Icons represent a single object which can be manipulated in your game.


Object Library

An Object Library is a collection of objects stored on the disc and are ready for immediate use in your game. These libraries can be accessed directly from an icon in the Level Editor. You will find the object library to the left of the Playfield.


Object Preferences

The Object Preferences are a series of options which choose how an object will be controlled from The Games Factory.


Object Selector

The Object Selector is a small window near the top of the Level Editor which contains all the objects used by the current game.


Origin

The Origin provides a fixed reference point for all coordinate calculations. It can be moved to a new position using an option from the Preferences box to any point on the game area.


Parent game

A "Parent game" contains a game Level which will launch a separate game from the disc.

The new game is called the "Child game". The "child game" is a separate game with its own set of Storyboard levels, objects, actions, and events. The "child game" is created in The Games Factory using the same method used to create the "parent game", and can be loaded and edited independently from its parent.


Parent Objects

Parent Objects generate new objects during a game.

See: "Child Objects".


Palette

A Palette is an array of colours that can be selected by clicking the mouse button. These colours can be used in any picture or movie in The Games Factory.


Paragraph

A paragraph is a section of text in a Text Object. Each object can have any number of paragraphs only a single paragraph can be displayed at a time. You can move between the paragraphs using a range of actions from the Event Editor.


Password

The Password is an optional phrase or keyword which can jump directly to a selected level in your game.


Path Movement

Path Movements flip an object through a complex movement pattern entered from the screen. Paths can be recorded directly using the mouse, or generated one line at a time from the Path Editor.


Path Editor

The Path Editor allows you to add pre-recorded movement sequences to any Active Object.


Platform Game

Platform games present a sideways view of the world, and pit the player against a range of obstacles on the screen. The player is often trying to reach a treasure or rescue someone or something.


Picture Editor

The Picture Editor is a simple drawing system which allows you to create new objects for your games.


Platform

A Platform is a Backdrop object which has had its Platform option enabled from the Obstacle menu. These objects can be used as the floors of a Platform Game.


Platform Movement

Platform Movement animates a player character along a platform obeying the normal rules of physics, such as gravity.


Platform Objects

Platform Objects can be moved along a platform by the player.


Play Area

The Play Area is the part of the Level Editor screen which is displayed on the screen during the game. The play are is also known as the Playfield.


Player

The Player is a general term for the user of your productions.


Player number

The Player Number assigns an object to a selected player. The Players are numbered from 1 to 4. You can select a player to an Active or Multimedia object using the Moved By option from its Movement menu. You can choose one for a Lives or Score Object using the Player menu.


Player Actions

Play actions are any action which can performed by the player, such as hitting a key, moving the joystick, or answering a question.


Player Controlled Movements

Player Controlled Movements assign an object to a player.

See also Mouse Movement, Eight Direction Movement, Race car Movement, and Platform Movement.


Playfield

The Playfield is another term for the play area. It is part of the screen used for your game.


Playlist

A list of MIDI Music tracks used to accompany an FLI or Picture Level from the Storyboard.


Pop-Up menu

A Pop-Up menu pops on the screen when you double click an object or click an object with the right mouse button.

Here’s an example:


Preferences

Preferences set up the GF system the way you like it. You can call up the Preferences options from the Edit menu in the Level Editor.


Question and Answer Objects

Question and Answer Objects are used to display a multiple choice question on the screen and wait for the players response. It is then possible to test whether the answer selected is correct and perform an appropriate action.


Quick Backdrop Objects

Quick Backdrops provide the background areas of your game. They are filled with a selected colour pattern which can be chosen from the Level Editor.


QuickTime Objects

QuickTime Objects play QuickTime for Windows movie files from a game. You will need a special device driver in order to use QuickTime objects.


Race-car Movements

Race-car Movements simulate the movement of real cars in your game. You can steer them, step on the gas pedal, or hit the brakes, just like a real car.


Radio Buttons

Radio Buttons are used to set a single option from a number of possible alternatives. Radio Buttons are arranged in groups of items, and only a single button can be selected from each group. Click the radio button to enable or disable it.

The following is an example of a group of radio buttons.


Rebound Game

Rebound games include Pinball type games in which a player has to use a bouncing ball to hit selected targets.


Resize box

A Resize box is provided with eight rectangular control points which allows you to change the size of any object in your game.


RGB Slider

The RGB slider is a series of three slider bars which allow you to set the precise shade of a colour. They are only displayed if you are running The Games Factory in 16 bit or 24 bit colour mode.


Run Menu

The Run Menu is automatically displayed when you play a game.


Storyboard Controls

The Storyboard Controls are special actions which let you move to a new level, or exit from your game.


Score Objects

Score Objects keep track of the player's score, and display it on the screen using the selected font.


Screen Savers

Screen Savers are Windows programs which automatically run if you leave the computer unused for several minutes. They can be generated using a simple option from the File menu.


Scrolling

Scrolling is the process of shifting an extra large playing area through the visible screen window.


Soundcard

Soundcards are optional extras which add sound and music to your computer. The Games Factory is compatible with all major brands.


Sound Samples

Sound Samples are pieces of real sound which can be played back throughout your game. The Games Factory comes with a wide range of samples ready for use but if you have a sound card, you can create your own samples.


Sound Actions

Sound actions generate a sound effect through your sound card.


Sound Driver

Sound Drivers are special programs that come with your sound card. These sound drivers set up the sound card so that it can be used by the computer programs.


Stand-alone Game

Stand-alone games are completely independent of The Games Factory. They can be run on any Windows computer without needing a copy of The Games Factory


Static Objects

Static Objects are used for things like bricks or walls, which never move from their original position. If you want a static object to interact with the rest of the game, you can define it as an Active Object, and fix it into place using a simple menu option.


Step Through Editor

The Step Through Editor tests your game and lets you add in new features. It can be accessed directly from the Level Editor using a simple icon.


Storyboard

A Storyboard is a list of the levels and screen animations which make up the complete game.


Storyboard Editor

The Storyboard Editor lets you add, delete, and move the individual levels in your game.


Storyboard Level

A Storyboard Level holds a single section of your game.

Each level can include either GF objects, a still picture, an "FLI Animation", or an entire GF game.


String

A series of letters or characters surrounded by double quotes:

"This is a string"

You can read a string from an object, convert them from a number using Val, or even enter them from the keyboard using an Edit box object.


Sub-menus

Sub-menus appear when the item you have selected has several possible options. If a sub-menu is assigned to an item, you will see a > character to the right of the text.


Text Objects

Text Objects display messages in any TrueType Font. Text objects are grate for use in title screens.


Timer

The Timer is a built-in clock that runs throughout your game. The timer starts at zero and increases by one every thousandth of a second.


Time Mode

Time Mode records your position as a time interval. The time starts at zero and is measured in units of a thousandth of a second.

See Frame mode


Toolbar

The Toolbar provides a series of command icons for the  Games Factory . Each icon can be selected with the mouse to perform an appropriate action.


Track

Tracks store information on the CD or disc. There are several different kinds:

CD audio tracks hold some digitized CD music.

QuickTIme tracks store Video, Sound, MIDI Music, Text, or MPEG movies.


Values

Values store numbers in your games. Any Active Object can have up to four values assigned to it. The first three values are indicated by the letters A, B, and C respectively. The final value is fixed at random when you define the object. These values can be any whole number from approximately -2000,000,000 to +2000,000,000. Fractions are NOT allowed.

See: Alterable Values, Counter Objects, Flags, and Scores.


Video for Windows

Video for Windows is a device driver distributed by Microsoft. It is required for displaying "AVI" movie clips.


Video for Windows Objects

Video for Windows Objects play "AVI" movie files from your games.


WinG

WinG is an exciting new Animation system for Windows which speeds up the performance of many games.


X coordinates

An X coordinate gives the horizontal distance of an object from a fixed reference point called the origin. Positive values indicate a distance to the right of the origin, and negative values represent a distance to the left.


Y coordinates

A Y-coordinate enters the vertical distance of an object from a fixed reference point called the origin. Positive values indicate a distance below the origin, and negative values represent a distance above it.


Zones

Zones are rectangular areas of the screen used for detection purposes.


The Icon Editor

The Icon Editor enables you create the images used to represent your objects and games. These images are known as icons, and can be selected from the screen using the mouse.

There are two different types of icons: Object icons and Window icons.

Object icons are used to show your objects in the Level editor. These icons can be chosen from the Object Selector and added at the appropriate points in your game.

To change the attributes of the name and icon, click the object with the right mouse button and select Edit Name and Icon from the pop-up menu.

Window icons are created in the Game Setup dialog box. These icons will be saved with your projects and installed onto the desktop as part of your stand-alone games. Double click the Window icon to run your games from the screen.

The Icon Editor is very similar to the standard Picture editor. On the left, there is a large window which can be used to draw your images on the screen. You can plot a point by moving the mouse over the image window, and clicking once on the left button. You can choose the drawing colour by either selecting it from the image with the right mouse button, or clicking on one of the shades in the colour palette.

When you have created your icon, select OK to return to the Level editor. Your new definitions will be saved automatically along with your game.


Creating an object icon

Object icons can be defined in The Games Factory Level editor. Click the object with the right mouse button, and select Edit Name and Icon from the pop-up menu.

By default, The Games Factory will automatically assign a name and an icon to every object you create. These icons provide a standard way of representing your objects in the Level editor, the Step Through Editor, and the Event Editor.

Each icon is exactly 32 units wide by 32 high. The icon is usually a smaller version of the image of the object. If your object has an animation assigned to it, the icon will be created using the first frame in the animation sequence. The name is generated from the type of your object and a number. Typical names include: “Active Object 1", "Score 2", and "Quick Backdrop 3".


Creating a Windows icon

Windows icons are defined by clicking File, Game set-up.

Click the About tab and click the Change button to display the Icon Editor.


Entering the object name

The Name box holds a twenty-two character description of your object. To change the object name, click the box and type in new text from the keyboard. The name can be anything you like, but descriptive names are best.


Choosing the drawing colour

To change the colour in an existing icon, click the new colour in the colour palette and click the item to change in the picture.

The drawing colour will be shown in the "Draw with" box.

You can see the current background through your icon by using the Transparent colour. Click the Transparent box and click the part of the picture to be transparent.

The Colour Palette

The Colour Palette looks different depending on whether you’re creating an Object icon or a Windows Icon.

Object icons can have up to 256 colours. You can choose them from a wide range of possible shades:

Window icons are restricted to just 16 colours. Therefore, the colour selection is more limited.


Using the Drawing tools

There are several drawing tools available in the Icon Editor.

The Undo Tool

The Undo icon ( [image])reverses the last drawing operation completed. This feature is great for recovering from mistakes.

The Select Area Tool

The Select Area Tool ( [image]) cuts a rectangular piece from your image. You can then move this piece to a new position, or choose the Cut or Copy options to save it into memory.

You can select the area to remove by dragging a box around the area with the left mouse button. This box can be dragged and dropped into a new location it will be locked into place when you select another option.

The Fill Tool

The Fill Tool ( [image]) floods an area with a solid block of colour.

Warning! If there is a gap in your image, the colour will leak out and fill the entire picture. To recover from this mistake, click the Undo icon.

The Draw Tool

The Draw Tool ( [image]) is used to plot a single point. Click the diagram window to plot a point at that location. To choose a colour, click the colour in the colour palette, or click an area of your image with the right mouse button.

The Line tool

The Line Tool ( [image]) draws a straight line in the colour you have selected. Click once with the mouse to assign a starting point for the line, drag the mouse to stretch the line. Click again when you have finished drawing the line.

The Hollow Ellipse Tool

The Hollow Ellipse Tool ( [image]) creates a hollow circle or ellipse. To draw the ellipse, click the Hollow Ellipse tool and click the image to assign a centre point for your ellipse. Drag the mouse until the ellipse appears as desired. Release the mouse button to lock the ellipse into place.

The Filled Ellipse Tool

The Filled Ellipse Tool ( [image]) generates a filled circle or ellipse. As with the hollow version, click the image to assign a centre point for your ellipse. Drag the mouse until the ellipse appears as desired. Release the mouse button to lock the ellipse into place.

The Hollow Rectangle Tool.

The Hollow Rectangle  Tool ( [image]) creates a hollow rectangle in the colour you selected. Click the image to assign the top left hand corner of your box. Drag the mouse until the rectangle appears as desired. Release the mouse button to lock the rectangle into place.

The Filled Rectangle Tool

The Filled Rectangle  Tool ( [image]) produces a filled rectangle on the screen. As with the hollow version, click the image to assign the top left hand corner of your box. Drag the mouse until the rectangle appears as desired. Release the mouse button to lock the rectangle into place.

The Horizontal Flip Tool

The Horizontal Flip Tool ( [image]) switches the current image from left to right.

The Vertical Flip Tool

The Vertical Flip Tool ( [image]) turns the entire image upside down.

The Clear Tool

The Clear Tool ( [image]) erases the image from the screen. You can reverse this option by selecting Undo immediately.

The Import Tool

The Import Tool ( [image]) loads an image from the a file on disk.

The Reduced Object Tool

The Reduced Object Tool ( [image]) generates the icon directly from the object. If the object is larger than 32 by 32, it will be sized to fit into the icon.

The Capture Tool

The Capture Tool ( [image]) grabs your icon directly from the screen. Before using this option, it is best to arrange your windows so that the area you want to capture is in view. Click the capture icon to start the process working. The Icon Editor will vanish, and the mouse will turn into a small box. Move this box over the area you require, and load it into memory with the left mouse button. It will be now copied into the Picture Window for further editing.


Using the Zoom buttons

The Zoom buttons are used to change the magnification setting of your image.


Using the Icon Editor menu

The Icon Editor provides you with an Edit menu with the following options:

The Edit menu provides you with a familiar set of cut and paste features.

Undo (CTRL + Z) reverses the last operation from the editor.

Cut (CTRL + X) cuts a previously selected block of the image, and saves it into the Windows clipboard. Before using the cut option, you should highlight the region you want to cut using the Cut and Paste icon. If you don’t, the whole icon will be cut.

Copy (CTRL + C) copies a selected area into the Windows clipboard, without affecting the existing image.

Paste (CTRL + V) copies the contents of the Windows clipboard onto the image. Warning. Any areas drawn in block (colour zero) will be treated as transparent.  Note: The paste option automatically calls the Select area icon. So you can position your area anywhere on the image.

Delete erases the currently selected region.

The Icon Editor Options menu contains a single menu option:

Change Transparent Colour is used to choose the shade that represents the transparent areas of your icon (colour zero). This has NO effect on the actual image. It just changes the way the empty sections are shown on the screen.


The Picture Editor

The Picture Editor is the key to creating terrific graphics in The Games Factory. The Picture editor is split into a number of different sections, each performing a specific task.

The Image Window

The Image Window shows the image you are presently editing. If this image is too large to fit into the window you will only able see one section at a time. Use the scroll bars at the right and bottom of the Window to move through the picture.

To magnify the image, use the Zoom icons:

These icons expand the area by two, by four, and by eight times respectively. The "x1" icon displays your image at its original size.

The Colour Palette Window

The Colour Palette contains the range of colours that can selected for use in your drawing operations. Click the colour to select it for use.

The RGB sliders

The RGB sliders are only available if you are running The Games Factory with more than 256 colours. These sliders allow you to mix a colour using red, green, and blue components.

Each component can range from a minimum of 0 to a maximum of 255.

The colour 0,0,0 represents black, and 255,255,255 is pure white.

Experiment with the RGB slider to create new and different colours.

Note: You may need to adjust the RGB values by quite a lot before you notice any different in the colour.

The Colour bars

The top colour bar shows the transparent colour. Anything drawn in this colour will be omitted when your image is displayed on the screen. Click this bar to assign the transparent colour to the mouse. As you draw you will erase parts of your image.

To change the transparent colour, click Options, Change Transparent colour. A menu of the sixteen available colours will be displayed. Click the desired colour to assign to the transparent colour.

The bottom colour bar shows the colour which will used for your drawing operations. By default, it is also set to transparent.


Using the Command icons

There are numerous drawing tools available in Click and Create for your use. Here is a complete list of the drawing tools:

 Undo -undoes the last operation

 Draw -plots a single point

 Line -draws a line

 Ellipse -draws a hollow circle or ellipse

 Filled Ellipse -draws a filled circle or ellipse

 Rectangle -draws a hollow rectangle

 Filled Rectangle -draws a filled rectangle

 Fill -fills an area with a solid block of colour

 Clear -clears the current image from the screen

 Flip Horizontally -reverses the image from left to right

 Flip Vertically -turns the image upside down

 Rotate -turns your image

 Select Area -selects an area

 Shrink -removes the border areas from an image

 Import Picture -loads your image from the disc


Changing the Size of your Picture

The Size boxes allow you to adjust the dimensions of your picture. The value on the left changes the width and the one on the right sets the height.

To change the size, click the value and enter a new value from the keyboard.

The dimensions will only change if you click a Zoom icon or press the TAB key.


Drawing an Image

To draw an image, click a colour from the colour palette and then click an drawing tool icon. Move the mouse pointer over the image window and click to place the selected drawing effect. It is possible to draw single points, line, circles, ellipses, boxes, and bars.


Recovering from Mistakes

It is possible to reverse the effect of the most recent operation by clicking the Undo icon ( [image]).


Choosing the colour

There are four ways to choose a colour:

1)	Click a new colour in the colour palette.

2)	Change the colour of the “transparent” colour by clicking the Options menu and choosing Change transparent colour. Choose a new colour from the colour bar.

3)	Use a colour in the existing image to draw. Click the place in the image with the desired colour with the right mouse button. You can now draw with this colour using the drawing tools.

4)	Use the “RGB sliders” to mix a new colour. This option is only available if you are using more than 256 colours.


Plotting a Point

Plotting a point is easy.

Choose a colour using one on the four methods. Click the Draw icon ( [image]) and move the mouse pointer over your image. Click the drawing window to draw a point in the selected colour at the present location.

See:

Choosing the colour


Drawing a Line

Lines can drawn between any two points in your image.

To draw a line, first choose a colour using one of the four methods. Click the Line icon ( [image]) and click the left mouse button over the selected starting position. Hold down the left button and stretch your line in the chosen direction. When you are satisfied, release the button to fix the line into place.

See:Choosing the colour


Drawing Circles and Ellipses

The above icons enable you to create circles and ellipses. When you click these icons, the mouse pointer will change to a disc. This disc indicates the centre-point of your new shape.

To draw an ellipse, first choose a colour using one of the four methods. Click one of the ellipse icons ( [image] [image]) and move the disc pointer over the image window. Hold down the left mouse button and drag the disc into the desired shape. When you are satisfied, release the button to lock the ellipse into position.

See:Choosing the colour


Drawing Rectangles and filled Rectangles

The above icons enable you to create rectangles or filled rectangles. When you click these icons, the mouse pointer will change to a rectangle. This rectangle indicates the top left corner of your new shape.

To draw a rectangle, first choose a colour using one of the four methods. Click one of the rectangle icons ( [image] [image]) and move the pointer over the image window. Hold down the left mouse button and drag the rectangle into the desired shape. When you are satisfied, release the button to lock the rectangle into position.

See:Choosing the colour


Filling an area with colour

Click the Fill icon ( [image]) to fill an area with a solid block of colour. To fill an area, choose a colour using one of the four methods, and click the Fill icon. Click the area to be filled with colour. The area you fill with colour should be completely enclosed. If there is a gap in the outline, the colour will leak out and your entire image will corrupted.

Remember, you can recover from a mistake by clicking the Undo icon ( [image]).

See: Choosing the colour


Erasing the image

Click the CLR icon ( [image]) to clear your current image from the screen. If you make a mistake, you can restore the picture using the Undo icon ( [image]).


Flipping the image

Horizontal flip

Click the Horizontal flip icon ( [image]) to reverse your image from left to right.

Before	After

Vertical flip

Click the Vertical flip icon ( [image]) to turn your entire image upside down.

Before	After


Rotating the image

Clicking the Rotate icon ( [image]) to turn your image.

When you click the Rotate icon, the Choose an angle dialogue box is displayed:

The arrow indicates the current direction the image is facing. To rotate an image, click a dot corresponding to the new direction on the clock-face to change the position of the arrow. Click OK to rotate your object.

Before	After


Cutting and Pasting

The Picture editor lets you move sections of your image from one place to another. You can easily duplicate areas in a single image, or transfer elements between pictures .

These operations are controlled using the Select area icon ( [image]). The Select area icon is used to define a rectangular block which can cut or copied.

Click the Select area icon and move the pointer over the image window. Hold down the left mouse button and drag a box around the area to be copied or cut. When you are satisfied, release the button to lock the block into position.

If you make a mistake, click another part your image to remove the selected area and try again.

Once you have selected your area, you can save it to the Windows Clipboard using the Cut option from the Edit menu. The original section will be replaced with a block of the transparent colour.

You can also use the Copy option from the Edit menu. Copy will store your selected region in the clipboard without affecting the original image.

The Pasteoption from the Edit menu copies the contents of the clipboard back into your current picture. Anything drawn in colour zero will be treated as “Transparent”. These areas work like a pane of glass and show the background through the transparent area. When Paste is selected, a rectangular box is displayed which can moved over the image. You can fix the box into place with a single click of the left mouse button.


Moving a block

The Games Factory gives you a fast way moving a block around your image

Click the Select area icon ( [image]) and move the pointer over the image window. Hold down the left mouse button and drag a box around the area to be copied or cut. When you are satisfied, release the button to lock the block into position.

Click the box you have just created and drag and drop to a new location. Click on the mouse again to lock the block into position.


Removing the border areas from an image

The Shrink icon ( [image]) removes the borders from around your picture. You can see how this works from the following example:

Before:

After:


Importing an image

The Import icon ( [image]) loads your image from a disk any of the following formats: "PCX", "BMP", “IFF”, "LBM", “RLE”, or "DIB".

You can also import Autodesk compatible "FLI" or "FLC" files straight into an animation.

If the Picture editor was called from the Animation Editor, you will be able to import an entire animation sequence in one step.

See: Importing an animation sequence

If you are importing a picture for use as a Backdrop object, you will be able to import a single image from the disc. This can be either from a picture file, or a single frame in an FLI animation.

If you are importing a picture, you can choose one of four options in the Capture menu:

Transparent mode. If the transparent mode is enabled, everything drawn in colour zero will be ignored when the picture is imported. An area in colour zero will be treated as a “Transparent” hole in your image.

Box mode. Box lets you import a picture surrounded by a box. The Games Factory reads the settings from two dots at the top left corner of the image. The first dot enters the transparent colour used by your image (usually zero) and the second dot gives the colour of a box which you will be using to separate your frames (usually 1). It is a good idea to create a standard file for use as a template. This can be loaded with the standard The Games Factory colour scheme from "GF256.PCX" or your chosen palette settings.

Once you've set this up, you can create your images as normal. Each image should be enclosed in a one dot thick box. You can now enter these images into your animation sequence by clicking the Importicon and selecting the desired file. The images will be cut from your file, and pasted into the sequence starting from the current frame.

Full Window. Imports the entire picture as a single frame. If this options is disabled, you will be able to select just part of the image to be loaded.

Cancel. Aborts from the operation and returns you to the Picture Editor. You can also press ESC on the keyboard to abort.

If you select an “FLI” file, the following options are available in the Capture menu.

Transparent mode. If the transparent mode is enabled, everything drawn in colour zero will be ignored when the picture is imported. An area in colour zero will be treated as a “Transparent” hole in your image.

Start. Loads the first frame in the animation sequence into the Picture editor.

Cancel. Aborts from the operation, and returns you to the Picture Editor. You can also press ESC on the keyboard to abort.


Setting the Hot Spot of an object

The Hot Spot is an invisible handle used to control your images. It serves as the reference point for your object’s X and Y coordinates. Each image can have its own individual “Hot Spot”. An object can have a different Hot Spot of each frame in an animation sequence.

As a rule, the Hot Spot is placed at the top left corner of your image. You can change this using a simple option from the Picture Editor. If you were creating a screen saver, for instance, you might position the Hot Spot at the left-hand edge of your banner. In a platform game, it would be more convenient to read the coordinates for the Hot Spot from the character’s feet.

Before you can set the Hot Spot for an object, you will need to display the current Hot Spot on the screen. In the Picture Editor, click the Option menu and choose Show.

You will be given the choice between displaying the Hot Spot, and the Action Point.

Select Hot Spot to display the current position of the Hot Spot.

The Hot Spot will be displayed on the screen as a small marker:

To move the Hot Spot, drag this pointer with the left mouse button.

You can also enter the new position from the keyboard. The first value sets the horizontal position, and the second value enters the vertical position. The coordinates are measured from the top left corner of your image.


Setting the Action point

The Action Point is the point on the image where an action will occur. This feature is typically used for things like bullets, or explosions which need to be released from a specific part of the object. Each image can have its own separate action point.

Supposing you wanted a character to aim and fire a gun. As the gun moved, the firing point would change as well. Therefore, you would need to set a different action point for each frame in the animation.

To change the Action Point, in the Picture Editor, click Options, Show, Action Point.

The Action Point will be displayed on the screen as a small marker:

To move the Action Point, drag this pointer with the left mouse button.

You can also enter the new position from the keyboard. The first value sets the horizontal position, and the second value enters the vertical position. The coordinates are measured from the top left corner of your image.


Using the Picture Menus

The Picture Editor provides you with two menus.

The Edit menu lets you cut or copy sections of your images and paste them into different positions. The available options in the Edit menu are:

Undo

Cut

Copy

Paste

Delete

The Options menu lets you change the Hot Spot or Action point, and choose a new colour for the transparent sections of your image. The available options in the Options menu are:

Show/Hot Spot

Show/Action Point

Change Transparent Colour


Edit

The Edit menu lets you cut or copy sections of your images and paste them into different positions. The available options in the Edit menu are:

Undo

Cut

Copy

Paste

Delete


Undo

Undo reverses the effect of the most recent editing operation. You can use it to return the picture back to normal after you make a mistake.


Cut

Cut removes a rectangular area from your picture, and saves it into the Windows clipboard for future use. The block that you have removed will be automatically replaced by a block of the current background colour.

You can use the Cut option in two ways:

To cut the entire image

If you haven't selected an area to cut, choosing the cut option will cut away the entire image. You can now copy this image into another frame or a completely different object.

To cut just a section of the image

Click the Select area icon ( [image])and move the pointer over the image window. Hold down the left mouse button and drag a box around the area to be cut. When you are satisfied, release the button to lock the block into position.

To paste the section into a new location, click Edit , Paste.


Copy

Copy saves a copy of your image, without affecting the existing picture.

To copy the entire image

If you haven’t selected an area, the copy option will copy the entire picture into the clipboard. You can now Paste the copy to another frame or object.

To copy a section of the image

Click the Select area icon ( [image])and move the pointer over the image window. Hold down the left mouse button and drag a box around the area to be cut. When you are satisfied, release the button to lock the block into position.

To paste the section into a new location, click Edit , Paste.


Paste

The Paste command copies the contents of the Windows clipboard into your picture. Any areas in the image which use colour zero will be treated as transparent. You will see transparent areas on the screen in grey. You can fill these areas using the Fill icon to replace the transparent sections with another colour.

The new section will be enclosed by a rectangular box, and can be dragged into position with the left button.

You can make as many copies as you like, and the area will be preserved between objects.


Delete

The Delete option erases the current selection from the Clipboard, and removes it from the screen.


Options

The Options menu chooses the general display options for your picture. You can use it to show the position of a Hot Spot or Action Point, or to choose the colour to be used as “Transparent”.

The Options menu contains the following items:

Show

Hot Spot

Action Point

Change Transparent colour


Show

The Show menu lets you change the coordinates of the Hot Spot and the Action Point. To enable the option, click either Hot Spot or Action Point with the mouse. Click again to disable the option.

See:Hot Spot, Action Point


Hot Spot

The Hot Spot is an invisible handle used to control your images. It serves as the reference point for your object’s “X and Y coordinates”. Each image can have its own individual “Hot Spot”. An object can have a different Hot Spot of each frame in an animation sequence.

Select the Hot Spot option to display the current position of the Hot Spot.

The Hot Spot will be displayed on the screen as a small marker:

To move the Hot Spot, drag this pointer with the left mouse button.

You can also enter the new position from the keyboard. The first value sets the horizontal position, and the second value enters the vertical position. The coordinates are measured from the top left corner of your image.


Action Point

The Action Point is the point on the image when an action will occur. This feature is typically used for things like bullets, or explosions which need to be released from a specific part of the object. Each image can have its own separate action point.

Choose the Action Point option to display the current position of the Action point on the screen.

The Action Point will be displayed on the screen as a small marker:

To move the Action Point, drag this pointer with the left mouse button.

You can also enter the new position from the keyboard. The first value sets the horizontal position, and the second value enters the vertical position. The coordinates are measured from the top left corner of your image.


Change Transparent colour

The Change Transparent Colour option chooses the colour which will be treated as transparent.

Normally, the Transparent areas will be drawn as dark grey:

However, if you want to use this colour in your images, it will be impossible to distinguish the Transparent areas from the rest of the picture.

You can avoid this problem by choosing a new colour for the Transparent areas. This will have no effect on your image. It will just change the way the image is displayed in the Picture Editor.

You can select the colour from the following menu: