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[Martin 2BAM]

I present you...
Flan Map Editor - Alpha 8

It's a multi-layer tilemap editor, specially built for the Flixel framework.



Key features:
Multi-layer; Sprites; Parallaxing; Flixel compatible; Save/Load from ".flan" or CSV text; AS3 code generation.
Import already made CSVs (Flixel tilemap format).
Once configured, exporting just takes 1 click.
Configuration is saved to the ".flan" file, so multiple projects can be opened at once/export to their appropiate folders.
All versions have backward compatibility for .flan files.


Download Windows/Mac universal executable

Read the step by step tutorial

Hacked Flixel's Mode to show the multi-layer end experience (Flash)

Mini-game to show the multi-layer, parallaxing and spriting end experience (Flash)


All feedback is well appreciated, but take into account that it's an early alpha, expect a lack of features for now.

Regards
-Martín  

[Bree]

This is really cool! I haven't worked at all with Flixel, but something like this will be real useful to developers.

[Martin 2BAM]

Thanks!
Some features still need to fall into place, but with time it will get more robust.

 

[Titch]

I like how I was bitching about using Mappy with Flixel and then a few days later you bring this out <3

[Mr Dumle]

I like how I was bitching about using Mappy with Flixel and then a few days later you bring this out <3

Ditto! This is great, thanks!

[Martin 2BAM]

I like to please people :D

Alpha 2 is coming soon
Already implemented features:

* Per layer parallaxing (offset + scroll factor)
* Optional generation of a base map class for OOP multiple map loading
(e.g.:
var mapLevels:Array = [MapLevel1, MapLevel2, MapLevel3]
var _map:MapBase = new (mapLevels[currentLevel] as Class);
state.add(_map.layerCommonNameBetweenAll);
)
* Fixed error in scrolling

I'll upload it at night or tomorrow

[Martin 2BAM]

Alpha 2 uploaded!

CHANGELOG
ALPHA 2
* Per layer parallaxing (offset + scroll factor)
* Bounds information: How much pixels does the map use? (useful for FlxG.followBounds(), exported to AS3)
* Optional generation of a base map class for OOP multiple map loading
* Fixed error in scrolling
* Better help on Properties window tabs.
* Moving one/all layer tiles by a given offset

[Martin 2BAM]

-- Maps are always compatible with newer application versions --

CHANGELOG

ALPHA 3

* Highly improved rendering speed/less CPU eating
+ Import and export single layer CSVs. You can load your previous work to Flan!
* Hopefully fixed all scrolling and pixel offsets issues
+ New properties tab: Screen
+ Parallax testing
+ Background color in generated code using a non-scrolling color-sprite (Thanks Adam for the idea!)
+ Layer limits outlined
* Fixed incorrect name shown at "Editing layer" in the main window.
* Can't draw on hidden layers

[Martin 2BAM]

-- Maps are always compatible with newer application versions --

ALPHA 4 is up!
+ SPRITES! YEAAAAH! (Basic thou, read Changelog.txt)
+ Layer width/height suggestions for parallaxing depending on scroll factors and main layer's width/height.
+ "Visibility" tab's options implementedd (now called "Layer visibility" tab)
+ Undo/Redo for painting PER TILE and nothing else (rather basic, read Changelog.txt)
+ You can pass a .flan as a parameter to open it. Also, the exe has an embedded icon for files, if you want to use it.
  You can now do the "open always with" thing in Windows (Future: automatically do it with a menu option)
* You can now type the "-" sign in spin controls (wxWidgets bugfix)
* Generated map max bounds were off by 1 pixel
^ Improvements in parallax testing code
^ Screen box when testing parallaxing to have a better idea of what "you will see"

v BUG: wxWidgets new trunk version makes the Editing layer text flicker on redraw.
   If it doesn't get mouse moves, resize the window a bit.
v BUG: Weird drawing when hovering with mouse while testing parallaxing.

[Reiss]

This looks great!  Any hope of a Mac version?

[Martin 2BAM]

Indeed yes. The code is multiplatform. I'm trying to get a iATKOS working on a PC (no cash for the real deal) to see if I can compile it there.

[sztk]

This is cool. I'm gonna test it.

[Eclipse]

if you add cut & paste AND lua scripting support like the one on Mappy it will be SO AWESOME.

That way it will be much more general purpose than only to be used with flixel, for example you could write your own map format and read it on plain as3, c++ and much more!
Mappy has this stuff and i used it both for a java mobile phone game and an AS3\flash one
but it lacks of a decent cut'n'paste option

[Martin 2BAM]

Interesting info about copy/cut/paste. I'll have that in mind!
I'm also thinking in having different TYPES of layers: Tiles, blocks and sprites... to work more confortably.

The scripting won't happen, but I thought of export/import plugins (.dll/.so).
That way anyone can build a export interpreter in LUA/Python/Whatever... as I pass the data from C++ in straightforward structures.
Sort of what IrfanView does with PNGs.

I'm not pretending to overrule Mappy. I know that's a well tested awesome utility.
Flan was intended as a Flixel specific map editor, narrowed to help the Flixel workflow (Take advantage of flixel's map functionality, 1-click map export to then compile...)
Also I get that Mappy works with different perspectives (iso/hex). This is way beyond of my hopes for Flan :D

Thanks for the feedback!
-Martín

[Eclipse]

as 2d tile editor you can overrule mappy quite easily as it's not that good at all, it's very used as it's quite easy to do your own export plugin
Glad to see you'll support export/import plugins too, the sprites funcionality is also something that mappy lacks.

Oh it has a nice layers support, that's very useful as i used a layer for colliding tiles for example, or it could be a nice way to add background\foreground stuff

[Martin 2BAM]

Yes, multi-layering is specially useful for that exact reasons  


Alpha <whatever> is up! Click here

(Here's the official-ish thread at Flixel Forums for more info)

-- Maps are always compatible with newer application versions --

NOTES:

Each time you save a ".flan" file, if the file already exists it's renamed with a ".flan.bak" extension.
Anyway you should backup your files periodically in case of corruption.

SUGGESTION FOR PROTOTYPING:
For prototyping, use one layer AND one tileset for non-collidable tiles and another pair for collidable tiles.
This way you won't have to replace a lot of tiles when adding more non-collidable tiles.
The non-collidables first collidable index could be set really high to forget about it.

ALPHA 5
+ Export/Import de sprite type lists, in case you changed a map and want to carry that list to other similar ones
   (Experimental, save your work before trying!)
+ Full layer tile replacement (all of indexA to indexB).
   It's awful and tedious but, for now, it's quite functional (specially for the "expansion" of tilesets)
+ Added map name to the title of the application for knowing what you're working on.
+ You can now set the "Package" for the exported ".as" files, to match the path you want.
* Corrected generation of code for addition of sprites (_map.addSprites...)
* Sprite tool: If not aligned to grid, there is no tile selection square when adding sprites (that usually bothers)
* Warning message if you want to remove a layer (before it just dissapeared). I think it would be nice as this is not undoable.
* If not grid aligned, sprites are put centered to the cursor (instead of top-left aligned as before)
* Fixed weird-rect-for-text-labels bug (reverted to old revision of wxWidgets)
* Fixed: deletion of sprite type didn't remove sprites of that type.

[PaleFox]

This certainly looks very nice. I am wondering, though, if you have plans for a Linux-type release? It seems to work... passably in Wine, but a native release is much preferable if you're willing to do so. Thanks anyway, it is a very good program already

[Martin 2BAM]

Thanks 

I've installed Ubuntu yesterday to try to build Flan for Linux.
I'm super-n00b with Linux so it might take a little while until I get something working  :D


Unluckily for Mac users, I don't have money to buy even the Mini 
But I'll figure out some way.

[Martin 2BAM]

Latest news: Apparently Flan runs in Linux and Mac with Wine standard install.

Ok, things I've been asked for Alpha 6

* Custom name-value pairs in a map object.
* Single image (non square) sprites
* Import/Export Plugin

First two have high priority. I'll try to get them out soon.

[Martin 2BAM]

Ok, here it is, Alpha 6

CHANGELOG

-- Maps are always compatible with newer application versions --

SUGGESTION FOR PROTOTYPING:
For prototyping, use one layer AND one tileset for non-collidable tiles and another pair for collidable tiles.
This way you won't have to replace a lot of tiles when adding more non-collidable tiles.
The non-collidables first collidable index could be set really high to forget about it.

ALPHA 6
+ New tab: Custom stuff.
+   Allows you to add some custom string-string name-value pairs to the map.
+   And a custom function that takes a "*" parameter and returns a "*" value, to call whenever you want.
+ Tools menu with the option to easily associate .flan files with the application.
* Abilityto add non-square 1-frame sprites.
* Started to port it to be plugin-friendly (for import, export AND on-the-fly modification filters)