Need Your answer about Level Editor Interface

[jaypaul]

Hi Friends,

I got one project and want to make a level editor for a 2D scrolling shooter I'm making. I'm pretty sure I understand the concept fairly well but I'm sort of lost as to how to implement the interface.

I've seen a lot of tile editors that are seemingly written using the WinAPI or something similar. Since I've never really

done anything substantial in WinAPI before I'm hesitant to start learning that halfway through doing my DirectX 2D scroller.

So considering the limited requirements I have, would it seem practical to just cobble together a crude UI using rectangle

graphics for buttons and implement the interaction with the buttons and whatnot myself from scratch?

Of course, I might end up having to start over halfway through because I forgot something and presumably using a "proper"

system like WinAPI or whatever would be a lot more straightforward and malleable if I knew how to use it.

Anyone have a link to some tutorials that focus on interfaces of that style?

I just need something that preferably most easily lets me make an editor that can load up tiles, let me click them to select, click to place etc. etc.

Thanks,
Paul

[Orangy Tang]

I think if you're looking for help with DirectX and the Win32 api you're on the wrong forum.

Alternatively using a "proper" GUI api will save you pain in the long run - eventually you *will* need the more advanced controls like scroll panes, tables, trees etc. and you could waste a lot of time writing your own versions of those. The Swing tutorial is pretty good iirc (although I'd skip the bit on Netbeans myself).

Or you could save yourself even more time and use an existing map editor. There's lots around, like <shameless plug>Analog</shameless plug>, or Tiled.