Difference between revisions of "Pedigree Editor"
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== External Links == | == External Links == | ||
| − | [https://bitbucket.org/kevglass/slick/src/c0e4b96798d1c5b1969a26cb62eb7489d701ca6f/trunk/Slick/tools/org/newdawn/slick/tools/peditor?at=default Pedigree Editor source code] at BitBucket | + | * [https://bitbucket.org/kevglass/slick/src/c0e4b96798d1c5b1969a26cb62eb7489d701ca6f/trunk/Slick/tools/org/newdawn/slick/tools/peditor?at=default Pedigree Editor source code] at BitBucket |
Revision as of 14:40, 8 August 2013
The particle system included with Slick is simple but very effective at providing organic looking effects. However, it can be hard to understand how to achieve these effects.
The Pedigree particle editor was intended as a “stand in” until a more ornate and complete 2D particle system editor came along. However, as yet we've been unable to find anything that is full functional with an open specification. The Pedigree Editor is based around the XML specification that drives the Configurable Emitters.
Pedigree (and hence the XML specification) has thus far been developed in two iterations. The first of which was intended to give basic functionality for particle effects. It allows you to define how the particles will be created (size, position, initial velocity, initial colour) and how they will change over their life time (size, colour, velocity, alpha change).
The second iteration (referred to as Whiskas) was supplied by an active user, Void256, who added the facilities to define the change over the life time of the particles with a graph of points using linear intepolation between the values to allow more creative designs.
The recommended way to learn to use the editor is by simply fiddling. Most users have had great success producing effects just by tweaking different configuration values. Note that this tool is provided as a stop gap and hence there isn't a complete manual or much in the way of formal testing. With luck a full replacement will become available.
One of the established “we will not dos” of Slick is the intention not to write ornate specific tools for the library - which end up taking more time that the rest of the library of useful facilities. With this in mind we're still looking for a good clean replacement - if you know of one please let us know on the forums
Example XML files are provided with the tool, however all Configurable Emitters XML files should be loadable.
External Links
- Pedigree Editor source code at BitBucket
