LittleBigPlanet – Over 3 Million Community Levels!

[PA_Kid]

Ok, I need help on my level.

How do you get winches or pistons to do one single extension or retraction based on a trigger? I seem to be having the damnedest time setting this up.

So here is the real world example I'm dealing with: I have a metal door that I want in the up position when someone is within range of a sensor trigger - and when they are not in range of the sensor, I want the piston/winch to extend completely so that the door is lowered to the "closed" position.

The help I'm looking for is specifically the settings for the piston or winch and the sensor trigger. I played around with it all morning before work and every different combination I created ended in the door opening and closing repeatedly when the trigger was either on or off - none of the combos I tried resulted in on=up and off=down.

Thanks in advance for the help.

Also - one other question - am I right in saying that if you smear a block in 3 levels, but then try to cut away a spot in only one level, it stil cuts away all three levels? That seemed to be happening to me this morning.

I guess if I think I want to cut out different levels within the block I should just be using 3 blocks 1 level thick?

[CYMBOL]

Originally Posted by PA_Kid

Ok, I need help on my level.

How do you get winches or pistons to do one single extension or retraction based on a trigger? I seem to be having the damnedest time setting this up.

So here is the real world example I'm dealing with: I have a metal door that I want in the up position when someone is within range of a sensor trigger - and when they are not in range of the sensor, I want the piston/winch to extend completely so that the door is lowered to the "closed" position.

The help I'm looking for is specifically the settings for the piston or winch and the sensor trigger. I played around with it all morning before work and every different combination I created ended in the door opening and closing repeatedly when the trigger was either on or off - none of the combos I tried resulted in on=up and off=down.

Thanks in advance for the help.

Set the sensor to "direction". You may have to set it to "inverse" to start closed. Then, set your radius.

I had to do this with my launch pads in Winter Wonderland. They are set on "direction", so when you get on them they shoot up and launch you - but retract as soon as you are gone.

Also, I have that set up on the Jack Frost level - once you enter, the electric door closes behind you - locking you in (cause you are within the radius anytime you are near it). You don't see it, but when you are out of the radius, it opens back up.

Also - one other question - am I right in saying that if you smear a block in 3 levels, but then try to cut away a spot in only one level, it stil cuts away all three levels? That seemed to be happening to me this morning.

I guess if I think I want to cut out different levels within the block I should just be using 3 blocks 1 level thick?

Not sure I understand.

[toef]

Originally Posted by PA_Kid

Ok, I need help on my level.

How do you get winches or pistons to do one single extension or retraction based on a trigger? I seem to be having the damnedest time setting this up.

So here is the real world example I'm dealing with: I have a metal door that I want in the up position when someone is within range of a sensor trigger - and when they are not in range of the sensor, I want the piston/winch to extend completely so that the door is lowered to the "closed" position.

The help I'm looking for is specifically the settings for the piston or winch and the sensor trigger. I played around with it all morning before work and every different combination I created ended in the door opening and closing repeatedly when the trigger was either on or off - none of the combos I tried resulted in on=up and off=down.

Thanks in advance for the help.

Also - one other question - am I right in saying that if you smear a block in 3 levels, but then try to cut away a spot in only one level, it stil cuts away all three levels? That seemed to be happening to me this morning.

I guess if I think I want to cut out different levels within the block I should just be using 3 blocks 1 level thick?

For the first part, I had the same problem, and had no idea what to do. I had a bit of success switching it to flipper style, or whatever the setting was, on a piston, but it doesn't always work the same way it seems.

On my current level, I wanted to do the same thing, just not with a door. I wanted a camera hooked up to a box, which was attached to a piston, to pop out over your character, after you "complete" the obstacle. But since I couldn't find a way for a piston to just extend and stay extended, I had to put the "pause" setting up to like 3 minutes, or something insanely long, to make sure it won't just go away, unless someone playing is completely clueless, and stands off screen for 3 minutes.

You may be better off using the winch, and multiple sensor triggers. Assuming one of the settings for the sensor is to control the direction of something, make one go one direction, and the other the opposite, so you have two separate sensor areas. One that will make the door go up, and then surround it on each side by ones that make the door go down (assuming people might end up going through the door both ways).

Anyhow, I'm not sure any of that helps, but I'm hoping someone else knows a simple way to do this, because it's something I've had issues with too.

As for the blocks, I noticed the same thing. Because of that I just build things in single layers, and then line them up and glue them all together.

[CYMBOL]

Originally Posted by toefer

For the first part, I had the same problem, and had no idea what to do. I had a bit of success switching it to flipper style, or whatever the setting was, on a piston, but it doesn't always work the same way it seems.

On my current level, I wanted to do the same thing, just not with a door. I wanted a camera hooked up to a box, which was attached to a piston, to pop out over your character, after you "complete" the obstacle. But since I couldn't find a way for a piston to just extend and stay extended, I had to put the "pause" setting up to like 3 minutes, or something insanely long, to make sure it won't just go away, unless someone playing is completely clueless, and stands off screen for 3 minutes.

Anyhow, I'm not sure any of that helps, but I'm hoping someone else knows a simple way to do this, because it's something I've had issues with too.

Same thing - set your sensor swith to "direction" and set the radius to fit your needs. When they come within your radius (whether on screen or off screen) the thing willl come down - when they leave the radius - it goes back up.

Easy.

[toef]

Also, saw this news earlier, and didn't see it mentioned here.

Q Entertainment, makers of Lumines, are bringing an official version of Lumines into LBP. Not really sure how it works, based on these pictures, because it doesn't seem like it's a LBP level. But here's what it looks like:





If you can read Japanese, you can read about it here:

http://news.dengeki.com/elem/000/000/126/126090/

[PA_Kid]

Originally Posted by CYMBOL

Set the sensor to "direction". You may have to set it to "inverse" to start closed. Then, set your radius.

Thank you! I hadn't even considered that direction would be a valid option - now that you explain it though it makes perfect sense. You're a god!

Originally Posted by CYMBOL

Not sure I understand.

Originally Posted by toefer

As for the blocks, I noticed the same thing. Because of that I just build things in single layers, and then line them up and glue them all together.

Toefer's got the idea.

CYMBOL - here's an example - curious if you've noticed the same thing.

First, I made a huge block of Rusty Metal Grating 3 levels wide. Then I cut the inside of the cage out of that - with platforms coming out from the walls on each side. Finally, I originally wanted to make a door just in the first level, so I selected a smaller block of rusty metal grating that was only 1 level wide and intended to only cut out some of the first level at the base to make an opening - instead it cut out all three levels.

That make more sense?

It wasn't a huge deal, but I hadn't realized it until today. Just another quirk to be aware of I guess.

Toefer - in case you're not doing this, don't forget that you can copy the base item in one level and copy it out fairly easily. (You're probably already doing that, but I figured I'd mention it since it wasn't immediately apparent to me this morning - I almost created the 3 blocks and then planned on cutting each individually just using the grid to line up.)

[toef]

Originally Posted by PA_Kid

Toefer - in case you're not doing this, don't forget that you can copy the base item in one level and copy it out fairly easily. (You're probably already doing that, but I figured I'd mention it since it wasn't immediately apparent to me this morning - I almost created the 3 blocks and then planned on cutting each individually just using the grid to line up.)

Yes, I try to copy and paste as much as possible to save time. I noticed it works wonders when trying to make a bunch of point bubbles. Just make a bunch in a single plane, then highlight them all, hit copy, and paste copies into the other two planes. Then, if you really want to add more, highlight all 3 planes worth, hit copy, and paste away.

Chaplin is now up and running. I'm 95% sure everything is working on it, though I am a bit nervous about actually going through and playing the published version on my own (I've only run through it in Play Mode, before publishing it). I plan to maybe touch some things up over time, but will probably leave the point bubbles alone, so as not to disturb the scoreboard.

If anyone has any problems with it, or just suggestions about what I could change/add, just let me know. The biggest hassle is still the multiple mouths trying to speak, and getting them to speak in the right order. If anyone knows a good way to do that, I'm all ears. They seem to go in order MOST of the time, but sometimes you can stop walking in a certain spot, and it might make a couple go out of order.

[CYMBOL]

Originally Posted by toefer

The biggest hassle is still the multiple mouths trying to speak, and getting them to speak in the right order. If anyone knows a good way to do that, I'm all ears. They seem to go in order MOST of the time, but sometimes you can stop walking in a certain spot, and it might make a couple go out of order.

Do you have cutscenes associated with them - that will help people walking through a few of them before reading (if they are really close together).

I tend to put cut scenes for mulitple magic mouths - and carefully set radius'.

[toef]

Originally Posted by CYMBOL

Do you have cutscenes associated with them - that will help people walking through a few of them before reading (if they are really close together).

I tend to put cut scenes for mulitple magic mouths - and carefully set radius'.

For all the multi-mouth parts, I think I did cutscenes. I think I just need to tweak some of the radii. One small problem is that I made you drop down too far to the left on one level, so that you end up practically landing on the set. Luckily it's only the very first scene, so there is only one level above it, that I can fairly easily just extend a bit further to the right, so you fall further to the right. At that point I'll move the "director" over, so that you land within his mouth ranges. The only problem is I don't want to move him too far away, because with some of the talking, I like to angle the camera to show you what he is referring to, and the camera can only go so far away from the mouth.

Also, unrelated, I realize Chaplin directed all of his own movies, so having this other guy acting as a director was technically inaccurate, but I doubt anyone will bother commenting on that. This level may test out the age range of the people playing the game, but I think even most people who haven't seen any movies may still get it or like it.

[CYMBOL]

Originally Posted by toefer

Also, unrelated, I realize Chaplin directed all of his own movies, so having this other guy acting as a director was technically inaccurate, but I doubt anyone will bother commenting on that.

What?! Well then I ain't playin' it!

LittleBigPlanet isn't your playground to spread your historical inaccuracies around!

[toef]

Originally Posted by CYMBOL

What?! Well then I ain't playin' it!

LittleBigPlanet isn't your playground to spread your historical inaccuracies around!

Haha.

I noticed the patch is out for LBP (not sure when it came out...might have come out last night, but I never quit out of the game, so I didn't know until turning it back on a little while ago).

Either I was blind and never noticed this, or the patch added the star ratings to your levels. If you hover over them, just above where it shows your hearts and plays, it includes your average rating. Surprisingly my Mega Maze level has the highest rating of all my levels (3 stars for Chaplin, Presidential Race and Connect Four, 4 for Mega Maze).

[mikejet]

This is horrible, the sound isn't coming back.

[owa]

Have you tried deleting the update so it has to be downloaded and installed again?

[alphapyro]

Why won't they add xmb Music??


Seriously... the only thing that pisses me off about this game is that I cannot play my own music.

I don't care if I can't import it into the levels, but for goodness sakes let me switch out the soundtrack with my own.

[toef]

Originally Posted by alphapyro

Why won't they add xmb Music??


Seriously... the only thing that pisses me off about this game is that I cannot play my own music.

I don't care if I can't import it into the levels, but for goodness sakes let me switch out the soundtrack with my own.

True. I wish they would at least add the option for you to use it while in the Level Editor mode, so you can listen to music while sitting in there for hours, but still (as Cymbol mentioned) hear the sound effects, in case your level starts breaking and crunching.

What I really want them to add is some more space for profiles. I keep getting warnings every few minutes that my profile can't be saved beause it has too much stuff. So I deleted a lot of the crap items that I won as prizes, and deleted a few of my custom costumes, and all of my photobooth pictures (anyone playing Chaplin, enjoy getting that filled up ) and some other stuff, and now it keeps saying the same thing.

Last time I checked the slogan was Play. Create. SHARE. But they don't seem to be giving you much room to keep all the stuff people shared with you.

[Shin-Ra]

In the meantime you could make a level(s) with shared creations in, instead of deleting them.

[toef]

Just registered for Sackbook. Pretty fascinating how they grab all this info so quickly. I don't really know or understand how they do it, but it's pretty cool.

It also helped me notice Chaplin is tanking.

Only 18 plays, an average rating of 2 stars...1 for each heart (and considering I am one of those hearts, even sadder).

[CYMBOL]

Originally Posted by Shin-Ra

In the meantime you could make a level(s) with shared creations in, instead of deleting them.

That's part of the problem though, creating and sharing have become an excercise in finding clever ways to save space - taking away a bit of the joy this game offers.

I shouldn't have to delete my creations or pictures I've taken (I really don't have many, but I've had to go through and delete my personlized stickers, customized costumes and creations twice now to be able to save).

Half the time I spend creating my levels is spent finding clever ways to fool the themometer. And it's a shame that anytime I get a picture taken of me in the game (a tool they use and a tool they provide in your creations) that it actually uses up allocated space. Now, everytime someone takes a picture of me on their level - I'll have to go into my inventory to delete it.

Every sticker, object and picture I award in my level uses your personal space. It's a shame that people aren't going to have to option to keep what they've won - sooner or later - they'll have to choose. The more they play, the more they'll have to weigh their options.

The Sharing and Creating parts of the game have already met their threshold - not a good sign for a game that's been out for a month.

This is a great game - but that "unlimited potential" we all talked about in the beginning has already hit its' limit.

[CYMBOL]

Originally Posted by toefer

Just registered for Sackbook. Pretty fascinating how they grab all this info so quickly. I don't really know or understand how they do it, but it's pretty cool.

It also helped me notice Chaplin is tanking.

Only 18 plays, an average rating of 2 stars...1 for each heart (and considering I am one of those hearts, even sadder).

Any comments - a reason for the low star rating?

I saw the update last night - both of my levels had 5 stars, I logged in this morning and they were both 4 stars. I'm afraid to log in again!

[STARSCREAM]

YES, just got my copy in the mail. Can't wait to fire it up tonight.