LBP Level Creation Discussion

[BillCable]

Originally Posted by PA_Kid

Ok, new question - is there any material out there that is not rigid? For example is there a material I could use that if I made a square and cut out most of the center, it would either sag or completely lose it's shape when the world physics were applied?

I tried using some of the cloth ones in sponge like felt, but their overall shape stays rigid.

That's what I was wondering with the flower "stickers" you can collect... they're definitely not rigid. No idea what they're made from, though. But that's where I'd start looking.

[PA_Kid]

Originally Posted by BillCable

That's what I was wondering with the flower "stickers" you can collect... they're definitely not rigid. No idea what they're made from, though. But that's where I'd start looking.

If we only had a material with give we could potentially build conveyor belts and tracks - there is a lot of potential too be mined from those.

I think tonight I may try to make a gun/cannon using an obscene about of explosives and some indestructable materials.

[BillCable]

Originally Posted by PA_Kid

If we only had a material with give we could potentially build conveyor belts and tracks - there is a lot of potential too be mined from those.

I've already seen a few tanks with treads made out of chained-together solid objects. Something like that is near the top of my "want to build" list. But I can see how a treadmill style track would be very useful.

[u_nick]

Originally Posted by PA_Kid

Yeah, in the tutorials you'll end up with at least one if not two sticker alphabets.

Perfect, thank you!

[PA_Kid]

Originally Posted by BillCable

I've already seen a few tanks with treads made out of chained-together solid objects. Something like that is near the top of my "want to build" list. But I can see how a treadmill style track would be very useful.

Yeah, I'm going to try and stop thinking entirely until I get through all the levels. I say that yesterday and sure enough I play the Serpent Shrine level afterwards and see MM did some belts like you describe.

I'm thinking I may try to build a really big tank with really small tread sections and shrink it down to sackboy level. (After I finish the game of course - gah! I was thinking again wasn't I?)

[BillCable]

That Serpentine Shrine level was absolutely amazing. Really just brilliant stuff they did there. I'd love to see an image of the entire map, just to see how they engineered the whole thing. I'd love to see if they're spawning snakes, or if they're in continuous loops around a track. If the latter... that's just jaw-dropping.

[jkwest]

"world of colour" was really well made also.

[PA_Kid]

Originally Posted by BillCable

That Serpentine Shrine level was absolutely amazing. Really just brilliant stuff they did there. I'd love to see an image of the entire map, just to see how they engineered the whole thing. I'd love to see if they're spawning snakes, or if they're in continuous loops around a track. If the latter... that's just jaw-dropping.

I know Proteus said you could view in the editor any level you've unlocked in Play by selecting it when you create the level. I haven't actively gone and tried to do that yet, but maybe I'll try it with that one today and see.

I haven't tried to play with respawn yet - is it a tool as opposed to a property of the object? (I'm assuming so since I haven't noticed it yet)

[owa]

Originally Posted by jkwest

"world of colour" was really well made also.

Yeah, that has been one of my favorites so far although I haven't tried many yet. I'm just amazed at the creativity of the levels. I'm not very creative so I'm in constant awe.

Anyway, I want to try making a level so I figured go through this thread to see what's up. Sorry for the OT post.

[toef]

Originally Posted by owa

Yeah, that has been one of my favorites so far although I haven't tried many yet. I'm just amazed at the creativity of the levels. I'm not very creative so I'm in constant awe.

Anyway, I want to try making a level so I figured go through this thread to see what's up. Sorry for the OT post.

At first I was amazed, and then I started to see a trend...

I can't count the number of "Free Trophies" levels that have been popping up...they're all over the place. Hopefully once everybody gets their trophies, those sort of levels will disappear.

The other thing I'm irked by is when people put a description in the title, like "Snowmobile Racing (Fun!!)", or try to entice people to play by offering stuff like "Snowmobile Racing (Lots of Cool Prizes!!!)".

[BillCable]

Originally Posted by PA_Kid

I know Proteus said you could view in the editor any level you've unlocked in Play by selecting it when you create the level. I haven't actively gone and tried to do that yet, but maybe I'll try it with that one today and see.

I'll have to look into that. Wonder if that'd help me find all the secrets... That map had sort of a linear path, but it seemed like there was a thousand different ways you could diverge and find goodies.

Originally Posted by PA_Kid

I haven't tried to play with respawn yet - is it a tool as opposed to a property of the object? (I'm assuming so since I haven't noticed it yet)

In one of the very early tutorials you created a spawn tool that spits out ghosts. That sort of thing is used all over the place in the story levels. The buffalo you jump across in the first or second jungle level... they're spawned continuously inside a cave. Also the water that flows under the water wheel in the early level is also a spawn cycle thing. The objects just expire after they reach the end point. It's a very powerful tool. My guess is the snakes are created that way, but I don't know that for certain.

[Copywriter]

I hate when a level talks about prizes, yet I don't get anything for playing.

I played some level yesterday and got a guy's tank he made.

Finding levels to play could be a bit easier. I'm looking for prizes that I can use in my creations (whenever that day comes).

Oh, I did play an Indiana Jones short level that was cool. It had the boulder scene in it.

[PA_Kid]

Originally Posted by BillCable

I'll have to look into that. Wonder if that'd help me find all the secrets... That map had sort of a linear path, but it seemed like there was a thousand different ways you could diverge and find goodies.

Didn't get home for lunch so it will have to be tonight, but yeah, I had the same thought - unless you get the level in the editor without the prize bubbles there. Otherwise it would be super easy to figure out everything.

The other possibility is that Proteus was mistaken, but I'm really hoping not - since grabbing things (like the conveyor belts) would be much easier if you could grab them from the story levels.

In one of the very early tutorials you created a spawn tool that spits out ghosts. That sort of thing is used all over the place in the story levels. The buffalo you jump across in the first or second jungle level... they're spawned continuously inside a cave. Also the water that flows under the water wheel in the early level is also a spawn cycle thing. The objects just expire after they reach the end point. It's a very powerful tool. My guess is the snakes are created that way, but I don't know that for certain.

The emitter - gotcha. I hadn't put two and two together, but yeah, that makes sense.

I'll have to figure out how to use an emmiter to create bullets to reload a cannon.

Now that I think of it, I'm guessing that the flaming snakes are an emitter and not in an endless loop - I didn't notice anything keeping them in motion so it was probably just gravity and an emmiter duration.

[BillCable]

Emitter. That's the ticket!

I wonder if you can emit intelligent enemies. Imagine the endless zombie hoards!!

[stockstar1138]

ive noticed that in some levels (ie God of War and Super Mario Bros. 1-1) the user has created an environment in which there a portions of the map that are below the ground.

is there some sort of dig tool that im not seeing or has the creator just built the level up high to give it that appearance.

[toef]

Originally Posted by stockstar1138

ive noticed that in some levels (ie God of War and Super Mario Bros. 1-1) the user has created an environment in which there a portions of the map that are below the ground.

is there some sort of dig tool that im not seeing or has the creator just built the level up high to give it that appearance.

The latter. They just built the "floor" you're walking on above the ground level of the editor.

[PA_Kid]

Originally Posted by stockstar1138

ive noticed that in some levels (ie God of War and Super Mario Bros. 1-1) the user has created an environment in which there a portions of the map that are below the ground.

is there some sort of dig tool that im not seeing or has the creator just built the level up high to give it that appearance.

I believe that they are just building up and then usig the "cut-out" option in the materials tool.

Keep in mind that you can enlarge a square to gigantic size and smear the material to build up the ground if you need to. It can acutally be done pretty quickly.

[Proteus]

Originally Posted by BillCable

Emitter. That's the ticket!

I wonder if you can emit intelligent enemies. Imagine the endless zombie hoards!!

_Any_ object can be 'emitted' so, yes, you can make zombie hordes.

Originally Posted by stockstar1138

ive noticed that in some levels (ie God of War and Super Mario Bros. 1-1) the user has created an environment in which there a portions of the map that are below the ground.

is there some sort of dig tool that im not seeing or has the creator just built the level up high to give it that appearance.

Exactly. In my lasted level I'm working on, for example, I literally filled the _entire_ level space with three layer deep stone then chopped off a little on top for my starting area (wanted it outside) and a finish area (after escaping).

Emitters are the shiznit. If you tweak them around, you can really do all kinds of neato stuff (for those who have completed the temples emitter level, the magician, you will know what i'm talking about... especially at the end).

The thing I'm finding a huge problem with is lighting; however. It's not so much that there aren't good lighting sources (though they could be better). It's that they cause _tremendous_ framerate lag in levels. Seriously, if you use more than a couple few lighting sources 'on screen' at any time you are seriously risking a meltdown. This has proven VERY challenging to work around for me in my underground areas because obviously I need to have really dark spaces (meaning the global level settings must be dialed way dark) but it has to be playable at the same time (and some spaces really bright). The lighting tools and options are basically my only real complaint so far with the creation process.

[ngkf7]

Ok I have a switch set to on/off and connected to an emitter. I want the emitter to emit a single platform (so you cant pass a part of my level without finding a switch). How do you do this? It's not working for me!

Thanks!

[toef]

Originally Posted by ngkf7

Ok I have a switch set to on/off and connected to an emitter. I want the emitter to emit a single platform (so you cant pass a part of my level without finding a switch). How do you do this? It's not working for me!

Thanks!

I'm not sure I get exactly what you're trying to do.

There is a way to make an emitter only emit one thing and stop after that, but are you trying to make it emit something and then leave it there permanently?

So is this fictitious scenario at all like what you are trying to do:

There's a giant wall, that you can't get over as it currently is. But if you find a switch in a board, and pull the lever/switch, then a platform will magically appear near the giant wall, allowing you to hop up and over.

Something like that?