This week's update is going to be a little bit shorter than usual. I lost a few days trying to refactor the Tilemap Tool.
While I got most of the new Tilemap Tool working again with the new Draw Tool components, I came across several UX issues I’d like to correct:
Custom Flags - I’ve received a request to add the ability to load in custom flag sprites, and I laid out the groundwork for this a few weeks back with custom game icons. So I plan on adding this into the next release.
Displaying Flags - In addition to adding custom flags, I want to create a better solution for displaying the flags simultaneously as the tiles instead of swapping between the two layers.
Zooming - Due to the components and OS chrome, the Tilemap Tool will not display a full tilemap on the screen. To get around this limitation, I’ll be adding in the ability to zoom out to get a better sense of what is going on as you layout your tiles.
All of these changes, plus the steps I need to make the tool more modular, will take some time. On top of that, I’ve been feeling a bit burnt out while trying to get all of these updates done on my own.
So I’m going to try to get the Tilemap Tool into a place where I feel I can pause and probably shift gears and take a break for a week or two. With the lockdowns, we haven’t been able to go on vacation, and I haven’t had a break in months. So while I want just to power through and get this new update out, I know sometimes the best thing to do is rest up and recharge.
But I don’t plan on completely ignoring PV8. I mentioned previously that I have been working with @coldrice_dev on some new art packs, and he has agreed to let me include a smaller version of his CGA Civ sprites as part of a new free art pack collection I have been working on.
I also have four more sprite sheets from @BenjaminMaksym, which I haven’t even had a chance to go through. We’ve been collaborating on some unique font based sprite sheets that will be fun to make microgames with. I plan on cleaning them up, along with the other sprite sheets, and get this new set ready for the v0.9.8 release.
Next week I'll send out an update on the new sprite packs and talk a little more about how they will work with all of the new updates to the tools.