Designing a 'Database' menu for my Vehicle system

[Kain Nobel]

G'day everybody!

Before I ask the question, I should probably tell you what I'm doing first; basically, I wrote a script for RPG Maker XP which is a fully customizable vehicle system, and I want to be able to create an additional "database" type menu for it (obviously seperate from the actual program for legal reasons) which you could setup a whole array of vehicles and edit their passabilities and stuff for maps.

First off, what I will need to create is an interface much like how you would edit skills, where you can type in the name of the vehicle, starting X/Y of each vehicle, select the character graphic, specify theme BGM, movement sound, altitude, locked flag, edit the 'locked in' and 'locked out' message, etc...

Second thing I want to make for it is a map passabilities editor, much like RPGXP's, but exclusive just for vehicle's passability settings and that would be it. I want to be able to create it just like XP's where you can do full passable/unpassable or do the directional passabilities.

Anyways, if anybody knows a good editor-making program that I can do stuff (or at least figure out to do stuff...) like that let me know what I should check out!

 

[trebor777]

well, the main problem you need to figure out is the data structure first. And then the way data is going to be transfered from your editor to the game.

I guess the best way to do that, would be to create this editor, in ruby, with a GUI made up with WxRuby, RUBy/Gnome, or FxRuby, Shoes... or whatever other ruby GUI library there is, (I've only worked with WxRuby and it's quite nice, not too hard).
It would make things a lot easier, as both language are the same, and you could simply serialize with marshal, your exported data.

I'll talk with the experience I have with WxRuby ( a port of WxWidget from C++ ):
- It's simple enough, with the documentation near you to be used. I've made a tool for castlevania, that almost can play an animation. ( the Collision editor)
- Smart enough to be able to use a XRC file containing the whole Graphical interface information. Made in a seperate builder ( WxFormBuilder a free one );

Basically, 1st I list what i need, then i try to imagine how i want the interface to work, and list the type of interface tools i need ( buttons and such ) for my actions. Then i draw on paper some kind of quick sketch of it... Finally I use WxFormBuilder, to create the visual thing. This software require some time to get used to, as how to build the interface.

Then I just code the basic application that simply display the interface.
Once i got that, i start coding, creating methods for each interface events. ^^

Except that... I don't know anykind of editor making programs..

 

[DeM0nFiRe]

Actually, saving and loading data in RMXP is just Ruby Marshalling. If you are making your editor in Ruby, just make a class called, like, Game_Vehicle and marshal the array of all of the vehicles. (Make sure the same class is used in the editor and the game)