SonED2 Tile Editor

The tile editor is used for editing each component of the tiles that make up normal gameplay levels, including the palette colors and solidity maps.

Levels are built in several steps, beginning with 8x8 Tile graphics. The 64-color palette is divided into four sub-palettes (referred to here as "rows"), and each 8x8 Tile may only use colors from any one of those rows (for a total of 15 color choices, with the first entry in each row being transparent). In the Sonic the Hedgehog games, the first color entry on row 3 controls the "Backdrop Color". This is the color that appears where nothing else is drawn to the screen, including the screen borders displayed by some system versions, and can be taken advantage of to use a full set of 16 colors for the background.

The Tiles are then formed into 16x16 "Blocks", which contain drawing direction and palette row ID data for each Tile, and the ID of the Solidity Height Map that should be used to set which parts of the block are "solid".

The Blocks are used to build "Chunks", which are either 256x256 or 128x128, depending on the project settings and the target game. These Chunks contain data for each Block that defines drawing direction and the type of reaction a player should have to the Block's assigned Height Map.

Finally, the Chunks are used to build the level layout.

Solidity Height Maps define the parts of a Block that are "solid" (that the player can collide with), and are based on the idea that each pixel column along the width of a Block can be filled up to a certain height, where the player will be made to stand on it (or, if it is beside him, be made to act as if it is a solid wall). The Height Maps also contain Angle values that determine how gravity affects the player's velocity while he is standing on or running along the Height Map. This data, however, does not have any affect on the player unless the "Solidity Type" of the Block is set within the Chunk.

All of the above-described data can be created by altering existing data, by starting from scratch within the editor, or the Tile art and palette data can be created outside of SonED2 and imported from an image, however, the image must be set up as described in the art importing document to obtain useful results.

This editing mode is actually made up of several parts, each with their own functions:

General Controls

• Viewing Controls
  

Tileset Controls

• Expand List
  
• Contract List
  
• Insert
  
• Delete
  
• Copy
  
• Paste
  
• Mirror
  
• Flip
  

Tile Census

Tile Selector

Palette Editor

• Swap Palette
  
• Change Color
  
• Generate Alt Palette
  

Tile Editor

• Draw to the Tile
  
• Grab a Color
  

Block Editor

• Select an 8x8 Entry
  
• Draw to the Block
  
• Grab an 8x8 Tile
  
• Plane Priority
  
• Palette Row
  
• Draw Direction
  
• Solidity Map
  
• Grab Solidity
  

Chunk Editor

• Select a Block Entry
  
• Draw to the Chunk
  
• Grab a Block
  
• Solidity Direction
  
• Draw Direction
  

Solidity Editor

• Draw Solidity
  
• Block View
  

General Controls

The following controls are always available while in this editing mode:

Viewing Controls


The following keys affect other viewing options:



Q	-	Disable Chunk Solidity viewing
W	-	Display Solidity Path 0 Over Chunks
E	-	Display Solidity Path 1 Over Chunks (for games that support two-path collision)
R	-	Toggle angle view when viewing solidity path
Y	-	Toggles the "Low" plane on or off
U	-	Toggles the "High" plane on or off

Tileset Controls

There are a few generic commands that apply to all Tile/Solidity editing sections of this editing mode. They are applied to the editor over which the cursor is currently hovering and the tile that is currently selected therein, or in the case of the Tile Selector, the Tile/Block/Chunk/Solid that is currently being pointed to.

Expand List


Increase the size of a tile listing by adding a new tile to the end. When hovering the cursor over the desired tile type, hold CTRL and press A. If the list contains more than one page, one of the individual pages must be selected, as opposed to "Page X" (all pages)


Contract List


Decrease the size of a tile listing by removing the tile at the end. When hovering the cursor over the desired tile type, hold CTRL and press Z. If the list contains more than one page, one of the individual pages must be selected, as opposed to "Page X" (all pages)


Insert


Insert a new tile into the list in front of the selected tile. When hovering the cursor over the desired tile of the desired type, hold CTRL and press I. Larger tiles and level layout are updated to reflect the new listing order


Delete


Delete the currently selected tile from the list. When hovering the cursor over the desired tile of the desired type, hold CTRL and press D. Larger tiles and level layout are updated to reflect the new listing order. Positions occupied by the deleted tile are set to "0"


Copy


Copy the currently selected tile for later pasting. When hovering the cursor over the desired tile of the desired type, hold CTRL and press C. Copied tiles of different types are stored separately


Paste


Paste the last tile of the selected type that was copied to the currently selected tile. When hovering the cursor over the desired tile of the desired type, hold CTRL and press P


Mirror


Reverse the currently selected tile horizontally. When hovering the cursor over the desired tile of the desired type, hold CTRL and press M. When a Tile or Block is mirrored, its drawing direction in any Block or Chunk that it appears in is updated so that it has no visible effect. This is useful for Blocks in particular, to avoid having to draw new Solidity Maps that are just reversed versions of existing ones. To prevent the Block/Chunk from being updated with the Tile/Block, hold Spacebar


Flip


Reverse the currently selected tile vertically. When hovering the cursor over the desired tile of the desired type, hold CTRL and press F. When a Tile or Block is flipped, its drawing direction in any Block or Chunk that it appears in is updated so that it has no visible effect. This is useful for Blocks in particular, to avoid having to draw new Solidity Maps that are just reversed versions of existing ones. To prevent the Block/Chunk from being updated with the Tile/Block, hold Spacebar

Tile Census

This section simply specifies the number of tiles of each type that currently exist. Left-clicking on the name of any tile type will cause that type to be displayed in the Tile Selector.

Tile Selector

The Tile Selector simply functions as a tool for selecting a tile of any type to edit. The Arrow Keys, or the scrollbar (in windowed mode) can be used to scroll the list up and down. Left-click the desired Tile to select it for editing.

Tile types are selected by clicking the tile type name in the Tile Census area. When any tile type in the current project uses more than one page, a selection for each page will appear below the Tile Census area. Left-clicking "Page X" will cause the Tile Selector to list all tiles of the current type from all pages. Left-clicking any of the other "Page" options will limit the list to show only the tiles that are a part of the selected page for the selected type.

Palette Editor

The palette editor serves as both the color selection tool and the color editing tool. The currently-selected color is marked by a white box that surrounds it. A level may only display 64 colors at once (the top 4 rows), but the display shows 128 colors, with the bottom 4 rows being available for creating "underwater" colors, or any other kind of alternate palette.

Swap Palette


Left-clicking the "X" to the right of the palette will swap the two sections, displaying the level with the alternate palette


Change Color


The "R" "G" and "B" selections below the palette itself list the Red, Green, and Blue component values that make up the currently-selected color. Left-click one of the components to increase it, or right-click it to decrease

Hovering over the desired color entry and pressing one of the following keys has the same effect:



G/B	-	Decrease/Increase the Red component
H/N	-	Decrease/Increase the Blue component
J/M	-	Decrease/increase the Green component


Using any of the above-listed keys will also automatically select the entry



Generate Alt Palette


The color selection just to the right of the RGB options can be used to generate a type of "alpha blend" palette, useful for quickly creating "water" or other blend effects. Left-click the color to select it for editing, and then Right-Click it to generate an alternate palette based on the primary palette and the blend color

Tile Editor

The 8x8 Tile Editor is made up of a fat-bit grid, which is used for drawing to the Tile, and the smaller Tile view above it, which shows the Tile in its actual size.

The Tile is displayed using the palette row in which the currently-selected color resides.

The "Tile ID" option shows the ID number of the currently-selected tile, and can be left-clicked or right-clicked to select a different tile. The "Tiles" option on the "Tile Census" may be selected to cause the selection list at the right of the screen to display the 8x8 Tiles, which can be chosen by left-clicking on them. The "D" and "C" keys may also be used to cycle through available Tiles.

All generic commands listed in the "Tileset Control" section above can be used when pointing within the Tile Editor, or when hovering over an 8x8 Tile in the Tile Selector.

Draw to the Tile


To draw the currently-selected color onto the currently-selected 8x8 Tile, left-click the desired location on the fat-bit grid, or hold the left mouse button and drag across the desired area

Grab a Color


To "pick up" a color from the tile, hover over the desired color on the fat-bit grid and right-click

Block Editor

The Block Editor is made up of the Block Editing window, which displays the Block in actual size and allows for drawing 8x8 tiles into the Block or selecting the Tiles to edit their properties, and the Block Entry Property Display, which displays the properties assigned to the currently-selected 8x8 Tile entry in the Block.

The "Block ID" option shows the ID number of the currently-selected Block, and can be left-clicked or right-clicked to select a different Block. The "Blocks" option on the "Tile Census" may be selected to cause the selection list at the right of the screen to display 16x16 Blocks, which can be selected by left-clicking on them. The "S" and "X" keys may also be used to cycle through available Blocks.

All generic commands listed in the "Tileset Control" section above can be used when pointing within the Block Editor, or when hovering over a Block in the Tile Selector.

Select an 8x8 Entry


To select an 8x8 Tile entry in the Block to edit its properties, right-click the desired entry, and it will be marked by the selection box


Draw to the Block


To draw the currently-selected 8x8 Tile onto the Block, left-click the desired entry in the Block, or hold the left mouse button and drag across the desired area


Grab an 8x8 Tile


To "Grab" the 8x8 Tile displayed at any portion of the Block for editing in the Tile Editor, double-right-click the desired Tile within the Block


Plane Priority


An 8x8 Tile within a Block can be displayed as "High" (in front of the player and most Objects), or "Low" (behind them). Select the desired Tile entry and left-click or right-click the "Low Plane"/"High Plane" setting

To change this setting using the keyboard, hover the cursor over the desired 8x8 Tile entry and use the "G" or "B" keys. This will also automatically select the entry


Palette Row


Because Tiles only use a maximum of 16 color values, the Block must be told which palette row to use when drawing each Tile. Select the desired Tile entry and left-click or right-click the "Palette Row ?" setting

To change this setting using the keyboard, hover the cursor over the desired 8x8 Tile entry and use the "H" or "N" keys. This will also automatically select the entry


Draw Direction


The Block must be told in which direction to draw each Tile (whether or not they are mirrored horizontally and/or flipped vertically). The following settings are available:



Draw Normal	-	The Tile will be drawn in normal orientation
Draw B-Ward	-	The Tile will be mirrored horizontally
Draw U-Down	-	The Tile will be flipped vertically.
Draw UD + B	-	The Tile will be both mirrored horizontally and flipped vertically

Select the desired Tile entry and left-click or right-click the "Draw ???" setting

To change this setting using the keyboard, hover the cursor over the desired 8x8 Tile entry and use the "J" or "M" keys. This will also automatically select the entry


Solidity Map


The Block must be given the ID number of a solidity map to use when the player collides with it. Some games use only one "Path", while others use two. For each path, select the desired solidity map for editing, and then left- click the "Solids" ID number that corresponds with with the desired path (left for Path 0, right for Path 1) to set the current Block's solid entry for that path


Grab Solidity


To "grab" the Height Map assigned to either Path of the current Block for editing in the Solidity Editor, right- click the corresponding ID number in the Block's "Solids" setting (left for Path 0, right for Path 1)

Chunk Editor

The Chunk Editor is made up of the Chunk editing window, which displays the Chunk in actual size and allows for drawing 16x16 Blocks into the Chunk or selecting the Blocks to edit their properties, and the Chunk Entry Property Display, which displays the properties assigned to the currently-selected 16x16 Block entry the Chunk.

The "Chunk ID" option shows the ID number of the currently-selected Chunk, and can be left-clicked or right-clicked to select a different Chunk. The "Chunks" option on the "Tile Census" may be selected to cause the selection list at the right of the screen to display Chunks, which can be selected by left-clicking on them. The "A" and "Z" keys may also be used to cycle through available Chunks.

All generic commands listed in the "Tileset Control" section above can be used when pointing within the Chunk Editor, or when hovering over a Chunk in the Tile Selector

Select a Block Entry


To select a Block entry in the Chunk to edit its properties, right-click on the desired entry, and it will be marked by the selection box


Draw to the Chunk


To draw the currently-selected Block onto the Chunk, left-click the desired entry in the Chunk, or hold the left mouse button and drag across the desired area


Grab a Block


To "grab" the Block displayed at any portion of the Chunk for editing in the Block editor, double-right-click the desired Block within the Chunk


Solidity Direction


While Height Maps define the parts of a Block that are solid, the Chunk must then be told how the player and other Objects should be affected by that solidity. The following settings are available:



Not Solid	-	Players and objects will completely ignore the Height Map assigned to this Block
Top Solid	-	Players and Objects will stand on top of this Block according to the Height Map, but can run through the side of it, or jump through it from below
L/R/B Solid	-	A side-effect of the way this data is stored- Players and Objects cannot pass through the filled Height Map areas of Block from the left, right, or bottom, but they can fall through the top.
All Solid	-	Players and Objects will treat the Height Map-filled portion of this block as completely solid. They will stand on top of it, and cannot pass through from the left, right, or bottom

Select the desired Tile entry and left-click or right-click the displayed solidity setting text for the desired Path (Upper text for Path 0, Lower text for Path 1)

To change this setting using the keyboard, hover the cursor over the desired Block entry and use the "G" or "B" keys to modify the setting for Path 0, or the "H" or "N" keys to modify the setting for path 1. This will also automatically select the entry


Draw Direction


The Chunk must be told in which direction to draw each Block (whether or not they are mirrored horizontally and/or flipped vertically). The following settings are available:



Draw Normal	-	The Block will be drawn in normal orientation
Draw B-Ward	-	The Block will be mirrored horizontally
Draw U-Down	-	The Block will be flipped vertically.
Draw UD + B	-	The Block will be both mirrored horizontally and flipped vertically

Select the desired Block entry and left-click or right-click the "Draw ???" setting

To change this setting using the keyboard, hover the cursor over the desired Block entry and use the "J" or "M" keys. This will also automatically select the entry

Solidity Editor

The Solidity Editor is used to edit the Height Maps that can be applied to the 16x16 Blocks to give the effect that they are "solid". Height Maps do not correspond directly with 16x16 tiles, instead, they are listed by themselves, and each 16x16 Block is given an ID number that corresponds with the Height Map it should use.

Each Height Map also contains an Angle value that determines the ammount and direction of force that is applied to a player that stands on it. A value of 0xFF is used for flat ground, but otherwise, all angles must be even values. A full range of 360 degrees is represented by values between 0x00 and 0xFF (256 values), with 0x00 being 0/360 degrees, 0x40 being 90, 0x80 being 180, and 0xC0 being 270. Values starting at 0x00 and rising are used starting at the bottom of a circle and moving clockwise (left-side slopes use values between 0x00 and 0x3F from bottom-up, right side are 0xFF to 0xC0 from bottom-up).

The "Solid ID" option shows the ID number of the currently-selected Height Map, and can be left-clicked or right-clicked to select a different Height Map. The "Solids" option on the "Tile Census" may be selected to cause the selection list at the right of the screen to display Height Maps, which can be selected by left-clicking on them. The "F" and "V" keys may also be used to cycle through available Height Maps.

All generic commands listed in the "Tileset Control" section above can be used when pointing within the Solidity, or when hovering over a Height Map in the Tile Selector

Draw Solidity


A Height Map is made up of 16 columns, representing the 16 columns of a Block. Each column can be filled up (or down) to a certain height to specify which parts of the Block will be "solid".

To fill a column from bottom up, left-click the heighest point that should be made "solid".

To fill from top down, right-click the lowest point that should be made "solid".

To remove a column, left-click the "X" below it


Block View


To cause the currently-selected Block to be displayed behind the Height Map for more accurate drawing, left-click the "Show Block" option.

The Block shown doesn't necessarily correspond with the Height Map shown. Because unique Height Maps should only be stored once, and multiple Blocks can reference the same Height Map, corresponding Blocks and Maps must be selected manually, and their relationship must be set manually.