Level Editor Dev Log: Reaching MVP!

Hey everyone,

Exciting news from the development front! I’m thrilled to announce that the 2D side-scroller Level Editor, built with Pygame, has officially reached its Minimum Viable Product (MVP) stage! This is a huge milestone, primarily thanks to the successful implementation of a crucial feature that was missing until now.

The biggest leap forward is the ability to load previously saved work. You no longer have to start from scratch every time you open the editor! You can now pick up right where you left off, making the level creation process much more efficient and enjoyable. This was the final piece needed to meet my MVP goals, and I’m incredibly proud of this achievement.

But that’s not all that’s new in this update. I’ve also focused heavily on refining the user experience and overall performance:

• CTRL+L: A keyboard shortcut to load level-data from a file.

• Enhanced Performance: Several optimizations have been implemented under the hood, resulting in a smoother and more responsive editing experience.

• Smarter Hitbox Drawing: Drawing large hitboxes is now significantly easier. The drawing area will automatically scroll towards the edge if you drag the hitbox rectangle there, eliminating the need for manual scrolling with modifier keys and the mouse wheel. This is a big win for usability!

• Executable Icon: The editor now has its own distinct icon, making it easier to identify and launch.

• Cleaned Up Interface: The unnecessary console window that previously opened alongside the editor has been removed, providing a cleaner workspace.

• Improved Safety Nets: I’ve added more confirmation prompts for potentially destructive actions to help prevent accidental data loss or unwanted changes. I’ve tried to keep these prompts minimal and non-intrusive, only appearing when truly necessary.

• Languages: I had to revert the translations to other languages as I will need to review them again for accuracy. They will all be back shortly, with even more languages !

These updates collectively represent a significant step forward for the editor, making it a much more robust and user-friendly tool for creating your side-scrolling levels.

Happy editing!