Description

TileEngine Manager and TileEngine objects for 2D tile-based game development [v26.01.0].

Overview

The TileEngine Core module is a 2D graphics engine that enables you to create tile-based games in a very easy and powerful way. With full support for Tiled map editor (TMX format), you can design your levels using industry-standard tools. Developed from scratch but based on the old MSTE for CRM32Pro, it provides comprehensive support for levels, layers, tilesets and multiple file formats.

Key features

Multi-layer architecture: Levels composed of unlimited layers with runtime modification
Flexible scrolling: Standard scroll, parallax scroll and auto-scrolling capabilities
Multiple tilesets: Use any number of tilesets per layer with variable tile sizes
Event system: Layer update and render end events for custom logic
Format support: Tiled format, BMP/PNG image import/export
Extensible: Custom map data via C++ class inheritance

Level features

The level is the top-level entity created by one or more layers:

View type	Orthogonal view
Layer count	Any number of layers, modifiable at runtime
Viewport	Viewport and render screen modifiable at runtime
Layer grouping	Independent or grouped layers supporting standard or parallax scroll
Auto-scroll	Built-in auto-scrolling capabilities

Layer features

Layers contain the tile-based data and rendering properties:

Dimensions	Any width and height (number of cells)
Cell size	Any cell size supported
Tilesets	Any number of tilesets per layer; larger tiles extend at top and right
Alpha modulation	0 (fully transparent) to 255 (fully opaque)
Events	onUpdateEnd and onRenderEnd events for custom logic
Smooth scroll	Optional smooth scroll rendering for fluid movement
Custom maps	Add custom map data via C++ class inheritance
Debug mode	Render cell grid for debugging purposes

Tilesets

Type	CRM64Pro::Tile objects
Storage	External files or CDC archives

Supported formats

TMX	Full support for Tiled 0.18+ map files (see TMX compatibility below)
BMP/PNG	Import image into layer or export layer to external image

TMX compatibility

Support for Tiled map files with the following specifications:

TMX version	v1.0 to v1.10
Orientation	Orthogonal only
Render order	right-down only (if set)
Layer ID	Starts with 1
Ignored properties	infinite, backgroundcolor
C64TE map	Embedded inside TMX (current version 3.0)

Manager type

This is a standard manager: objects are not shared and must be unique using its name as the key. You cannot create an object with the same name as another one already created.

Best practices

Use parallax scrolling with grouped layers to create depth effects in side-scrolling games
Enable smooth scroll rendering for fluid movement in scrolling games
Use the onUpdateEnd and onRenderEnd events to add custom game logic per layer
Use the debug cell grid rendering during development to verify tile alignment
Store tilesets in CDC archives for organized asset management
When using Tiled, ensure maps use orthogonal orientation and right-down render order
Extend TE_MapData via C++ inheritance for custom map data requirements
Access the manager exclusively through Main::ITileEngineMgr()

Note: The TileEngine Manager is a singleton, automatically created once Main is instantiated. You can get a reference to this manager using Main::ITileEngineMgr() method.
The TileEngine Manager is automatically released when Main::Terminate() is called. At this time, any resource still loaded will be released, avoiding resource leaks.

Classes
class	CRM64Pro::TileEngine
	TileEngine Object class. More...
class	CRM64Pro::TileEngineMgr
	TileEngine Manager class. More...