Tile based map using canvas

[jannesiera]

I'm experimenting with the canvas element to create a tile based map. Right now it's still a small and not very useful script, but please take a look at it.

So if you have any suggestions, or the script can be useful to you, feel free to comment / use the script.

[jannesiera]

I have a question. Does anyone have a good idea to go about terrain transitions ?

There's a good article about it here: http://www.gamedev.net/reference/articles/article934.asp

But if someone has another way I'd love to hear it. Also, although it doesn't look that hard, I don't fully understand what he's saying in the article. So if it's explained differently, or something, that would also be helpful.

[jannesiera]

It was a nice experiment, but I'm afraid that a tile based map with canvas would really be a pain. Because clickable areas are a pain...

So if anyone is curious for a map with canvas, I suggest you just go with a more 'standard' method.

[Fizzadar]

For my maps I just use a series of div's each a certain width and height, and float them alongside each other. The actual map is simply one background image, but could be easily made up of blocks, so you could have a "live" map editor, but photoshop does that anway...

[jannesiera]

Now I know a little bit more about image maps I know clickable areas are possible. You need to put a transparent image on top of the canvas element, and create an image map. That's it.

[raines80]

Clickable maps using tiles is time consuming, but can be accomplished.... my question on this is thus...


Is there a way to do a tile based map while having an indepent charcter that would react to the canvas (ie; mountains, holes, whatever....)?  The reason I ask is because I have developed a couple of maps for navigation within my game, but I would like to have my character on the map move to the nav points and not have him floating above the canvas....

[jannesiera]

Check out this: Game Development with JavaScript and the Canvas element

That may help to see the potential of the canvas element.

[jannesiera]

I have a new blogpost up over at BBGameDesign with a very basic game map script (but more advanced than the previous snippet). There's even a hand drawn programmer art tile set to go with it and an actual demo . Nothing difficult but it might help some newer programmers.

http://www.bbgamedesign.com/pbbg-community/basic-game-map

[raestlyn]

Sorry Janne, but it doesn't work for me in FF, in IE or in Chrome.

[jannesiera]

Sorry Janne, but it doesn't work for me in FF, in IE or in Chrome.

I needed to update a link somewhere, I'm sorry, but it works now .