I made another example video for Grid Framework, this time for the recently introduced text parsing example. Now building new levels is as easy as writing a few lines of plain text and you get perfect clockwork-like precision. This opens up new possibilities for faster development, easier maintenance, easier level editors and support for user-made content. Just take a look at how simple, yet effective it is:
I've written two new examples, one that takes a plain text file and parses it to create a breakout-style level based on a grid without changing the scene, the other is a continuation of my grid-based movement example where I can place obstacles on the grid and the sphere will not step on those squares (without using any physics like collision and raycasts). Sadly I can't update Grid Framework because I can't log into my account via Package Manager. My account still works, I can log into the forums and my Publisher Administration, so the problem must lie within the editor. I've submitted a bug report, but until then I cannot publish updates. If you are interested in one of those two examples please contact me over the Unity forums and I'll send you the examples, provided that you already own Grid Framework. On a related note, it appears that Grid Framework's product page in the Asset Store doesn't have any screenshots. I did submit screenshots, but they don't appear for me, I don't know if other people can't see them either.
I've decided to go with one HexGrid class and provide enough options. To do this I will need to swap around variables so I can use the same formulae for different cases. I could write the swapping part where it is needed, but then I'd be writing the same thing several times (which is a bad thing to do). Wouldn't it be better if there was some sort of swapping function? Could that function work for any type of variable? Could it work without needing to reassign variables again? Yes to all of that:
Well, it's pretty much done, you can now get a set of Vector3 points for use with Vectrosity from just one line of code. I played a bit with Vectrosity to make an example scene and this is what it looks like:
I just submitted version 1.1.1 (update: has been approved) which lets you set the width of the rendered line in the inspector. Here is an example, obviously it's over the top, but you can set the width to anything you like.
Another video tutorial, showing how to use grid-based game logic in a puzzle game. This is the tutorial for the lights-out game I mentioned before and which has been included with the package.
Well, I just sent my second submission. There are three examples included, one showcasing grid-based movement, one showcasing how to place objects on a grid during gameplay and the lights-out game mentioned below. I also made tutorial videos for the first two, showcasing how you can accomplish these tasks in a simple manner on your own:
I have been contacted by an Asset Store admin, who recommends me to include a demo scene so users could see an end setup. I thought dragging a script onto an object is pretty straight-forward, but I agree, a demo scene would be a really good idea. The tricky party is coming up with good ideas; don't get me wrong, I have plenty of ideas for actual gameplay examples, but for a demo scene I need something more basic and at the same time more catchy. I already made a little sphere that randomly roams a grid face by face, stays within limits and immediately adapts to changes in the grid, all with just 32 lines of code total (not counting whitespaces and comments). I'll come up with two or three more nice demos, that should give a good impression of Grid Framework in action.
Well, it's almost done. Again. Turns out that making an asset is only half the job, you still need to hammer out any ugly dents, polish the thing and then change your job to become a graphic designer, a video commentator, a writer and a salesman! What good is the best asset if you present it in such a way that makes people not even want to take a look? I'm not claiming that I'm an expert in any of those fields, but I believe I did a pretty good job (well, maybe my voice work for the video could use some improvements). In a way I'm glad the old "images" I had prepared for the first version are now lost forever, that was something to turn people away forever. You cannot imagine how awful those looked.
Here is a nice little puzzle game made using the grid framework. When you click a square that square and the four adjacent squares flip their color. Your task is to turn them all off.