Unleash the power of the hidden gem known as the spline, which is waiting to be utilized within the depths of your game creation arsenal. Level up your creations as you venture through awe-inspiring pitfalls, where the relentless urge to propel platforms and push your player to the edge of anticipation becomes your ultimate mission.
Accessing and Editing
Splines are a crucial element of the equation and are readily available in the Radial Menu. To use the Spline Distributor, simply activate it in the Gizmo while the object is actively selected, as illustrated in this article. When the object is selected, the context menu will appear at the bottom center of the screen. This allows you to enable snapping if you wish. In this example, we will draw out a bush in the Onboarding sample.
One of the advantages of the Spline Tool is that it works very well with touch input. You can draw splines wherever you like by swiping your finger across the screen. You can also edit splines easily by tapping on the indicators that appear on the spline points. You can add new points, delete points, or move points to change the shape of the spline. Here are some of the most interesting use cases for splines:
Platform Movement:
A big advantage of the Spline Tool is that it integrates nicely with the other tools and components in Sceneri. For example, you can use the Spline Movement Component to make an object follow a spline path. You can adjust the speed, direction, and looping options of the object in the Properties Panel. You can also use the Place Objects Component to place objects along a spline. You can choose an object from your library or import one from your device. You can then adjust the spacing, rotation, and scaling options of the objects in the Properties Panel.
Watch this video to learn how to create moving platforms with the Spline Tool. We will show you how to use the Spline Movement Component and how to make a platform travel across two islands in a simple level.
Sharing Splines:
Many times within a scene you will want to reuse a spline but only wish to have the movement be slightly different. In this use case we will showcase how we can have multiple platforms moving up and down using the same spline as their target. Initially when we connect the other platform to the spline we will notice that the movement is exactly the same and not as varied. For the real magic we will need to change the velocity of the movement of the platform on the spline to challenge the player to leap from varied platforms to reach the goal. Once jumping into the scene we can now see how tricky it is to time the leaps from one platform to another.
There are many other practical ways to use the splines in your game scenes. Here are some examples:
- Doors: Splines can be used to create opening and closing doors, entrances, or other interactive elements. For example, a door can slide open when the player approaches it and slide closed when they leave.
- Obstacles and Hazards: You can also use splines to move platforms into place or hazards out of the way. For example, a platform can move from one side of the screen to the other when the player presses a button or triggers a sensor.
- Endless Runners: With the spline movement component looping, splines can create endless platformers or obstacle avoidance courses. For example, a series of platforms can move along a spline loop, and the player can jump from one to another while avoiding enemies or obstacles.
As you can see, the splines are very versatile and can add a lot of fun and challenge to your game scenes. Try them out and see what you can create with them!
For a treasure trove of valuable insights and expert advice, be sure to explore our YouTube channel, where we delve deep into the intricacies and nuances of these tools and numerous others that will serve as guiding beacons on your boundless voyage of creativity!