[Tool] Creator Entrance - Playtest More Efficiently [Official Level Released!]

[VnGamer234]

What's this?
This is a new tool that will assist creators in play-testing their levels and getting around quicker in create mode.

What it does is it allows the creator spawn entrances and set which to spawn from. Simplified, it's a tool that let's you set your spawn point. It's nice for debugging logic in a level too. It features a simple UI that enables this to be done quickly and on-the-fly.

The idea of this came to me after the first LBP2 beta (before the game was released) after I decided that I wanted a better way to switch between where I started play mode from. It originally started out as using wireless logic (tags & tag sensors) and toggle switches (which is really all it is, except using the far better selectors... :P...and a lot more logic), but was inspired all the way back in LBP1 when I discovered that you spawn out of checkpoints if there were no entrances.

Feedback is appreciated!

The name itself and the addition of theming the entrances was inspired by Mnniska with a tutorial he wrote.

Where Do I Find It?
Here's the LBP.me link!


http://lbp.me/v/fr-hw4

The latest official version is v1.3.1.
The latest testing version is v1.4beta.

Any Pictures?
I have a video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nwIiOR42wUI

Well, and here's some pictures too.

How Much Thermometer...?
Here's a animation that shows all of the versions and approximate amount of thermo each takes up (in a blank level). The thermo increases a slight bit when the remote menu is emitted, which is normally deleted when not in use anyway.


Mininum Thermo
The Move versions take up more space due to Movinators, mostly. (Also, the Move version contains both - Controlinators too)

Beta Versions
There is a beta level that will contain the latest unreleased version of the Creator Entrance - a snapshot. You can play it and pick up the prize there if you want to help out and test.

So, if you want to beta test, you can access the level through my lockbox, by entering: 76291.
The latest testing version is v1.4beta.

Can I Help with the Next Version?
Feel free to send me some logic and I'll consider adding it if it's useful.

Future Plans?
The Creator Entrance system is still being added to; here's the main features that may possibly be added in the future:

[Mr_Fusion•]

This is a cool tip and something that nver occurred to me, I saw julesyjules dragging a check point around in create mode a few months back and realized how useful it is. Especially for long levels. It's great that you are sharing a quick setup of this as it is very useful!

[biorogue]

at first I was thinking that it was useless, well to me anyway. I usually delete the entrance and add another one where I want to begin testing. After watching the vid, I believe I'll try it out. being able to have several and turning them on or off, is an intriguing idea.

[VnGamer234]

This is a cool tip and something that. Ever occurred to me, I saw julesyjules dragging a check point around in create mode a few months back and realized how useful it is. Especially for long levels. It's great that you are sharing a quick setup of this as it is very useful!

Neat story, glad to see it may be useful after all!

at first I was thinking that it was useless, well to me anyway. I usually delete the entrance and add another one where I want to begin testing. After watching the vid, I believe I'll try it out. being able to have several and turning them on or off, is an intriguing idea.

Plopping down a new entrance & deleting the old one, does work (which I didn't think about actually). However I think it probably takes quite a bit longer, at least for me, to open the tools bag, place one, and delete the old one, then it is with my tool, which is a just a few button presses in a few seconds. It feels that way, at least.

But the major point of detail is allowing you to place multiple - several if needed - and cycling through them (as you mentioned). Of course this isn't actually added yet, but I can't imagine it being too hard, using selectors somehow. I'm just testing to see if it is useful in the first place.

[VnGamer234]

After quite a few hours of reworking the logic, the next updated version of the Creator Entrance is out!

Creator Entrance v1.1
Find the level through my lockbox. The code hasn't changed. (76291)

Here's a comparison of the amount of thermo 1.0 and 1.1 take up (about halved!).

Annnndd...what the logic looks like:
Before (1.0)
After (1.1)

Next version I should have a full level for it. Until then, I'd still like to hear what others have to say about it!

Changelog:
*Logic cleaned up & optimized.
*Updated stickers. (for microchips & the logos) Also removed unnecessary ones.
*Decreased the number of tag labels. (to only 2)
*Added On/Off button to Main Entrance Menu. (Similar to what's already included in the remote menu)

[VnGamer234]

Creator Entrance v1.2
Find the level through my lockbox. The code hasn't changed. (76291)

So yeah, I kind have been taking a break from LBP the past week or so. I had updated the Creator Entrance before I took the break though, only now am I updating the level to give it out. There's not much to say about this time around, only sticker panel. I may be giving this to the Creator Toolkit in the future if it doesn't get that much attention.

Again, if anyone has found this useful, feedback is appreciated.

Currently I'm working on a full gallery/tutorial level, and it's turning out OK. After I finish it I'll be working on some real levels. Here's some screenshots:

[VnGamer234]

Creator Entrance v1.3
The Creator Entrance Beta level is now public to everyone!

Wow.
Woooow. Okay, so I haven't updated this since the stone age!

I took a huge hiatus from LBP shortly after the last update to the Creator Entrance (Around the end of December) - until the end of April. Then, I kinda overdid it in create working on finishing up the next update for the Creator Entrance one day, got sick of it, and took another break for a month. Now...to make things worse (ha) I had the logic nearly completed around January (New Year's I think). (which wasn't actually the case, judging the amount of time it took before I got fed up of creating in April) At least I've taken it easy; not having fun don't play, right?

Now, to talk about the actual update; It's probably the biggest update and the most time I've spent on the Creator Entrance. Why? Since now there is support for cursors & Move Controllers. (I had to redo almost half of the logic - as well as adding more.)

So, hopefully you have a Move Controller. (Sports Champions is hella fun)

Here's the progression of the space taken up on the thermometer in a .gif, from the version 1.0 to 1.3.



It doesn't really deviate that much, except for the Move version. The Move version (1.3 Move, not pictured in the animation) uses a Movinator, which increases the complexity of the logic, so thermo is higher with it.

I need to note though, that the appropriate version only works with that controller at the moment. So: Creator Entrance v1.3 MOVE exclusively works for just the PS Move Controller -- It doesn't work with a regular controller. Cursors are only for Movinators, plus Movinators take up more thermometer space. Hybrid controls are something I'm planning, but like I said above, I was at wits end already.

This update would have been 2x bigger if I had finished the full gallery/tutorial level. That's the next thing to do. I went ahead and updated the Future Updates list on the first post, by the way.

I hope though, once it is finished and out there, it will change how side-scrolling levels are created...at least for someone.

ALSO, Now the level is now open to everyone, so now you don't have to go through the lockbox. Open beta!

[VnGamer234]

Well, it's taken a while to work on, but the full level is now published! There's a few new things that has changed. The most recent feature that was updated for the Creator Entrance was the Move Version. It now works if you have Dualshock too. Previously, it wouldn't let you do anything if you didn't have a move turned on.

Also, the first post of this topic has been updated too, including a new video.

Here's the LBP.me link! http://lbp.me/v/fr-hw4

Small update, mainly to clean up a few things:

[Spaceraoul28]

Awesome to see this on lbpc. Amazingly i also found this in the newest levels.

[shortcaque]

Very useful idea! Thanks!

[VnGamer234]

Awesome to see this on lbpc. Amazingly i also found this in the newest levels.

Neat, lucky find!

Very useful idea! Thanks!

Hope it helps!