The main task on today's agenda was the Meta Data panel, which I've been meaning to implement for some time. After careful thought (and a little discussion with my test pilots), it seemed logical to implement a flag-based system; each tile will have 16 flags associated with it, and the user can turn any of these flags on or off as required.
Obviously, it's possible that the average user might prefer more flags, but coupled with the ability to create additional collision layers and so forth, the Editor currently offers enough flexibility to cover all eventualities (in my opinion, of course!).
With precious little space left on the screen for extra buttons and suchlike, the only option was to overlay the Meta Data information over the bottom of the Tile panel. After knocking up a rough design in PhotoShop, I began the arduous task of creating panels and gadgets, and adding the various buttons and checkboxes.
Once in place, I tackled the control logistics to ensure that the Tile, Meta, and Mask panels could share the same code, but didn't conflict with one another. Then came the task of allowing the tiles to scroll slightly further on the Meta panel, as there's less on-screen space. After a couple of hours, the whole system - or at least, the framework - was in place, ready for the final code additions tomorrow.
