Object Exporter in Game Maker 8?
YoYo Games have been very quiet about the features that will be added to Game Maker 8. One addition that does appear to be on the way however is an Object Exporter.
To help members of the Game Maker Community Game collaborate on their project Rusky created a tool that “reads gm(k/6/d) files and exports objects from them”. Describing the functionality of the object exporter Rusky wrote:
“These external object files can then be loaded at run-time in Game Maker, using a set of scripts and a small dll that makes reading binary files easier. All information about an object is stored in the external file except for its name and non-code actions, including the sprite, mask, parent, depth, visibility, solidity, persistence, and all events. Links to other resources (sprite, parent, collision events, etc.) are stored by name rather than id, so that even when run-time loading all relationships remain. Multiple code actions are concatenated.”
- Rusky, GMC
In a reply to the topic, which has since been removed but can be seen below, GMC administrator Chronic stated that the object exportation tool would not be needed for Game Maker 8. Chronic previously stated on this blog that he had been in discussion with Mark Overmars about a new feature he was adding to Game Maker 8 (of course there is no way of knowing if the Object Exporter was the feature being discussed).
Thanks for the news tip (not credited should the user wish to remain anonymous).
wow thats amazing – this is exactly the reason i read this blog
ive been waiting to hear about gm8 features, and now my list has grown to a new sprite editor, runner in c++ and an object exporter. anybody else hsve some secret features to leak?
It would be nice if GM would be more collaboration friendly. Another question: GM8 will be written in C++ instead of Delphi, right?
Didn’t geargod make an object supporter a long long time ago?
@Joerdgs
Wrong, but the runner will. This means that the “interpreter” (loosely used here) that is attached to your game when you build it as an EXE to actually run the game will be C++. The actual GM interface will remain in delphi.
To answer your question, Object Exporter in Game Maker 8? The answer is no.
Maybe, instead of an exporter, there will be features that make collaboration easier.
@Miky
An exporter is the best single addition possible in the direction of making collaboration easier
Genius Game Maker’ advancements never let me down
Or maybe i posted in the wrong topic (the exporter) and my post was irrelevant anyways to the other topic anyway, so it was deleted. 1+1 doesn’t always equal 2, especially when assumptions are made.
Of course they want to keep them a secret, the reaction from people when they see the new features is likely to drive up sales. If everyone knew, there’d be no anticipation.
@Miky : not true. Collaboration features can include having an external file format by default (so a GM project is a folder instead of a single file), or instead collaboration can be enhanced with the ability to generate diff reports, merge updated gm files with others so that the changes made in both are honored, etc. So even if collaboration WILL be made easier, exporting objects isn’t necessarily the only way to do so.
Its all assumptions, and as Chronic said, it might end up being completely irrelevant. But I would place my bets on some major changes to GM’s file format. Either external storage, or something more “modern” (think OOXML and the like). I dream
It would be a lot more easy to make sequels (to your games) with an obj exporter.
Can’t wait
what is the date of departure from the gamemaker 8?
It would be awsome if this was in GM8. It would also make it easyier and faster to make ur games.
How would it? You can use merge to do the same thing.
I know that an exporter would make collaboration easier. I was suggesting maybe there would be a server for version control things in the next version. You don’t need an exporter to have collaboration.
Sure, merge can accomplish basically the same things, but it’s not nearly as convenient.
How can what Miky said be un-true? He said “maybe.” What he said was possible.
Also, the merge feature is really not that great. It doesn’t do any conflict resolution and it doesn’t let you selectively import resources.
“The actual GM interface will remain in delphi.” – Has that been confirmed, last I heard was they were considering rewriting it in C++ or C#?
“something more “modern” (think OOXML and the like)” – Good idea, having an open XML-based file format would make version checking software more viable, as opposed to using than the current encrypted format. However, I think it is likely that YYG will want to tie .gmk to Game Maker.
@queviltai
the greatest addition I can think of, would be
external loading, a program that reads gml, and converts it to c++
and then creates an exe out of the file
That way, Gm will be able to have a low system req. when your dealing with large amounts of resources, the games made will be playable on mac, AND the games will run at a very low system req, and will be able to run at perfect speeds
compatability for vista and xp for the new gm please?
I intend to change my os bcuz gm just cries while under the vista hammer….and xp is Faster
I think an object exporter in gm will be the key to making good games that can be sold commercially