VEditor

Video games are made out of multiple elements, and depending on the genre, these can count quite as many. One feature that is found in the majority of games are maps, with level designers putting a great deal of effort and imagination into building polished landscapes. Specially created for a more restrained side of the gaming industry, VEditor gives you the possibility to easily create maps and environments for your Game Maker projects.

You need to make sure you have all files you need before actually using the application. In other words, your project consists of multiple images representing materials, backgrounds and objects piled up in different layers and built under a format supported by Game Maker.

There aren't any image post-processing tools whatsoever. A map can be made out of at least one room, which are individually displayed and are selected through a corresponding menu entry. Creating one is easy and only requires you to specify size and additionally attach an image to be used as background.

A similar process needs to be put in motion when it comes to objects. They can be arranged in custom groups, with a few options to set origin, add alpha layer, as well as transparency. Placing is done with a few mouse clicks by selecting them from a list.

For more accuracy, you can customize the grid completely, or pick from one of the preset types, like standard, isometric or hexagonal. Moreover, a minimap can be brought up which also enhances navigation, with options to toggle visibility for background, objects and tiles.

There isn't much left to do other than save or export your project. In this regard, options enable you to generate a simple screenshot, or export under the MAP format for further processing. Sadly, all work needs to be done in the target application, with no implemented editors for boundaries or collision areas.

Bottom line is that VEditor isn't quite what we expected to find, especially since it refers to games. Although a pretty simple process is put at your disposal, the amount of tools you get to work with leaves a lot to be desired. Export is limited to a single file type, while technical editing options are missing entirely, making this app just a slightly different photo editor than a map maker.