Creating and Modifying a Tile Set

Topics Covered This section will familiarize you with the options available for creating and modifying a Tile Set.

Tile Set

New
You can create a new Tile Set by selecting in the Tools menu the option Create Tile set. After you select this option, a dialog will appear with three tabs that represent the different options for a Tile Set.

Existing
You may modify an existing Tile Set by selecting in the Tools menu the option Modify Tile Set. After you select this option, a file dialog will appear so that you may locate the Tile Set you wish to modify. After you click open, a new dialog will appear with three tabs that represent the different options for a Tile Set.


Basic Options Tab

Name
This is the identifier of the set.

Instructions
These are the instructions that appear in a message box when the set is loaded.

Tile Size
This is the width and height of the image files that will be used as the tiles for the set. The values used by the application for both width and height are in pixels. Furthermore, the measurements must be divisible by 20 and no width or height is allowed below 40. An example of this is an image with a width of 100 pixels and a height of 100 pixels.

Grid Size
The number of tiles that can fit side by side from left to right and from top to bottom on the Grid.


Advance Options Tab

Allow Blank Tiles
This determines if the Tile Set allows the user to add blank tiles to their arrangement.

Feedback Types
For blank tiles added, you may indicate what feedback you want from the user. The types of feedback included a name and a description.

Number of Tiles
Indicates if the Tile set limits how many blank tiles can be added

Allow Unused Tiles
This determines if the Tile Set allows the user to leave out any tile from their arrangement in the Tile Bin.

Feedback Type
For any tile left out, you may indicate if you require a reason for the tile being left out.

Number of Tiles
Indicates if the Tile Set limits how many tiles can be left out in the Tile Bin

Arrangement Options
These are miscellaneous options for customizing the use of a Tile Set.

Require Overall Comments
Indicates if the Tile Set requires comments from the user on their overall Tile Arrangement

Print
Indicates if the user can print their Tile Arrangement and comments

Randomly Remove Tiles
Indicates if a certain number of tiles will be randomly removed from the Tile Set when it is used


Tiles Tab

Tile Listing
A listing of all the tiles that are currently a part of the set

Add Tile Button
Adds image files to the tile listing by using a file dialog

Remove Tile Button
Removes all the selected tiles from the listing

View Tile Button
Displays the image that represents the selected tile

Set As Blank
Sets the selected tile to represent the blank tile that a user will add to their arrangement. This will be grayed out if the allow blank tiles option is not used.

Blank Tile Selection
Displays the currently selected blank tile. Also, it is an alternate method to select the blank tile. However, this will be grayed out if the allow blank tiles option is not used.

Using Blank Tiles
There are some important things to remember when having blank tiles in a Tile Set.

  1. For the image that is used to represent the blank tile, remember to provide sufficient space for the addition of a name to the blank tile for when the user is using it. These names are drawn on during the addition of a blank tile, so there may instances where the text that is drawn on it will overlap with a blank tile's image.
  2. You may wish to add text onto the image that represents the blank tile so that the user knows that double clicking on a blank tile will allow them to view its information.