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Introduction to the Core Editor

Creating a New Project

There are three options for starting a new project:

  • New Empty Project creates a project with just the blank default elements.
  • Core Game Frameworks include complete gameplay functionality to modify and customize.
  • Community Shared Games are games by Core Creators that have been shared for others to customize or change completely.

Editor Windows

The Core Editor is made up of different windows which can be resized and repositioned freely. All of the windows can be opened from the Window tab in the top menu bar. The Editor layout can be restored to its original form using the Reset View to Default option in the Window menu.

Main Viewport

The Main Viewport is the window into all visual aspects of a project. It will appear with the name of the project as the title on the Window.

Changing the View

  • Hold the right mouse button to change the direction the view is facing.
    • W, A, S, and D will move view position forward, left, right, and back.
  • Hold Alt and use the left mouse button to orbit around a selected object.
  • Use the scroll wheel to move the view closer or further away.
  • Hold the wheel button to slide the view left, right, up, or down.
  • Press F with an object selected to move the view to focus on that object.

Preview Mode

Preview Mode shows a project from a player perspective, allowing you to run through scenes and test features in person.

  • Play or = will start Preview Mode.
  • Tab will pause the preview.
  • Stop or = to stop the preview.

Multiplayer Preview Mode

Multiplayer Preview Mode can be used to test how your project behaves in a networked context, with more than one player.

  • Multiplayer Preview Mode to switch the Preview Mode to Multiplayer.
  • Use the dropdown menu to select the number of players to test.
  • Play will start the preview. This will open a separate game window for each player.
  • Stop will end the preview and close all windows

Tip

Multiplayer Preview Mode is always the most accurate way to see how your game will appear over a network. You should use it often to test how your game.

Hierarchy

The Hierarchy shows all the objects that are currently in the project. These objects can be reordered by dragging and dropping. Dragging an object on top of another will make it a child of that object.

Child objects are positioned relative to location in the scene of the parent object that they are nested under, and can access their parent object's properties in scripts.

Content

Core Content

The Core Content window contains all the art objects, sounds, textures, and game components that you need to build a game or scene. They can be found both through the different menu categories, as well as through the Search function.

Community Content

Templates made by other Core Creators to be shared in the community can be found in the Community Content tab.

Project Content

Objects and scripts that you create will be in this window, as well as those that you import from Community Content.

Manipulating Objects

The Toolbar contains the different options for manipulating objects.

  • Transform Position or W to Transform Position. It will show three arrows from the object's current position. Drag any of the arrows to move the object along that axis.
  • Snap Position or G to Snap Position. It will move the object in whole steps according to the selected size.
  • Rotate Tool or E to Transform Rotation. It will show three curves. Drag any of these to rotate the object along the direction of the curve.
  • Snap Rotation or G to Snap Rotation, rotating the object in the selected degree interval.
  • Scale Tool or R to Transform Scale. It will show three arms with cubes at the ends from the object's center. Drag any of the cubes to change the objects size along that dimension, or select the center cube to scale the entire object in proportion.
  • Snap Scale or G to Transform Scale. It will resize the object in whole units according to the selected size.

Note

All of the Snap tools appear in the same location, to the right of the Transform Tools. This icon will change appearance and function depending on which Transform Tool is selected, and can always be turned on with G.

Adding Scripts

Scripts allow you to program the behavior of different objects in the project. Core scripts are written in Lua using the Core Lua API.

  • Script will create a script that will appear in your Project Content.
  • Scripts can be dragged directly into the Hierarchy or onto objects that should be their parent.

Event Log

The Event Log is where output from scripts, including errors, can be found. It is not open by default, but can be opened through the Window menu.

Saving the Project

The Core Editor will automatically save your work periodically, but this can also be done manually through File > Save or Ctrl+S.

Learn More

Your First Game | Core Editor Keyboard Shortcuts


Last update: September 17, 2021