Getting Started

Hello Flockers,


This is a short introduction to the Flockers 'Meat Maker' and covers the basic UI and functions.

Welcome!

Welcome to the Meat Maker! This is what you will see when you first start up the Level Editor. To begin, select Project from the top of the Editor window and choose “New Level…”.



Enter any level name you like and then press Save. You will then be presented with the full list of Landscape Pieces and Objects that you can use in your level.

Press the Edit Mode button in the Editor window to see your level in the Game window and start adding pieces! Below is what you will see when you first view your level. By default, we add a Spawner, an Exit and a Golden Fleece to start you off.

While in Edit Mode, you can select and drag landscape and objects to re-position them and set up your level to be a as simple or complicated as you wish. Any time you want to try out your level to see if it is working the way you want it to, just press the Test Mode button in the Editor.


You can add new Landscape pieces by clicking on the thumbnail image of the piece you want in the Editor window. If you select the piece you placed in the Editor you can change its name, or X and Y coordinates using the Properties section at the bottom of the Editor window. Landscape pieces cannot be rotated, but Physics Objects can.

You can add Physics Objects such as Buzzsaws, Choppers, Platforms and Spikes from the Objects tab in the Editor window. This is also where you can add more Spawners and Exits, Sleeping Sheep, Ability Crates, and a whole selection of Joints, Anchors and Switches that you will need to set up the more complicated parts of your levels. Joints are used to make anything from moving platforms to cars to walking robotic sheep.


The final tab in the Editor, “Setup”, is where you set the number of sheep you need to save to finish a level, the Abilities and Formations that the player begins a level with and the scores that players need to get to earn 1, 2 and 3 stars.

Once you have finished your level, you need to complete it in Test Mode to prove that it can be finished before you are able to publish it. Once you have finished the level, select Steamworks and choose Publish.

You must provide a Preview image for the level and agree to the terms of the Steam subscriber agreement before you can publish, but once you have done that just hit OK and you’re all done! You will then be able to find your level in the Workshop on Steam, ready to play.

[76561198103597845]

Hey MrKat7214 ,


We've started uploading video tutorials for the Meat Maker!
The first two will familiarize you with the general layout of the UI and also get you going with your first level.
We should have more tutorials up at some point really soon. These will start covering things like join types, adjusting variables and creating contraptions.]
Stay tuned!


Thanks,
Team17

[Happy Pink Pony]

Still cannot wait for the next tutorial, esspecialy about joints (I can't recognize how they work in-game but the Rope Joint)

[76561198103597845]

Hey again Invisible ,


No problem at all. This comprehensive little guide was put together by another member of staff though, so I can't take all the credit.
The tutorial information that you're after is already planned. Hopefully, you should see a few more tutorial videos and demo levels appear for the workshop soon.
We will do a focus on joints, pObjects, motor states and triggers in the videos; all the tools you need to get things moving. For now, I'd recommend checking the help text as this usually gives a good insight into what does what.


Thanks,
Team17

[Invisible]

And thanks Ben for the tutorial :) If you have the time could you please make a little tutorial about how to make physic objects move? Like platforms, gears hanging objects and so on? I keep trying but seems i use wrong values or miss something.

[Invisible]

In the objects list click the little arrow infront of the categories (Landscape Pieces, Physics Objects, Anchors and so on). Then right click on the item name that you want to delete and choose "Delete Item".

[Happy Pink Pony]

Removing? Is there a way to remove objects?