Adding a Background!🚀

Spice up your boss's visuals! While we offer a selection of ready-made backgrounds, you can now create your own custom backgrounds using multiple images and layering them for unique effects. This tutorial will guide you through the process.

Custom Backgrounds

In the main editor menu, choose "Custom" from the background dropdown. This activates the custom background editor, accessible via the "Custom" button. Remember, your custom creations will only be active when "Custom" is selected in the main menu.

The Custom Background Editor lets you combine multiple image files or URLs, layering them to build complex scenes. You can even use animated sprites you've created!

Adding a Background Layer

Think of each background as a layer. You can add multiple layers to create depth and interesting visual combinations. To add a new layer, click "Add" in the Custom Background Editor.

Basic Layer Parameters

Each background layer has these basic settings:

• Name: Give your layer a descriptive name (e.g., "Forest Layer," "Rain Effect"). This helps you organize your layers and can be used to control their visibility.
• Enabled: Check this box to make the background visible from the start.
• 🔄 Variable Condition: Control the layer's visibility using game variables. This lets you dynamically change backgrounds during gameplay (e.g., a background appears only after a certain event).
• Draw Layer (Z-Depth): This is crucial for layering! Lower numbers are drawn *behind* higher numbers. Experiment to get the desired depth effect. For example, a mountain background should have a lower draw layer than a foreground tree.

🔄 Variables

You want a background to only appear when phase 2 starts? Use a variable

• Set variable Name to "phase".
• Set variable Valueto "2"
• Set variable Comparator to "Greater than or equal".
• In your attacks, add a behavior that updates the variable "phase" by setting it to "2"

For more information go here

Background Types

There are several types of background you can create:

Existing Background

Choose a pre-made background and adjust its Draw Layer to position it within your custom background.

You can add multiple backgrounds at once to add them together into one, here is one example with asgore and rain

Custom Image

Use images you've uploaded in the "File" menu and marked as "Background." You can also use static sprite parts.

Parameters

• Custom Background: Select your image or sprite part.
• Stretch to fill screen: Stretches the image to cover the entire screen.
• Scale: Adjust the image size.
• X/Y Position: Position the image on the screen.

Stretched

Not stretched

Particle Emitter

Create cool particle effects! These are similar to the particle effects you can use in attacks.

⚠️Important: Particle emitters can impact performance, so use them sparingly.

Parameters

• Particle parameters: Customize the look and behavior of the particles.
• X/Y Position: The starting point for the particle emission.

Texture Shape

Create shapes (rectangles or circles) and fill them with textures. This is a more advanced technique, but it can create some really unique visuals.

Parameters

• Texture: Choose your image or sprite part.
• Tile Mode X/Y: How the texture is repeated within the shape (see below).
• Scale texture to shape X/Y: Stretches the texture to fit the shape.
• Texture Speed/Direction: Animate the texture within the shape.
• Shape: Choose between a circle or rectangle.
• Dimensions (Width/Height/Radius): Set the size of the shape.
• X/Y Position: Position the shape on the screen.

Tile Mode

Tile mode controls how the texture repeats within the shape:

• Repeat: The texture tiles seamlessly.
• Clamp: The texture is stretched to fill the shape.
• Mirrored: The texture tiles, mirroring each repetition.

Clamp Tip: Clamp can be tricky with movement, so experiment to see what works best.

Sprite Part

Use animated sprites as background elements! This is perfect for things like flickering torches, rotating gears, or other dynamic details.

Rotating shield

To use this you create a Sprite part from the main menu by using a sprite sheet, setting coordinates and then adding animations etc.

Experiment

Now that you know what you can create I recommend that you try things out and experiment!

Try combining images with a particle system