GDevelop Code FAQ

GDevelop 5 beginner faq

#1 How can I deactivate keys or buttons?

We add a boolean-scene-variable and call it busy.
When we die, open a menu, etc. we can set the veribale to true.

If we add a condition to our control events now, the buttons are only executed if our variable is false.

#2 How can I save and load things?

In order to save high scores, unlocked levels, etc. locally, we need the storage actions.
The action "Write a value" saves the content of a variable.

After starting the game, we load the saved content into a scene-varibale.

If we need the value in several scenes, we write it from the scene-varibale to a global-varibale.

#3 How do I create a toggle button?

To create a toggle button or key, we need an additional boolean varibale.

So the second sub-event is not triggered if the first has been executed.

#4 How do I switch between scenes with buttons?

First we create a Sprite Object named sceneButtons and choose our button graphics as two animations.

Now we drag the button twice into our scene and change the Animation in the Properties Manager

to 1 for one of them.

We create a global variable with the name currentScene and the default value 1.

Then an mouse click event for our button and two sub-events with the object-variable

button, to check which button was pressed.

The action adds or subtracts a number for the scene name.

The second condition deactivates the button when we have reached the first or last scene.

Now we give our buttons variable the value left / right in the Properties Manager.

To change the scene, we add a third sub-event. We fill the scene-variable newScene with the name

we want to change to and use it in the Change the scene action.

With these two events we can hide one button when we are in the first or last scene.

External events

To avoid having to copy the code into each scene, we use an external event sheet.

We move the code from scene1 to the external sheet and add a link to it in scene1.

(Right Click » Add Other » Link)

External layout

We make our button available in every scene. (Right Click » Set as a global object)

Now we create an external layout, place our buttons in it and include this action in our

external events sheet at the beginning.

#5 How do I move an object from left to right?

We create a sprite object with the name directionChanger with the object-variable direction and add the

object twice to the scene.

Now we create a colision event with a toggle-boolean-scene-variable action and two events to

move our object.

#6 How do I detect the time during the game was closed?

Events are not executed when the game is not active, so we have to save and load the last time it was

open. Because users could close the game without using our exit button, we save the current time every

20 seconds.

When the game starts we check if a time has already been saved.

1. Read timeOld from the storage and and save it in the scene-variable timeOld.

2. Subtract timeOld from the current time and save it in timeOffline.

3. If we divide by 1000 and use round, we get the time that the app was closed in seconds.

4. We save the current time in storage.

#7 How do I notify desktop users about a game update?

We need a web space to save an availableVersion.txt with the latest version number.

Alternatively firebase Remote configuration or Firestore can be used.

After starting the game we define the current version number and load the latest one from our .txt

on the server.

We check if the available number is higher than the installed one and create a notification text and

download button. We don't use it as a sub-event because there is a little delay at loading from the server.

When the user clicks on the download button, the download is started or a download page is opened

in the browser.

my gdevelop games

my gdevelop extensions

IFrame

Offers an action to create, configure

and delete IFrames inside the game.

now available in the integrated extensions

Comments

Allows to add comments between

conditions/actions. Screenshot

New features

Read and generate QR codes

HTML5 export optionally packed as archive Screenshot

Calculate values in instance properties fields Screenshot

Use an own file extension for the project file instead of json

Use atlas-maps / sprite-sheets to significantly increase the loading speed of web games github link

Add WebUSB API to control an Arduino and build arcade machines, escape rooms, etc.

Add a folder tree to Object Manager [173]

Improvements

Add an "Inline" Object Effect

Add an option to set a default scene background color in Preferences

Add an empty animation to new created Sprite objects

Add an optional Z-order field in the Create an object action Screenshot

Add options for text-align, padding, border-radius, maxlength, autofocus to the Text input Object

Remove the "Cursor is on an object" condition for the Text input Object. doesn't work bc the outside rendering

Make the height of expression dropdown menu responsive, it is too low and scrolling skips entries Screenshot

Add possibly Tint color conditions for several object types

Add an action to delete a Collection from Cloud Firestore (if possible)

Show the Callback variable in the event-sheet for Create Acc and Sign in actions

Set Cloud firestore Write a field "Merge Document?" default YES

Reopen a scene after it was open and renamed

Add Flip horizontally/vertically in the instance properties

Remember the Behavior expanded/non-expanded status [173]

Add width/height/size action for the Text input Object

Static Add-object button like the search bar, so you don't have to scroll to find it [158]

Allow to on/off toggle the Panels (Object Groups, Layers, Instances list) [158]

Change the color of the minimized arrow in the event sheet, on dark themes. [140]

Allow to sort variables in the variable managers [133]

Add an "size" action for Sprite and Tiled Sprite that combines height and width in one action [129]

Add "NumpadReturn" to Key pressed/released condition

Add the colorpicker button to the color tweening action [118] Screenshot

Remember the sidebars width or use the minimum as default [93]

3D navigation in the editor

Opacity

3D Text Object

Pointlights, Spotlights,..

Rename RotationYX actions/conditions to Angle, to match with the 2D/Z axis ones

hide/show doesn't work

Animation Speed

gd.games (Liluo)

Custom game window size

Option to not offer the fullscreen button

Option to set the order of the games

Allow scrolling in the game without scrolling the website (as it was made for arrows)

Pressing ALT key without triggering the browser shortcut when the game is active (as it was made for the space key)

Allow to change the background color that is visible when the game does not have the specified resolution/ratio.

It looks much better if it's not black but dark blue like everything else.

Bug fixes

Opening a second instance of GD, starts with default preferences, theme, language, ...

Edit a condition/action and select another object, the search searches for the previous object type

Opening a project starts in the last used asset folder path

When a variable is edited in the Properties panel for the first time, the text field loses focus after the first character

Adding a asset starts in the last opened project root directory

Since b111 created object-variables are not available in the dropdown menu [133]

Empty Animation field in the properties manager shows 6.71089e+07 instead of 0 Screenshot[127]

Created global & scene variables are not available in the dropdown before closing and reopening the action [106]

The mousewheel zoom in hitboxes and points, zooms in the wrong direction [102]

It drag and drops the wrong object into the scene if you use the search [76]

The game preview does not have 100% resolution/zoom [65]

Bad changes (Most of it can be easily fixed with adding a switch in Preferences)

Automatically open a not desired scene when a project is opened [139]

Highlight search results when searching for a condition/action [128]

It's absolutely unnecessary. It focuses on the word we typed, but that's not what we want to read in this case! In a few themes the contrast becomes very bad.

All categories in the project-manager are always open when a project is opened.

Save the collapsing status in the project or only open "Scenes". [152]

The Add buttons in project-manager are much more visible than category names, which is confusing. [152]

The Publish Button in the middle is far too visible that it is very rarely needed.

It should be a small button next to the project-manager button. There should be a “Launch another preview in a new window” button. [152]

The font size in object and varibale manager has been reduced and is bad readable. [158]

Last update: 26. February 2024