I have recently begun game development, working mainly with C++ and SDL. After creating few simple clones, I want to work on something more complex. Something with a lot more physics than I am used to, and complex game objects.
So far, I have been using a basic tile editor I made in SDL to create binary maps, but now I want to work on something meatier. Something in which I can place objects and define their properties. 2D, of course, but with more utility than a simple tile editor.
I have been searching, but I haven’t really found any articles which are aimed at developing such utilities.
Where can I find information to help me develop this toolkit? And what should I use? I have been looking at Qt, but I’m not really sure. I would appreciate any help and possible guidance for this endeavor of mine.
(I know that excellent utilities do exist, but I want to develop one myself, and then hopefully integrate my basic physics engine into it. It may be re-inventing the wheel, but a very good learning opportunity.)
Tiled seems to answer most, if not all of your questions.
A good place to start is by looking at open-source projects, which tiled is.
You need to be more specific. What requirements do you have? Tiled seems to do most of what you say you need, and is written in Qt, so Qt is definitely up to the task. It’s also written in C++, which you are already familiar with.
I would recommend not reinventing the wheel, and using an existing, open-source map editor (like tiled) to do what you need. If there’s a feature you HAVE to have, you can always contribute or extend the editor.
Since you’re going into making a more complicated game, my recommendation is to first define your requirements. Once you’ve done that, write the game (not an engine).