Program Info:
| Name: | Game Maker | | Version: | 8.1 | | Author: | Mark Overmars | | Lisence: | Lite | | OS: |  | | Updated: | Apr-26-2011 | | Homepage: | YoYo Games |
Game Maker an easy-to-use game creation tool.
Game Maker is one of the most popular game making software. It allows you to make any kind of games and programs with only limitation of your imagination and the speed of the end-user's computer.
Creating games is possible by using simple Drag & Drop blocks or alternatively using GML scripting language to create any kind of games and programs.
Download the Software:  Change log :
What is New in 8.0
Tutorial
Game Maker now has a standard built-in tutorial for beginners. It is shown in a panel at the right of the screen. Experienced users can indicate that they do not want to see the tutorial anymore. To accommodate for the tutorial panel, Game Maker is now default started in full screen mode. It does however remember its settings so changing it once to windowed mode will from that moment on start it in that mode.
Alpha-blended backgrounds and sprites
The new version Game Maker uses backgrounds and sprites with alpha (transparency) channels. This makes it possible to create and use much nicer sprites. PNG files with such information are now correctly loaded. The sprite and image editor have been completely rewritten, including many new drawing options and effects. A new sprite file selector was added that shows the animations in the sprites. Also we bundle a large number of high-quality sprites with Game Maker that you can use for free in your games.
Enhanced collision checking
You now have more collision checking options. For example, you can indicate that collisions should be with an enclosed disk and you have better control over the bounding box. The sub-image of the sprite can have a combined mask and you can set the dependence on the alpha transparency value.
Splash screens
A new function splash_show_web(url,delay) has been added that can be used to show web pages as splash screens. You can also use local html pages for this. This allows for a powerful mechanism to e.g. create help pages. A close button is added to the splash screens. Also a number of new actions have been added to show the different types of splash pages and to change splash settings. (The old
Show Video and Webpage actions have been removes as the new actions include them. They will though still work in old games.)
Trigger events
A new type of event has been introduced: Trigger events. Trigger events you can specify yourself. You give them a name and a condition, written in GML. After this they can be used in all objects, just like other events. With this you can easily extend the functionality of Game Maker.
Time lines
The timelines have been extended. The property form has additional buttons to e.g. spread out the moments and to delete or duplicate ranges of moments. Timelines can now be paused and restarted and they can even be played backwards. Also they can now loop automatically.
Importing and exporting resources
The possibility to merge games has been replaced by a much more extensive system to import and export resources. The user can indicate which resources to export to a file (.gmres). Next they can be imported in a different game. In principle only one resource can exist for each name. When there is a name conflict when importing the use can specify to keep the original, replace anyway, take the one that is most recently changed, or keep both (not recommended). To be able to do the third option, all resources now keep track of when they were last changed.
Rewritten script and code editor
The built-in script/code editor has been completely rewritten, making it a lot easier to write code. For example there is pop-up function name completion, argument help, matching brackets, improved color coding, line numbers, on-the-fly error checking, code snippets, and a sophisticated find and replace functionality.
Speed improvements
The speed of games that use code has been considerably improved. A speed-up of up to 100% is sometimes possible. Also the loading time for games is often considerably improved. Also when running a stand-alone game.
Other changes
There are a number of other changes and additions. Here are some of the important ones.
* You can now use high quality icons for your games.
* Constants can now be defined in their own form (rather than through the Global Game Settings). As a result they can remain visible while you are e.g. writing scripts. You can also load and save the constants to text files.
* Also included files are no longer shown in the Global Game Settings but in their own form.
* Many small visual improvements
* Added function random_range(x1,x2), irandom(x), and irandom_range(x1,x2). The latter do give integer results and can include x or x2.
* Added functions mouse_wheel_up and mouse_wheel_down.
* Added a function set_application_title(title) to set the title of the application (which is shown in the taskbar).
* Added function file_text_eoln().
* Added read-only variabe debug_mode.
* There is now a game setting to disallow screensavers or powersaving options (sleep, hybernate) while the game is running (default disallowed).
* Added functions disk_size(drive) and disk_free(drive) and a variable gamemaker_version.
* Runtime error messages better indicate the position of the error
* You can now change to location of the temporary files, see the page on Preferences.
* ......
Game Maker 7.0
* Publish Button
* An "Publish"-button has been added to the toolbar, that will allow an user to send their games to the YoYo Games server (This service has not been launched yet).
Splash Screens
* The splash screen mechanism has been considerably enhanced. Splash screens, like videos and images are now shown by default in the main game window. There are also many new options, e.g. to change the scaling.
Game Information
* The Game Information is now shown by default in the game window and can be closed with the close button.
Room Transitions
* The room transition mechanism has been changed and extended, giving the user more control over the transitions and adding many new transitions, like fade-ins, pushing the images, blending room images, rotations, etc. An extension package with additional room transitions is provided.
Data Structures
* A number of additional functions have been provided to deal with data structures. For example, data structures can now be copied, there are functions to write data structures to a string and read them back. This string can then used to e.g. save the data structure to a file.
Including files
* The mechanism to include files in the executables has been considerably extended. For each file it can now be indicated under what filename it must be stored and where it must be stored. There is a choice now whether or not to include the files in the editable version of the game. Also there are functions to export the files at a different moment than the start of the game.
Alpha Channel Support
* Adding sprites and backgrounds with alpha channels. There are now functions (such as sprite_add_alpha sprite_replace_alpha) to add or replace a sprite from a file that has alpha channels (such as .png files) to get neater transparency effects. Similar functions exist for backgrounds.
File format
* Version 7.0 uses an adapted file format. As a result file names now have the extension .gmk. The new version can though still read .gm6 files created with the previous version and it is fully compatible with such files.
New registration mechanism
* Game Maker 7 uses a new registration mechanism. The free and registered version are now called the Lite Edition and the Pro Edition. There is an improved online purchase process that immediately upgrades the program after the payment is made.
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