PACE - Point & Click Adventure Creator Editor

PACE is a visual editor for creating point-and-click adventure games using the PointClickEngine. It provides an intuitive interface for designing scenes, characters, hotspots, and dialog trees without requiring extensive programming knowledge.

Features

🎨 Visual Scene Editor

• Drag-and-drop scene creation
• Background image support
• Real-time preview
• Multi-layer object management
• Grid snapping and alignment tools

👥 Character Management

• Character sprite management
• Animation timeline editor
• Character positioning and scaling
• Interactive character placement

🎯 Hotspot System

• Visual hotspot creation and editing
• Multiple interaction types (look, use, talk, etc.)
• Custom action scripting
• Hotspot visualization and debugging

💬 Dialog Tree Editor

• Visual dialog tree creation
• Branching conversation support
• Conditional dialog options
• Character expression management

📁 Asset Management

• Centralized asset browser
• Import/export functionality
• Asset categorization
• Preview support for images and sounds

🏗️ Project Management

• Complete project structure
• Version control integration
• Export to playable games
• Cross-platform compilation

System Requirements

• Operating System: Windows 10+, macOS 10.15+, or Linux
• Crystal: Version 1.16.3 or higher
• Memory: 4GB RAM minimum, 8GB recommended
• Graphics: OpenGL 3.3 compatible graphics card
• Storage: 500MB free space for installation

Installation

From Source

1. Install Dependencies:

   # Ubuntu/Debian
   sudo apt-get install libasound2-dev mesa-common-dev libx11-dev libxrandr-dev libxi-dev xorg-dev libgl1-mesa-dev libglu1-mesa-dev build-essential libluajit-5.1-dev pkg-config git cmake
   
   # macOS
   brew install raylib luajit pkg-config
   

2. Clone and Build:

   git clone https://github.com/yourusername/pace_editor.git
   cd pace_editor
   shards install
   crystal build src/pace_editor.cr --release
   

3. Run PACE:

   ./pace_editor
   

For detailed installation instructions, see Installation Guide.

Quick Start

1. Create Your First Project:

   pace_editor new my_first_game
   cd my_first_game
   pace_editor
   

2. Follow the Tutorial:

   • Complete the Getting Started Guide
   • Try the Beginner Tutorial

3. Explore Examples:

   • Browse Example Projects
   • Use project templates for quick setup

Documentation

📖 User Guides

• Installation Guide - Complete setup instructions
• Getting Started - Your first adventure game
• User Interface Guide - Complete UI reference

🎓 Tutorials

• Beginner Tutorial - "The Mysterious Library"
• Advanced Tutorial - "The Detective's Case"

🔧 API Reference

• Core API - Project and editor state management
• Editors API - Scene, character, and dialog editors
• UI Components - Interface components and widgets

📁 Examples

• Sample Projects - Complete example games
• Templates - Project templates to get started

Editor Modes

PACE operates in several distinct modes, each optimized for different aspects of game creation:

• Scene Mode - Design game scenes with backgrounds, objects, and layouts
• Character Mode - Create and animate characters with sprite management
• Hotspot Mode - Define interactive areas and behaviors
• Dialog Mode - Create branching conversations and character interactions
• Assets Mode - Manage project resources and imports
• Project Mode - Configure game settings and export options

Keyboard Shortcuts

General

• Ctrl+N - New project
• Ctrl+O - Open project
• Ctrl+S - Save project
• Ctrl+Z - Undo
• Ctrl+Y - Redo

Tools

• V - Select tool
• M - Move tool
• P - Place tool
• D - Delete tool

View

• G - Toggle grid
• H - Toggle hotspot visibility
• Space+Mouse - Pan camera
• Mouse Wheel - Zoom in/out

Development

Building from Source

1. Prerequisites:

   • Crystal 1.16.3+
   • Raylib dependencies
   • LuaJIT development libraries

2. Development Setup:

   git clone https://github.com/yourusername/pace_editor.git
   cd pace_editor
   shards install
   

3. Run Development Version:

   crystal run src/pace_editor.cr
   

4. Run Tests:

   crystal spec
   

Project Structure

pace_editor/
├── src/                    # Source code
│   ├── pace_editor/        # Editor modules
│   │   ├── core/          # Core functionality
│   │   ├── editors/       # Editor components
│   │   └── ui/            # User interface
│   └── pace_editor.cr     # Main entry point
├── spec/                   # Test files
├── documentation/          # Complete documentation
├── lib/                    # Dependencies
└── shard.yml              # Project configuration

Contributing

We welcome contributions to PACE! Here's how to get started:

1. Fork the Repository

   git clone https://github.com/your-fork/pace_editor.git
   

2. Create a Feature Branch

   git checkout -b my-new-feature
   

3. Make Your Changes

   • Follow Crystal coding conventions
   • Add tests for new functionality
   • Update documentation as needed

4. Submit a Pull Request

   git commit -am 'Add some feature'
   git push origin my-new-feature
   

Development Guidelines

• Code Style: Follow Crystal conventions
• Testing: Add specs for new features
• Documentation: Update relevant docs
• Commits: Use clear, descriptive commit messages

License

PACE is released under the MIT License. See LICENSE for details.

Support

• Documentation: Complete guides in documentation/
• Issues: Report bugs on GitHub Issues
• Community: Join our Discord server for real-time help
• Email: Contact support@pace-editor.com

Contributors

• Remy Marronnier - creator and maintainer

Acknowledgments

• Built with Crystal
• Graphics powered by Raylib
• Scripting support via LuaJIT
• Based on the PointClickEngine