The 2DIY script archive

Useful Keyboard Shortcuts

Here's a list of keyboard shortcuts that can be used within 2DIY (taken from the user guide):

Disabling the Timer

You disable the timer so that it doesn't appear in an activity by simplying dragging it up and out of the canvas.

  

Embedding 2DIY Games into PowerPoint

(These instructions are for PowerPoint 2003, however I presume that a similar process should work in new versions as well.)

1. Go to View > Toolbars and tick 'Control Toolbox'.

2. Click on the hammer and spanner icon to select that you would like to insert a 'Shockwave Flash Object'. Draw a box on your slide.

3. Right-click on the box you've just drawn and select the 'Properties' option.

4. Change - in this order exactly:

• EmbedMovie = True
• Movie = (file path describing the location of your 2DIY .swf file)
• Height = 480
• Width = 640

5. When you view your slideshow, your 2DIY activity should now play within it. This can be useful for creating levels activities which incorporate jigsaw/slider puzzles (which 2DIY won't let you do) and for creating interactive PowerPoint activities for children to do that use a 2DIY game to complement a drag and drop task.

Make Snow Fall

I was asked by a child in class whether they could make snow fall down during their game. Unfortunately they were creating a "catching" game and could not, but it did make me think, and here's a simple, but effective, trick for seasonal games you create using the "platform", "collecting" or "journey" options.

I choose to create snowfall in a platform game. You will have probably used the 'apple' elements to collect items (like presents), and avoid the monsters (maybe they were elves), but what about the 'sun' elements? You could use them with a transparent background to trigger a sound effect, but what about creating snowfall as well?

Begin by choosing a background design for your game - one that is quite dark so that it will show off the falling snow. Next, drag a 'sun' element onto the editing window, and place a small white (or off-white) circle in the middle of it. Create an animation effect to drop down the screen (using the green down arrow option), then return to the image, right click it and choose "duplicate" - this will turn all the 'sun' elements into snow flakes. Place them randomly around the screen.

Now add your platforms (in the example above, the platforms are pieces of tinsel!), 'apples' and 'monsters', as well as graphic for your main character (above, it's a Santa). Add any sound / animation effects then save and test. You should find you have snow falling down your game.

View the Snowfall example

Additional: After being directed to this 2DIY activity, it seems my great idea has already been thought of!

Colour Choice

Are you wanting to use a colour in an activity that is not shown on the left of the screen? No problem - just double click on the coloured tiles and a pop appears with many, many more colour options to choose from.