Doodad Program#

The game ships with a command-line program called doodad which assists in creating and managing custom doodads and levels.

The doodad tool can show and set details on .doodad and .level files used by the game, create new doodads from PNG images and attach custom JavaScript source to program behavior of doodads.

Where to Find It#

The doodad tool should be in the same place as the game executable.

On Windows, the program is called doodad.exe and comes in the zip file next to the game executable, doodle.exe.

On Linux, it will typically be at /opt/sketchymaze/doodad if you installed the game from a .rpm or .deb package, or else for Flatpak it's included within the app bundle and invoked like so:

$ flatpak run com.sketchymaze.Doodle doodad --help

On Mac OS, it is found inside the .app bundle; right-click the 'Sketchy Maze.app' to find the option to browse inside the .app bundle.

Usage#

Run doodad --help to get usage information.

The program includes several sub-commands, such as doodad convert. Type a subcommand and --help to get help on that command, for example:

doodad convert --help

Examples#

Here are some common scenarios and use cases for the doodad tool.

Show Level or Doodad Information#

Shows metadata and details about a level or doodad file.

# Usage:
doodad show [doodad or level filename]

Examples:

### About a doodad file
$ doodad show button.doodad
===== Doodad: button.doodad =====
Headers:
  File version: 1
  Game version: 0.7.0
  Doodad title: Button
        Author: Noah
        Locked: true
        Hidden: false
   Script size: 922 bytes

Palette:
  - Swatch name: Color<#000000+ff>
    Attributes:  solid
    Color:       #000000
  - Swatch name: Color<#666666+ff>
    Attributes:  none
    Color:       #666666
  - Swatch name: Color<#999999+ff>
    Attributes:  fire
    Color:       #999999

Layer 0: button1
Chunks:
  Pixels Per Chunk: 37^2
  Number Generated: 1
  Coordinate Range: (0,0) ... (36,36)
  World Dimensions: 36x36
  Use -chunks or -verbose to serialize Chunks

Layer 1: button2
Chunks:
  Pixels Per Chunk: 37^2
  Number Generated: 1
  Coordinate Range: (0,0) ... (36,36)
  World Dimensions: 36x36
  Use -chunks or -verbose to serialize Chunks

### About a level file
$ doodad show 'Tutorial 2.level'
===== Level: Tutorial 2.level =====
Headers:
  File version: 1
  Game version: 0.7.0
   Level title: Lesson 2: Keys & Doors
        Author: Noah P
      Password: 
        Locked: false

Palette:
  - Swatch name: rock
    Attributes:  solid
    Color:       #996600
  - Swatch name: grass
    Attributes:  solid
    Color:       #00ff00
  - Swatch name: stone
    Attributes:  solid
    Color:       #888888
  - Swatch name: water
    Attributes:  water
    Color:       #0099ff
  - Swatch name: spikes
    Attributes:  fire
    Color:       #ff0000
  - Swatch name: hot lava
    Attributes:  fire
    Color:       #ff3300

Level Settings:
  Page type: Bounded
   Max size: 2550x3300
  Wallpaper: legal.png

Attached Files:
  None

Actors:
  Level contains 35 actors
  Use -actors or -verbose to serialize Actors

Chunks:
  Pixels Per Chunk: 128^2
  Number Generated: 206
  Coordinate Range: (-128,0) ... (2559,3327)
  World Dimensions: 2687x3327
  Use -chunks or -verbose to serialize Chunks

Attach and Export Doodad Scripts#

Doodads are programmed in JavaScript and the script can be attached and read using the doodad program.

Usage:

# Set the doodad script from filename.js
doodad install-script filename.js custom.doodad

# View the script from a doodad file
doodad show --script custom.doodad

Example:

$ doodad show --script key-blue.doodad
// key-blue.doodad.js
function main() {
    var color = Self.GetTag("color");
    var quantity = color === "small" ? 1 : 0;

    Events.OnCollide(function(e) {
        if (e.Settled) {
            Sound.Play("item-get.wav")
            e.Actor.AddItem(Self.Filename, quantity);
            Self.Destroy();
        }
    })
}

Edit Level or Doodad Properties#

The doodad edit-level and doodad edit-doodad commands can set certain properties on these types of drawings.

Example:

$ doodad edit-level --title "My First Level" example.level

Available properties that can be modified are as follows:

  • edit-doodad
    • --title value: set the doodad's title (display name).
    • --author value: set the author's name (default is your OS username).
    • --tag value, -t value: set a custom tag (key=value format) on your doodad.
    • --hide, --unhide: edit the Hidden attribute on a doodad. Hidden doodads don't appear in the Doodad Dropper window of the level editor.
    • --lock, --unlock: edit the Locked attribute on a doodad. Locked doodads can not be opened for editing in-game.
  • edit-level
    • --title value: set the level's title.
    • --author value: set the author's name (default is your OS username).
    • --password value: set the password for the level (not currently used).
    • --type value: set the page type, one of: Bounded, Unbounded, NoNegativeSpace, Bordered.
      • Note: Bordered is not yet implemented, and behaves the same as Bounded.
    • --max-size WxH: set the page size for Bounded levels, like 2550x3300.
    • --wallpaper name.png: set the wallpaper image filename.
    • --lock, --unlock: edit the Locked attribute on a level. Locked levels can not be opened for editing in-game.

Convert To/From Images#

The doodad convert command can turn PNG or BMP images into doodads or level files, and vice versa!

# Usage:
doodad convert [options] <input files.png> <output file.doodad>

Only PNG or bitmap images are supported.

Creating a Doodad from PNG images#

Suppose you have PNG images named "frame0.png" through "frame3.png" and want to create a doodad from those images. This will convert them to the doodad file "custom.doodad":

# Convert PNG images into a doodad.
doodad convert frame0.png frame1.png frame2.png frame3.png custom.doodad

# The same, but also attach custom tags with the doodad.
# The doodad script can check its tags and you can have one
# common script for multiple variations of a doodad, e.g.,
# all four of the built-in Colored Locked Doors share a script.
doodad convert --tag color=blue frame{0,1,2,3}.png custom.doodad

# Convert the doodad back into an image.
# NOTE: only the 1st frame (frame0) can be exported, currently.
doodad convert custom.doodad frame0.png

The order of the given PNG images will be the order of the doodad layers created; the first image will be Layer 0, the second Layer 1, and so on. The names of the image files will be the names of those layers, minus the .png or .bmp file extension.

Creating a Level from a PNG image#

A level file can be created from a PNG image:

# Usage:
doodad convert [options] input.png output.level

# Set which color is 'transparent' (to show the level wallpaper behind)
doodad convert --key '#ffffff' input.png output.level

Some considerations about this feature:

  • The Palette will be created from each distinct color value found in the original PNG image. The names of each color will be named after their hex color value, and no attributes are applied by default. You will need to edit the level palette to mark colors as solid, fire, water, etc.
  • The --key option (default #ffffff, white) sets the background color; pixels of this color in the input PNG will be 'transparent' in the level data, showing the wallpaper image behind.

Convert a level to a PNG image#

You can also convert a .level file into a PNG (or bitmap) image, creating a sort of "large screenshot" encompassing the entire level geometry.

# Usage:
doodad convert my.level output.png

Some considerations about this feature:

  • Doodads are not included in the output image; only the level geometry itself is.
  • Brush Patterns are not applied in the output image; each color swatch in your level will represent as solid pixel colors in the output image.

The image created by this command could be fed back in to re-create the level from that image, albeit with lots of information lost in the process, such as the names and properties of Palette swatches and all the doodad placements.