Will Engine

Getting started

Install, then one picture on the screen.

By the end of this page the editor is open, a project exists, and Play shows a picture you brought in.

1. Install

  1. Download the Windows installer from the downloads page.
  2. Run it. Setup asks for administrator rights and installs under Program Files.
  3. If the machine has no .NET 10 SDK, the installer adds one. Building a game uses that SDK.
  4. Leave the editor, WeCode, and WeTools selected. The shortcuts are WillEngine Editor, WeCode, and WeTools.

The full install also includes the Windows, Linux, Android, and Web build modules. Android and Web still download their toolchains later, from the Build panel, the first time you ask.

2. Create a project

  1. Open WillEngine Editor.
  2. On the start screen choose New Project..., or use File → New Project.
  3. Pick a folder and type a name. That writes Name.weproj in the folder.

The editor opens Main. That scene is already saved as Scenes/Main.wscene, and it is the scene the game starts on.

A new project is 320 by 240, window scale 3, pixel perfect. Dragging a picture lands on whole pixels. The camera moves in whole pixels.

3. Turn a PNG into a picture

The editor does not open a PNG. WeTools writes the picture the engine draws. The WeTools tutorial covers every choice. This is the short path:

  1. Open WeTools.
  2. File → Open... and pick your PNG.
  3. In the Palette section, turn on Apply palette. The Result on the right is the picture the engine will draw.
  4. Leave the method on Perceptual (keeps green / yellow) for a first try.
  5. Set Colour bits to 6 bits (64 colours), or 5 bits (32 colours) when you want fewer.
  6. Leave Dither on Off when each area should stay one flat color.
  7. File → Save .wei... and save the file somewhere you can find it.

4. Bring the picture into the project

  1. Back in the editor, open the Import menu and choose Image (.wei)....
  2. Pick the file you just saved.

The editor copies it to Assets/Images. A file from outside the project is not dropped onto the window. Import is the way in.

5. Make a sprite

An image is the whole file. A sprite is the rectangle the engine draws. For one picture, that rectangle is the whole image.

  1. In the Project panel, right-click the image.
  2. Choose Create Sprite....
  3. The width and height already match the picture. Type a name and press Create.

That writes a .wspr next to the image.

6. Put it in the scene

  1. In the Hierarchy, right-click empty space.
  2. Choose Create → 2D → Sprite.
  3. Select that object. In the Inspector, find Sprite Renderer.
  4. Drag the .wspr from the Project panel onto the Sprite row.
  5. Press PLAY in the center of the view toolbar. The picture is on screen. STOP returns you to editing.
  6. File → Save Scene, or File → Save All (Ctrl+S), so Main keeps the object.

Next: WeTools, for the techniques, the bit counts, and dither. Then Scenes.