Level Creation Guide/Landscaping


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The following are various tips on how to build some of the basic things in your level. As you advance in the guide, more complex things will be shown.

Creating Gaps
Once you have created an elevated walkway, you can create gaps as minor obstacles. To create a gap, choose any material out of the Goodies Bag and select the shape you wish your gap to be. Use to cut the shape out of your walkway. This technique can also be used to create decorative features within the walkway.

Creating Tunnels
Tunneling allows you to cut out shapes and walkways from one material using another. Try making a large block, three layers deep, out of Basic Metal. Then choose Basic Glass from your materials and select the square shape. Adjust the size to something slightly larger than your sackperson and set it to the back-most plane. Next, ensure your glass is only one plane deep. Starting from the base of the metal structure, stamp down your glass and move it across the bottom of the metal block. This should result in the formation of a tunnel running through the base of the metal. As the new material was painted over the other, they will be glued automatically.

You may also do the opposite; first place the background and then select a thicker material to overlay with the background. Paint above and below it to do your tunnel and it will be instantly glued. Also of note for this method, if you make the thick layer cover the entire background, you can then use the eraser function set on the material used for the thick layer to carve out your tunnel; since the background is of a different material, it won't be affected by the eraser. Note also that you can map out your tunnel using square stickers and then simply follow the design, which can be useful if you tend to lose your concentration when making complex tunnels, or carving out rooms in towers.

You can also use thin layers to make three-layer deep tunnels, or to cover your tunnel! Just don't do a big closed labyrinth or it will become frustrating, unless you are creative enough to mark the correct path in some way. Also you should use brightly colored arrows to tell users where to go.

When creating tunnels on a large piece, make sure to cut many line to make the object more than one piece if your are making a large network. The game will advise you and stop you from making more tunnels and if the object becomes too complicated.

Creating Simple Platforms
Platforms are a big part of many Little Big Planet levels. Here are a few different ways to make them:

Build a large wall of one or two layers deep, then use another material of at least two layers deep and place it partially inside the large wall, leaving at least one layer outside of it. This will instantly glue the platform to the wall. Using a large wall of any depth fewer than three, create your platforms next to the wall and glue them on. This takes longer than the previous method but gives you more control over the platforms. Glue your platforms on top of pillars. This may take longer but it can look better, and it opens possibilities for your platform and background. Make small blocks of Dark Matter where you want your platforms, but on the layer behind, then place your platforms on the layer in front and glue them to the Dark Matter. This will result in floating platforms. Alternately you can just create your platforms then stick a tiny piece of Dark Matter inside each one (though this leaves the Dark Matter visible unless you shrink it until it is so small that it comes out invisible (glitch) ). Place your platforms in mid-air, then use strings or other connector gadgets (explained later) to hang them from the ceiling or from other objects. This lets you easily add mobility to your platforms and may be more eye-catching than other kinds of platform. For all platforms that involve gluing you may alternatively use bolts, explained later in this guide.

Creating Rocking Walkways
Select Basic Cardboard and choose the teardrop shape. If you have yet to earn the teardrop, you can create it using the circle and triangle shapes. Turn the teardrop on its side and adjust its depth to one layer. Make its size roughly three times taller than your Sackperson at its highest point, and stamp it down. Return to the shape selection window and select the triangle. Increase its size and rotate it to cover the top arc of the teardrop you just placed. Tap to delete the covered section. Next, select Basic Sponge from the Materials window and set its shape to circle. Make the circle roughly the size of your Sackperson's head, and line the top of the teardrop as well as the top lip.

(A picture of this little Rock would be nice to help visualize it)

Alternatively, you can use a Sprung Bolt to attach a platform to a wall. Tweak its strength until it moves slightly when stood on. The platform should rock a little when weight is put on either side, but it won't just collapse and hang vertically like what may happen if you use a regular bolt.

Also, you could use a Wobble Bolt to attach your platforms to walls or thin blobs of Dark Matter, and start it horizontally. Set the Rotation to 180 degrees, and put a reasonable time to run across depending on platform length. If done right, the platform will spin round after a while, and then spin back; making platforms that potentially throw players off if they dawdle too long.