Layout Object

I was wondering, just how reliable is the Layout object? It seems that it hasn't been touched in a while and it also doesn't have an event where one can set it to activate/deactivate, so is it safe to assume it hasn't been completed yet?

I want to use it to incorporate simple mini games into my game, which will be the simplest approach I can think of. I tested it, it ran fine, but is there anything I should know about before creating half a dozen minigames utilizing the Layout Object?

I think it's a bit buggy, people seem to leave it alone.

I haven't used it much, but I bet my bottom dollar that it's buggy. Any objects that haven't been used extensively by the masses are undoubtedly riddled with obscure bugs. Then again, you might just get lucky. But for something as complicated as the layout object, I wouldn't count on it. Pave the way brave tester.

Well, it ain't gonna get better without anyone using it! Thanks for the information guys. I'll try to implement it into the upcoming demo of my game which should be released in a month. I'll post any errors here (and on the tracker).

EDIT: Issue one: Cannot change the Layout being displayed via events, meaning each minigame must need its own layout object. That complicates things... (well, time to put my shallow Python knowledge to the test!)

Okay, so far I've been able to use the layout function successfully. I have been able to integrate it into my game, where you talk to some random blokes and have the opportunity to play a minigame like 'guess the number' or 'target shooting' (to raise money to enter a tournament).

No errors and all works well so far. The only thing that's a letdown is the Layouts Object is too bare and unfortunately seems to be ignored. It's lacking some very simple features, such as changing the layout it displays in real-time through the events sheet. I tried doing so through Python, but failed... what I'm doing now is creating a new object for each layout I want to display, which isn't very efficient at all.

A really great tool which has so much potential. Now that I've experienced its capabilities, I may have to use it for my in-game menu.

I'm just wondering, do the creators make the code available for such objects? I doubt I can do much anyway since it'd probably be coded in C++...

Yeah, im trying the same thing for use in my danmaku game, but the layout object simply cannot be altered at runtime so that makes it pretty much useless as of yet.

It needs to at least have the option to switch layouts (with optional transitions) and pause/unpause at runtime, etc.

If this were possible, many awesome things could be done, such as split screen multiplayer, minimaps, minigames (as mentioned above) and much more.