Stencyl

Key takeaways

Stencyl belongs to computer science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Stencyl to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Stencyl from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Stencyl is a video game development tool that allows users to create 2D video games for computers, mobile devices, and the web. The software is available for free, with select publishing options available for purchase. The software was originally called "StencylWorks" while in development and for the initial release but was later shortened to just "Stencyl".

Features Games created in Stencyl can be exported to the web via Adobe Flash Player or HTML5, and to personal computers as executable games, as well as onto various mobile devices as iOS and Android applications. Physics and collisions are managed by Box2D, which can be selectively or completely disabled to decrease any potential performance impact for games that don't require full physics simulation. Starting in version 3.0, projects in Stencyl use the Haxe programming language and OpenFL game framework to allow a flexible, write once, run anywhere style of game creation.

IDE Stencyl is an authoring tool and an IDE. The application includes several modules used to accomplish the necessary tasks to create games with the software.

The Behavior Editor is used to create and edit code and game logic in modular pieces known as behaviors and events. The Tileset Editor is used to import and edit tilesets, including their collision shapes, appearance, and animations. The Actor Editor is used to create and edit game entities (Actors) and their settings, including behaviors, physics, and animations. The Scene Designer is used to create and edit levels and game states (Scenes) by using actors, tilesets, and behaviors. Additional tools permit the user to import images for use as foregrounds and backgrounds in scenes, import and edit fonts, import sounds and music files (MP3 and OGG are supported, depending on the export target), and alter game settings such as player controls and game resolution. A library of common behaviors is included with Stencyl to reduce the need to recreate common game behaviors, and several game "kits" provide functional starting points for common 2D game genres.

VPL When creating a new behavior, the option is presented to create it either in Code Mode or Design Mode. Using Code Mode for a behavior permits the user to program logic in traditional textual form and optionally open the code in an external editor. Alternatively, Design Mode is a GUI that allows users to create modular game logic for actors and scenes using a visual programming language. The concept of Design Mode as a form of end-user development originated with MIT's Scratch computer language learning environment and was used with permission for Stencyl. As it is a visual programming language, Design Mode users are not required to learn or type out a particular programming language, nor must they concern themselves with syntax. Rather, available actions are dragged and dropped from a palette of "code blocks". These blocks will snap in place together and nest within each other, permitting the creation of advanced logic from basic components. To avoid syntax errors during compilation, not all blocks will snap together. For example, a space that requires a Boolean value will not accept a block that represents a numeric value. The shapes of the block types are different to help represent this to the user as a behavior-shaping constraint. The number block could be used in conjunction with a comparison block - such as "(Number) equals (Number)" - to evaluate as a True/False statement for the needed Boolean.

Cloud Storage StencylForge is an integrated online storage and sharing service for Stencyl games and game assets. It can be used to back up projects and access projects from other computers when logged into Stencyl. User-uploaded content is private by default, but it can also be made public to share with other users. In addition to user-uploaded content, officially sanctioned content such as example games, game kits, behaviors, and art or sound assets are also available and prominently featured on StencylForge.

Other Integrated with Stencyl is the image editor Pixelitor. Its use in Stencyl is usually secondary, as images are typically imported directly from the computer after being created separately. Stencyl can alternatively be set up to use external image editors, such as Photoshop and GIMP, to modify images already loaded into a project. Stencyl also supports user-created extensions to add functions to the software. For example, an extension could add new blocks for Design Mode use, such as a third-party API. Another example is an extensive dialogue scripting tool to easily add dialogue and tweak its settings for a game.

See also AgentCubes AgentSheets Construct Corona GameSalad GameMaker GDevelop Klik & Play RPG Maker Scratch

Games using Stencyl Cat Bird

References

External links Official website

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Stencyl

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Stencyl claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In computer science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Stencyl before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Stencyl ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Stencyl

In research: Stencyl appears in computer science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Stencyl in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Stencyl is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Browser-based game websites, Educational programming languages, Game engines for Linux, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Stencyl outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

How to study Stencyl in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Stencyl means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Stencyl out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Stencyl in simple terms?

Stencyl is a video game development tool that allows users to create 2D video games for computers, mobile devices, and the web. The software is available for free, with select publishing options available for purchase.

Why does Stencyl matter?

Because it connects several computer science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Stencyl?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Stencyl.