DKC Atlas Forum

[Chol]

Hello guys,

I’m also a big fan of the dkc trilogy (but also return and tropical freeze). This website is really nice and full of information about these games! It is a pleasure to go on it, specially the map feature. What a great job has been done here!

Actually it gives me an idea about to make a simple android app to display the level maps of the trilogy.It will be just a simple app with the list of each level, and clicking on it will display the full level.
The goal will be to check where are the bonus areas easily. Currently I’m checking video on youtube, but it takes time to watch the complete video to know where are the bonus areas...

I wanted to ask you if I can make screenshot of your levels in the map section?

Don’t know when it will be finished (don’t even know if I will finished it), can take a couple of months, a year… The development part should not be so long, but making the map by screenshot is taking so long time.

If some people want to take part of the project, no problem.
Actually I’m not really good at design(logo, app resources…) with gimp or photoshop…


Cheers,
Chol

[Qyzbud]

Hi Chol, welcome to DKC Atlas.

I like this idea, and as a smartphone/Android user, I have given it some thought myself. I tend to think a more mobile-friendly HTML5 app would be a good way to go, so that the result is viewable on any device, rather than just Android devices. I know that sounds like what we have already, but there's a lot of room for improvement to the current level map viewer — especially with the app-like features modern mobile websites can achieve. I suppose both options could be considered, but an Android-centric app just seems unnecessarily exclusive.

What do you think of this alternative?

[Chol]

Thanks for the welcoming!

That's true it will be android exclusive. Actually, I know pretty well normal android development, but I'm totally new with web/html5 app development. By experience, I know that specific app are usually better than a shared app for all kind of devices.
I will try to check it out how it works!

And who knows, maybe an IOS or Windows phone developer will see this thread and will be motivated to do the same

[Qyzbud]

Well I must say it's nice to have an Android developer in these parts. I've done a very small amount of it myself, and I'd quite like to get further into it at some point.

You're quite right about the benefit of native apps (performance, features, general polish, etc. are generally better). I wonder if maybe it'd be worth developing a cursory proof of concept for both options in parallel to see if there's a significant difference in these things...

I suppose I could be in charge of the HTML5 app while you focus on Android, sharing resources and comparing performance and features as we go.

[Chol]

Yeah why not?! We can try this!
I have already done the maps of the first world of dkc. Not yet finished, need to add something to recognize easily the bonus areas (need to do something not ugly).
I can share the map if you want? What is the best way in this forum to share files?

[Chol]

I just put here the first level of DKC for the moment.
Is someone know what can I put on the picture to reconize easily where are the bonus aeras?
If I do it by myself, it will be an ugly stuff

[Qyzbud]

Were you planning for this app to feature animated, layered, interactive maps like the ones on this site, or just still/static flat ones like in your attachment above?

Perhaps the bonus areas could be indicated using the same labels (or a similar design to those) used on the maps currently:

Just to let you know, I probably won't be able to help with this project much/at all until next year or thereabouts, as I'm currently quite busy with the DKC3 mapping efforts!

[Chol]

For the moment it will be only static flat map. It is faster to do it
And this feature will stay exclusive for dkc-atlas, it is really cool feature!
My goal for the app is really to get quickly a view on the levels with the bonus areas to get the 101% (102% ad 103%)
Oh didn't think about the bonus area picture on the current maps, it is small, simple, perfect. Thanks.
No problem for the help, maybe somebody else will like to help. DKC3 Mapping is really more important so cool you are working on!

[OneOf99]

I'm not much of a coder (Hopefully that is "not yet"), but I have an idea- what if you made the bonus areas clickable on your map, so that when clicked it takes you to a map of the area?

[Chol]

Thanks it is a good idea!
Actually it is what I'm planning to do. I have made some test, I will be able to do it.
In the DKC1 there is a bonus area hidden in a bonus aera, so it will be nice to display bonus areas map.