Macromedia Flash MX Game Design Demystified: The Official Guide to Creating Games with Flash -- First 1st Printing -- CD Included

Introduction to Isometrics

A Technical Look at Isometrics

Z-sorting

Deconstruction of a Simple World

Points to Remember

An isometric view is a specific three-dimensional (3D) view. In 3D, as you have undoubtedly seen in some non-Flash games, the camera (the viewpoint of your computer screen) can move anywhere and rotate anywhere. There is a specific position of this camera that gives an isometric view. This view is popular in many games, including Diablo II, and has been shown to be very effective when used properly in Flash. In this chapter we will discuss why this view is popular and how to treat it mathematically. We'll also provide real examples of how to use it. To get the most out of this chapter, you should have read, or be familiar with the concepts learned in, Chapter 7, "Tile-Based Worlds."