add support for Tiled Map (TMX) and Tileset (TSX) formats

[jakoch]

Adding support for Tiled Map (TMX) and Tileset (TSX) formats would allow to work with the mapeditor Tiled: http://www.mapeditor.org/

• add new loader for tmx resources
  • http://doc.mapeditor.org/reference/tmx-map-format/

[helios2000]

We discussed it a few times in the past. Sure it would be great, but FIFE would still need an own editor because of the much larger scope of functions that are possible, as example pathfinder stuff and lights.

[helios2000]

Ok after a few discussions and some research it looks like it's possible, that we can add support for Fife to Tiled. It's possible to add plugins like other games / engines did it. The amount of work for us is still unsure. But so we could use Tiled Editor instead of our own buggy Mapeditor.

A snipped from bjorn, the main dev of Tiled:

2017-01-16T09:48:46 In a way I would prefer FIFE map support in Tiled, because it would highlight potential features in FIFE that are missing on Tiled's side, where they could be worked on.
2017-01-16T09:49:44 But if you're considering to add Tiled features to FIFE, then supporting TMX may be easier otherwise you have to extend the FIFE map format with Tiled features.
2017-01-16T09:51:18 Hmm, and you'd at least need either a converter or FIFE read support in Tiled, in order to convert existing maps over when desired.

[prock-fife]

Can Tiled at least render the map the way FIFE would? I'm thinking lighting and animations, etc etc. What about rendering order? My first thought is it may be less work to re-write the editor based on the features TIled has at the moment.

[helios2000]

That's an option for sure. It's true that rendering and the related stuff could be pitfalls. Both options will need a lot of time and work. At the same time, the Editor is Fifes biggest weak spot and we have to change that. With all the changes that come, we need an solution until the next release because they make the editor even more unusable.