Devices, browsers, and graphics
Can I use BannedStory 4 on my phone or tablet?
The pages of this site work on phones, but the editor is built for a desktop or laptop browser with a mouse and keyboard. The mobile editing experience is not optimized yet, so for real work please use a computer. Nothing needs to be installed and there is no account to create.
The canvas says "Graphics could not start."
The editor draws the canvas with your graphics hardware through the browser. The full message is "Graphics could not start. Reload the page or enable graphics acceleration in your browser." Work through these in order:
- Reload the page.
- Open your browser's settings, make sure graphics or hardware acceleration is turned on, and restart the browser.
- Try another up-to-date desktop browser.
- If it still fails, report it from the community tracker with your browser name and version.
I clicked a link above the editor. Is my scene gone?
No. While the editor is open, the Home, Guide, and MMVs links in the site header open in a new tab, so your scene stays put. Help > User's Guide (Ctrl + H) also opens the User Guide in a new tab.
Saving, files, and privacy
Where are my projects saved?
On your own computer. File > Save Project (Ctrl + S) downloads a .bsproj file through your browser, and every export arrives the same way. The editor does not keep a copy of your scene on our servers or in your browser's storage.
Important: There is no autosave, and the editor does not warn you when you close or reload the tab. Anything since your last save is lost, so save every time you reach a version you would hate to rebuild.
Are my files uploaded anywhere?
Projects and pictures you open are processed in your browser. The editor does download catalogs, thumbnails, and game art from our asset service as you browse. The only time your scene leaves your computer is when you send a bug report. A screenshot and a copy of the current scene, including any pictures you imported, are attached automatically, and links to them appear on the public tracker along with the report text, a list of the items in your scene, technical details, and your credit name. Only your email is kept private. The Privacy Policy has the details.
Keyboard shortcuts
The menu shortcuts use the Ctrl key on every computer, Macs included, because the Command versions belong to the browser. Undo and Redo are the exception: they also accept Command. Shortcuts pause while you type in a text box or while a dialog is open; if one does nothing, click an empty spot on the canvas and try again. Some browsers keep a few combinations, such as Ctrl + N, for themselves; the same commands are always in the menus.
- Ctrl + N, Ctrl + O, Ctrl + S
- New Project, Open Project, Save Project.
- Ctrl + Z
- Undo.
- Ctrl + Y or Ctrl + Shift + Z
- Redo.
- Ctrl + L
- Create Layer.
- Ctrl + C
- Clone Layer. In BannedStory this duplicates the selected layer right away; it does not copy to the clipboard.
- Delete
- Delete Layer (every selected layer). On a Mac laptop, press Fn + Delete.
- Ctrl + R, Ctrl + T
- Rasterize Layer, Explode Layer.
- Ctrl + G, Ctrl + D
- Normal Sprite Sheet, Save Photoshop Code.
- Ctrl + B
- Add new Category.
- V, B
- Use Normal Cursor, Use Transform Tool.
- Arrow keys
- Move the selection 1 pixel; hold Shift to move 10 pixels.
- 0 to 5
- Show or hide the Thumbnail Gallery, Layer Panel, Inventory Panel, Properties Panel, Random Generator, and Maple Maps.
- Spacebar
- Arrange Windows: puts the floating windows back in their default places.
- Ctrl + F, Ctrl + H
- Full Screen, User's Guide.
Undo and lost windows
How far back can I undo?
Up to 100 steps. A whole drag, a held arrow key, or a burst of typing counts as one step. The Layers menu shows what will be undone, such as "Undo Remove Layer". New Project, Open Project, and Import Project start a fresh history. Loading a map from Maple Maps is not recorded as its own step, so don't use Undo to get rid of one: select the map's group and press Remove Layer instead.
A window disappeared or is off-screen.
Press the Spacebar (Window > Arrange Windows) to put the floating windows back where they started. If a window is closed rather than moved, open it from the Window menu or with its number key from the list above.
Keeping the editor fast
- Every asset version you tick on the startup Versions tab adds its catalog to download. If you only use classic items, fewer versions means a lighter start. Keep them all ticked when opening old projects, though, or some items will be reported as unavailable.
- On a slow connection, untick Include Thumbnails at startup. The gallery then lists items as text and skips the thumbnail images.
- Animation only runs while some layer has Animate ticked. On big maps, leave Auto animate map layers off unless you need the motion.
- Hide large map groups while you work on characters, and save before loading another big map.
- Sprite sheets of large characters can contain thousands of frames. Let them run; the progress bar and Cancel button stay responsive.
Item stuck on "Retrieving Item..."?: The Stop and Cancel buttons on item loading messages only close the message. The item has already been added, so use Ctrl + Z if you don't want it. If items fail with "One item could not be loaded.", check your connection and click the thumbnail again.
Reporting a bug
In the editor, choose Help > Report a Bug.... The form asks you to describe the problem (this part is required), and offers two optional fields: Email if you would like to hear back, and Credit me as for a name to thank publicly. A screenshot of your current view and a copy of your current scene are attached automatically, so we can load exactly what you were looking at.
- Say what you did, what you expected, and what happened instead.
- Name the item or map involved. The gallery's Names panel shows an item's ID when you hover over it, and IDs make problems much faster to find.
- Copy any warning text word for word.
- For an old .bsproj problem, paste a shareable download link to the original file, because the attached copy is the editor's version of the scene.
- Press Send report. When it is filed you'll see "Thanks! Your report was filed." with a Track it here link to follow progress.
A short human check runs in the background. If it can't load, for example because of an ad blocker, you can still send the report. Reports are filed as issues on the public community tracker, where you can also post directly with a GitHub account. Your email stays private and is never shown in the public issue. See the Contact page for other ways to reach us.