Manual: Layer System and Preset Nodes in GameScene

ACTION GAME MAKER OfficialTutorial/チュートリアル
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When creating a new scene in ACTION GAME MAKER, a set of default nodes are automatically generated:
SceneLayer, DistantView, MiddleView, NearView, WallLayer, BaseLayer, PostEffectLayer, and UI.
This manual explains the roles of these nodes and how to use them effectively.

SceneLayer (Background Node)

SceneLayer is a renamed version of the AGMaker-specific Background node.
It works together with the Parallax2D node to simulate the concept of rendering layers seen in other game creation tools.

In Godot Engine, draw order is generally determined by Z-index, and grouping is handled via node hierarchy—not by explicit “layers”.
Although some nodes include “Layer” in the name, they serve specific rendering purposes and aren’t general-purpose layers.

To better support visual scripting in AGMaker, the concept of a layer was formalized through these dedicated nodes.

DistantView, MiddleView, NearView, WallLayer, BaseLayer (Parallax2D Nodes)

Despite their different names, all of these nodes are renamed versions of Godot’s Parallax2D node.

While Parallax2D is typically used for background parallax effects, in ACTION GAME MAKER it plays an additional critical role:
It defines draw layers as recognized by SceneLayer.

Use Cases for Layers

MoveLayer (Execution Action)

Moves an object to the child of the specified layer (Parallax2D) to change its draw order.

Show/Hide/Enable/Disable Layer

Modifies the visibility or active state of the target layer and its children.
Layers are identified by their order under SceneLayer.
For example, in the default setup:

  • DistantView = Layer 1

  • BaseLayer = Layer 5

GenerateObject / FireBullet

If no ObjectMountTarget is specified, generated objects are added as children of the same Parallax2D layer as their creator—not as children of the creator itself.

Portal Node

When a player transitions through a portal, they are generated as a child of the same Parallax2D layer as the portal node.

PostEffectLayer

This is a renamed version of Godot’s CanvasLayer node, which allows rendering independently of the camera.
PostEffectLayer is used to apply full-screen visual effects using the AddSceneEffect or CancelSceneEffect actions.

UI Layer

Also a renamed CanvasLayer node.
The UI layer is used for displaying menus (OpenMenu/CloseMenu) and HUD elements like HP bars.

:warning: Important:
Unlike other layers, the UI layer does not contain a Parallax2D node.
Because of this, it is not recognized as a valid layer in the visual scripting system.
To generate objects in the UI layer, you must use an ObjectMountTarget.

See also:

Collision Processing Warning

While AGMaker’s layers control rendering order, collision detection is handled via Collision Layers and Masks.
This means collisions can occur across layers, such as a BaseLayer object colliding with an element in the UI layer.
Be mindful when designing gameplay involving interactive elements in non-gameplay layers.

See also: