GMS2 Tutorial: Parallax Backgrounds

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Here's one way to set up parallax backgrounds for a platformer style game using lerp and layer_x.
Background Art Credit: opengameart.org/content/3-par...
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[@MartinHultquist]

Thanks for this :) With a little workaround, looks awesome for the y-paralax scaling in my game. You just saved me hours of tinkering, and my day. Have a wonderful day!

[@studiobythebay241]

Thanks a lot! I've been looking everywhere for a solution to this. Great help!

[@TheNexusInfo]

Exactly what I needed, thank you.

[@kenstevens6772]

Thanks Mike! This was very useful. I can't wait to implement it into a mock up game I am working on. If I could only make one suggestion, it would be that if you are going to have an object so far away in the background (ie the sun), considering how far away it really is, you don't actually see it moving over such a short period of time. Might be best to keep it as a static part of the background, and have the clouds as a separate layer like the others.

[@scamonline1501]

Best stuff for parallax background in GMS2!!

[@jacksontrexler6548]

It works pretty well for me! However I'm having some trouble when I use values higher than 0.5 for follow speed. The background objects seem to overshoot the object a little bit after they stop, and there is a noticeable delay when the following object starts moving. Anyone know a fix?

[@codesymphony]

finally! only tutorial I could find on parallaxing in GMS2. tons for GM1, but not 2.

[@MikeTheTech]

+symphony thanks for the comment! Sorry it took so long to get to your question.

[@TrentKaniuga]

thanks! this really helped!

[@MikeTheTech]

+Trent Kaniuga awesome! Glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for the comment.

[@ro_drigo]

Thank you so much, that's perfect!

[@ryanjnealmovies]

Thanks so much for this. It's just what I was looking for!

[@MikeTheTech]

+Ryan J Neal Art sweet, glad it helped!

[@jdaltair]

Thanks man! It's still so difficult to find good tutorials for GMS 2, you really know your stuff.

[@MikeTheTech]

+jdaltair thanks! Much appreciated. There's lots more to come. 👍

[@jdaltair]

Neat-o, I subscribed yesterday, hope to see more from your channel.

[@julienlebosse662]

Hello, the bottom of the parallax should it not move less quickly than the foreground ??

[@adriannavarro1955]

great video! Thank you :) helped tremendously.

[@MikeTheTech]

I'm glad the video helped! Cheers!

[@al-farsigames538]

Thank you so much!

[@jelser23]

lifesaver, man. Thanks

[@MikeTheTech]

Glad it helped!

[@isaacrivera7808]

Awesome, thanks, +1 like and suscriber!

[@gruzum]

hey! nice tutorial ;) but why does layer_x function only move Background layers and not Instance layers?

[@easycool7254]

WORKED PERFECTLY:)

[@MikeTheTech]

Nice! Thanks for commenting!

[@respirra4717]

I owe You a lot Sir! Keep up the good work :)

[@MikeTheTech]

Thanks for the comment!

[@paulschulberg420]

Thank you so much.

[@MikeTheTech]

You're welcome!

[@PrabuWijaya]

Nice video

[@milddiffuse]

I just can't get this to work and I really don't know why...

[@StuartGrahamV]

this has been the most calming tutorial I have seen, after coding for hours I needed it, thanks!

[@MikeTheTech]

Glad it helped!

[@vectrexpilot4616]

Hi there, First of all i love your channel that's why i suscribed and i hope you will make more gms2 stuffs :) Back to the subject, i followed exactly what you did in the tutorial but i don't understand why 1 of my background is moving too fast (even if speed is set to 1 *layer_x(layer_id5, lerp(0,camera_get_view_x(view_camera[0]), 1));* , is there a way "to freeze" it . Any ideas. Cheers. keep it up.

[@dungos2932]

use .1, not 1. He uses .5 in the video, and according to the other people here, if you pop it up to 1, it s kinda wonky.

[@codesymphony]

Hi. Do you have any idea why this code won't work for me? var back_id = layer_background_get_id("Background"); layer_hspeed(back_id, -20); I've dropped the object in my game, and the background doesn't move.

[@MikeTheTech]

+symphony try "layer_get_id" instead?

[@codesymphony]

thank you mate. not sure why there even is a layer_background_get_id

[@steventechno]

Liked for simplicity. Other tutorials go for using custom camera systems, which I'll eventually tackle in the future when I leave my comfort zone. I added my own tweaks, and it works great, thanks for the pointer!

[@MikeTheTech]

Glad it was helpful!

[@escarabajomayih]

excelente.

[@jamiefox]

Genius

[@MikeTheTech]

lol, thanks for the comment!

[@magnus00125]

great except my art looks like a kid's drawing which is distracting from the game but ANYWAY my level has a lot of change in y value, I figure I should create some y lerp? the ground should probably not at all or very little, don't want the player to see nothing beneath the sprite

[@devildeggz]

I couldnt get this working for 20 mins and then i realised that i made a create event instead of step lmao

[@MikeTheTech]

+Rybellion 😂 happens to the best of us.

[@MorganOliver77]

good tut, but did your web cam image really need to cover up that much screen?

[@MikeTheTech]

yeah dude, I'm so pretty! 😂 JK. Eventually upgrading to green screen cutout.

[@TheTrueFallenKnight]

can you make a Tutorial on how to make a RTS game ??? just asking

[@MikeTheTech]

That would be a fun one! I have a few others lined up, but I'd love to eventually make an RTS tutorial.

[@TheTrueFallenKnight]

cool :)

[@Olkkulus]

Making videos at 2AM?

[@feronar-warsongus221]

Thanks for the tutorial, unfortunately when my character moved around, it caused the background to jitter around, especially when starting or stopping. It's most noticeable when I have an element that I want to stay still relative to the camera (lerp position of 1.0). So instead, I used a method similar to the following, and it works great for me: [DRAW EVENT]: draw_sprite_tiled(plxFantasyCave1, 0, camera_get_view_x(view_camera[0])*1.0, camera_get_view_y(view_camera[0])*1.0); draw_sprite_tiled(plxFantasyCave2, 0, camera_get_view_x(view_camera[0])*0.875, camera_get_view_y(view_camera[0])*0.875); draw_sprite_tiled(plxFantasyCave3, 0, camera_get_view_x(view_camera[0])*0.75, camera_get_view_y(view_camera[0])*0.75); draw_sprite_tiled(plxFantasyCave4, 0, camera_get_view_x(view_camera[0])*0.5, camera_get_view_y(view_camera[0])*0.5); You can also use draw_sprite_tiled_ext() for more flexibility (Scaling, colour, transparency).

[@MikeTheTech]

Wow, thank you so much for the tip! I'm very appreciative for your contribution. Glad you found a solution!

[@marcelsebek8446]

There is an Owo in youtube link

[@ThunderHail]

Why a face cam???

[@MikeTheTech]

Why not? lol

[@pellax]

You talk a little bit like Barry White.

[@spiritgame6259]

thanks! this really helped!

[@MikeTheTech]

No problem! Happy it helped. 👍