What is the 'sort Z Order' used for?

I am making a 'Pseudo-3D' game. So, some objects that are closer must cover the further ones. So, I've got this instance variable that determines their position based on the their Y coord.

Then I sort their Z order with the instance variable and expect it to do its job.

But it doesn't work the way I want it to, so I'm afraid I don't know what the purpose of this action really is.

That sounds like how it's supposed to work.

There are ways that it may not work correctly, hotspots, event order etc.

Post a capx for someone to test.

You can set the Z order directly in a sprite commands.

In some of my games I have to reset the Z order after new objects are created that would be on top and sort Z command is useful for that.

Sorting by Y coordinates may be tricky if your objects are moving around.

I put everything I want sorted in a family. Then give the family a family variable. Every however often, I set that variable to each object's Y coordinate. Then I run the sort command and sort it, ascending, by that value (note, the command has to use a variable and not some other value). Perfectly simple, works great so long as I have image points set up correctly. Any manual changes to the Z order are done immediately after that event.

There's my full event. I narrow it down to what's on-screen and on the layer I want, set my variable, then sort. Then I have some manual adjustments after for different object types (Spriter objects).

RobertMKD

Are the objects on different layers ? Are you using a family ?

The part where I set the 'Z Order instance variables' is working properly (I have already checked that in debug), while the 'sort Z Order' is in the same event together with the 'set instance variable' action.

The objects are in a same layer and yes, I'm using a family.

Do me a little favour. I had this 'quirk' a year ago. The screen did not update. Place an (test) object somewhere. Give it animation frames. Loop it. Is the Z order updating fine now (it did back then on me). I suspect that you have not one object moving/animating on screen.

The screen's failing to update is a logical explaination, but I do have animating objects on screen, and they are also not properly ordered..

Okay guys, I've fixed it!

First I was sorting the objects using 'On Created', and I had a separate 'every 0.1 sec' event that updated the Z orders of the objects that are moving.

So, now instead of only updating the moving objects, I am updating all objects, and that's what fixed it

Thanks to everyone!