Z
Introduction
The default ordering mode for Sprites in FlatRedBall is SortType.Z. The definition is rather straight forward - objects which have a Z that positions them further away from the Camera (smaller Z in all but FlatRedBall MDX) will be drawn first. Since closer Sprites are drawn after (within the same frame) Sprites which are further, they will overlap appropriately.
Same-Z Sprites
Why depending on order is so bad
In the example above everything seems pretty clear and predictable - sprite2 is added after sprite1, so sprite2 will appear on top of sprite1 (assuming their Z values aren't changed). Of course, this code is far simpler than code you'll normally write when working with FlatRedBall. In many cases you won't be writing the code that actually creates Sprites. In the following cases the order of Sprite creation may be something you have no control over:
Loading Scenes - Scenes loaded from .scnx files often instantiate Sprites. The instantiation of these Sprites is done inside of FlatRedBall calls, so you do not control which Sprite is instantiated first. Furthermore, different tools may be written in different versions of FlatRedBall, so the way they sort Sprites may also differ.
SpiteGrids - SpriteGrids create and destroy Sprites if they are managed. This means that some Sprites in a SpriteGrid may be created at a much later time than other Sprites. It is possible to create situations where some Sprites in a SpriteGrid appear behind a large Sprite, while others appear in front when the SpriteGrid and the large Sprite all have the same Z.
Emitters - Emitters can continually create Sprites while they are alive. Since they are continually created you may not have control over their ordering relative to other Sprites with the same Z value.
The moral of the story
You guessed it: Set your Z values. If you want to control how Sprites sort, then you should set Z values to prevent unexpected sorting.
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