New blog post on the zone editor.

docs/blog/posts/new-zone-editor-software.md

@@ -0,0 +1,48 @@
+---
+draft: false
+date: 2024-06-02
+slug: new-zone-editor-software
+categories:
+  - zone
+  - editor
+  - map
+  - mapping
+  - builder
+tags:
+---
+# New Zone Editor Software: Simplifying Zone Creation for Node Talker
+
+Over the past week, I have been focused on developing an in-browser zone editor tool, designed to streamline the process of creating and managing zones for the Node Talker telnet social role-playing server system. This tool is a game-changer for builders, offering a more intuitive and efficient way to get started.
+
+## Why This Tool?
+As someone who ran a CircleMUD many years ago, I know the limitations and steep learning curves associated with traditional file editors and in-game builders. These older tools required extensive training and had significant constraints. This new web-based zone editor aims to address these issues, making it easier and quicker for builders to create rich, immersive zones.
+
+## Key Features
+- **Create and Manage Rooms:** Use a grid-based interface to easily create, edit, and delete rooms.
+- **Detailed Room Properties:** Set room properties like name, description, lockable status, and more.
+- **Pan and Zoom:** Smoothly navigate the grid to get an overview or zoom in for detailed edits.
+- **Save and Load Zones:** Save your work and reload it later to continue editing.
+- **Export to Zip:** Generate server-ready files in a zip format for easy deployment.
+- **Real-time Preview:** See immediate updates as you make changes to your zones.
+
+## Persistent Data Storage
+This tool leverages your browser's local storage to save your progress between sessions, ensuring you don't lose your work. However, we recommend regularly using the "Save Map" feature to manually back up your data.
+
+## Try It Out
+You can try the fully functional demo at [Node Talker Web Builder](https://tvalladon.github.io/node-talker-web-builder/). For more technical details and to contribute to the project, visit the [GitHub repository](https://github.com/tvalladon/node-talker-web-builder).
+
+## Future Enhancements
+While the tool currently meets my personal needs, I plan to add more features in the future, such as:
+- Copy and paste functionality for rooms.
+- Improved UI/UX for the room editing form.
+- Bulk editing capabilities.
+- Undo/redo functionality.
+- Performance optimizations for larger maps.
+
+## Community Contributions
+I welcome contributions from the community. Whether it's fixing bugs, adding new features, or improving documentation, your help is invaluable. Feel free to fork the repository, make changes, and submit a PR back to the source project. Let's collaborate to make this tool even better!
+
+## Conclusion
+This zone editor tool is designed to make building zones for Node Talker more accessible and efficient. If you encounter any issues or have suggestions, please let me know. Your feedback is crucial for the continuous improvement of this tool.
+
+Check out the demo, explore the features, and start building amazing zones for your Node Talker server!