Can I layer a CCSprite between two CCTMXLayers?

Question

I am making a top-down shooter that makes extensive use of TMX maps created with the "Tiled" application. Within my TMX map, I have a "Background" layer with floor tiles, which appears beneath my characters (CCSprites.)

I have another layer in the TMX file called "Foreground" which I would like to appear "above" my CCSprites, giving the illusion of them walking underneath various objects.

I tried using the vertexZ property of the CCNode class to do this:

CCTMXLayer *backgroundLayer = ...
CCSprite *spriteNode = ...
CCTMXLayer *foregroundLayer = ...

[backgroundLayer setVertexZ:1];
[spriteNode setVertexZ:2];
[foregroundLayer setVertexZ:3];

...but it turns out vertexZ actually alters the node's visual appearance within the openGL view. It effectively causes a CCNode to appear larger, or closer to the user when it has a higher vertexZ value. I don't want that- all I want is a sort of layers-of-an-impossibly-thin-cake effect, without any visual differences between the layers.

So I thought I would try altering the zOrder property of the nodes, like this:

[[backgroundLayer parent] reOrderChild:backgroundLayer z:1];
[[spriteNode parent] reOrderChild:backgroundLayer z:2];
[[foregroundLayer parent] reOrderChild:backgroundLayer z:3];

But I realized there's a fundamental problem with what I'm doing here, since my spriteNode is a direct child of the CCScene, but the background and foreground nodes are both children of my CCTMXTiledMap, which itself is a child of the CCScene.

So I'm basically trying to slip a CCSprite between two layers of the map, which, from the CCScene's perspective, are really just two parts of the same layer.

It seems I could create an additional instance of CCTMXTiledMap just to hold the foreground layer, but that also seems like overkill. My other thought was to create CCSprites to serve the same purpose, but it seems like there's got to be a better way.

Answer 1

Yes, I have used Tiled once very lightly and I do believe there is an option to add an Object Layer into your TMXTiledMap (Tiled -> Layer -> Add Object Layer...), then once imported into your build you can link up a CCSprite with the corresponding Object Layer you have created. I would post your question on the cocos2d forum, as people there are more experienced and equipped to answer this with examples.