Saltearse al contenido

Creating an inventory system with clones and scrolling

Esta página aún no está disponible en tu idioma.

💡 Having trouble with Scratch block assembly? Don’t know how to implement code logic? 🚀 Get Help Now

IM

InventoryMaster_Dev

Posted on July 22, 2025 • Advanced

🎒 Need help with inventory system using clones

I’m working on an RPG and trying to create a flexible inventory system. I want to avoid creating tons of separate sprites for each item slot.

My goals:

  • Use clones for inventory items (not separate sprites)
  • Make it scrollable OR have pages
  • Handle different item types dynamically
  • Keep it organized and efficient

I’ve seen some basic inventory tutorials, but they all use individual sprites for each slot. That seems really inefficient for a large inventory system.

Has anyone built something like this before? Any tips on the best approach? 🤔

UI

UIArchitect_Pro

Replied 3 hours later • ⭐ Best Answer

@InventoryMaster_Dev Great question! I’ve built several inventory systems like this. Here’s a complete solution using clones with scrolling pages:

🏗️ Inventory System Architecture

Here’s how the system works:

flowchart TD A[🎮 Game Start] --> B[Initialize Inventory] B --> C[Create Item Lists] C --> D[📦 Inventory Display] D --> E[Calculate Visible Items] E --> F[Create Item Clones] F --> G{User Input?} G -->|Scroll Up| H[Previous Page] G -->|Scroll Down| I[Next Page] G -->|Click Item| J[Select/Use Item] G -->|Add Item| K[Add to Inventory] H --> L[Update Page Number] I --> L J --> M[Handle Item Action] K --> N[Update Item Lists] L --> O[Refresh Display] M --> O N --> O O --> P[Delete Old Clones] P --> F style A fill:#e1f5fe style B fill:#f3e5f5 style F fill:#e8f5e8 style M fill:#fff3e0

📋 Step 1: Data Structure Setup

First, create these lists to manage your inventory data:

  • inventory_items - Item names/IDs
  • inventory_quantities - How many of each item
  • inventory_types - Item categories (weapon, potion, etc.)
    when flag clicked
// Initialize inventory system
set [current_page v] to [1]
set [items_per_page v] to [12] // 3x4 grid
set [total_pages v] to [1]

// Clear existing inventory
delete all of [inventory_items v]
delete all of [inventory_quantities v]
delete all of [inventory_types v]

// Add some test items
add [sword] to [inventory_items v]
add [3] to [inventory_quantities v]
add [weapon] to [inventory_types v]

add [health_potion] to [inventory_items v]
add [5] to [inventory_quantities v]
add [consumable] to [inventory_types v]

🎨 Step 2: Item Sprite Setup

Create one “InventoryItem” sprite with costumes for all your items:

    // In your InventoryItem sprite
when flag clicked
hide // Hide the original sprite

// Custom block: Create inventory display
define refresh inventory display
// Delete all existing item clones
broadcast [delete item clones v]
wait [0.1] seconds

// Calculate which items to show on current page
set [start_index v] to (((current_page) - [1]) * (items_per_page))
set [end_index v] to ((start_index) + (items_per_page))

// Create clones for visible items
set [clone_counter v] to [0]
repeat (length of [inventory_items v])
change [clone_counter v] by [1]

if <<(clone_counter) > (start_index)> and <(clone_counter) <= (end_index)>> then
set [current_item_index v] to (clone_counter)
create clone of [myself v]
end
end

📦 Step 3: Clone Behavior

Each clone represents one inventory slot:

    when I start as a clone
// Get item data for this clone
set [my_item v] to (item (current_item_index) of [inventory_items v])
set [my_quantity v] to (item (current_item_index) of [inventory_quantities v])
set [my_type v] to (item (current_item_index) of [inventory_types v])

// Calculate grid position
set [slot_in_page v] to ((current_item_index) - (start_index))
set [grid_x v] to (((slot_in_page) - [1]) mod [3]) // 3 columns
set [grid_y v] to ([3] - (([slot_in_page] - [1]) / [3])) // 4 rows

// Position the clone
go to x: ([-120] + ((grid_x) * [80])) y: ([100] - ((grid_y) * [80]))

// Set correct costume
if <(my_item) = [sword]> then
switch costume to [sword v]
else
if <(my_item) = [health_potion]> then
switch costume to [health_potion v]
else
switch costume to [unknown_item v]
end
end

show

// Handle interactions
forever
if <touching [mouse-pointer v]?> then
set [brightness v] effect to [20]

if <mouse down?> then
broadcast (join [use_item_] (current_item_index))
wait [0.2] seconds
end
else
set [brightness v] effect to [0]
end
end

🔄 Step 4: Scrolling System

Add navigation controls:

    // In your main game sprite or stage
when [up arrow v] key pressed
if <(current_page) > [1]> then
change [current_page v] by [-1]
refresh inventory display
end

when [down arrow v] key pressed
set [max_pages v] to (([length of [inventory_items v]] / (items_per_page)) + [1])
if <(current_page) < (max_pages)> then
change [current_page v] by [1]
refresh inventory display
end

// Alternative: Mouse wheel scrolling
when I receive [scroll up v]
if <(current_page) > [1]> then
change [current_page v] by [-1]
refresh inventory display
end

when I receive [scroll down v]
set [max_pages v] to (([length of [inventory_items v]] / (items_per_page)) + [1])
if <(current_page) < (max_pages)> then
change [current_page v] by [1]
refresh inventory display
end

➕ Step 5: Adding/Removing Items

Dynamic inventory management:

    // Custom block: Add item to inventory
define add item (item_name) quantity (amount)
set [found_item v] to [false]

// Check if item already exists
repeat (length of [inventory_items v])
if <(item (counter) of [inventory_items v]) = (item_name)> then
set [found_item v] to [true]
set [existing_quantity v] to (item (counter) of [inventory_quantities v])
replace item (counter) of [inventory_quantities v] with ((existing_quantity) + (amount))
stop [this script v]
end
end

// If item doesn't exist, add new entry
if <(found_item) = [false]> then
add (item_name) to [inventory_items v]
add (amount) to [inventory_quantities v]
add [misc] to [inventory_types v] // Default type
end

refresh inventory display

// Custom block: Remove item from inventory
define remove item (item_name) quantity (amount)
repeat (length of [inventory_items v])
if <(item (counter) of [inventory_items v]) = (item_name)> then
set [current_quantity v] to (item (counter) of [inventory_quantities v])

if <(current_quantity) <= (amount)> then
// Remove item completely
delete (counter) of [inventory_items v]
delete (counter) of [inventory_quantities v]
delete (counter) of [inventory_types v]
else
// Reduce quantity
replace item (counter) of [inventory_quantities v] with ((current_quantity) - (amount))
end

refresh inventory display
stop [this script v]
end
end

🎯 Step 6: Item Usage System

Handle item interactions:

    // Handle item usage
when I receive [use_item_1 v]
set [selected_item v] to (item [1] of [inventory_items v])
set [selected_type v] to (item [1] of [inventory_types v])

if <(selected_type) = [consumable]> then
// Use consumable item
if <(selected_item) = [health_potion]> then
change [player_health v] by [25]
remove item (selected_item) quantity [1]
end
else
if <(selected_type) = [weapon]> then
// Equip weapon
set [equipped_weapon v] to (selected_item)
say (join [Equipped ] (selected_item)) for [2] seconds
end
end

This system gives you a completely flexible, clone-based inventory that can handle hundreds of items efficiently! The key is using lists to store data and clones just for display. 🎮

IM

InventoryMaster_Dev

Replied 1 hour later

@UIArchitect_Pro This is EXACTLY what I was looking for! 🤩

The list-based approach is brilliant - I was overthinking it by trying to store everything in the clones themselves. Using lists for data and clones just for display makes so much more sense!

I’m implementing this right now. The scrolling system is perfect for my RPG. Thank you so much! 🙏

GD

GameDesigner_Maya

Replied 2 hours later

Love this solution! 💪 One tip I’d add: consider using a “dirty flag” system to avoid refreshing the display unnecessarily.

Set a variable like inventory_changed to true when items are added/removed, then only refresh the display when needed. This can really help with performance in larger inventories!

Also, you can add item tooltips by detecting when the mouse hovers over a clone for a certain time. Great for showing item descriptions! 📝

VB

Vibelf_Community

Pinned Message • Moderator

🎒 Advanced Inventory Systems

Excellent discussion! For those building complex inventory systems, our tutors can help you implement:

  • 🔄 Drag-and-drop functionality
  • 📊 Item sorting and filtering
  • 💾 Save/load inventory data
  • 🎨 Custom UI animations
  • ⚡ Performance optimization

📚 Related Topics

Ready to create professional-grade inventory systems? Get personalized guidance from our UI experts!