Questions about graphics formats and restrictions

[Gambit37]

I've been thinking a little about a future project involving re-designing the interface for RTC, and have a few questions.

1) I know that you previously said that interface graphics can be replaced, but that their positions couldn't change. Will this be possible in the final version?

2) Can graphic elements be made to 'join up'? For example, could different background graphics for each characters portrait/hand location be created that appear to make a seamless background across the top of the interface?

3) Are any of the elements created dynamically (such as the health bars and inverse options on the turquoise menus), or can everything be replaced using bitmaps? If not, can the colours of these elements be changed?

4) Can a background image be displayed behind the entire interface (where it's black) - such as a textured background (a la DMJava)

5) Can the mouse pointer be changed to something full colour?

6) Can the brown buttons and the grey/brown panel on save/load screens be changed?

[George Gilbert]

Briefly:

1) Specifically no; it's easy to do but too un-DM for me.

2) Not entirely sure what you mean, but I think yes.

3) Yes, stats bars are hardcoded flat colours, "greyed" options are just the originals but 50% darker. Movement arrows however have two sets of bitmaps (original and inverse) for each button.

4) No, but it's easy to implement (but it will drain the frame rate).

5) Definitely yes - its just a bitmap

6) Yes, as above, it's just a bitmap.

[Gambit37]

What I meant with number (2) refers to the grey box behind the champions' portrait/hands/health bar area at the top of the screen.

Is it possible for each of those grey boxes to be different graphics, and for the graphics to fill up the black areas in between, so that it appears that the champion panel is one long display? That's really what I meant!

[George Gilbert]

Ahh - I see. Currently no, but you could fudge it by setting those grey boxes to be completely transparent, and then having a background image with the appropriate regions filled in how you want it.
<i>Edited by: <A HREF=http://pub50.ezboard.com/ugeorgegilbert ... =EN>George Gilbert</A> at: 8/15/01 4:55:58 pm
</i>

[beowuuf]

Siiiince it was Gambit who brought this topic up (nice to see you back posting..hello : ) ) then I just wanted to mention something that was in the back of my mind - dynamic redrawing of the interface.

I might have misunderstood, but you said the wall/floor/ceiling graphics for each level are defined as:

wall = wall1.bmp
ceiling = ceing3.bmp

etc now, yes?

In that case, could the interface be defineted similarly per level

background = whatever.bmp, with a delault black colour if no bitmap given
button set = button folder
champion carrying set = champion folder

It might be nice for atmosphere to have the interface subtley change as the party progresses..it would be an effect that might not be noticed for a few levels...going down into a dungeon each interfece set has been drawn slightly darker to give a more oppressive feel, maybe slightly fiery reds introduced if going into the heart of a volcano (a la DM)
Walking into ice caves suddenly ithe interface reflects the surroundings with bitmaps using more blues and sheen effects, and so on.

Just a thought...would the initial concept of defining interface graphics level by level be a problem?

[Gambit37]

Hi Beowuuf again... I haven't actually been away that long. In real terms it's only a few weeks, but I missed out on tsting v0.11 as I was working hard on rebuilding the core template for my website (so that it now targets version 5 browsers and above and prints correctly). It's gone through six (!) redesigns and about twice the amount of HTML and CSS re-codings to get to something I'm happy with! Then I went on holiday for 10 days to France - snails look mighty fine this time of year. Anyway, nice to be back and to see that everything RTC is still thriving nicely!

I've just downloaded v0.12 and have been 'avin a good go at it... found a few bugs, but generally seems a very stable version. I feel we are close to the holy grail... which can only be a good thing. Although I have stopped work for the time being on a graphics enhancement to RTC, it's my next project after both v1.0 are available and my Dungeon Master Codex website is up and running... hope you're all well! I'm off to slay a few screamers...

[cowsmanaut]

ok again I dip in my toes and test the waters...

I have an image here of a revised interface image. What fcan and cannot be done from what I have here... and what that can not be done are you willing to put in?

<a href="http://chaos.zpc.cz/art/interface.jpg"> ... ace.jpg</a>

[George Gilbert]

Briefly, from that image:

Can now
- fountain image

Will in future
- walls, floor, ceiling, mouse-hand, apple, spellbook, empty-hand, movement arrows, spell selector, spell runes, character summary backgrounds

Not sure in future:
- variable shading of stats bars
- variable shading of party icons (single shade can be, and is, done now - the colours are added on the fly to a single shade bitmap)
- variable shading of spell caster selector

The issue here is the variable shading (obviously). At the moment RTC takes single colour bitmaps and fills in portions of it with specific colours depending on what cheracter it refers too; not sure how to get round this one...

[cowsmanaut]

well a number of ways..

1. placing overtop an image that goes from white to black overtop of the statbars and give it a 1/4 visible translucency.

2. Provide bitmaps (for statbars) and the draw over it with black when it goes down.

3. provide 4 bitmaps of variable colours for the weapons icons.

this is just off the top of my head

[cowsmanaut]

I also just sent you an email about an Idea.. but it's a secret so you'll need to go read..