PLUGIN: agsCreditz v1.1 (v2.0 Beta available)

[AJA]

Hello, fellow AGSers!

Here's the first plugin for AGS that I've ever released. The experimental credits plugin. But it's a start. It's quite easy to use and so on. But the text can't currently be centered and there are no amazing special effects. Just simple text which is scrolled from the bottom of the screen to the top of the screen. It was just a test! Please, don't make fun of me...

Download v1.1 (No test game)
Mirror (Thanks Neole!)

It's maybe still a bit buggy, but this way the bugs will be more easilly spotted. So, report right away if you find a bug! The test game will be released separately later, because it's quite buggy at the moment. I'll post the changes list separately...

-EDIT-

agsCreditz 2.0 Beta 1 has been released.

Tell me what you think!

[Pumaman]

Good work!

[Spyros]

That's really good. Congratulations!!!

[Scorpiorus]

Has tried and it really good. Nice work!

-Cheers

[AJA]

Wow... thanks...
I thought no one would like it...

Oh, and btw, I made it with Delphi, if you haven't checked the example game... Thanks, a-v-o!

[Neole]

Aja, this souds great! What I needed for my game. But I'm wondering, does it do this in hi-color, fade images in and out while the text scrolls -

(Dorcan made a function for me, and it works fine in 256 colors, but not in hi-color)

[AJA]

This Plugin works in Hi-color. So, this Dorcan's text scroll demo fades the background or what?

[Neole]

Aja, I wanted the sprites to fade in and out without scrolling while the credits scroll cos I thought thwy would look cool that way, and Dorcan managed it. Only it works in lo color. Here's the test game -

http://www.2dadventure.com/ags/Text_Scroll_TestGame.zip

[Trapezoid]

Yeah, awsome pluggy. I'm a bit sad though, I spent so many hundreds of hours on my credits method and suddenly everyone else comes out with their own.  :'(

[a-v-o]

Aja, I wanted the sprites to fade in and out without scrolling while the credits scroll cos I thought thwy would look cool that way, and Dorcan managed it. Only it works in lo color.

Maybe you can use a combination of AJA's plugin for the scrolling credits and my flashlight plugin for the fade in/out.

If credits and background don't overlap then there should be no problem. If they do overlap then it depends on which plugin will be executed first. If the credits are painted before the fading then they will also fade.

I think, I gonna check it and edit this post later to tell what I found out.

Here's the result:
I used AJA's demo game and converted it into hicolor. Then I used the flashlight plugin and implemented the fade-in/out script lines. And really, the background fades in and out while the credits are still in the same color. So both plugins can be used together to get the effect

The flashlight plugin is called before the GUIs and text/speech is drawn; the credits plugin is called after all is drawn (that's why the credits scroll over e.g. GUIs).

[rodekill]

Perfecto. Thanks a lot!  

[AJA]

Alright... new version of agsCreditz is here! And it's v1.0...
Now all the credits should scroll nicely in 320x2*0 and 640x4*0. So, there's no changes except that the ScrollCredits function has one new parameter (check the readme). Notify me if you can find bugs.

[MadReizka]

How in the h**l I get the plugins to work? Its allways that "blah blah pluginname.dll is missing and blah blah, wont work"

Do I have to do something special?

[AJA]

Make sure that the plugin file (ags*.dll) is located in the AGS's folder.

The original (with demo game) zips by me should be extracted directly to AGS's folder. The dll will be extracted there and the demo game into a sub folder.

[AJA]

agsCreditz v1.1 has now been released. Check the first post!

Here's the complete changes list (at least the bit I remembered of the new things):
- Static credits feature: SetStaticCredit, GetStaticCredit,
  SetStaticCreditTitle, GetStaticCreditTitle, StartEndStaticCredits,
  GetCurrentStaticCredit, SetDefaultStaticDelay, SetStaticPause,
  ShowStaticCredit, StaticReset, SetStaticCreditImage, IsStaticCreditsFinished
- New functions for scrolling credits: SetEmptyLineHeight, GetEmptyLineHeight
- Scrolling credits: IsFinished changed to IsCreditScrollingFinished
- Scrolling credits: Changes in parameters of SetCredit, ScrollCredits
- Scrolling credits: Working centering
- Scrolling credits: Movie ending styled credits - thanks to terranRICH!
- Outline generator
- Static credits: Special settings for ShowStaticCredit
- Properties window including functions, examples and more
- Completely new test game

[Dr Snark]

---------------------------
Illegal exception
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An exception 0xC0000005 occured in ACWIN.EXE at EIP = 0x0040D2CB ; program pointer is +5, ACI version 2.56.612, gtags (0,0)

AGS cannot continue, this exception was fatal. Please note down the numbers above, remember what you were doing at the time and notify CJ on the Tech forum.



Most versions of Windows allow you to press Ctrl+C now to copy this entire message to the clipboard for easy reporting.
---------------------------
OK  
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I get this Error when i use 2.65 Final, but not the Pre-release

YES THIS IS FROM AGS Creditz!

[Reno Caspain]

How does the ScrollCredit function work? I've tried copying it's name from the readme, but it still gives Unidentified Token error. Otherwise plugin works, because it finds the SetCredit function.

[Scorpiorus]

There is a typo in the manual, the name is ScrollCredits(...)

~Cheers

[AJA]

Sorry about the typo

Anyway, here it is finally! The beta version of agsCreditz 2.0...

It SHOULD be capable of doing everything that v1.1 was able to do. No test game. I'll start working on that when I have time. The help file is not completely up to date. The special credit styles are not in the manual, but they are in the plugin ("<>", "<.>" and "<#>").

I'd appreciate it if someone wants to do some beta testing. If you have any suggestions to be added to agsCreditz 2.0, please let me know.

Download v2.0 Beta 1 (No test game)
Mirror (Thanks Neole!)

Edit:

Bugs found in this version:
-Crashes if a static credit or a static credit title is empty (possibly with empty scrolling credits also)

Edit 2:

Okay, since nobody hasn't reported any more bugs, I guess I'll just try to finish the final 2.0 during this week (possibly before the weekend unless I'm playing with Linux ). This is useless... So, no-one really doesn't have any comments? Or suggestions? Mad_Reizka's thread is also quite empty in the critics lounge. Is this some kind of a "we hate Finns" month? Or "we hate Dima Software"? 

[Scorpiorus]

No, I think it's just because people haven't yet fiddled enough with the new version of the plugin. I'm sure somebody will have suggestion/comment as soon as they get to thier credit scene.

Nice work AJA!

~Cheers

[Kelly]

I loved the old Creditz plugin and am looking forward to getting my grubby little hands on the new version for the latest build of AGS.

My game is finished and all I need are some nifty scrolling credits to add icing to the cake.

As it stands now, I am helpless to get the 2.0 beta build of Creditz to work. I need an example game to see what I'm supposed to do to make it work ;-)

Please keep up the great work AJA and deliver more plug-in goodness to us!  

[AJA]

Thanks.

Here's what you need to do:
1. Set the credits
2. Set the settings
3. Run the sequence

//void SetCredit (int sequence, int line, string credit, int x_pos, int font, int colour);

SetCredit(1,1,"Made by Kelly",-1,1,15);

//This will set a centered credit to sequence 1 to line 1 using font 1 and colour 15 (=white).

//void SequenceSettings (int sequence, int startpoint, int endpoint, int speed, int automatic, int endwait);

SequenceSettings(1,0,0,1,1,0);

//The sequence start and end points will be calculated automatically when "automatic" is 1

//void RunCreditSequence (int sequence);

RunCreditSequence(1);

//Runs credit sequence 1

I hope this helps.  ;)

[TerranRich]

Ah, two things I noticed about the new help file...

You didn't mention the "<>" feature of having movie-style ending credits.

Also, did you change the SetCredit() function to exclude "GenerateOutline"?

I haven't noticed anything else that would've been useful that was changed/taken away.

[AJA]

Ah, two things I noticed about the new help file...

You didn't mention the "<>" feature of having movie-style ending credits.

Yes, because the help file isn't compeletely finished. But the feature is still there.
I might have changed it a bit, but I'm not sure (<> and <.> should work as before)

Also, did you change the SetCredit() function to exclude "GenerateOutline"?

Yes, I took that away because AGS is now able to generate the outlines for fonts that don't have them. Do you think it should still be there?

[Pumaman]

Auto-outlining is supported for both TTF and SCI fonts.

[Ishmael]

I came upon something with the newest version... AGS claims it is version 2.0.1.1.

I have the Viner Hand ITC font thingy used in my game, I have it outlined, and it scrolls from the bottom of the screen upwards. The F letter, which goes way below the others I've used, leaves behind a black stripe. I don't screenshots to provied yet, but it's something like this:

Dima Software
Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã, |

if you catch me drift...

[AJA]

Just blame the font system of AGS.

I'll do something about it... if I get interested.

[Ishmael]

Okay.

I have a suggestion: The ability to fade out the credits...

SequenceSettings (int sequence, int startpoint, int endpoint, int speed, int automatic, int endwait, int fadespeed);

...and if fadespeed is 0, for ex, the credits don't fade, they just disappear, but if it's above 0, the credits fade away, bigger number - longer time style.

Any change?

[m0ds]

Sorry about this. My line of code:

SetCredit(1, 1, "DOFJSND", -1, 3, 15);

(Dima software version)

Is giving me a "cannot convert const string to string" error. What can I do to correct this?

Many thanks

Nevermind, sorry - using SSH's module now, which works for me.