AGS 2.72 Final 2 - World Cup Edition

[TheMagician]

Thanks for the new version CJ!

1. It seems that the new version screwed all my dialog options. I had a simple test game from beta 3 and loaded it with beta 4. Now all the dialog options say: "Default Option Text" and the ticks for 'show' and 'say' are all removed. Not very nice  :

2. My game has a resolution of 320x240.
I can't get the Hq3x or Nearest Neighbor 3x filters to run.
If I set the filter settings to any one of those two the suggested resolution is 960x720.
If I try to start the game now I get the message that my graphics card can't initialize the resolution 320x200 and the game quits. (GeForce 4 Ti 4200, monitor: TFT with maximum resolution of 1280x1024)
I think 320x200 was never a problem before.

3. Playing without any filters seems fine to me.
Using Hq2x also works nicely without performance drops, but personally I don't like the "smooth" look of it. I think it is meant to be used with higher resolution games, right?

[Privateer Puddin']

Using any of the filters seems to have a problem when I use a timer, everything stops until the timer expires, the screen gets updated with the display but then I can't do anything again (such as cancelling the display)

Might just be the timer updating the screen and the problem with a TintScreen

[Fribbi AGDI joker]

Can you upload a game that demonstrates the problem? I can't replicate this myself.

I use lucasart speech style instead now because there is no problem with that setting, but when I change it to Sierra with background style this problem always happen to me. Instead for seeing just one talking view I see two. The other has animation loops working but the other has no loops. I don't know how I shall let the talk view with no loop animationÃ,  disappear. I think this is because of the new setting in character editor fault.

I am afraid I can't upload my demo now but maybe if you try it with someone else demo you could maybe see that problem.

[TheMagician]

Be careful everyone!

I don't know if it's just me, but after a few test I think that the new version really corrupts all dialog options!
Backup your files!

[Fribbi AGDI joker]

Have you also run in same problem as I have? If you are using lucasart speech style try change it into the sierra with background style and see what happens then.

[edmundito]

Cool thing about the graphic filters, never would have imagined that it would actually happen (I remember someone suggesting it).

What about the graphical speed of AGS, in general? can that be improved? We've all known for a while that it's painfully slow for a 2d graphics engine. I'd rather this gets improved before having more graphical features.

[Pumaman]

Hmm...it seems that StopDialog is still global instead of say...a static Dialog.Stop function?

That's a possibility, yes.

It seems that the new version screwed all my dialog options. I had a simple test game from beta 3 and loaded it with beta 4. Now all the dialog options say: "Default Option Text" and the ticks for 'show' and 'say' are all removed. Not very nice

Strange, has anyone else experienced this? I just tried loading a couple of old games in and didn't get a problem.

2. My game has a resolution of 320x240.
I can't get the Hq3x or Nearest Neighbor 3x filters to run.
If I set the filter settings to any one of those two the suggested resolution is 960x720.
If I try to start the game now I get the message that my graphics card can't initialize the resolution 320x200 and the game quits. (GeForce 4 Ti 4200, monitor: TFT with maximum resolution of 1280x1024)

You probably won't be able to run full-screen with those filters, because it's a strange resolution.

The filters are really meant for when playing in a window, so that you don't have a tiny 320x200 window for the game on a big 1280x1024 desktop. There's very little point in using them if you're playing full-screen.

Using Hq2x also works nicely without performance drops, but personally I don't like the "smooth" look of it. I think it is meant to be used with higher resolution games, right?

Depends on the art style, I think -- it works quite well with cartoony-style graphics, but not so well with photo-realistic type graphics.

Using any of the filters seems to have a problem when I use a timer, everything stops until the timer expires, the screen gets updated with the display but then I can't do anything again (such as cancelling the display)

Might just be the timer updating the screen and the problem with a TintScreen

Ah yes, thanks for spotting this. Filters don't work when TintScreen or FlipScreen is in effect, I'll have to look into this. Actually I didn't realise anyone was usnig TintScreen, I thought it was far too slow to be useful

I use lucasart speech style instead now because there is no problem with that setting, but when I change it to Sierra with background style this problem always happen to me.

So are you saying it has always happened, or is it a new problem with the 2.72 betas?

Have you set a blink view for the character? If so it gets drawn on top of the talking view at various intervals, which can cause strange effects if the images don't line up.

What about the graphical speed of AGS, in general? can that be improved? We've all known for a while that it's painfully slow for a 2d graphics engine. I'd rather this gets improved before having more graphical features.

Is performance still an issue for you? As far as I was aware, it was reasonable now -- at least, I haven't heard people complaining about the perforamnce for a while.

[Fribbi AGDI joker]

So are you saying it has always happened, or is it a new problem with the 2.72 betas?

This is a new problem with 2.72 beta. It happened after I installed the 3thrd version of it.

[TheMagician]

Hi CJ,

well, you may try this game I just created using beta 2.

If I load this game with beta 4 and do nothing else, just load it and have a look at the dialog options right away, all the options are messed up.

Here's the download: LINK

[Fribbi AGDI joker]

Cj  check also on your pm but I have uploaded my demo on that link.

[Privateer Puddin']

It seems that the new version screwed all my dialog options. I had a simple test game from beta 3 and loaded it with beta 4. Now all the dialog options say: "Default Option Text" and the ticks for 'show' and 'say' are all removed. Not very nice

Strange, has anyone else experienced this? I just tried loading a couple of old games in and didn't get a problem.

Yep, they all start using topic 1 and Default Option Text is shown

edit: in which beta did the dialog options become transparent? couldn't see it in the change log and couldn't see a way to pick a background colour

http://www.custardsclutter.com/gfh.PNG also shows the broken dialog kinda

[edmundito]

It's reasonable, yes. But sludge is kicking our butt!

Seriously, though, I don't know if anyone else had problems with mind's eye, but it really shows the graphical limitations of the engine on my computer when you went into the whole dream mode, and I have one of those expensive video cards that can do directx9 effects and run doom3 or whatever.

I just think that the speed is an issue that if it can get it optimized and out of the way, then it should be done. It's cool that it has a lot of features for the creator, but it needs to offer more to the player as well.

[Kweepa]

Wow!
Awesome new features.
I also have the dialog problem (all dialog questions have been overwritten with those from dialog 1).
Also, are there some edge detection options for the hq*x filters? It looks great for most of my artwork but some edges don't get filtered:

You can see the grey lines on the stone aren't smoothed; nor are the darker outlines of Dixie's skin.

[JLM]

Hey, nice to see you are making updates to dialog system!Ã, 

Perhaps we can have some hope now, that the option of "mark read/unread topics" will be implemented, too? :
It would be so useful, because my game can't be made without it...

[SSH]

JLM, there's always ways to do things in AGS with a bit of scripting. Myself and others have made icon-based dialogs, scrolling dialogs, etc. So, don't wait on a particualr feature or you rgame might wait forever: go out and do it yourself!

[JLM]

JLM, there's always ways to do things in AGS with a bit of scripting. Myself and others have made icon-based dialogs, scrolling dialogs, etc. So, don't wait on a particualr feature or you rgame might wait forever: go out and do it yourself!

So there is really some way to do it with scripting?

Because if it's really possible, of course I have to try. I just thought, as my game is a quite big project already now, that it would be nice if the dialogs could be implemented with some easier way than with heavy scripting...

[Snarky]

2. My game has a resolution of 320x240.
I can't get the Hq3x or Nearest Neighbor 3x filters to run.
If I set the filter settings to any one of those two the suggested resolution is 960x720.
If I try to start the game now I get the message that my graphics card can't initialize the resolution 320x200 and the game quits. (GeForce 4 Ti 4200, monitor: TFT with maximum resolution of 1280x1024)
I think 320x200 was never a problem before.

If you have a GeForce card, you can manually add 960x600 and 960x720 to your list of resolutions. Go to 'Display Properties'/Settings/Advanced/GeForce/'Screen Resolutions and Refresh Rates.' There should be a box for "Custom resolutions and refresh rates." Click the "Add" button. (This path may vary depending on your card.)

The driver will give a dire warning about how custom settings can be dangerous and cause your computer to melt down, but I'm pretty sure that only applies to higher resolutions than your card is capable of out of the box. At least, I've had no problems with these resolutions. But don't blame me if you fry your video card or motherboard.

[Snarky]

Also, are there some edge detection options for the hq*x filters? It looks great for most of my artwork but some edges don't get filtered:

You can see the grey lines on the stone aren't smoothed; nor are the darker outlines of Dixie's skin.

I think the hq filters measure the contrast between two adjacent colors. If the difference is greater than some threshold, it's a border and gets a sharp, smooth edge. If it's less than the threshold it's considered part of the same surface and is just blurred mildly.

I don't know if it would be possible to vary the threshold. I suspect that it's more complicated than you'd think, since my explanation is probably a gross over-simplification of how the algorithm actually works.

[Kweepa]

I don't know if it would be possible to vary the threshold. I suspect that it's more complicated than you'd think, since my explanation is probably a gross over-simplification of how the algorithm actually works.

No, it is that simple. RGB is converted to YUV 888, and if (Ydiff > 0x30 || Udiff > 0x07 || Vdiff > 0x06) they are counted as different. So it's just a matter of exposing these threshold values to the game author.

I understand that exposing them adds documentation and support work, and leaves it open to people fiddling with the numbers and then releasing their game without testing it - on the other hand not doing so will mean that people whine about, well, what I'm whining about right now

It would also be good to be able to disable the hq filter option entirely, for games with painted or photographic artwork where it breaks down.

The x2 and x3 options are awesome too. Playing in a window while testing is now much more comfortable. Thanks CJ.

[Pumaman]

This is a new problem with 2.72 beta. It happened after I installed the 3thrd version of it.

Thanks for uploading -- found the problem, it happens if you use RemoveOverlay or SetTextOverlay in a rep_exec_always script while sierra-style speech is displayed -- in your case the OverHotspot module was doing so.

I'll get it fixed.

If I load this game with beta 4 and do nothing else, just load it and have a look at the dialog options right away, all the options are messed up.

Thanks for uploading, I've found the problem, and will upload a fix ASAP because it is quite serious.

DON'T SAVE YOUR GAMES WITH BETA 4!!!

edit: in which beta did the dialog options become transparent? couldn't see it in the change log and couldn't see a way to pick a background colour

Thanks for the bug report -- this sort of glitch is the sort of thing I was expecting due to the filters, so I'll look into it.

Seriously, though, I don't know if anyone else had problems with mind's eye, but it really shows the graphical limitations of the engine on my computer when you went into the whole dream mode, and I have one of those expensive video cards that can do directx9 effects and run doom3 or whatever.

That may just be the fact that modern video cards are optimised for 3D, however. I am investigating whether AGS could be sped up by running under Direct3D, however this is still a long way off.

Also, are there some edge detection options for the hq*x filters? It looks great for most of my artwork but some edges don't get filtered:

As far as I know, the only options are off and on ... I think if the edge is 1 pixel wide it should filter it, but any wider and it won't pick it up. The Hq2x homepage is here: http://www.hiend3d.com/hq2x.html if that helps.