Character shadow

[Scorpiorus]

Question: HOw can I create a walkbehind just for the shadow? There are two other characters on this screen

Actually the walkbehind area doesn't affect any other characters. Look in the template game: the baseline of the walkbehind is set to 4 (or something about) so it's top of the screen. The shadow's baseline is set to 1. Therefore althought the walkbehind hides the shadow it doesn't hide any other character walking at the area near the wall.

and three other walkbehinds.

You mean they cross that walkbehind? Looking at the background I can't see any other possible walkbehinds could cross the one for the shadow.

-Cheers

[SSH]

and three other walkbehinds.

You mean they cross that walkbehind? Looking at the background I can't see any other possible walkbehinds could cross the one for the shadow.

Even if there were, you could maybe work-around it by making the thing that you were walking behind an object rather than part of the background.

On the other hand, in theory it might be useful to have overlapping walk-behinds, given that they can have different baselines. Maybe it's one to add to the list of enhacement requests...

[Vel]

Nevermind, I figured it out.

[SLaMgRInDeR]

why not just make it into new views for the character rather than having a new character, and tell it to change the characters view?
(   (   ( <( -_-)> )   )   )

[Scorpiorus]

Even if there were, you could maybe work-around it by making the thing that you were walking behind an object rather than part of the background.

yep, having a character or an object instead of walkbehind helps so that's actually not a problem.

On the other hand, in theory it might be useful to have overlapping walk-behinds, given that they can have different baselines. Maybe it's one to add to the list of enhacement requests...

I think it's not so easy meaning technical side as at present AGS uses one mask for all walkbehind areas by means of drawing it with different colors.
Ability to change (load) masks for one room was suggested recently. But it still would use one bitmap. EDIT: if it's not it would be cool...

why not just make it into new views for the character rather than having a new character, and tell it to change the characters view?

There are at least two reasons why not:
1) The baseline of the character needs to be adjusted then. Well for cutscene it's not a big problem but we may want to use the same technique later on in the game maybe.
2) We need to draw tall sprites and in any case will be unable to change the distance between the character and the shadow.


EDIT: btw, it just occured to me that in fact it maybe even isn't needed to have overlapping walk-behinds. just can't imagine the situation in which it could be used.


-Cheers

[Snake]

...just make a character being the ground and draw the shadows and put them in the view loops (like you put walkcycle pics in the views) and then manipulate from there...

lol, Vel. That's actually someting like I would have done before I would have been arsed to figure out the code I would have made the screen a big object or character and just animated it ...heh.


--Snake