Well I think the restriction of 10 overlays is really quite harsh and I'd like to request that it be upped. A value of 100 I think would solve most problems, but I think a value of 1000 would be a fair number.
Still, I wonder...why do these restrictions exist? Even if arrays are being statically defined...why can these not be part of a game's settings?
while I'm on the subject of graphic overlays, will they support alpha channels in the next version? I'm really looking forward to that. Right now I'm trying to use characters as overlays but that has it's own issues.
Well, of course, 100 overlays would make the game run like a tortoise...
If they're static (in AGS) then they can't also be dynamically part of the game settings.
Anyway, I guess more overlays would be reasonable even though I never use them myself. You can use GUIs or even characters for the additional overlays if you must.
QuoteWell, of course, 100 overlays would make the game run like a tortoise...
People regularly have many more than 10 objects on the screen in the form of objects, characters, etc. I don't see why on a 3 GHz machine with an nvidia graphics card I should have a problem displaying 100 tiny image files on the screen. And also increasing the maximum number does not mean anyone would be using 100 all the time if ever.
QuoteIf they're static (in AGS) then they can't also be dynamically part of the game settings.
The game is compiled when you hit the test button. Therefore there's no reason why a constant to be compiled in that code could not be set by the user before compiling.
QuoteAnyway, I guess more overlays would be reasonable even though I never use them myself. You can use GUIs or even characters for the additional overlays if you must.
Maybe if you used them yourself you'd start running into the cap and realize that it's not nice to always be coming up with creative and more difficult implementations to simple problems. Shouldn't the cap be set at a level well beyond regular use? 10 is such a small number.
Quote from: stuh505 on Thu 10/03/2005 15:01:23
QuoteWell, of course, 100 overlays would make the game run like a tortoise...
I don't see why on a 3 GHz machine with an nvidia graphics card I should have a problem displaying 100 tiny image files on the screen.
Well, i often run ags games on my laptop, that's like, 500mhz with a 16mb graphics card or something ¬¬ i'm sure there are other end users with similar specs. Heck, my main pc is only 2.6 GHz. :p
I guess this is to do with the fact that overlays were never really designed as getting much use -- the thought was that normally you'd use an object or a GUI if you needed something on the screen, and that you'd only use an Overlay in very limited circumstances.
I guess I just like to make a lot of user interfaces that don't rely on static regions filled with statically located objects. Anyway, it seems that increasing the number could allow for more complicated on-screen effects that aren't local to a specific rooms.
QuotePeople regularly have many more than 10 objects on the screen in the form of objects, characters, etc.
Isn't the limit of all such things displayed (objects and characters and whatnot) about 50 something?
At any rate, though I don't use them all that much either, 10 does seem like a small number. I wouldn't say "100", but maybe "20"? Surely 20 should be enough, what with the GUIs and the RawDraw functions and whatnot.
I use overlays a lot, but so far I don't have the problem with the limit.
Moreover, it's not fair to assume people playing your games have a 3GHz monster.
Maybe it's reasonable to increase the limit to somewhere like 20, but 100 or even 1000 is quite ridiculous.
I agree with Gilbot here, I've got a rockin comp. that could handle it easily, but not everybody does, im thinking that 20 would be great..but no more
Guis don't have to have static regions, if this is for your NWN GUI I'd suggest using the gui system. You can move around buttons in script, and if you want to hide buttons just move them off the visible area of the gui. I built a sims style GUI this way, unfortunately I have lost it... but it was much easier that using overlays would have been.
Your NWN GUI, which I assume this is for, sounds kind of similar, but has a sub gui folowing the same principal. I'd look at the actual GUI system before trying something more complicated, it's probably more than capable of doing what you want.
I don't think more overlays is the best solution to it even if you couldn't do it with the gui system, a few more drawing functions would be nice, and I don't mean rawdraw... functions that only draw on the current frame, like game maker has. Actually I have made a plugin that allows you to do this (someone is making a game that needs it) but it crashes currently... I'll take another look at it.
Quote from: Gilbot V7000a on Fri 11/03/2005 02:53:36
Maybe it's reasonable to increase the limit to somewhere like 20, but 100 or even 1000 is quite ridiculous.
I'm using overlays to shown text in my game (just for the intro). I don't know if that's the best way to do that. Since i'm using overlays i'm also limited to 10. Icreasing the limit to 20 overlays sounds good.
There's no technical reason why I can't increase the number of overlays -- I guess the limit is really to make people stop and think if they're going about it the right way.
Anyway, I think increasing it to 20 is a reasonable request, so I'll do that.
thanks for the tip, scotch -- I didn't realize GUI buttons could be moved around like that
I seem to recall somethign about GUI buttons not allowing alpha channels or transparency, though...which would pretty much rule that option out since the orbs are intended to be circular and semi-transparent
I'm not at home now so I can't check up on that...maybe I'm wrong
I've noticed that if you use a GUI background image without a background layer (i.e. a png), the GUI Buttons on this GUI are drawn with an alpha-channel.
The GUI background itself can have an alpha channel, but individual buttons cannot.
I beg to differ (http://www.strazer.net/ags/demo_alphbutt.zip). (AGS v2.7 RC2)
Edit:
To clarify what I mean:
When you create a png, the default layer is called "Background". Now add another layer and delete the background layer. If you use this png as your GUI background, buttons on this GUI are drawn with an alpha-channel (everything in 32-bit of course).
Yes, but the GUI's background image is used to determine the alpha translucency of any controls on the GUI, so if you use a 32-bit RGBA image for a GUI button the alpha channel will be picked up from the GUI background rather than the button image.
It's all a bit confusing and not necessarily what you'd expect, I guess.
You're right of course. Only alpha-channelled images on controls will be displayed, everything else (even button text) will be completely transparent.
Lol...honestly, I wish that there were not all these crazy workarounds...so that I could just give up and say it's not possible instead of wading through ugly code
Well, it's been increased to 20 in 2.7 RC3.
Thanks Chris :)
btw, is there a link somewhere to the list of features we'll see in 2.7?
Just read the first post of the Beta thread.