Overlays - How much is too much and how do we get around that? [Solved]

[ShiverMeSideways]

Hello!

So, I've started working on something, and I'm displaying everything via Overlays, because they allow me to draw as well as remove sprites from the screen (while from what I gather, the "DrawSurface" functions do not).

However, I'm frequently running into the "too many overlays" error.

I have two questions:
* What is the max value of displayable overlays - what's the limit?
* Is there any way to make this limit bigger?

This is a major issue, because I want to base the entire game on the Overlays, to display monsters, power-ups, and bullets. If 15's the limit, then I might have a serious problem.

Thanks in advance!

[Khris]

Not sure about the max number of Overlays, but you need to ditch them right now anyway.

Games like these always use raw drawing; and while you can't remove a single object (not even move it), what you do instead is redraw the entire screen every frame.
(That's the same technique AGS uses to display the game screen, btw. And every other game out there.)

According to this: http://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/manual/System%20limits.htm the limit is 20 overlays.
IIRC, lucasarts speech and similar stuff is included in that number and will further decrease the limit at a given time.

[Ghost]

I remember bicilotti running into similar problems during Colourwise- maybe he's got a few tips into the right direction, too.

[Wyz]

Oh come on Dan, I've explained all this to you once.
Do what Khris says.
I usually take the background drawing surface, and for every frame  first draw the backdrop on it and then whatever sprite needs to be on it. If your drawing functions are fast enough it will look just fine.

[ShiverMeSideways]

Not sure about the max number of Overlays, but you need to ditch them right now anyway.

Games like these always use raw drawing; and while you can't remove a single object (not even move it), what you do instead is redraw the entire screen every frame.
(That's the same technique AGS uses to display the game screen, btw. And every other game out there.)

According to this: http://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/manual/System%20limits.htm the limit is 20 overlays.
IIRC, lucasarts speech and similar stuff is included in that number and will further decrease the limit at a given time.

Yes, you're right!

Oh come on Dan, I've explained all this to you once.

I'm a thick-skulled poo-poo head, but you know this already

Do what Khris says.
I usually take the background drawing surface, and for every frame  first draw the backdrop on it and then whatever sprite needs to be on it. If your drawing functions are fast enough it will look just fine.

Ok, you're both right!

Indeed, I tried it this way and it worked. Why did I lose so many hours today trying to work with overlays when I can just do this? Well, the answer is written above...

I remember bicilotti running into similar problems during Colourwise- maybe he's got a few tips into the right direction, too.

I'll pester him if I need his help, thanks.


So, a huge thank you to you guys, you really helped me out, now it works, and, surprisingly, there's no lag, at least for now, when I have 50 billion things on the screen, we'll see The problem is solved for now!