How to do scene\short movie

[PaladinOfHonor]

Hail ,

I come to a problem - I want to the a prolog as a movie (of 16-bit of course) in the program but i had no idea for how to do so.

I thought that I can do many areas and going them one to another but its kinda pathetic because it will take years...

heeelpp  

[bspeers100]

I don't quite understand the question.  Why would anything in particular take years in AGS?

If you want to make a scene with moving characters, just create some characters, create a backdrop, place the characters in the room, and use the many MoveCharacter and Display commands.

If you want it letterboxed, either check that option in the game setup, or create backdrops with large black borders.

If you want to use multiple camera angles, either draw multiple angles of your characters and scenes, or import a video file that you have created in some other program.  AGS supports several video formats, all of which are listed in the manual.

The rest should be liftable from the manual as well.

Otherwise, we probably need a more clear description of your problem.

Good luck!

[PaladinOfHonor]

I don't quite understand the question.  Why would anything in particular take years in AGS?

If you want to make a scene with moving characters, just create some characters, create a backdrop, place the characters in the room, and use the many MoveCharacter and Display commands.

If you want it letterboxed, either check that option in the game setup, or create backdrops with large black borders.

If you want to use multiple camera angles, either draw multiple angles of your characters and scenes, or import a video file that you have created in some other program.  AGS supports several video formats, all of which are listed in the manual.

The rest should be liftable from the manual as well.

Otherwise, we probably need a more clear description of your problem.

Good luck!

Its not realy what I mean...

Example - You played Monkey Island ?
So when you start the game thers a movie that we see him in his "boat" ...

I mean something like this... a prolog ^^

[Isegrim]

There's the PlayVideo() function built in.
Make an .avi or .mpg file, place it in the \compiled folder, add the PlayVideo() and there you go!

P.S: RTFM!

[PaladinOfHonor]

There's the PlayVideo() function built in.
Make an .avi or .mpg file, place it in the \compiled folder, add the PlayVideo() and there you go!

P.S: RTFM!

:o

You'r talking in AGS lanuage...

I understood that I need to do a movie in avi and put it in the right folder , but I dont realy understand how to put it in the game and etc...

Well , ther are some menuals if I dont wrong but I search for something...  

[Isegrim]

Alright I'll try to talk in English :

You need to do some scripting for this (if you are not too deep into scripting, I suggest the tutorials in the game manual)
So...
There is a script function "PlayVideo (string filename, int skip, int flags)"
where "string filename" is to be replaced with the name of your video (the name must be set in quotation marks, since it is a text string.
"int skip" and "int flags" are to be replaced by numbers which you choose to your liking. See the help file again, there is a list of all flags.
So the desired command will be something like:

PlayVideo("vid1.avi",0,0);

As I said, it's just RTFM  

but I search for something...  

Do the tutorials. They will provide you with the most necessary information. Later when you search for something, I find it very helpful just to browse through the index. It is very likely that your eyes will catch necessary commands or functions just while browsing.

P.S. Sorry my first reply wasn't very helpful  :

[PaladinOfHonor]

Alright I'll try to talk in English :

You need to do some scripting for this (if you are not too deep into scripting, I suggest the tutorials in the game manual)
So...
There is a script function "PlayVideo (string filename, int skip, int flags)"
where "string filename" is to be replaced with the name of your video (the name must be set in quotation marks, since it is a text string.
"int skip" and "int flags" are to be replaced by numbers which you choose to your liking. See the help file again, there is a list of all flags.
So the desired command will be something like:

PlayVideo("vid1.avi",0,0);

As I said, it's just RTFM  

but I search for something...  

Do the tutorials. They will provide you with the most necessary information. Later when you search for something, I find it very helpful just to browse through the index. It is very likely that your eyes will catch necessary commands or functions just while browsing.

P.S. Sorry my first reply wasn't very helpful  :

Ther are too much of menuals  :o

A link could help ^^

And I kinda understand now what I need to do...

But again , if thers more explenation Ill be happy for link

<by the way , I paint my first char in my game [in the "paint" program ^^]>

[Isegrim]

Try the AGS help that comes with the editor. Contains everything you need and useful tutorials, too.
But, I'm afraid to say, it's of course all in English  

[PaladinOfHonor]

Try the AGS help that comes with the editor. Contains everything you need and useful tutorials, too.
But, I'm afraid to say, it's of course all in English  

Ill try this  8)

[Scuzling]

i was just wondering what RTFM means, ive seen is used quite a bit in the forums

[Isegrim]

RTFM stands for Read The F***ing Manual  

[Paranoia]

if you use AVI's watch the file size, you can easily end up with a huge file! i;ve done a short game which has cut scenes, sounds at one point the compiled game was over 20meg!

[LOGAN]

if you use AVI's watch the file size, you can easily end up with a huge file! i;ve done a short game which has cut scenes, sounds at one point the compiled game was over 20meg!

Well, I guess you created a CD-ROM game

I think if the cutscenes are woth it it's no problem.

http://www.albartus.com/motas/ could use some cutscenes, heh.

Good luck

[Isegrim]

Use DIVX-compression. Really tweaks down file sizes.

[Scummbuddy]

I really don't understand why you just wouldn't script this like said in the first reply?

What bspeers said is all that you need.  The Prologue like in Monkey Island, which had nothing to do with a boat until you see LeChuck in his boat, could all be done with what bspeers said.

[Ishmael]

Just a matter of scripting, as I believe that all the cuscenes in Monkey Island (teh first ) were just like scripted cutscenes in ags games. It's not difficult to script an intro, you just need to know the scripting basics (where goes what, what comes after what etc ) and the commands, which all are found in the manual.

[PaladinOfHonor]

Just a matter of scripting, as I believe that all the cuscenes in Monkey Island (teh first ) were just like scripted cutscenes in ags games. It's not difficult to script an intro, you just need to know the scripting basics (where goes what, what comes after what etc ) and the commands, which all are found in the manual.

And if I dont know ?  :'(

I do know the basics , I red (its the passive of read ?) the first tuturial in the game , but its very short and it doesnt cover all the scripts...

Could you give me an example for how to do short intro ?

<I also didnt get what sbeep said ... how can I move characters without using the mouse ?!>

[Scummbuddy]

Please people.  Read the "Please Read First" posts.  There is one that has Chris Jones beginners tutorial which covers making your cutscenes easily.  In fact, it is also in your manual.
Here is the quick link to the tutorial, but I highly recommend, actually, I enforce you to read all 8 pages or so.
http://www.agsforums.com/acintro7.htm

One of you English grammar questions regaurded the word "read"  which is for both past tense and present tense... I know, its really weird.  I actually hate our 'rules' if you can call them that. You only say "red" when you are talking about the color.

[PaladinOfHonor]

Please people.  Read the "Please Read First" posts.  There is one that has Chris Jones beginners tutorial which covers making your cutscenes easily.  In fact, it is also in your manual.
Here is the quick link to the tutorial, but I highly recommend, actually, I enforce you to read all 8 pages or so.
http://www.agsforums.com/acintro7.htm

One of you English grammar questions regaurded the word "read"  which is for both past tense and present tense... I know, its really weird.  I actually hate our 'rules' if you can call them that. You only say "red" when you are talking about the color.

I already r~e~a~d (now I know what to say to my teacher) that menual.
Right now (waw ! Im doing my own sentance !) im reading the menual.
Before some minutes I read the menual , and thers no explenation for how to do intro (or cutscene) , I just understand that somehow you can do the character picking up things while he bending down.

mmmmmm

That didnt cover what I need  

[Isegrim]

Did you look just a little farther down? There comes all the stuff with moving the character around etc.
Besides: The only way you can REALLY ever learn to master such a software like AGS is just plain "try and error"...
So... just experiment with commands and see what they do and how they work.