AGS 3.0.1 Final 2 - Queen's English Edition

[Gilbert]

In fact, for me, these aren't new artifacts. As I'm not using English Window$, the texts were never displayed correctly for me since the first window$ version of the editor.

[subspark]

Is that right! :o Gee I hope we get this artifact stuff fixed sooner rather than later.
What language do you use, Gilbot?

Cheers,
Paul.

[Gilbert]

Chinese, but I wouldn't care about these minor glitches unless they prevent me to use some of the features.

[lemmy101]

One thing? Has anything changed that might influence the AGSPlugin call to DrawText()? I've got this code:

   GetAGS()->DrawText(x, y, 0, 58136, (char*)szString);

It doesn't seem to be drawing anything on the POSTSCREENDRAW event any more.

Are you talking about something specific to beta 4, or a change from 2.72?

Hi CJ. It worked fine in beta 3 (not sure about 3a) so is a recent thing.

Thanks!

lemmy

[subspark]

Chinese, but I wouldn't care about these minor glitches unless they prevent me to use some of the features.

Well the reason I posted this is because it actually disrupts my work-flow. If you look at my image properly you'll notice that the view/animation previews are barely visible and the radial buttons that are supposed to be on the right hand side of the dialog system are not visible. While I would LOVE to see all these ugly interface glitches cleared up someday, I believe that now is the time to correct the ones that disrupt our development pipeline.

Cheers,
Paul.

[SSH]

This zip contains SCMs dumped from 2.72 and 3.01 of the same module. The 3.01 one gives an error on importing into 2.72, although it actually loads OK. A quick look at them shows they are nearly identical except I think the 2.72 one has an extra 32-bit integer right at the end that the 3.01 one doesn't.

Hmm I'm not really sure which files are which here, the contents of the zip is a bit confusing. I imported both the .SCM files without errors into 2.72 -- could you clarify which is the faulty file?

oops, I pointed you at the wrong zip file  :
Try this one: http://ssh.me.uk/dev/scm272and301.zip

[Pumaman]

Listen I know you've already got a lot on your plate but I still have these strange visual artifacts introduced back in the very first version of AGS 2.8. I've put up with it up until now but I feel that my work is being hindered by these visual glitches of the interface.

If you're running your fonts at larger than the standard 96 DPI then these sorts of issues will occur. At the moment, I don't think that the amount of time it would take to fix them all would be worth the hassle, though I will take a look at it.

Hi CJ.  It worked fine in beta 3 (not sure about 3a) so is a recent thing.

I don't think that any behaviour around this has changed in beta 4. Are you using the DX5 driver, because I wouldn't expect DrawText to work with D3D.

oops, I pointed you at the wrong zip file 
Try this one: http://ssh.me.uk/dev/scm272and301.zip

Thanks, I've found the problem. I'm sure I fixed this a while back, but evidently not!

[TheMagician]

* Added Create Voice Acting Script option
* Added back Ctrl+G/Ctrl+H
* Bracket Check now works with opening brackets again

I feel it's time for me to thank you once again for your continued effort with AGS. Thanks a lot, CJ. 

[lemmy101]

Hi CJ.  It worked fine in beta 3 (not sure about 3a) so is a recent thing.

I don't think that any behaviour around this has changed in beta 4. Are you using the DX5 driver, because I wouldn't expect DrawText to work with D3D.

Hmmm no, we have the DX development in a different plugin for now, and AGX is still using the DX5 drivers. I'll have a play see if I can give you more info, but all I can say is it is calling DrawText with a valid string, and an on screen location, in the POSTSCREENDRAW on DX5, and we're not getting any text displayed.

Thanks!

lemmy

[subspark]

I don't think that the amount of time it would take to fix them all would be worth the hassle, though I will take a look at it.

Thanks mate. I very much appreciate it. Although Vista supports any dpi font, 96 and 120 dpi are standards set in XP and support for both would be ideal. People with larger screens and greater resolution tend to use 120 dpi as fonts are remarkably clearer and easier to read.

If it makes any difference, I tried AGS twice on a 96dpi setting and, again, the same issue presents itself. I think it's because AGS doesn't realize the dpi settings have been changed back to 96. The menu bar font is 96 dpi but the contents inside of the editor remain in their 120 dpi appearance.

To be frank and slightly off topic, I honestly don't know how anybody puts up with 96 dpi. I run a resolution of 1280x1024 on my smaller LCD here and its just as minute and unbearable as it is on my 30" Apple Cinema Display running 2560x1600. I challenge any of you to try 120 dpi for a week and see if they can go back. It seems like 96dpi is that magical number thats big enough for the world not to notice and kick a fuss but just that little bit too small for those who have already tried it's larger counterpart. "I really do hate you and your tormenting mind games, Microsoft!"

Cheers,
Paul.

[SSH]

I generally like to have fonts as small as possible to get as much info on the screen as I can without scrolling. Perhaps Paul should make an optician's appointment

[Gilbert]

I'm not sure, even if the display can display up to 2560x1600, should it be able to display 1280x800 too? As the highest resolution an AGS game can have is only 800x600 at the moment. Using the editor with a desktop resolution absurbly high is just an overkill, not to mention the need to use large font size to cater with the resolution. I think it's fair to just change the desktop to 1280x800 with small fonts when the AGS editor is being used.

[Rui 'Trovatore' Pires]

"Check for Updates" didn't tell me of the update from beta 3 to beta 4, is that intentional?

[lemmy101]

Hi, not sure if it's just us, or if it's already been reported, but when we do for e.g.:

cMia.ChangeRoom(12, 100, 100);

it sets her position to 100, 100, and THEN it fades out to change room, which is making all the room transitions look a bit odd at the moment.

Sorry if this has already been reported.

Thanks,

lemmy

[SSH]

I think it was reported here: http://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/yabb/index.php?topic=33352.0 but that was in Beginner's Tech and may have been missed even by the Ceej's omniscience. Looks like 3.0 introduced the problem. Obviously it wouldn't be too hard to:

Code: ags

#define STAYTHERE -1000
int crx=-1000;
int cry=-1000;

function ChangeRoomFixed(this Character *, int room, int x, int y) {
  if (player==this) {
    crx=x; cry=y; this.ChangeRoom(room);
  } else {
    this.ChangeRoom(room, x, y);
  }
}

export ChangeRoomFixed;

function on_event(EventType event) {
  if (event==eEventEnterRoom && crx!=STAYTHERE) {
    player.x=crx;
    player.y=cry;
    crx=STAYTHERE; cry=STAYTHERE;
  }
}

// In header:
import function ChangeRoomFixed(this Character *, int room, int x=STAYTHERE, int y=STAYTHERE);

[SSH]

The AGS 3.0(+) manual is wrong when it says:

Sometimes, you may want to set a variable value that can be shared between a room script and your global script. There are two ways to do this -- you can export the variable from the global script and then import it in the script header, but that's a bit advanced for this tutorial. A simpler way is to use one of the 300 GlobalInts, which use the script functions SetGlobalInt and GetGlobalInt to access them. See their manual descriptions for more information. 

in the tutorial. In fact, this si the only place it really tells you how to export variables rather than  functions.

[subspark]

Using the editor with a desktop resolution absurbly high is just an overkill

I'm sorry but thats a ridiculous statement and one that is unacceptable.
I work IN the games industry with licensed engines such as Unreal 3 and CryEngine 2 and they run fine at the
standard
my 30" display and DX10 GPU is set on. Hell, even MS Paint works in a resolution independent environment. AGS should be no different as to require 'some' users, to change their desktop resolution and dpi configuration every time the editor is launched. I'm sorry but this is more than a backwards approach and a hindrance to users who are equipped with technology to develop for next-gen games and other high-end applications. Why can't people accept that AGS is not just a tool for hobbyists. I mean I hate to burst your bubble like this but not everybody works in Uncle Sam's Retail and runs a VGA card.
Ask yourself, Gilbot, would you alter your resolution every time you launch your email software. Or perhaps you would like to switch to 800x600 and change your mouse speed, and your color depth oh and I don't know disable your firewall. Do you see where this is going?
I know you mean well and I don't at all mean to be offensive but sweeping statements like that really boil my blood, man. 

Paul.

[SSH]

Perhaps if you find AGS "unacceptable" you should use another tool.

[subspark]

What kind of justification is that? 
Please don't twist my words, SSH. What I am asking for is perfectly reasonable.

Paul.

[SSH]

AGS looks fine for me at 1280x1024 and 1440x900 which is probably what most people have. Perhaps it would be reasonable to ask for obscure display sizes to look nicer if CJ had a 50" display like yours to test it on: maybe you'd like to lend him yours?