Changing the background

[RadarG]

Hi, everyone.

I'm having problems trying to change the backgroung. I'll explain this.

My game has two playable characters and I want to change the background when I change the characer. The change of the characters is made with GUI so when I click in that GUI the character changes and I want the background to change too.

This is the code I've got

Code: ags

function gGui1_OnClick(GUI *theGui, MouseButton button)
{
cRubber.SetAsPlayer();
cMaggie.StopMoving();
SetBackgroundFrame(0);
}

function gGui2_OnClick(GUI *theGui, MouseButton button)
{
cMaggie.SetAsPlayer();
cRubber.StopMoving();
SetBackgroundFrame(Background 1);
}

But I don't know which is the frame of the second background. When I import the background in the room it appears as "Background 1" and the previous backroung is "Main Background" So which is the frame?

Thank you.

[Crimson Wizard]

E: Ok, since you added script example,

Code: ags

SetBackgroundFrame(1);

0 - it is main background
1 - background 1,
etc.

[RadarG]

Ye sorry, the background I want to change is the room's background

[RadarG]

I put the 0 for main and 1 for second background and it gives me this error

SetBackgroundFrame: Invalid frame number specified




I have 2 backgrounds that's an image of the room

[RadarG]

So that worked, but just in the room that has 2 backgrounds which is logic but when I click in that GUI in another room the error appears. I have assume that is becoause the background changing is set in the GUI script. So is there another way to do it?

Also is there any way that the backgrounds dont change continuosly, I've set the delay at a very high number but doesn't seem to work.

[Crimson Wizard]

Could you elaborate on what are you trying to achieve with this? Perhaps there is an easier way to do what you wanted, without adding multiple backgrounds to every room.

[RadarG]

I dont understand that, what do you mean?

My objective is to change the background when I change the character because the idea of the game is that the characters have diferent points of view.
Like one is older than the other and has a mature view of environment while the other has more childish view, the backgraound should have the possibily to be changed in all the rooms because the player can change in all the rooms the character.

[Crimson Wizard]

I do not remember if that's possible to check if room has enough backgrounds... :-/
Perhaps you will just have to import enough backgrounds everywhere.
Or explicitly specify rooms where you do not want to change backgrounds.

The latter is possible to do with the use of Custom Properties. If you create a custom property for the room called, for example, "MustSwitchBackgrounds", then you can do:

Code: ags

if (GetRoomProperty("MustSwitchBackgrounds") == 1)
    SetBackgroundFrame(1);

To disable animation you need to call SetBackgroundFrame early when the room is loaded, for example in "before fade-in event". Since you have to do this for every room, I suggest writing an "on_event" function in Global Script:

Like:

Code: ags

function on_event (EventType event, int data) 
{
    if (event == eEventEnterRoomBeforeFadein)
    {
        if (player == cMaggie)
            SetBackgroundFrame(1);
    }
}

[RadarG]

I've tried both codes, to be honest I didn't understood very well the first one and the second one works but only when I'm playing with cMaggie when I change to play with the other character (cRubber) the backgrounds start to change again, so I tried to stop that with:

Code: ags

function on_event (EventType event, int data) 
{
    if (event == eEventEnterRoomBeforeFadein)
    {
        if (player == cMaggie)
            SetBackgroundFrame(0);
        else
            SetBackgroundFrame(1);
    }
}

but didn't worked. Also when in the Function on_event appears (EvenType event , int data) here data is the room number? and what is the event?
thank you so much

[Monsieur OUXX]

Hello RadarG,

It didn't work with the other character because, indeed, CW's code snippet only deals with cMaggie (it might be on purpose because CW probably takes for granted that the background is reset to 0 every time the player re-enters the room). Therefore, your updated version of his script should work.

HOEWEVER...

I think it doesn't work because it's conflicting with CW's first piece of script (the one with the room property). CW specifically mentionned that you should use that first script only if some rooms don't have two backgrounds. You've been trying to be too smart for your own good.

- If all rooms are meant to have two backgrounds, then remove that piece of script that mentions the room property and I bet you that it will work (provided  you don't click on your gui in an unfinished room that still has only one background, or it will crash, as you can expect).

- If not all rooms are meant to have two backgrounds, then simply mix the first and second piece of script, to make it all work smoothly together:

Code: ags

function on_event (EventType event, int data) 
{
    if (event == eEventEnterRoomBeforeFadein)
    {
        if (GetRoomProperty("MustSwitchBackgrounds") == 1) //hey we're entering a room that has more than one background!
        {
            if (player == cMaggie)
                SetBackgroundFrame(0);
            else
                SetBackgroundFrame(1);
         }
         else //we're entering a room that only has one background
         {
             SetBackgroundFrame(0); //set it to zero. Probably unnecessary, but... just to be sure.
          }
    }
}

==========

About on_event: the meaning of "data" really depends on the actual event that triggered that function. All the meanings of "data" are explained in AGS' manual, in the page called "Predefined global script functions" (I found it by typing "on_event" in the search field) :

eEventEnterRoomBeforeFadein
      called just before room Player Enters Room event is run.
      DATA = new room number

By the way, CrimsonWizard, in my AGS 3.4, eEventEnterRoomBeforeFadein is missing in the "Built-in enumerated types" article. It should be added.

[Khris]

Let's look at it like that:
is the final game going to have only rooms with (at least) two backgrounds? If so, simply add a second, placeholder background to each new room so you don't get crashes while testing the game.

[Monsieur OUXX]

HOEWEVER...

Genuine typo. I'm leaving it here because it's just too funny

[RadarG]

Monsieur OUXX I tried your code but it gives me an error in the GetRoomProperty it says this:

GetProperty: no such property found in schema.

[Snarky]

Notice what CW told you earlier

If you create a custom property for the room called, for example, "MustSwitchBackgrounds", then you can do:

Code: ags

if (GetRoomProperty("MustSwitchBackgrounds") == 1)

You have to create that custom property first. Look up Custom Properties in the manual.

[Monsieur OUXX]

You have to create that custom property first. Look up Custom Properties in the manual.

RadarG so that means that you had not been trying this piece of code before? So I'm lost : are all rooms meant to have exactly two backgrounds, or not? I have a feeling that you read only half the posts

[RadarG]

yes, all the rooms have 2 backgrounds, 1 background for 1 of the characters point of view and the other background for the other character.

[Monsieur OUXX]

In that case, as said previously, you don't need the room property.

Only this :

Code: ags

function on_event (EventType event, int data) 
{
    if (event == eEventEnterRoomBeforeFadein)
    {
        if (player == cMaggie)
            SetBackgroundFrame(0);
        else
            SetBackgroundFrame(1);
    }
}