Transparent animations in hotspots on click

[Inez]

I have an idea for a puzzle which, if it works, will look great, but I'm beginning to think its not possible in AM.

My idea is to have a stone tablet with two or three concentric stone rings, each marked with symbols, letters or numbers. When the player clicks on the ring it rotates one space. The player has to click each of the rings until the correct symbols line up. Sounds simple? We've all seen puzzles like this, in Timelapse for instance. The coding would be easy, you just use variables, no problem. To make this work you need to have several hotspots layered one over the other, each with the command "when the user clicks on the hotspot, play a video" - i.e. an animation of the wheel rotating. But here's the catch: the video must be transparent, because each of the rings must rotate independently of the others - as the ring rotates, you want to be able to see the symbols on the rings that are stationary at that point in time.
Great, I thought. I set up my stone rings in Cinema4D, spent a day or two making them look like granite embossed with Dni numbers, and generated a few images as well as AVI animations of the rings spinning. I'll just pull them into AM and start making hotspots.
Now I've tried umpteen different ways of doing this, I've applied a dozen different workarounds, I've used several different file types and a number of different programs and I'm stumped.
The problem boils down to this: to get a transparent animation you really have to use an animated gif, AVI files don't support transparency (the deleted areas of the image just appear white in AM). But AM won't let you use animated gifs for the "when user clicks the hotspot play video" command. After trying a few different solutions, I thought the fix would be to use the plugin for gif sequences. But for some reason it just won't work on my computer. I set it up the way the instructions tell you - I've installed the plugin, checked the box in the project settings dialogue, entered the details in the frame settings dialogue, but when I try to enable the plugin for the hotspot AM tells me that no plugin is enabled for that hotspot.
So... I can't use an AVI, I can't use an animated gif, and I can't use the gif sequence plugin.
Any ideas? Has anyone actually done this sort of a puzzle in AM and, if so, how did they do the animations? Am I wasting my time? Is this puzzle technically possible in AM? Should I be looking to use another program and, if so, which one?
Any advice appreciated.

[mercedes]

The problem boils down to this: to get a transparent animation you really have to use an animated gif, AVI files don't support transparency (the deleted areas of the image just appear white in AM). But AM won't let you use animated gifs for the "when user clicks the hotspot play video" command.

HI there... Welcome to the forums..~

Take a look at the switches in the Game that comes with AM..'First Person without Scripting' Instead of transparency..U would crop the same background and use it with the video..Again if look at the switches..it might make better sense..Let us know if thats what u mean..

Also, U wouldnt' use an animated gif to play a video..but u can render the animation into a video..--Outside AM..then use the option..but u may have to use the same background..if there are areas of transparency u require

When I try to enable the plugin for the hotspot AM tells me that no plugin is enabled for that hotspot.

If you want to use the plug in..Try the Animation Maker--You will find it in the Plugin section..It should work..Im thinking u must be missing something..Are u sure you put the right Hotspot# in the Frames Advanced or the [Hotspot's] advanced--if u use Animation Maker. The Gif sequence player plugin..may not be what you are looking for as it is a looping animation..It is the same u see in the hotspot to select 'is an animated gif'--only the plugin allows transparency--'Is an animated gif' doesn't ..and Also u put it in the frames advanced~

http://www.adventuremaker.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=4518

Hope this helps..and I'm understanding what you mean..

Peace

[Mystery]

Welcome to the forums Inez
Indeed, transparency for videos is not supported.

The GIF sequence plugin can be only enabled for the frame. You can then make the settings in the Frame Properties for only 1 hotspot.
I was wondering if it was possible to use scripting (similarly as the script for the GIF sequence plugin), but to have 3 instances of it, one for each hotspot.

I haven't tested the other GIF sequence player that Mercedes mentioned, but it might be worth to check it out

[mercedes]

I was wondering if it was possible to use scripting (similarly as the script for the GIF sequence plugin), but to have 3 instances of it, one for each hotspot.

What I did..was use Both --AnimationMakers..and Gif Sequence player..so I could have 3 Hotspots I could animate--Also with Animation Maker..U can use scripting..-- There are 2 versions of Animation maker..I grabbed both.. ~

[Inez]

OK, I've downloaded http://www.swuttig.de/games/plugins/gifplayer.zip
I can't try it until I get home tonight, but I'll have a play with it over the weekend and see if it solves the problem. I'll also have another play around with the gif sequencer and see if I can work out what I'm doing wrong.
I'll let you know how I go.
I'm guessing that if I was any good at programming I could use some VB coding to work out a solution, but I'm an artist, not a programmer.

[Lyberodoggy]

but I'm an artist, not a programmer.

That's why we are here
Welcome to the forums. Mercedes is a very good helper and Animation Maker is exactly what I would recommend too.

I 've worked on that plugin too, for some tiny features and I gotta say that Juhuwoorps, who is a great programmer, has done a wonderful work with it.


If this doesn't work, don't worry, cause we 're here to figure something else out.