Request a Tutorial here

[reneuend]

Hey V66,

Are you wanting to build sprites? or are you just wanting to build a video?

[Vengeance66]

Sprites for the animations of the person.

[reneuend]

Have you looked at the sample game for AM that used sprites? All the sprites are located in the "external" folder. Each sprite size was 74 high x 170 wide at 72 pixel per inch and 256 colors
I don't think you are limited to this size, but I'm sure the file size needs to be kept to a minimum or the animation would probably start getting choppy....just a guess.

I would suggest playing with this sample game and see what you can do with it. Please share you results!

[Stitches]

I posted this elsewhere but thought it should probably go here

Can you replace The Third Person Plugin with 2.0 safely without damaging your full version? When simply copying plugin to folder, it doesn't show up in AM, I presume because V1.0 needs to be deleted?
This is all for the path system. It's annoying that my sprite walks the shortest path instead of along the designated hotspot path.
Is there also a way to change the appearance of the sprite?
1) By having a different player?
2) MAINLY for being able to make sprite do things such as pick up, look at screen to talk, jump to etc.
the only way I can see of doing this is to have a times event set on a hotspot so spirte has time to walk to it, then add code for a gif animation somehow which will play even if there are other gif animations going on. Then have a full cut frame (like in the KEY tutorial) of the animation which would lay completely over the sprite so as not to cause graphic flaws.

I already know how to save my sprites with the NAME_X_X routine, is there a way by which if you added more angles; featuring the maneuvers you needed,
(for instance: Sprite_9_01-12 could be talking and gesturing)-
could this be somehow accessed within the sprite parameters AS part of the sprite (without creating separate visible sprites on screen)
If There no system like this, perhaps somebody who knows how to do plugins well would have a look into modifying the third person plugin to incorporate a few extra activities?

[Stitches]

Is there a way to make you custom layer merged inventory button/inventory, static on screen instead of duplicating to each frame? During transitions, it just moves into a screen with another copy of the inventory. Is there a specific VBS code you have to use? It's just a static gif at the moment, no scores or anything on it.

ALSO:

what is the VBS code to:
1. Reset a variable (think it's VAR = X but if adding a few actions to a code does this have to be in "" within an "If" ?
2. Give a variable a Min/Max value which if drained or exceeded, commits to different actions
3. Access a different sprite in game runtime.

[reneuend]

I don't use merged frames..actually, I never have. I have written entire games using just 1 frame! It requires building and managing your frames using VB scripting. If you read the KeyGuard documentation, you will learn a lot about controlling your game from VB script. Okay, what I'm getting at is that for a custom inventory, I would build the inventory via code and call the procedure to load it into a frame from 1 place: Project Properties - checkbox for "Execute some VBScript code every time that a frame is loaded". Do a test with this to see how it works.

[Stitches]

Cheers again reneuend. I'm still wrapping my head around scripting so building an inventory with keyguard is gonna take me a long while. I have the registered version but am having serious problems starting out with it . I can't even constrain a sprite to a path, always with the walk shortest route. I kind of understand the premise of single framing, I take it you'd be replacing hotspots and VBSing the background changes etc? I'll let you know if I have any luck

[Stitches]

I' looking for a code or a function or what have you which ONLY uses AM, outside of Keyguard...
1) to select using a right clock or to activate the right mouse click to do something other than just open the top inventory bar.
2) Make the 3rd person sprite a clickable object/hotspot which can interact with VBS and variables.
3) Display messages the way the standard 2 lines are at the bottom in a custom sized box-
(I have used the standard VBS tutorial for this but encountered problems as the message frae takes up the screen instead of just displaying the text in the location on the frame I want it. Whilst the text displays, the WHOLE background goes black) I want it in a small box on the bottom right of the screen about 399x199pix).
4) Using multiple sprites instead of just a single player option. (perhaps a 2 player but also if there is a way to change the sprite.
Also are there active links to the plugins? Loads of them are missing from the main page and the library on this forum.

Cheers.
PS. Hope you guys enjoyed the SOK game I put up for Xmas. Please leave reviews and so forth! Some feedback would be nice and appreciated.

IDEA:
For third person plugin, would there be a way to modify it to acknowledge collisions with moving hotspots>? (I tried collision and Mob... just couldn't get it to work properly). Further could the plugin somehow be modified to incorporate different animation?
Perhaps...
By restricting the number of angle a character can use to say 8, then programming options into the plugin to access a Name_09_XX(amount of frames in animation) to Name_12_XX upon certain interactions in game?
Example...
angles 1 to 8 walk character in standard clock directions.
Angles 9 to 12 are in the external folder, each one does a different animation other than walk.. let's say pickup, talking (just gesturing which sound can be laid over using the normal hotspot options), pickup from behind and talking from behind.
when player clicks hotspot 1(example), character walks to it and the walking animation is replaced with a 1 second pickup animation, a single loop: By accessing the 9th angle.
It would be essential that the animation is accessed at no point other than the wanted action.).
It could Possibly work on an interface by sort of using 4 extra check boxes on the hotspot properties (which decide which 'angle' to replace the player with.
These could be tied to the plugin configuration.
The main configuration could have an input box called "Action Angles" or something. When this is checked "on" the user fills in a select number of boxes:
The angle to be constrained to an action and not to be accessed during walking : eg : 9.
This box is filled in with an action, a sub code called Pickup" which is called via the hotspot VBS properties.

This is just a thought. I am not good with the plugin feature so don't ask me to do this myself. Not good enough.
Cheers to anyone who can help with anything.

[reneuend]

Hey Stitches. That's a tall order.
I'll look at the 3rd person plugin after I'm done with my current project. I have never used this plugin, but would like to try it out.

[Stitches]

Hi, this might be a simple brain derp here. I wonder if there is a code to allow for a custom input box were the player gets to type in their name (for the sprite in game) and have that name appear on, say... a stats screen... or the game screen? I understand it probably has to do with making a standard input box, but I don't know the code to make it appear or what have you. This is probably something many of you have done before, so go easy on me

[reneuend]

Yup!

I have a few games where I captured information through an inputbox. One of the games I built just for Valentine's day, which is February 14th here in the states. I'll have to dust it off and see if it still works. I also built a couple educational games that quizzed kids on vocabulary.

Let me get something together and I'll show you how its done.

[Stitches]

Thanks again, Reneuend. It's only for novelty, but for future reference it would be handy for other things where the player gets to input something.
A little extra here... I have some Subs I've done, but something is going wrong with them. I will only post one as they all work the same kinda... with different variables...

Sub Hunger
If EP <> 20 Then
Text(10).Caption = "Starved"
Action.CreateTimedEvent 10, "HP = HP - 5 : Text(2).caption = cstr(HP)", 20
ElseIf EP <> 100 Then
Text(10).Caption = "Famished"
ElseIf EP <> 200 Then
Text(10).Caption = "Ravenous"
ElseIf EP <> 300 Then
Text(10).Caption = "Hungry"
ElseIf EP <> 400 Then
Text(10).Caption = "Peckish"
ElseIf EP <> 500 Then
Text(10).Caption = "Chipper"
End If
End Sub

PROBLEM:
No matter where I input the code or call the sub, the furthest I get is being able to display the first message in the textbox only. When the 'EP' or whatever score I place there (variable) gets higher, the other titles will not update. I know it's on the right path and from the lingo here you can see what I'm kinda doing (Energy Points depict Hunger level).
Just wonder if I typed the wrong thing and where.

Cheers again.

[reneuend]

Not knowing how the rest of your code looks, typically you use a range. Also, I suggest using a Select statement instead of the ElseIf construct. ElseIf is fine for a couple checks, but Select is much cleaner.
Your last one is "not equal to 500". That suggests any other value would allow EP to equal "Chipper". I may not be understanding what you are doing with EP, but maybe this will get you on the right path.

Code: Select all

Sub Hunger
    Select Case EP
      Case EP < 20:
        Text(10).Caption = "Starved"
        Action.CreateTimedEvent 10, "HP = HP - 5 : Text(2).caption = cstr(HP)", 20
      Case EP >= 20 AND EP < 100
        Text(10).Caption = "Famished"
      Case EP >= 100 AND EP < 200
        Text(10).Caption = "Ravenous"
      Case EP >= 200 AND EP < 300
        Text(10).Caption = "Hungry"
      Case EP >= 300 AND EP < 400
        Text(10).Caption = "Peckish"
      Case EP >= 400
        Text(10).Caption = "Chipper"
    End Select
End Sub

[Stitches]

Ah right then. I see that makes sense... however I get a syntax error when attempting to input. I looked but cannot find ANYTHING in the language ref or help guide or Case... never seen it before.
The EP (energy Points) is a numerical value which increases with gaining of food and activity etc in game. The "chipper" comments are on same screen as textbox 10. The EP is also displayed. If the EP clocks over each hundred points, then the comment in textbox ten reads something different: the lower the worse for the player.

Cheers.

[reneuend]

I edited my Post with the code and fixed it. However, I don't recall having to put the variable in the Case elements since that should have been assumed.
This thread should really be moved to a different forum...but I don't see one on Coding...Maybe I should make one.

[Stitches]

Hi guys. Question for anybody who can help. I'm having problems with a script error in two ways. Whilst using keyguard, I made a path for my 3rd person sprite. If I click anywhere else on the screen I get an error which says "Make sure you are not trying to run a script whilst another script is being used". The same error comes when I apply a counter to my screen via a timed event/sub (gone through with reneuend in another post). The error pops up when trying to walk the 3rd person character around whilst the timer is running. Is there a way around this?

[reneuend]

I hate this error. It can be tough to solve.
How are you using your counter? I might know a way around it, but it ALL depends on how the counter is being used.

[Stitches]

I'm using the code we devised for 'poisoning' in one of my first posts. A timed event attached to a variable with the "show counter" sub remember? Though I am not using merged frames any more for the scores. Though the inventory is a merged frame gif, the scores are planted on every frame with the essential code. Is it because I'm calling a sub? Well basically I have say 25 HP, then when poisoned the following code is activated

Sub Poisoned
If HP > 0 Then
HP = HP - 1
ElseIf HP <> 0 Then
Message "I don't feel so.. ugh..."
HP = 0
End If
ShowCounter
End Sub

Sub ShowCounter
text_index = Action.GetMergedTextIndex
If HP > 0 Then
Text(text_index) = HP
Else
Text(text_index) = "Dead"
Action.GoToFrame"dead",1,1
End If
End Sub

frame props: poison1 = variable
Poison1 = Action.CreateTimedEvent(1, "poisoned", True)


While I have you... has anybody ever been able to do anything about being able to do parallax scrolling? I've been watching folk play the stick of truth (south park game if ye didn't know) and with my animations I'm trying to pull off something of a similar ilk. With AM I can figure a way to do almost all of the main game play style... with a whole lotta work.. but my head can devise ways to put some interesting aspects of an RPG element into my game. The ability to go around a larger screen area which scrolls to follow the character. I currently use a method of making my sprite walk off screen and then skip to next. With a laid over inventory I don't use a pan to either side as all the graphics disappear and it loses the illusion. There has to be a method with VBS. I Hope. I don't even know if I got the term Parallax scrolling right atm... I need sleep