The Mana World Forums

D-d-d-d-d-double post!
Mind the sloppiness, I'm feeling blah today. Ya know, one of those delightful days where you feel like doing absolutely nothing?
Yeah well, I'm having one of those..


Chicka, I'm going to need 7 more npc's in order to continue. I have unofficially ran out, of orders. Also, before I head out, please give me an in depth description for Alan & Phaet so I can finally start on Alan, and for the love of all things, are the twins wearing helmets!? Looks like it unless my eyes are deceiving me..

Sure thing korcha, Ill send you more in a pm soon. Once again your work looks great

regards,
Chicka

May be now time to test it in client?
Because i think after anyway will be need some changes.

Sorry i not created wiki pages for this.
I will try explain in short here.

In avatar box manaplus can show any npc with default direction (even animated).
This mean to add avatar to normal npc, need create additional npc what will show only avatar image without any other sprites (In file npcs.xml) after need remember id of created pseudo npc.

And final step to npc where you want show avatar add attribute atavat="ID". where ID is remembered id of newly added npc.

Example with non avatars npc (from file npcs.xml)
Was: Replace to After apply this, if i used correct id (without testing in game i not sure) if start dialog with selim, he will show avatar with shop keeper

4144 wrote: In avatar box manaplus can show any npc with default direction (even animated).
This mean to add avatar to normal npc, need create additional npc what will show only avatar image without any other sprites (In file npcs.xml) after need remember id of created pseudo npc.

Why is it needed to define an extra npc? Couldn't there be a node called e.g. "avatar" within an npc node where the path to the avatar graphic is given?

However, I tried out what you described (using an existing NPC sprite, not the new avatars):

Jenalya wrote:

4144 wrote: In avatar box manaplus can show any npc with default direction (even animated).
This mean to add avatar to normal npc, need create additional npc what will show only avatar image without any other sprites (In file npcs.xml) after need remember id of created pseudo npc.

Why is it needed to define an extra npc? Couldn't there be a node called e.g. "avatar" within an npc node where the path to the avatar graphic is given?

However, I tried out what you described (using an existing NPC sprite, not the new avatars):

ManaPlus_Screenshot_3.png

Wow it looks great, i noticed there is some space left over as well...korcha maybe can possibly widen the frames? That way there can be a little more details of the npcs added. What do you think korcha?

regards,

This white frame around looks really odd to me. And abusing npc definitions as npc display sounds a bit odd to me too.

Regards
Ablu

Jenalya wrote:

4144 wrote: In avatar box manaplus can show any npc with default direction (even animated).
This mean to add avatar to normal npc, need create additional npc what will show only avatar image without any other sprites (In file npcs.xml) after need remember id of created pseudo npc.

Why is it needed to define an extra npc? Couldn't there be a node called e.g. "avatar" within an npc node where the path to the avatar graphic is given?

Full npc need because it can be more than one xml or png file.
With server support it also support animation/rotation/sit/die etc.
Also some times may be need use normal npc image.
Because this i dont see why need duplicate xml defenition for almost same object.

Ablu wrote:This white frame around looks really odd to me. And abusing npc definitions as npc display sounds a bit odd to me too.

Regards
Ablu

This is "playerbox" object by default in this theme it have white background.
I can disable this background permanently for npc dialogs. or may be better add theme option.

But what it should be in npc dialog and default theme? with or without background?

The portraits where designed the way they are as a work-around for the size restriction, and now that the restriction is no longer in place, they don't need to be either.. Wish I wasn't left in the dark, though it appears I am not the only one that is. I'm not mad or anything, just a tad bit disappointed. Could've saved time & effort (and hair), not to mention we'd be at the half way mark by now.

Whining aside, I'll start work on converting their sizes (yet again) today and I'll have them all ready (excluding the new set) by tomorrow night. My timezone of course. But before that, I want to give you an extra option, Chicka. Do you still want the current one-sided style or opt for the originals that brought me here? They too can also be re-sized with minimal sacrifice now that there's plenty of wiggle room to work with. My only request is that everyone's in the loop with this, I don't wanna be that guy that finds out when he's 75% finished that "whoops, the portraits need to be bigger/smaller".

To make that choice a little bit easier, I prepared an example!


So yeah, your call. Let's make this one final so I can eventually work on something else.

Korcha wrote:The portraits where designed the way they are as a work-around for the size restriction, and now that the restriction is no longer in place, they don't need to be either.. Wish I wasn't left in the dark, though it appears I am not the only one that is. I'm not mad or anything, just a tad bit disappointed. Could've saved time & effort (and hair), not to mention we'd be at the half way mark by now.

Whining aside, I'll start work on converting their sizes (yet again) today and I'll have them all ready (excluding the new set) by tomorrow night. My timezone of course. But before that, I want to give you an extra option, Chicka. Do you still want the current one-sided style or opt for the originals that brought me here? They too can also be re-sized with minimal sacrifice now that there's plenty of wiggle room to work with. My only request is that everyone's in the loop with this, I don't wanna be that guy that finds out when he's 75% finished that "whoops, the portraits need to be bigger/smaller".

To make that choice a little bit easier, I prepared an example!


So yeah, your call. Let's make this one final so I can eventually work on something else.

Sorry you feel you were left in the dark Korcha I also had no idea about the sizing or else i would have told you sooner, I believe the style you started out with before might be a bit better than the ones you recently made..so try to re size the older ones?

Thanks a lot for your patience and hard work.

Once your finished with the lining maybe i can give the coloring a try.

regards,
Chicka

Korcha wrote:Do you still want the current one-sided style or opt for the originals that brought me here? [...]
To make that choice a little bit easier, I prepared an example!

I like the ones where the entire face is visible much better than those with only half the face.

I would implement this through "magic strings" in the dialog texts. Like when the string <<Portrait:images/npc/girl-happy.png>> occurs in a NPC text, the client omits this from the output and loads the according image. That would allow to change the portrait during the dialog to show different facial expressions.

Drawback: This wouldn't be backward-compatible. Older clients would show the magic string to the user.

Hate to say it but I'm going to have to postpone work for today. Not to say I didn't get any work done, oh no far from it! I just wasn't able to churn out any significant. It just has been a real stressful day for me. I guess what I'm saying is; I'm not in the mood.
Yeah, that's it!

The good news is - well it should be, tomorrow's a brand new day! So who knows, I may feel 100x better....or worse! Regardless of whichever mood I'll evidently end up with, everything will be up and ready by tomorrow. Scouts honor!

Didn't have a lot of time allotted today, so I had to rush a bit. Here they are in their jaggi glory:


Making new portraits for Alan and Phaet, that's why they're missing.

Crush wrote:I would implement this through "magic strings" in the dialog texts. Like when the string <<Portrait:images/npc/girl-happy.png>> occurs in a NPC text, the client omits this from the output and loads the according image. That would allow to change the portrait during the dialog to show different facial expressions.

Drawback: This wouldn't be backward-compatible. Older clients would show the magic string to the user.

Hm, what does the client do if it receives an embedded NUL before the end of the packet?