[CF-Devel] multi tile monsters - one png

dnh dnh at hawthorn.csse.monash.edu.au
Fri Jul 13 21:29:27 CDT 2001


Assuming this all works... I am very pleased to here this concept. While
we have autocutting scripts for monsters, it gets very tiresome.

dnh

On Fri, 13 Jul 2001, Michael Toennies wrote:

>
     
      Hi
     
     >
     
     
     >
     
      As i look at the new mapcmd code from mark, i notice that this opens the
     
     >
     
      door
     
     >
     
      to a nice feature - to avoid the cutting of multi tile monster pictures.
     
     >
     
     
     >
     
      First, lets remember what multi tile monster means. They are needed for
     
     >
     
      server to
     
     >
     
      control monsters which reach over more than 1 tile.
     
     >
     
     
     >
     
      In this process isn't a face(=png picture) involved or used - they are only
     
     >
     
      used on client side.
     
     >
     
      The client itself don't know anything about multi monsters nor about the
     
     >
     
      shown monsters -
     
     >
     
      it just print the pngs. A multi tile monster is for the client nothing
     
     >
     
      different than x single
     
     >
     
      tile pieces.
     
     >
     
     
     >
     
      Well, to send all this parts, the server goes through the objects in a map
     
     >
     
      tile, collect and sort
     
     >
     
      them and send the attached faces/animation faces to the client.
     
     >
     
     
     >
     
      Its easy now to include here a control. Every multi tile monster part knows
     
     >
     
      which his "first" tile
     
     >
     
      (=head) is and which his relative position to his own position is. So, its
     
     >
     
      easy to send this to the
     
     >
     
      client. Means this:
     
     >
     
     
     >
     
      If (multi tile monster part)
     
     >
     
       goto head
     
     >
     
         if (this monster not shown this map update)
     
     >
     
           send client face + x offset of head + y offset of head
     
     >
     
           mark monster as shown this step
     
     >
     
      continue
     
     >
     
     
     >
     
      This will of course invoke 2 more bytes at this point to the map cmd, but
     
     >
     
      because only ONE time a face
     
     >
     
      information get send from a multi tile monster, this will safe some byte at
     
     >
     
      the end.
     
     >
     
     
     >
     
      On client side, there are many ways then to draw this right. Easiest way is
     
     >
     
      to clip it or to presort
     
     >
     
      it... Its not hard and there are some working ways.
     
     >
     
     
     >
     
      What will give it to us?
     
     >
     
     
     >
     
      For all clients, this is a great sacrifice for the artists. It will drawing
     
     >
     
      & storing of bigger monsters
     
     >
     
      some more easier. And this is REALLY a good thing.
     
     >
     
     
     >
     
      For the iso client but even for the normal client, this will open the way
     
     >
     
      for some nicer layering.
     
     >
     
     
     >
     
      I had worked with this before in other games, and you will really not miss
     
     >
     
      the picture tiling when
     
     >
     
      you had done this.
     
     >
     
     
     >
     
      Its really needed for the iso client, because the cutting for iso multi is
     
     >
     
      very tricky and a pain in
     
     >
     
      a ass if you must do it with hands. And i don't want introduce here a
     
     >
     
      programm (scripting will not work
     
     >
     
      easily because you need some trick masks).
     
     >
     
     
     >
     
      _______________________________________________
     
     >
     
      crossfire-devel mailing list
     
     >
     
     
      crossfire-devel at lists.real-time.com
      
      
     >
     
     
      https://mailman.real-time.com/mailman/listinfo/crossfire-devel
      
      
     >
     
     
     
    


More information about the crossfire mailing list