Castle Paradox

Joe Man · Posted: Sat Apr 08, 2006 1:03 pm Post subject:

Yeah, I'm familiar with bitmap transparency. Just throwing something out there to possibly be added one day.

Kizul Emeraldfire · **Type: Cyber Dragoon** Joined: 26 Mar 2004 Posts: 229

Hmm, I was sorta thinking of the layers a whole different way. I was sorta thinking that each layer could be a different tileset. You'd be able to add/remove layers in Edit Maps -> <map> -> Add/Remove Tile Layers (or just Add/Remove Layers). By default, each map would have one tile layer (the base layer), and you could add layers above and below it. By default, all tiles on one tileset are opaque.

However, if you wanted to get jiggy with some layers in your game, here's how I was thinking that would work (we'll use the standard 'Tree-over-an-NPC' example). Here is the tree tile:

We want it to be drawn mostly over the NPC:

However, as is shown here â€” that's quite impossible the way the tile is right now. :)

So, we go back the the main menu and go to Edit Graphics > Edit Maptiles > Tile Set x > Draw Alpha Map (or something. Maybe Draw Transparency. I dunno what to call it exactly! :D)

By default, all tiles are opaque, so we black out the stuff we don't want to see over the NPC sprite by using the black-to-white bar at the bottom of the palette thing (but don't worry, you won't see the black you just scribbled onto the tile when you go to the Draw Maptiles menu and edit it! :D). Black makes it invisible, white makes it completely visible. This would also allow us 14 shades of opacity (the superdark gray to the superlight gray), but let's not use those right now)!

Go out of the editor, save the changes and kick up the game.

Et voilÃ¡! The tile is only drawn over MOST of the NPC! :)

Edit: Was just thinking â€” since people like to use custom palettes, maybe the OHR could have a built-in 256-color black-to-white palette that's only used when you went to draw the Transparency stuff, and for calculating it as well. Just a 100% grayscale palette of 256 colors or something, that way you'd be able to have larger control over the transparency/opacity of the tile/sprite you're working on. :/ Just a thought! :D

Joe Man · Posted: Sun Apr 09, 2006 1:39 pm Post subject:

If you were paying attention, which you clearly weren't, adjusting opacity will definately not be an option (though you may have been thrown off by alternate terms) in the near future. Sorry, but you'll have to wait for Jormungand, if it ever is implemented.

Mike Caron · Posted: Mon Apr 10, 2006 6:08 am Post subject:

Jormungand will have the same restrictions. It's not that we're lazy, or the language is incapable of it, it's that we're stuck in 256-color mode for the time being.

Anyway, Ked, would it be acceptable if instead of using colour #0 for transparency, we instead allow you to choose which colour your use? I.e. you could pick any colour in the palette to be transparent.
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Bob the Hamster · Posted: Mon Apr 10, 2006 7:12 am Post subject:

Kizul Emeraldfire · **Type: Cyber Dragoon** Joined: 26 Mar 2004 Posts: 229

Mike Caron · Posted: Mon Apr 10, 2006 12:52 pm Post subject:

Gizmog1 · Posted: Mon Apr 10, 2006 4:14 pm Post subject:

What about old games where people used color 0? Would we have a bitset or something in the game, "ENABLE TRANSPARENCY ON MAP?" or "ENABLE TRANSPARENT TILES?"

Mike Caron · Posted: Mon Apr 10, 2006 5:22 pm Post subject:

Well, we (or, I) was thinking a bitset to solve the first problem I mentioned, of the overhead tiles.

Otherwise, drawing the tiles solid, or drawing them transparent with a solid black background is the same.
_________________
I stand corrected. No rivers ran blood today. At least, none that were caused by us.

Final Fantasy Q
OHR Developer BLOG
Official OHRRPGCE Wiki and FAQ