.gif scenery

[id9381]

Hope no one talked about it earlier, but if did- I`m sorry. Many of you know how to make maps and you also know that it is pretty hard to make this map "dynamic" one. Best mapmakers do it well but it is still only illusion for our eyes. So my proposition is to implant another file extension to polyworks or soldat mapmaker - simple .gif image. I think it wouldn`t be hard to make and would look great. For example maps where are trees. These trees are static, can`t move. With simple .gif we could make them "live". Waiting for your opinions. 

[Nfsjunkie91]

We all want it, it has been suggested, but .gifs require a non-standard image renderer, I think DxShow has to be used (more code), or something similar. Still, a good idea, maybe we could have image strips to get around the rendering problem.

[EnEsCe]

Plus because of Soldat's netcode, the gif frame would not be synchronized when new players join the server.

[Clawbug]

Plus because of Soldat's netcode, the gif frame would not be synchronized when new players join the server.

Hmm, couldn't this be solved with the ticks? If server and client are synced with eachother, 60 ticks per second, frames of gif's should be handled by ticks. This should prevent bugging, if it is possible.

[Nfsjunkie91]

Plus because of Soldat's netcode, the gif frame would not be synchronized when new players join the server.

Hmm, couldn't this be solved with the ticks? If server and client are synced with eachother, 60 ticks per second, frames of gif's should be handled by ticks. This should prevent bugging, if it is possible.

But when they connect, it would need to send what frame it's on, and make periodical checks to verify if .gifs are on the right frame.

[VirtualTT]

1. Even Mario had animated sceneries looooong time ago so Soldat deserve them too...
2. Gif can't be used for animated sceneries. This file format can only handle grayscale or indexed layers (this means few colours and no semi-transparensy).
3. Creating even simple animated sceneries is a hellish job. Not many people are creating even normal sceneries.
4. I think that animated sceneries don't demand server-client synchronization.
5. The simplest way to bring animated sceneris into Soldat without changing pms file format is to use special files (something like .sas - Soldat animated scenery) that contain several png files merged together (without any modifications, just glued together into single file), so name of big file is name of the scenery, names of sub files are time how long each frame should be displayed.

[mxyzptlk]

1. Even Mario had animated sceneries looooong time ago so Soldat deserve them too...
2. Gif can't be used for animated sceneries. This file format can only handle grayscale or indexed layers (this means few colours and no semi-transparensy).
3. Creating even simple animated sceneries is a hellish job. Not many people are creating even normal sceneries.
4. I think that animated sceneries don't demand server-client synchronization.
5. The simplest way to bring animated sceneris into Soldat without changing pms file format is to use special files (something like .sas - Soldat animated scenery) that contain several png files merged together (without any modifications, just glued together into single file), so name of big file is name of the scenery, names of sub files are time how long each frame should be displayed.

Now that is a good idea, and it is possible, too.

Another idea is to just have sceneries that are in a numbered sequence (like funky tree1.png, funky tree2.png, etc) automatically animate, but that would ruin a few maps that use numbered scenery.

[J-Factor]

[...] that contain several png files merged together [...]

You mean a MNG?

Why are people worried about the animation synching with the server? Isn't this for background effects (swaying trees, burning tires) that don't affect gameplay - why would it matter if it was out of sync?

[id9381]

You mean a MNG?

Why are people worried about the animation synching with the server? Isn't this for background effects (swaying trees, burning tires) that don't affect gameplay - why would it matter if it was out of synchroniozed.

Exactly... animation doesn`t have to be synchronized.

[Nfsjunkie91]

Unless it was some massive thing, or they used it for a car moving in the background, if they could hide behind it... But yeah, it shouldn't be a huge deal.

[zyxstand]

Well, while I would most hate out-of-sync foreground sceneries, if this is for background/"beauty" reasons than it shouldn't do any harm.  It would DEFINITELY make soldat MUCH more appealing!  Ironically, VTT's map, Cold Morning, has some fire places with fire flicker thingies coming off, and because of soldat's gfx handeling, it looks to be moving a little bit (dithering, you may say)... but that's rather off topic.
I'd LOVE to see like moving cars in the background, or other soldiers fighting perhaps?  An interesting distraction lol.  Airplanes flying (perhaps synced to team-spawn time so that it seems that the ppl spawn from the airplane?).  Of coruse swaying trees, awesome camp-fire effects, Doors that open and close i nthe background.  Curtains that also sway in the wind, Explosions occuring in the background, swings or tire-swings swinging back and forth, dead people hanging off ropes...and swinging.  *Wakes up* so yeah, this is an interesting idea...

[J-Factor]

How about this idea to keep the animations in synch:

Right now, the server sends the time remaining and the time limit to the client. You can see the time remaining when you press F1 and the time limit when you use /info. A bit of math later:

Code: [Select]

currentFrame = ((timeLimit - timeRemaining) * framesPerSecond) mod framesInAnimation;
Assuming every animation loops constantly and starts at frame 1 when the map begins.

edit:

This may have problems if the admin changes the timelimit mid-round. However:

1. This wouldn't happen very often on most servers
2. The effects of changing the time limit would be minimal (you could restart the map if you wished)

[zyxstand]

How about this idea to keep the animations in synch:

Right now, the server sends the time remaining and the time limit to the client. You can see the time remaining when you press F1 and the time limit when you use /info. A bit of math later:

Code: [Select]

currentFrame = ((timeLimit - timeRemaining) * framesPerSecond) mod framesInAnimation;
Assuming every animation loops constantly and starts at frame 1 when the map begins.

edit:

This may have problems if the admin changes the timelimit mid-round. However:

1. This wouldn't happen very often on most servers
2. The effects of changing the time limit would be minimal (you could restart the map if you wished)

no...ju....just NO

sry for bashing, but not even the timer is enough synched.  and just because the admin would change the time doesn't mean the synch has to be off - it only needs to synch ONCE (correctly) to work.  Best solution would be to have some other synch mechanism using calculations of client-server delay time/lag.  That is too much getting into the coding aspect - it'd be better if MM himself could come in and say if it's even possible...