Tilelayer functions

[xXziroXx]

Making an entire server with tilelayers makes you realize just how limited you are working with them. I've compiled a list of functions that would allow us to take much better advantage of them, that hopefully Stefan can take a look at.

• TServerLevel.tilelayers[#].onWall()/onWall2()/onWater()/onWater2(): One of the more frustrating limitations with tilelayers is that Graal does not have a way for you to define if a layer should be blocking or not. To circumvent that, this would be a great addition. It could allow developers to use any layer for blocking properties, and ignore them on other layers.
  
  
• TServerLevel.tilelayers[#].drawOverPlayer()
• TServerLevel.tilelayers[#].drawUnderPlayer()
  
  The two above functions would allow developers to create the illusion that a player is moving between layers. I figured it would be easier to add something like this than writing actual layer support that includes it.
  
  
• Not as much a function as a suggestion, but support for backgrounds with parallax scrolling would be nice. At the moment, the only way to remotely achieve this is by having layer 0 fully transparent, create a GuiShowImgCtrl, GraalControl.bringToFront() and then change the x/y of it depending on how the player moves. It doesn't look remotely as good as it could though, simply because it follows your screen more than what would be preferred. See video below. Please note that the cloud image in it is some random image from Google used for testing purposes only.
  
  
  
  
• Layer readability for individual levels in a gmap. Right now, script wise at least, functionality is really poor for layers on gmaps.

Hopefully Stefan reads this and decides to enhance one of the features in Graal that really enhances gameplay more than anything else in the engine. I just needs a little bit of support, that's it.

[Angel_Light]

I support this!

[alissalee]

i support this as well

[scriptless]

Originally Posted by xXziroXx

Making an entire server with tilelayers makes you realize just how limited you are working with them. I've compiled a list of functions that would allow us to take much better advantage of them, that hopefully Stefan can take a look at.

• TServerLevel.tilelayers[#].onWall()/onWall2()/onWater()/onWater2(): One of the more frustrating limitations with tilelayers is that Graal does not have a way for you to define if a layer should be blocking or not. To circumvent that, this would be a great addition. It could allow developers to use any layer for blocking properties, and ignore them on other layers.
  
  
• TServerLevel.tilelayers[#].drawOverPlayer()
• TServerLevel.tilelayers[#].drawUnderPlayer()
  
  The two above functions would allow developers to create the illusion that a player is moving between layers. I figured it would be easier to add something like this than writing actual layer support that includes it.
  
  
• Not as much a function as a suggestion, but support for backgrounds with parallax scrolling would be nice. At the moment, the only way to remotely achieve this is by having layer 0 fully transparent, create a GuiShowImgCtrl, GraalControl.bringToFront() and then change the x/y of it depending on how the player moves. It doesn't look remotely as good as it could though, simply because it follows your screen more than what would be preferred. See video below. Please note that the cloud image in it is some random image from Google used for testing purposes only.
  
  
  
  
• Layer readability for individual levels in a gmap. Right now, script wise at least, functionality is really poor for layers on gmaps.

Hopefully Stefan reads this and decides to enhance one of the features in Graal that really enhances gameplay more than anything else in the engine. I just needs a little bit of support, that's it.

Hmm, theres other ways to accomplish parallax tho, how would this work for an overworld tho certainly you cant use 1 giant image for the whole OW.. and would using multiple images work for that across borders and stuff. Also I wish we could have better parralax support like being able to see players on the world below. Wasnt this promised to us at one point?

[Torankusu]

Originally Posted by scriptless

Hmm, theres other ways to accomplish parallax tho, how would this work for an overworld tho certainly you cant use 1 giant image for the whole OW.. and would using multiple images work for that across borders and stuff. Also I wish we could have better parralax support like being able to see players on the world below. Wasnt this promised to us at one point?

It was in the form of "flying technology" that this would have been easiest accomplished. I'm sure a forum search will yield you all the answers about that. Heh, heh...

Also, I would like to see better support for layers. Those of us who take the time to mess with them have been able to make some neat things, but with a lack of any real support, I am skeptical of continuing too far with layers.

[scriptless]

Originally Posted by Torankusu

It was in the form of "flying technology" that this would have been easiest accomplished. I'm sure a forum search will yield you all the answers about that. Heh, heh...

Also, I would like to see better support for layers. Those of us who take the time to mess with them have been able to make some neat things, but with a lack of any real support, I am skeptical of continuing too far with layers.

Thats what I was talking about "flying technology" and im not skeptical about layers but since no layer shows up over the player im kinda cautious because if any implimentation like you suggest indeed happens it could cause a nightmare of problems for already used layers with much editing needed to fix them.

Still doesnt answer the question on doing this for an entire gmap rather then single level. You would need a stupid amount of images or something? And i guess you could draw the head icons above that background to make an illusion you can see people way down there

[Tim_Rocks]

I want it!

[callimuc]

bump: make this a thing!

[Tim_Rocks]

I support supporting this. Too bad it will never happen.

[Elk]

Dear unixmad, i would very much appreciate a function like this being implemented, also a rehaul of the very old newworld levelformat! Bigger tileset, more flexibility and more interaction for environment (tile<=>script interaction; see latest thread about "bridge")

very very much would i appreciate this, and i could go more all out with my overflowing creativity!!!!! THERE ARE SO MANY LIMITATIONS ON THE GRAALENGINE BUT YOU GUYS LOCKED ME INTO GRAAL SO MANY YEARS AGO THATS WHY I CANT ESCAPE NOW TO OTHER ENGINES!

unixmad pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeease i beg of you


yours truly,
Elk



PS: IF YOU READ THIS, PLEASE POST YOUR THOUGHTS ABOUT THIS, AND SHARE IT WITH THE COMMUNITY, THANK YOU
AND DARLENE, IF YOU READ THIS, DONT DELETE IT.
THANK YOU

[Tim_Rocks]

Elk is right, this needs to happen. Unixmad, you need to keep the updates to this game coming. I've lost all hope for this game until YOU can make some changes. If you're no longer capable, there's people who are.

[Elk]

Originally Posted by Tim_Rocks

Elk is right, this needs to happen. Unixmad, you need to keep the updates to this game coming. I've lost all hope for this game until YOU can make some changes. If you're no longer capable, there's people who are.

Yes, there are people who can actually alter the engine... I think

[JohnnyChimpo]

I would love to see this! bump!

Originally Posted by Elk

Yes, there are people who can actually alter the engine... I think

This is based on never seeing the code or design documents for the engine. However I would speculate that the lack of updates may possibly stem from from poor design.

[Elk]

Originally Posted by JohnnyChimpo

I would love to see this! bump!



This is based on never seeing the code or design documents for the engine. However I would speculate that the lack of updates may possibly stem from from poor design.

so youre basically saying its a huge mess and would probably need to be remade xD?

[scriptless]

Originally Posted by Elk

so youre basically saying its a huge mess and would probably need to be remade xD?

Doesn't Graal use Torque2D or Torque3D for it's scripting engine..? I know Graal 3D definitely did and I know theres stuff on graal.net about it. I personally have used, and still installed, a copy of Torque2D which they no longer require a license to use the program. However I believe there is limitations to "free" such as if you earn money off your game over a certain point. I am pretty sure, then again it could also be unity I am thinking of for the fee thing. Only I think Graal would be a heavily modified version of Torque then. It a lot easier then you think to add new scripting commands to torquescpript. The trick is how you handle the c++ variables from the torquescpript variables and such.

Tile layer functions would be pretty cool. It's odd that so many features would not exist in 2015.. decades after other games first started doing them.