Messages

46

SCI Development Tools / Re: SCI0 picture size limits when importing from bmp

« on: February 23, 2024, 05:47:41 AM »

Ok thanks, yeah I did sort of see that. I wonder if Phil will optimise the import algorithm at some point.  Being able to use external tools to draw the BMP's is a massive advantage. I'll have to hack and chop these backgrounds and see if SC will take them.

I was trying to be clever by creating a "matrix" design where I could use 6 basic backgrounds with various views chopped up like rocks, trees etc and then build about 30 rooms with these parts. Thus reducing the over all size of the resource.000. My resource.000 is 4MB at present and can grow to about 8mb tops as I want to ship this on 5 1/4" floppy disks. So size is the limiting form factor here.

Vector drawing is obviously the way to go but not an option in my case
 

47

SCI Development Tools / SCI0 picture size limits when importing from bmp

« on: February 22, 2024, 06:05:41 PM »

Hi guys,
I've been using Aseprite to draw my pictures as its a lot faster than using the built in drawing tools in SC. Size and disk space restrictions are posing to be a real challenge for my game.

Does anyone know the ins and outs of Phil's algorithm that converts BMP to vector? I've got two backgrounds that look visually very similar. One imports fine using 65120 bytes and the other is using 72228 bytes when imported. Too big for SCI0.  What things influence the size increase? Is it a certain colour? The dithering, or certain shapes? Here are my examples:

b-top-down.bmp imports using 65120 bytes and b-top-left.bmp import using 72228 bytes..

I add views to these basic background pictures to spice them up a little. Rocks, trees and other things...

48

SCI Development Tools / Re: Add Set palette:0 to picture

« on: January 17, 2024, 05:31:29 PM »

Perfect thanks

49

SCI Development Tools / Re: Add Set palette:0 to picture

« on: January 17, 2024, 04:30:50 PM »

Hi, Unfortunately that does not seem to work. Unless I'm reading you wrong.  Rewind to start of timeline. Click "define palette" button. Nothing is added to timeline. I've tried in both Window XP and Windows 7 just in case its a limitation like the importing of BMP's etc.

Is it an issue not to have the palette defined? There was a popup warning saying it could cause issues.

50

SCI Development Tools / Add Set palette:0 to picture

« on: January 17, 2024, 01:49:58 PM »

Hi guys,
Is there a way to add to the vector timeline after the initial Start on a picture the commands Set Palette:0 Set Palette:1 Set Palette:2 Set Palette:3 ? Or is this only created when you create a new Picture?
I've got a picture I was editing and accidental deleted those commands from the timeline and don't have a backup.
Thanks,

51

SCI Syntax Help / Re: SCI0: right click to look like in QFG2

« on: January 05, 2024, 11:06:30 AM »

Thanks. I was looking through the source code to try and work where its declaring this. I see for example in Room 10 the Hotel lobby, the fish picture on the wall. They are using a RPicView and the handleEvent is declared there also. Does it have something to do with that? I can't see anything else that would refer to a mouse click on the view or part of screen?

Code: [Select]

(instance picturePic of RPicView
(properties
y 124
x 43
z 30
view 10
loop 2
priority 5
)

(method (handleEvent event)
(cond
((super handleEvent: event))
((Said '[/painting,(wall<left)]>')
(cond
((TurnIfSaid self event 'look/*'))
((Said 'look[<at]')
(Print 10 3) ; "There is a picture of a Humuhumunukunukuapua'a on the wall."
)
)
)
)
)
)


52

SCI Development Tools / SCICompanion: Is there a way to import the priory and control screens also?

« on: December 27, 2023, 11:46:07 AM »

Hi guys,
I've been creating my game pictures using Aseprite as its a lot easier to do the artwork than using the built in drawing tools in SciCompanion. I import my BMP pictures from Aseprite and they work perfectly. They are oblivious a lot larger, 50kb per picture compared to the vector drawn ones which are around 5kb-7kb.

Is there any way to import the priority and control screens also? As this would save me loads of time.

53

SCI Syntax Help / SCI0: right click to look like in QFG2

« on: December 26, 2023, 09:09:32 PM »

Hi guys,
Is it possible using the SCI0 template to use the right click mouse button on things to get a look description like what they did with QFG2? What code is involved? How do you link this to your handleEvents etc?
Thanks,

54

SCI Syntax Help / Re: Display procedure

« on: October 27, 2023, 11:31:30 AM »

Niceone. I'll send him a message to say gday. I'm an Aussie residing in Spain.

I'll make sure I used that BBS number as I did not have that on hand. Thanks

55

SCI Syntax Help / Re: Display procedure

« on: October 27, 2023, 04:44:02 AM »

Very cool I see you did it in Spanish. Are you from Spain?

Yeah Apple II has no mouse but I will mix and match parts to try and get a nice CLI happening. The entire room does little for the plot in the game but its something I think looks pretty cool. It creates a little more interaction with the game world. Something Richard Garriot did very well in Ultima 6.

Once I crack this one I've got to somehow make a BBS type screen for a room that ego needs to access the Sierra Online BBS to download source code. That might be a mission to pull off. hahaha

 

56

SCI Syntax Help / Re: Display procedure

« on: October 26, 2023, 03:47:06 PM »

Thanks Kawa,
I'll take a look at the PQ2 code and see if I can mold mine using examples from it. My attachment was a screen capture. My artwork is normally 320x190 to take into account the Sierra bar along top.
Cheers,

57

SCI Syntax Help / Display procedure

« on: October 26, 2023, 11:49:26 AM »

Hi all,
I'm messing around with a script to try and act like an Apple II screen. Text gets drawn slowly on screen. A flashing block cursor at the end awaiting prompt. User can enter a few basic keyboard commands to get different preset texts displayed onscreen. Maybe a menu system. Press 1 for X press 2 for z etc.

This might be a mission to code but has anyone done anything like this to get an idea of what I need to use code wise? I can't recall any of the Sierra games doing this? I might be wrong.
Thanks,

58

SCI Syntax Help / View instance Prop instance and limitations

« on: September 12, 2023, 09:49:14 AM »

Hi,

Just wondering if someone could shed some light on why when I define an instance of prop/view I get white control area appearing from that view. (see screenshot 1).  The palm tree displays a white line along the bottom. The Zodiacs display the rectangle box.

In order for these control lines/areas to not appear I need to use the signal ignAct/16384 syntax in the properties of the view or prop. Is this normal? Is this the best way to combat the white control lines/areas that appear? I then have to create the desired control lines in the picture as to not have ego walk through the view. Seems I lose the "natural" view control lines when doing this.

Code: [Select]

(instance aZodiac of View
(properties
view vRoom
loop lZodiac
x 215
y 164
priority 7
signal ignAct ;16384
)
)

Also what limitations does a view have? I've long views which seems to get corrupted on screen when they pass a certain length. IE they won't be displayed properly in game. They display fine when you click on the view icon in the picture edit screen. These are all views I have created in Aseprite and then imported into SC.

Is there a list showing all the limitations of pictures and other resources also? So I can understand what the limit is. I've run into picture limits when importing from Aseprite and I normally cut things up and turn some into view to get around this limit. But it would be good to know everything else.

Thanks,

59

SCI Development Tools / Re: Running SCI0 on Atari ST

« on: August 25, 2023, 10:46:42 AM »

Right so it was that. I restored the standard code to the controls.sc and working perfectly Amazing how good it looks on a CRT

60

SCI Development Tools / Re: Running SCI0 on Atari ST

« on: August 25, 2023, 10:20:54 AM »

ok thanks,
That games has interpreter: 1.002.034, which is higher than i was using. I've just changed my version to this. Menus work, crashes with the changed text interface. IE when I type and the parser pops up or if any text is displayed. I'll try and restore the original LSL3 text window and see. If not. I think I'll leave it there. Too much work to be done to finish the game on MSDOS first