Is there any way to override the standard way the main menu displays target graphics? What I mean is, targets are displayed in-game (i.e. on the right display panel) as normal, zero alpha channel picts (you can’t see what’s under them.) But in the main menu, if you actually gasp don’t use pure black under where targets are supposed to be displayed, it looks like some sort of lighten or screen type affect on steroids.

What I need to know is if there is any way to turn this off? I have no idea what is going on, all I know is that it’s an inconsistency that is somewhat irritating.

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(This message has been edited by Trigger-Happy Slig (edited 07-12-2003).)

What do I mean?

Ingame target:

+ Main Menu:

= inconsistency

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(This message has been edited by Trigger-Happy Slig (edited 07-13-2003).)

(This message has been edited by Trigger-Happy Slig (edited 07-13-2003).)

ooo, pretty

sadly, I don't know.

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Zombat: everything you don't need and then some

Quote

Originally posted by Admiral Zombat:
**ooo, pretty

**

Pretty, yet inconsistent.

Thanks for your reply.

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I don't think there is a way to change it. Its build into the engine. I'd be more than happy if anyone proves me wrong , but I don't think its possible.

Entarus,

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I went through most every rescource that I could find in the nova files, and the application itself, and the only thing that could be it was a sub-rescource under the 'CODE' rescource in the application. When opened, it gives a buncha unintelligible junk - like when you open a sound rescource without a sound editor.

I did find, that you can edit the makeup of the sidebar, under intif inside nova data 3.

I'm going to keep searching, but I think you won't be able to change it.

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Zombat: everything you don't need and then some

Slug, can you please post the PICT resource you're using for your main menu? I want to see it without the interaction with the target layer.

-reg

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"Oh crap. I'm going to hell - I put the Bible next to Mein Kampf again."
-Her Holiness, Pope Jenne "Kirby" Hubbs

It looks like it is about 50% translucency there. Try making the area on the main menu where the target image goes 50% translucent, so when Nova overlays the target graphic, it should match up.

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Eat blazing electric death!

Quote

Originally posted by Regulus:
**Slug, can you please post the PICT resource you're using for your main menu? I want to see it without the interaction with the target layer.

-reg

**

Okay, here is the main menu (actually the target section) without anything over it:

Here is the target area of the right panel:

Here is the Tsunami again (I made the main menu background slightly brighter, and the effect is now even more distorting color-wise)

Here is the Tsunami target graphic I use (that, as you saw before, looks perfectly normal on the in-game target panel):

Here is another ship target displayed with the main menu:

Here is its target graphic:

Thanks again guys.

p.s. The word in my handle is actually “slig” it’s a creature from oddworld.

(This message has been edited by Trigger-Happy Slig (edited 07-13-2003).)

(This message has been edited by Trigger-Happy Slig (edited 07-13-2003).)

Quote

Originally posted by SpacePirate:
**It looks like it is about 50% translucency there. Try making the area on the main menu where the target image goes 50% translucent, so when Nova overlays the target graphic, it should match up.

**

Is that even possible? I don’t think pict files can contain alpha channel data.

Of course, I could be wrong.

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Okay, Slig, try this: take a screenshot in-game. Take it into photoshop, find the exact coordinates where the target graphic shows up, and set them to black (creating, in effect, a rectangular hole). Then see what the target overlay looks like. If there's still a mismatch, tweak the menu colors until they match the target. By the time you're done it should be seamless.

If you don't understand, e-mail me your PICTs at suluger@attbi.com and I'll try it for you.

-reg

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"Oh crap. I'm going to hell - I put the Bible next to Mein Kampf again."
-Her Holiness, Pope Jenne "Kirby" Hubbs

Quote

Originally posted by Trigger-Happy Slig:
**
Is that even possible? I don’t think pict files can contain alpha channel data.

Of course, I could be wrong.

**

No, you are right, there is no Alpha Mask for PICTS. What I was inferring is that you should use PS or something similar, and make the area with the target picture 50 percent darker than the rest of the background. Then, when the overlay is added, it should make it back to regular.

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Eat blazing electric death!

Quote

Originally posted by Regulus:
**Okay, Slig, try this: take a screenshot in-game. Take it into photoshop, find the exact coordinates where the target graphic shows up, and set them to black (creating, in effect, a rectangular hole). Then see what the target overlay looks like. If there's still a mismatch, tweak the menu colors until they match the target. By the time you're done it should be seamless.
**

I'm ahead of you there (that's one of the first things I tried.)I was (pretty much) already aware that this would fix the brightness problem. But the thing is, it creates a whole new problem. Namely: the rectangular hole. I.e. if a pilot file isn't loaded (or one just got killed) there is no target graphic to fill that hole; making it (at least for any quasi-perfectionist like me) unsightly.

The only thing that makes it look somewhat decent, is to make the entire target area black. But that still doesn't look quite right. The "holographic" ship target is all alone, and when only text is displayed ("no pilot file loaded" or "X has just been killed") it too looks out of place.

Quote

Originally posted by Regulus:
**If you don't understand, e-mail me your PICTs at suluger@attbi.com and I'll try it for you.
**

Thanks for offering anyway.

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Quote

Originally posted by SpacePirate:
**What I was inferring is that you should use PS or something similar, and make the area with the target picture 50 percent darker than the rest of the background. Then, when the overlay is added, it should make it back to regular.

**

I've tried completely undetectable levels of transparency (looks black the the naked eye) on the holographic layer, and that still doesn't completely annul the problem. The only thing that works is pure black.

But that (as I said above) creates the "rectangular hole" problem.

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Trig, the effect is hardcoded into the Nova main menu, and fixes an issue we had while building the damn thing. Suffice it to say that we had an effect we were aiming for and we needed coding help to achieve it. This is one of the advantages of being the official scenario team.

I apologise if it doesn't meet your requirements. Since I love the in-game look of your targeting picts, I'd suggest making a small black section in your main menu and surround that with some holoprojection hardware. Not as elegant a solution as the one you were aiming for, I know, but I hope it'll suffice. In fact, it'll have to, since there's no chance Matt'll change the engine code.

all the best,

Dave

Quote

Originally posted by pipeline:
**Trig, the effect is hardcoded into the Nova main menu, and fixes an issue we had while building the damn thing.
**

I had a feeling this was the case.

Quote

Originally posted by pipeline:
**I apologise if it doesn't meet your requirements. Since I love the in-game look of your targeting picts, I'd suggest making a small black section in your main menu and surround that with some holoprojection hardware. Not as elegant a solution as the one you were aiming for, I know, but I hope it'll suffice. In fact, it'll have to, since there's no chance Matt'll change the engine code.
**

Thanks for your sentiments, the complement, and the suggestion. I’m going to give that a shot; because well, it’s my only option (unless of course, someone wants to do some fancy hex editing for me in the section that Admiral Zombat mentioned )

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(This message has been edited by Trigger-Happy Slig (edited 07-14-2003).)

(quote)Originally posted by Trigger-Happy Slig:
**I’m going to give that a shot; because well, it’s my only option (unless of course, someone wants to do some fancy hex editing for me in the section that Admiral Zombat mentioned:) You see, the "CODE" resource is only used when running in 68K mode. All PowerPC compiled code is stored in the data fork of the EV Nova application, and would be very tricky to decompile. In fact, I'm pretty sure it's illegal to even try.

all the best, and good luck!

Dave
**

(quote)Originally posted by pipeline:
**Won't work.:D

Off to make a new main menu I go!

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**