New POX tooling

  • This is a follow up on #19. So I did a bit of "concepting" this sunday on basic functionality that in some form should merge into POX Studio - I did a short video, to show:


    - a "gallery/browser" (replacing the file dropdown probably)

    - a frame/direction/action editor - loading individual bmps and a png spritesheet - that will "pre-generate" the frame INI-data (and write the POX)


    Please comment - does the userflow make sense, or do I have it completely wrong - remember I have not done many POX files in my life - and what seems logical to me might not be the fastest/best way to work with the files. The demo is very rough and conceptual - but I hope I get the idea across.


    Externer Inhalt youtu.be
    Inhalte von externen Seiten werden ohne Ihre Zustimmung nicht automatisch geladen und angezeigt.
    Durch die Aktivierung der externen Inhalte erklären Sie sich damit einverstanden, dass personenbezogene Daten an Drittplattformen übermittelt werden. Mehr Informationen dazu haben wir in unserer Datenschutzerklärung zur Verfügung gestellt.


    Sorry about the recorder-bar - but I did not want to make the video clip into a project by itself - so "snapshot" :)

  • I pushed the latest changes to GitHub - that does not include any of the conceptual things - mentioned in #19 and #21. From the changelog below:

    Added

    - Added support for reading/deflating .AG files (Hero X), into users AppData temp directory as .pox files and read from there. Linked Layered resources is not handle correct since original relative paths are not resolved - yet?

    - Honoring the INI datas TransparentColor and EditorImage values.

    - Transparent color can be changed.

    Changed

    - German translation gone for now.

    - Zoom/Scaling is now 1-2-4-8.


    Will wait a bit and see if there is any feedback on #21, before starting to changing the UI/UX for POXStudio - based on proff of concept and feedback.

  • Steve,


    Here's some feedback from me:


    1. The Pox Gallery (Viewer) is quite convenient and I like it. What could be done there (just optional, not necessary) is the "export" functionality: To Export the frames / single pictures to a folder. (Basically what the existing tool "PoxViewer" does today).


    2. POX Generator: Did you load a INI file as a template or was that created depending on the arrangement of the pictures?


    I don't remember the naming rules / export order that I defined in Blender anymore, but that can be changed any time. Also, in the end it won't matter too much for the game, since the single frames to be used for an action/direction are specified in the POX again (if that isn't being generated automatically).


    What would be cool (especially if the INI is generated automatically), but not necessary, is to split the rows in actions and directions, instead of directions only.


    For example:


    AttackNN

    AttackNE:

    AttackEE:

    AttackES:

    AttackSS:

    AttackSW:

    AttackWW:

    AttackWN:


    RunNN:

    RunNE:

    ...




    I appreciate your work. Keep it up.


    If you want me to, I can test the tools and give you feedback if I can make a POX from scratch that will look ok in the game.


    Cheers,

    Eustace

  • Thanks Eustace


    1. One frame BMPs and sprite sheet PNG will do?

    2. Ini file is created based on how you arrange the frame, by load order and drag/drop. And what is marked as editorframe and action/hitframe.


    I have been a bit and forth on this, but ended up with having the 8 directions on the vertical, and then the actions aligned af one another on the horizontal, separated by a colored background. The idea is that you should be able to set the marking color, how many frames and the name of the action. If I add that you can hide some actions, then we could still be within the real estate of the screen, without too much scrolling.


    The idea was also that you should be able to delete, clone and insert and append frames.


    I will see if I get a bit done during weekend.

  • A bit of status - one and a half month has gone past - and I have not been able to allocate time for this, and various other things I would have loved and enjoyed to do ;(.


    I have no idea when I will be able to look into this project and SoAOS again in the near future - but life really get in the way currently.


    Take care out there - and best wishes.