Editor Bug (maybe)

Whenever I set up a layer, no-access tile or NPC in the editor, they appear two spaces below and two spaces to the right of where they were placed in the game. Is this a bug or do I have some settings off a bit?

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-TheDarkDragon
Lots of luck, we're all here to learn anyway.

First off, if you're not using OSX, ignore my following advice. If you're in Classic, this is probably a new bug.

Strange tile behaviour is characteristic of the OSX editor. In the Classic app, when placing a stamp etc. a box appears in the map window, showing it's dimensions and where the stamp etc. will go. However, in the OSX editor, apparently due to problems with REALBasic, this box does not appear, leading to a more hit and miss approach to map editing and creation.

There is currently no method for avoiding this, until a patch is made available for the engine. Right now I would recommend doing your map editing in the Classic app (It's also easier because of floating palettes) and the rest of your work in the OSX editor. Hopefuly a patch will be forthcoming soon, but until then, OSX users will have to use Classic, unless they want a more random style of map. ๐Ÿ™‚

-Andiyar

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"Any good that I may do here, let me do now, for I may not pass this way again"

Quote

Originally posted by Tarnฤ‡lion Andiyarus:
**First off, if you're not using OSX, ignore my following advice. If you're in Classic, this is probably a new bug.

Strange tile behaviour is characteristic of the OSX editor. In the Classic app, when placing a stamp etc. a box appears in the map window, showing it's dimensions and where the stamp etc. will go. However, in the OSX editor, apparently due to problems with REALBasic, this box does not appear, leading to a more hit and miss approach to map editing and creation.

There is currently no method for avoiding this, until a patch is made available for the engine. Right now I would recommend doing your map editing in the Classic app (It's also easier because of floating palettes) and the rest of your work in the OSX editor. Hopefuly a patch will be forthcoming soon, but until then, OSX users will have to use Classic, unless they want a more random style of map. ๐Ÿ™‚

-Andiyar

**

Sorry to report it also occurs under System 8.6 As far as I can tell only the ground layer is being offset; at least, it is offset relative to stamps and access.

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everywhere else, it's --
"Nomuse"

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Originally posted by Commander Arashi:
**Sorry to report it also occurs under System 8.6 As far as I can tell only the ground layer is being offset; at least, it is offset relative to stamps and access.
**

Really? I have tested Coldstone on a variety of systems ( 8.6, 9.0.4, 9.1, 9.2.1, 10.1) and have only had the offset/placement box problem in the OSX Editor. Of course, you could be using the OSX editor, as it is Carbon, not Cocoa..... but you're using Classic right?

Hmmm. From what I gathered on #coldstone, only people with OSX had this problem. ::shrugs:: Maybe there's just two problems that are similar in effect.....not good. But then, it might be just your problem, something to do with the System software, CarbonLib, etc. Maybe Coldstone doesn't like pre-OS 9 systems.

But whatever it is, I'm sure it'll be fixed in 1.0.1. ๐Ÿ™‚

-Andiyar

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"Any good that I may do here, let me do now, for I may not pass this way again"

Not sure, I'm running 8.6 with a carbonlib extention, so I'm honestly not sure what that would be.

As Arashi said, only the ground layer is being offset, by 2 to the left and 2 up. We'll have to see if the first patch fixes it.

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-TheDarkDragon
Lots of luck, we're all here to learn anyway.

Sorry for bringing this up again people, but I'd like to know whether this problem was ever solved, as, in the last few weeks, it's started to happen to me. Essentially, the ground layer appears to be shifting itself around, as has been stated, 2 tiles to the right and 2 tiles down from it's location in the editor. As you can well imagine, this make map editing/creation rather difficult, if not impossible, as nothing shows up where it is supposed to, not stamps, access layers, event links, NPC's, nothing. In one of my maps I can now walk on water since the layer has shifted, on another I can play cat burglar and walk on roofs.

So.... anyone know how to rememdy this solution? I'm almost on the point of deleting my config file again, that fixed a different problem so, maybe.... ๐Ÿ˜‰

-Andiyar

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"Any good that I may do here, let me do now, for I may not pass this way again"

Yup it happened to me as well, i decided to add extra interactivity to my project, destructable zones clickable stamps etc, but instead it misplaced my graphics down andd to the right, THis is with a stamp control...normal layer placement was fine

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Quote

Originally posted by ellrx:
Yup it happened to me as well, i decided to add extra interactivity to my project, destructable zones clickable stamps etc, but instead it misplaced my graphics down andd to the right, THis is with a stamp control...normal layer placement was fine

Out of curiousity, Ellrx, how did you calculate the stamp's coordinates? Stamps coordinates call for the top left hand corner of the stamp, while movement coordinates have their whole pixel coordinates in the bottom right hand corner(since movement coords start at (1,1)). Thus if you want a stamp to appear at the upper left hand corner of the movement tile (1,1), the very top left tile, you would need to place the stamp at (0,0). You need to make sure you multiple each movement coordinate by 32, then subtract 32(which pulls the stamps left and up by 1 movement tile).

Anyways, I just wanted to make sure this wasn't your problem.

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Well, that's fine unless you want to have something happen. I placed an item on the map, a water wheel. I want the Player to step on a tile to get it going. To make that happen, I had to place the water wheel on the bank and guess where it would end up in the water. I then placed an image on the bank to indicate that that's where the Player needs to hit in order to get the wheel going. The Player actually hits where the item is originally placed on the bank. Unfortunately, things do shift around, so the Player has to get near the bank image to get the wheel going. I did get it working. Not very precise. I tried to make it happen with an event (event tiles don't seem to shift), and that didn't work.

I also noticed that access tiles seem to shift. I have the same thing happen with a gate that opens. But the gate item image shifts around and doesn't really look very good because it's not always centered on the opening. (Again, I have to guess where that would be.) But I don't seem to have any control over the shifting. I also noticed that when the Player calls up the map, the X is WAY off of where the Player actually is.

I've offset the images in the animation so that the item CAN be controlled by the player at a distance from the item. This way, the Player can seem to manipulate something else in order to get the item to work, which I've done. It would be helpful if the item reflected where it actually is, that is, the offset coordinates.

One of the things that I did was to create my map, then reduce the number of tiles. I did not really know how big my map would be, so initially created a larger number of tiles than I needed.

I'm using 8.6 powerbook and the classic program.

I figure that by the time I'm ready to publish, they'll have patches for these things so that it can be precise.

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-- Debra
Danillitphil Productions

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Originally posted by Debra:
Well, that's fine unless you want to have something happen. I placed an item on the map, a water wheel. I want the Player to step on a tile to get it going. To make that happen, I had to place the water wheel on the bank and guess where it would end up in the water. I then placed an image on the bank to indicate that that's where the Player needs to hit in order to get the wheel going. The Player actually hits where the item is originally placed on the bank. Unfortunately, things do shift around, so the Player has to get near the bank image to get the wheel going. I did get it working. Not very precise. I tried to make it happen with an event (event tiles don't seem to shift), and that didn't work.

Placing items in the map editor is a problem that I have encountered. I have never had a stamp relocation problem, but items are very wacky. I've stopped placing items in the map editor, and instead use a "launch item" event action in the local events section of the maps location. Hopefully this gets fixed.

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I also noticed that access tiles seem to shift. I have the same thing happen with a gate that opens. But the gate item image shifts around and doesn't really look very good because it's not always centered on the opening. (Again, I have to guess where that would be.) But I don't seem to have any control over the shifting. I also noticed that when the Player calls up the map, the X is WAY off of where the Player actually is.

Are you using a "stock" gate image, or did you create your own animation? If it is the former, I have no idea. If it is the latter then make sure your animations are all centered within the animation editor, else the different frames will "shift."

I use a gate open/close animation which doesn't have a problem with centering. But I also am using it as a stamp, not an item, which may be the difference...

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I'm using 8.6 powerbook and the classic program.

I'm also using 8.6, though in a tower.

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I figure that by the time I'm ready to publish, they'll have patches for these things so that it can be precise.

This is my wish as well.

(edit) Typos (/edit)
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(This message has been edited by Stark Bledfast (edited 11-14-2002).)

Quote

Originally posted by Stark Bledfast:
**Out of curiousity, Ellrx, how did you calculate the stamp's coordinates? Stamps coordinates call for the top left hand corner of the stamp, while movement coordinates have their whole pixel coordinates in the bottom right hand corner(since movement coords start at (1,1)). Thus if you want a stamp to appear at the upper left hand corner of the movement tile (1,1), the very top left tile, you would need to place the stamp at (0,0). You need to make sure you multiple each movement coordinate by 32, then subtract 32(which pulls the stamps left and up by 1 movement tile).

Anyways, I just wanted to make sure this wasn't your problem.

**

::check check..double check,check check...again::

Yup that's the problem,different conventions for each object type, i can't keep them straight anymore...

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Hi Stark --

The animation's proper. It doesn't shift in the animation, but once I place it on the map, it does. I can't seem to place it where it needs to go, but I need to offset it.

Are stamps the same as items? Do the stamps work the same way as items placed on the map? I mean, will the Player be able to open the gate? Or does it animate on its own?

Do you really mean Launch Item instead of Stamp Control?

I suppose I could try it to find out, huh? But asking's easier, especially when I've spent hours trying to figure things out.

Thanks!

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-- Debra
Danillitphil Productions

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Originally posted by Debra:
The animation's proper. It doesn't shift in the animation, but once I place it on the map, it does. I can't seem to place it where it needs to go, but I need to offset it.

Ahh. So I assume you have made the gate into an actual item then? Then placed it on your map in the map editor within the "Items" layer? If so, that would explain the shifting(ie, the item shifting bug).

Quote

Are stamps the same as items? Do the stamps work the same way as items placed on the map? I mean, will the Player be able to open the gate? Or does it animate on its own?

No, they are not the same. A stamp is a picture that is placed onto the current map, and is not a part of the map. An item is an actual object which can be put onto a map as well.

They are similar, but a bit different is the end result. You can do the same things with both of them, but they are done differently. (How's that for a confusing definition?)

Stamps are placed with the stamp control event object. Items are placed onto an actual map by using the Item layer. Or, you can place an item onto a map with an event using the Launch Item object.

Here is what I did to make gates open/close by using a gate stamp:

Created an event to close the gate:

  • Remove the current stamp(should be an opened gate stamp)
  • Plays a sound of the gate closing
  • Place the closed gate stamp(which is an animation that ends with the still frame of the closed gate)
  • Sets access tiles around the gate to block the entrance
  • Sets a global so that we know the gate is closed

Then I created an event to open the gate:

  • Remove the current stamp(should be a closed gate stamp)
  • Plays a sound of the gate opening
  • Place the open gate stamp(which is an animation that ends with the still frame of the opened gate)
  • Sets access tiles around the gate to clear the entrance
  • Sets a global so that we know the gate is opened

Then, in the local event of the location I place a check on the global to see if the gate is opened or closed, and I run the open or close gate event to correspond to how it should be.

Then it just depends on how you want to have the gate open or close. If you want the player to click on the gate then when you place the stamp be sure to set it to mouse clickable, and select the proper event(I think mouse clicking stamps works.. I thought I heard about a bug with this, but I've never explored this).

Quote

Do you really mean Launch Item instead of Stamp Control?

Nope. As shown above, if you want to use an item on a map, the "launch item" object seems to work better than placing the item on the map directly. Stamp control places stamps.

Make Sense?

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