So, I was wondering if anyone has a clue if you can make a lightsource in MMF1.2? The ideal would be to have a black filter over the entire playfield and do something like the add/subtract ink effect in MMF2 ie "removing" the black filter over the lightsource. I think I have tried almost anything, but I can't get it to work anyways. Anyone want to have a go?
Use Construct Lol, once MMF2 has HWA, it should be easier, I guess. The best you can do is probably add a drop shadow that attaches to the sprite you want it to shadow, and make it semi-transparent. Then when it goes near a light source, make it less transparent. That should give it the illusion of a shadow.
But it doesn't give it from a distance. If you want accurate, easy shadowing, well, Construct does that if you (and your players) have decent hardware. It's not really worth the hassle otherwise.
Disclaimer: Any sarcasm in my posts will not be mentioned as that would ruin the purpose. It is assumed that the reader is intelligent enough to tell the difference between what is sarcasm and what is not.
DaVince This fool just HAD to have a custom rating
Registered 04/09/2004
Points 7998
1st September, 2008 at 20:58:01 -
"Use Construct" is not really a solution, now is it? It's only a recommendation for a program other than MMF...
Thanks, but I don't want to use construct, it's not stable in it's current form and I love MMF as it is, and I'm just going to love it even more when I get MMF2(I use 1.2 at the moment).
Back on topic though, I'm not looking for dynamic shadows, the effect I'm looking for is lighting up a specific part of a dark area. Any ideas on that?
Originally Posted by BrandonC Oh wow... it's starting to get beyond lame that Construct is becoming the new Mac, and MMF is the new Windows.
"Wanna solve all your problems? Get Construct!"
"Wanna solve all your problems? Get Mac!"
There would still be one problem left to solve: Getting Construct on your new Mac.
Is the light source static? Is there only one light source? Couldn't you have a big black fill over the screen and use the alpha channel to make the light source?
I want the lightsource to be able to change positions and I would prefer if you could add static lightsources too.
I realize that this is probably impossible in MMF1.2 without using a complex mass of black actives, just wanted to hear it from more people so I can drop the vision and get MMF2.
Originally Posted by BrandonC Oh wow... it's starting to get beyond lame that Construct is becoming the new Mac, and MMF is the new Windows.
"Wanna solve all your problems? Get Construct!"
"Wanna solve all your problems? Get Mac!"
I thought it was Linux not Mac?
Ugh, anyone who knows about Linux and isn't using it, obviously doesn't care about it. I'm talking about fanboys who do nothing but support something that's clearly not worth the props it's given.
You could always just use a combination of Photoshop and Add/Subtract, like you mentioned. Just be careful about putting your screenshots pretty much anywhere within the click community. Adam will accuse you of "stealing" the lighting off of HFA, like he did to me with Arcane Tale. Apparently it's the only game allowed to use Add and Subtract effects for lighting. Don't say I didn't tell you so.
Use trigonometry to calculate the placement of the shadows. Then use an add effect on that part.
Seriously, Construct does make it a lot easier. There's like, a button for it. Otherwise, I'd seriously suggest you wait until MMF2 HWA is ready (if it isn't already - you could use the beta). It's much easier to use HWA (whether Construct or MMF2) since it already calculates all the long, annoying formulas for it, without much slowing down frame rate by much.
Also, you don't really want to spend a few weeks coding something buggy that you're just going to replace anyway, do you?
Disclaimer: Any sarcasm in my posts will not be mentioned as that would ruin the purpose. It is assumed that the reader is intelligent enough to tell the difference between what is sarcasm and what is not.
Once again, if I had the possibility to use the ADD effect I know exactly how I would make it work like a charm, but I use MMF1.2 not MMF2, so I can't do it that way.
On a sidenote! I found the Overlay Redux object! YAY! But I don't have a clue on how to use it though... Anyone familiar with the object?
The result I'm after is this.
Say I have a platform game. Then I decide that one entire level would look good almost pitch black! To add to the play experience I want specific areas around lights lit up. How would one go about doing that with the overlay object? If it would help the lit area can be an active object.
Suggestions?
Hmm... I don't know exactly how you want this thing to look, but you can get a sort of "transparent boxes covering the screen" thing that works from a single light source (easily, at least) with little more than a single Text Blitter.
Looks like this:
I was able to do this in MMF 1.5, but it SHOULD work in 1.2, theoretically.
And it's a little blocky, but it looks nice enough in motion.
Just make a giant black active object with a hole cut out of the center that's the topmost order of your frame's Z-axis, and have it always follow your guy around where your guy's in the middle. You could then do some more trickery with transparencies of course, and this is very basic but it'd work.
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"To be a true ninja you must first pick the most stealthy of our assorted combat suits. Might I suggest the bright neon orange?"
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It's made in MMF 1.5, but it'll work just as well in MMF2.
There's really not a lot to it. It just uses the Text Blitter's "callback" function to change each character's transparency based on its distance from the light source.
Originally Posted by Eternal Entertainment Yes that'd work for a light surrounding the player, but if the light is somewhere else lighting up a different location it'd be hard to accomplish.
Yeah, it is unfortunately. It's too bad you can't just "cut holes" in the big active whenever a torch of fireball overlaps it. I'm going to check out Fifth's example when I get home (in MMF1.5 too, hooray!)
--
"Del Duio has received 0 trophies. Click here to see them all."
"To be a true ninja you must first pick the most stealthy of our assorted combat suits. Might I suggest the bright neon orange?"
DXF Games, coming next: Hasslevania 2- This Space for Rent!
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Lol, once MMF2 has HWA, it should be easier, I guess. The best you can do is probably add a drop shadow that attaches to the sprite you want it to shadow, and make it semi-transparent. Then when it goes near a light source, make it less transparent. That should give it the illusion of a shadow.
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