[MOD][WIP] FTL: Overdrive

[DryEagle]

The idea is that you can set up the 'animation' part in the gif, including all the things like frame duration, so that you don't have to spend time implementing not only a way for the overdrive to do this with strip-png files, but also so that you don't have to include a way of coding this for overdrive. It would be easier and more intuitive if "need animation, load animated image". As for file size, that really shouldn't even be a concern, you're not going to have hundreds of mb of gifs...

[John Luke Pack Hard]

"need animation, load animated image"

That is a very convincing point. Saves lots of work in terms of coding AND scripting. Why not just borrow an established format?

[kartoFlane]

It will in turn create a need for a third party tools, though (not a big deal, that's what they're for, after all)
Another thing is, if someone wants to make a minor adjustment to their animation (move the sprite one pixel, slow the animation down a bit) they'll have to redo the gif itself, instead of changing one value in a .xml or .lua file.

Guess it's a matter of a tradeoff - we either save ourselves some time developing Overdrive now, but make the process of creating an animation overall more time-consuming (as I imagine; not much real experience here), or vice-versa - re-implement png animation sprites, and allow people to modify animations by changing values via a text editor.
I don't know if it's actually possible to modify gif animations like we do with .png animations now, though if it would, then it'd be the ideal solution IMO.

[speedoflight]

Yeah, u can edit gif animations like png, when u load the gif in photoshop it converts the gif file in different layers (each one for every gif frame). Never tried to save the modfyied gif again to gif, but i dont think that would be a problem.

As for using txt files to change values of the animations, its a good idea, but i think it will be great to be allow to do it in both ways, through txt files and directly modifying the sprite itself.

[John Luke Pack Hard]

It will in turn create a need for a third party tools, though (not a big deal, that's what they're for, after all)

That's the entire point. .gif is a well-established format and has plenty of third-party support. As long as you have basic computing skills and know how to use MS paint, you can figure out how to create a rudimentary gif.

but i think it will be great to be allow to do it in both ways

When it comes to coding, unless there exists an extremely elegant catch-all method of coding it, coding two options often takes three times as much work as coding for just one, especially in the case where the code has to catch which option the modder is using without manual input.

[Kieve]

I'm not really in favor of GIF usage. All the effects DryEagle mentioned earlier could be created with existing sprite sheets and simply allowing them to function in roles other than weapon / drone / crew.
I'm not saying that GIF should never be used, just that I don't see the advantage of pouring that much extra work into the code for something that could be accomplished by other, simpler means - too much effort for too little payoff, in other words.

-Room animations
--Can specify a room "name," as with weapons loadout, and the room's image will point to an animated namespace instead of the core image file.
-Shield FX
--Could specify one or more "effect" overlays, much like the Zoltan shield does now, and allow animations such as pulsing or wipe-effect passes, even fully animated overlays. Imagine a "lightning shield" augment that adds crackling electrical energy at the shield's perimeter.
--Ship gibs and other traditionally "static" parts could have FX attachments as well, handled in the same manner as weapon attachment points are now (note that when you blow a ship apart, the weapons stay fixed to their hardpoints as the gibs drift apart).

I think in the long run, allowing the XML to handle the brunt of the animation work and putting the code in to support it would be of much greater benefit than trying to wrangle in GIF support.

[DryEagle]

It really depends on how easy each of the processes are:

PNG
1. Create a set of individual frames for your animated image
2. Load those frames into a strip with correct spacing, or give them file names which will work in order
3. Open up your mod files, spend time creating and testing animation sheets to make sure they work correctly, after taking time to learn the FTL animation code format
4. Run the mod

GIF
1. Create a set of individual frames for your animated image
2. Compile those individual frames into an animated gif
3. Open up your mod file, point it to the gif
4. Run the mod

Creating the program (overdrive) to display GIF or PNG is going to be pretty much equally difficult. They're both just image formats.
Step 1 is the same.
Step 2 is roughly the same amount of work. (seriously, making GIFs from individual frames is SUPER easy, just try this: http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?xycnnh8oih5ftnu )
Step 3 is a lot more work for the modder in the case of PNG
Step 4 is the same

Now, for things like weapons, which have both still and animated frames, well that's something that needs to be considered.
But for all the other graphics, which are just going to have a continuous animation loop... it should be quite clear which is the winner here.

[speedoflight]

I still dont understand y using gifs u waste less time do testing and stuff. Even if u can change things trough txt files in the case of gifs, u will need to test it anyways, maybe im lost here, but i dont understand that point.

I really dont find difficult to work on png strips, its really easy, i usually dont spent more than 25-45 minutes creating a strip for a weapon (including the initial design in iconworkshop). I mean, wats the difference with the gif? dont u need to create the weapon sprite anyways? and after that the other frames. I even see more work using gifs, since with the png strip u have all the frames in 1 spot, with the gif u need to work on layers.. or not???

[DryEagle]

The difference is that for GIFs the software already exists, and is easy to use with very straightforward and nice user interface. The one I linked, you litearlly drag in the images, set the delay time between them, and hit the make gif button. Takes like 5 seconds.

For PNGs, to animate them, they would have to write a ton of extra code for overdrive, for managing animation files, and you would have to learn how to use their code, for managing animation files. Overdrive won't use the same format as stock FTL for animations because it's limited and buggy as f*** and generally doesn't often do what you want it to do. So it's a case of them having to write a system for creating animated graphics from scratch, or using an already well-established, easy-to-use format.

Don't forget that overdrive won't be supporting legacy mod. We already have FTL+GMM for that. You'll have to make new mods for overdrive anyway.

Also, testing a gif is easy. Doubleclick it to open. You can immediately see if it's working or not. Rather than having to patch it into the game, start a new game, go through the menus, get to space, etc etc, just to see your animation.

[John Luke Pack Hard]

All I did was take speedoflight's image section and upload it to an online .gif creator website (there's a plethora of them).