Animation memory limit ? (pocket pc)

[makslane]

What's code you are using to move the view?

[regis]

my code is the following: view.x = view.x + 240;
But I found the solution an hour ago: because I split my 900 images in 900 separate actors (single animation), the 'a
nimation finish' event does not work with a single animation method; so, I have to split all my pictures in
450 files (multiple animation, 2 frames): here, your method perfectly works, and I do not suffer from freezes, because
of the small number of loaded frames (only 2).
I thank you all for your help: I will invest in GE on monday. I may ask for additional help in the future, if y
ou are OK. For instance, have you any idea to automate the split operation for each image (with the script)? (using
clones is impossible because of limited memory); if there is no solution, it is not so important (it will only take a q
uite long time)
Regards

[makslane]

Is a long time task...
Is not better wait for the movie feature (I hope it's work) and spend your time in other game tasks?

[regis]

Yes, Masklane, you may be right; but, i have a question then: will the movie feature allow game control: in other words, will
I be able to test coordinates or a collision event when a specific movie frame (ex: the 400th image) arrives?

[regis]

A second point: will i have control on the speed of the movie (in order to create acceleration effects)?
Regards,

[makslane]

I can't say yet.
The main target now is make the movie play.

No key color will be possible in the movies, due to lossless compression.
So, your actor will be a rectangular actor.

Is better use the movies to presentation only, let other actors deal with events.

[regis]

OK, Makslane,
Taking into account your last remarks, I may stay on the present solution (even if it is a little bit long, but I am hard at work ).
May I ask you for eventual improvements on GE (which is already an EXCELLENT dev. tool) ? Of course, I understand that you cannot take into account all users remarks, but... (Just tell me if these modifs could be implemented and, if yes, when approximatively?):

1. make the "animation finish" event work with "1 frame" actors (i.e. actors made from a single file: as I told you before, it seems that the script "view.x = view.x + 240" only works with multiple animations): this would allow me to implement your solution on my 900 actors (1 per picture), and would help me in increasing the game speed.

2. As for clones, would it be possible to have replication / array tools when creating new actors and new regions.

There are also other features which could interest the whole community (and not only my project):

3. Undo function.

4. correction of a random bug: GE freezes sometimes, when loading a new game.

5. Changing the FPS rate within the game (in live).

Many thanks Makslane!

[makslane]

Thank you for your requests.
Make sure all users requests are take into account.

Although, some of this requests are in my task list, there is no release date, yet.

[regis]

Hi everybody,

I am implementing (with success ) the Makslane's solution: all my pictures are successively loaded using the "region" method and a 50ms timer. The view changes from each image to the other. After having shown the last image, the view returns to the first one (which creates the impression of a repetitive loop).

My only worry is the following: after having exported my game on the PPC platform, the first loop suffers from some slowdowns, but this completely disappears when reaching the second loop and all successive ones. I do not understand why, and it worries me because this significantly reduces the game playability during the first loop. Is it a bug or is it due to the solution I implement?
Whatever the answer, what should I do in order to avoid this problem? Should I load the first loop "for nothing", but then, how can I hide this first loading to the user?

I hope I have been clear enough!
Many thanks for your help (this give me courage for continuing my work: do not let me down! )

[makslane]

Can you send me this project (ged + animation files)?

[regis]

Hello Masklane,
I thank you for your kindly proposal. I sent you the files this morning. Just tell me if you received them.
Best regards,

[makslane]

Ok, I can't put the movie support now, but the 1.2.7 version will come with long animation support with minimum memory usage (on demand loading frame).

So, you can add long animations like other animations and Game Editor will manage memory issues for you

[regis]

As I already said in my past e-mail, you are definitively the best and your tool is marvelous.
Good continuation.

[BeyondtheTech]

I think movie feature can be added in one month

Is this possible still? Perhaps instead of trying to create a startup multimedia animation, I could just create a nice MPEG/MOV/WMV/DivX file in Vegas and just port it into Game Editor Pro!

Oh, please, that would be AWESOME! The possibilities of turning a game into more like a feature film would be unbelievable.

Remember some old 3DO and PC games that were a bunch of video clips chained together, depending on your actions? I think there was a first-person basketball game, martial arts game ("Supreme Warrior"), etc. How about "Mad Dog McCree" and other shooting games! That could make for a neat type of game on the Pocket PC platform!

Of course, this would require CONTROL of the video, allowing access to certain frames (knowing what frame it's on, starting or stopping on a particular frame, etc).

[makslane]

No, no movie files. If you want to play a movie, you need add like any other animations.