Fade in Credits v1.1

[Moderator]

12th Dec 2015
IcemanBo: For long time as NeedsFix. Rejected.

14:47, 5th Jan 2015
IcemanBo:
http://www.hiveworkshop.com/forums/spells-569/fade-credits-v1-1-a-257134/#post2636016

 

[deathismyfriend]

Post the triggers please.

 

[Kazeon]

• public function fade_in_credits takes string s1, string s2, string s3, string s4, string s5, real x, real y, real duration, boolean slow returns nothing

  Man, you should make something like a queue instead of that very-limited and long function. Your queue will have something like .push() => register a string to be displayed to at the screen, and .pop() => immediately clear current displayed text and play the next node.
  
• And this?
  

      private string fic_s1
      private string fic_s2
      private string fic_s3
      private string fic_s4
      private string fic_s5
      private string fic_f1
      private string fic_f2
      private string fic_f3
      private string fic_f4
      private string fic_f5

  It looks ugly, doesn't it? Why don't use an array if necessary?
  

• if (IsPlayerInForce(GetLocalPlayer(),GetPlayersAll())) then

  Create a player force which only contains players who can see the credit screen.
  

•     private function FiC_print_fading takes nothing returns nothing
          if (not fic_fade_out) then
              call ClearTextMessages()
              set fic_f1 = "|c00"+FiC_inc_sub(FiC_sub_block(fic_f1))+fic_s1
              set fic_f2 = "|c00"+FiC_inc_sub(FiC_sub_block(fic_f2))+fic_s2
              call FiC_text_to_all(fic_f1,fic_x,fic_y)
              call FiC_text_to_all(fic_f2,fic_x,fic_y)
              if (fic_s3 != null) then
                  set fic_f3 = "|c00"+FiC_inc_sub(FiC_sub_block(fic_f3))+fic_s3    
                  call FiC_text_to_all(fic_f3,fic_x,fic_y)
              endif
              if (fic_s4 != null) then
                  set fic_f4 = "|c00"+FiC_inc_sub(FiC_sub_block(fic_f4))+fic_s4    
                  call FiC_text_to_all(fic_f4,fic_x,fic_y)
              endif
              if (fic_s5 != null) then
                  set fic_f5 = "|c00"+FiC_inc_sub(FiC_sub_block(fic_f5))+fic_s5    
                  call FiC_text_to_all(fic_f5,fic_x,fic_y)
              endif
              if (FiC_sub_block(fic_f1) == "EC") then
                  if (not fic_slow) then
                      set fic_fade_out = true
                  else
                      call PauseTimer(fic_timer)
                  endif
                  set fic_duration = fic_duration-0.01
              endif
          elseif (fic_fade_out) and (fic_duration > 0.00) then
              set fic_duration = fic_duration-0.01
          else
              call ClearTextMessages()
              set fic_f1 = "|c00"+FiC_dec_sub(FiC_sub_block(fic_f1))+fic_s1
              set fic_f2 = "|c00"+FiC_dec_sub(FiC_sub_block(fic_f2))+fic_s2
              call FiC_text_to_all(fic_f1,fic_x,fic_y)
              call FiC_text_to_all(fic_f2,fic_x,fic_y)
              if (fic_s3 != null) then
                  set fic_f3 = "|c00"+FiC_dec_sub(FiC_sub_block(fic_f3))+fic_s3
                  call FiC_text_to_all(fic_f3,fic_x,fic_y)
              endif
              if (fic_s4 != null) then
                  set fic_f4 = "|c00"+FiC_dec_sub(FiC_sub_block(fic_f4))+fic_s4    
                  call FiC_text_to_all(fic_f4,fic_x,fic_y)
              endif
              if (fic_s5 != null) then
                  set fic_f5 = "|c00"+FiC_dec_sub(FiC_sub_block(fic_f5))+fic_s5    
                  call FiC_text_to_all(fic_f5,fic_x,fic_y)
              endif        
              if (FiC_sub_block(fic_f1) == "00") then
                  call ClearTextMessages()
                  call PauseTimer(fic_timer)
              endif
          endif
      endfunction

  It's too unreadable. Also, in the if block and else block looks very similliar, could you just somehow merge them? Yes you can.
  

•     private function FiC_inc_main takes string s returns string
          if (s == "A") then
              return "C"
          elseif (s == "C") then
              return "E"
          elseif (s == "E") then
              return "0"
          elseif (s == "8") then
              return "A"
          else
              return I2S(S2I(s)+2)
          endif
          return s
      endfunction
    
      private function FiC_inc_sub takes string s returns string
          local string m = SubString(s,0,1)
          local string sub = SubString(s,1,2)
          if (sub=="A") then
              set sub = "C"
          elseif (sub == "C") then
              set sub = "E"
          elseif (sub == "E") then   
              set m = FiC_inc_main(m)
              set sub = "0"
          elseif (sub == "8") then
              set sub = "A"
          else
              set sub = I2S(S2I(sub)+2)
          endif
          return m+sub+m+sub+m+sub
      endfunction
  
      private function FiC_sub_block takes string s returns string
          return (SubString(s,4,6))
      endfunction
  
      private function FiC_dec_main takes string s returns string
          if (s == "0") then
              return "E"
          elseif (s == "E") then
              return "C"
          elseif (s == "C") then
              return "A"
          elseif (s == "A") then
              return "8"
          else
              return I2S(S2I(s)-2)
          endif
          return s
      endfunction
  
      private function FiC_dec_sub takes string s returns string
          local string m = SubString(s,0,1)
          local string sub = SubString(s,1,2)
          if (sub == "0") then
              set m = FiC_dec_main(m)
              set sub = "E"
          elseif (sub == "E") then
              set sub = "C"
          elseif (sub == "C") then
              set sub = "A"
          elseif (sub == "A") then
              set sub = "8"
          else
              set sub = I2S(S2I(sub)-2)
          endif
          return m+sub+m+sub+m+sub
      endfunction

  It's just poorly approached.
  You should utilize something like Hex2Int converter, to make better fading transition? First, get the alpha channel => convert to integer => add/substract the integer by fadingRate => convert back to Hexadecimal => insert to the string. And you got nice fading effect without overburden functions.

Good luck... ^)^

EDIT:
Have just realized this in not fading. Screen messages do not support alpha channel, have just remembered it. Except you can somehow manipulate this function:
DisplayTimedTextToPlayer()

 

[IcemanBo]

• The API should be improved. It's ugly you have to insert all these null for unused strings.
• fic_duration = fic_duration-0.01
  ->
  fic_duration = fic_duration-speed
• The "slow" parameter is not really needed. Or make the timer interval user-configurable, or constant.
• Some short and useful documentation, please.

You always check for exactly 5 potential strings to make actions, I don't like this. For the effort it's usefulnes is seems limited for now. Maybe you can make it simpler and the usage easier.

It would be nice, if user would not have to set all texts into one function call, even he wants to break lines.
The system would need to manage multiple instances, which would make it more dynamic.

 

[Deaod]

EDIT:
Have just realized this in not fading. Screen messages do not support alpha channel, have just remembered it. Except you can somehow manipulate this function:
DisplayTimedTextToPlayer()

This doesnt try to use the alpha channel. It just fades the color of the text from black to white to black.

What it does however do, is display way too many text messages (up to 500 times per second). Testing i did a couple years back indicated that after about 10000 displayed text messages displaying another one caused a severe hit in performance.