Graphical avatars (split from accessibility of interface)

[Piscator]

I don't assume you get that for free somewhere?

Are there other file formats (.svg?) you could use or would the additional effort make the whole thing not worth our troubles?

[SekoETC]

I don't remember which types I can save in and open but there are several. I'm currently at my parents so I can't check now but I'm probably going back home tomorrow.

Edit: I googled for Flash 8 svg and it appears that there is no export to svg option but there is a website that can convert swf to svg. The question is would it be possible to convert svg back to something I can open with Flash.

[Piscator]

That's perfectly fine. Gives me some time to learn how to draw in vector graphics.

[Piscator]

I've only just read your edit. Can you use .emf files?

[SekoETC]

Apparently yes, as in I can export and import them.

[joo]

I don't think Enhanced Metafile format can have textures... and I'm not sure about Scalable Vector Graphics either. That is, unless the textures take the form of vector graphics as well (the drawings for the wiki look they could be).

[Piscator]

I thought we were using the same textures for each material? Anyway, could textures be saved separately? They would have to be made with a bitmap editor anyway, right



Btw 1000!

[Piscator]

Another, general thing.

Exactly in which circumstances would the avatar be visible? There are players who would feel disturbed by the graphics and I think we need to include the option to switch them off. Both for "sending" and for "receiving" them. Players shouldn't be forced to be represented by an, in their eyes, unsuitable avatar and shouldn't be forced to see a graphic that may change the way they perceive other characters. And people should still have the option to roleplay clothes if they prefer it that way.

[SekoETC]

I'm not using "fill with bitmap" even though that might actually be faster, I have an outline on one layer, then I floodfill the outline with a regular color, cut-paste the coloring to a mask layer and have the textures clip on a masked layer beneath that. That way I can use ActionScript to swap materials. So Piscator could help simply by drawing outlines and hopefully I could copy-paste them to my existing frame structure. But I'll see how far I'll manage to keep going before getting tired/bored.

I've also been thinking that a player should be allowed to choose if they want to view graphics and if their characters are represented by avatars. There's already an option not to view the graphics in the manufacturing menu, that could also be extended to handle character avatars.

I've been assuming that the avatars would show up on the character description page and the written description could stay there as well, the difference would be that it would be faster to take a glance at a picture than start reading a block of text. So people might only stop to read if they didn't recognize some piece of clothing by the picture.

[marol]

There are players who would feel disturbed by the graphics and I think we need to include the option to switch them off.

I'm little irritated that with every new implementation, even minor one, I hear voices that it should be optional. Soon we will have hundreds of switches on player settings page.

[SekoETC]

Yeah... I can't imagine how someone could be offended by a picture, but... I'm a special person. Maybe other people can understand better.

I wonder how come no one has made Greasemonkey scripts for Cantr. Then small things could be customized for people who feel like something needs to be differently.

[Piscator]

Well, the unique feature of Cantr is the almost complete absence of graphics. I can understand that people see the addition of avatars as quite a big step. And I can also see how some people may think that an even quite featureless avatar may give a wrong first impression of their characters. I think the option to switch graphics off would be justified in this case.

Anyway, how do you generate the textures, Seko? Are those bitmaps or what are they? I'd probably need them too to evaluate wheter the result looks right.

[Dudel]

Well I'm all for a general type avatar. Reading the description page can consume a large amount of ticks and sometimes its better to just keep it basic. Heck I forget what my own characters are wearing more often then you might think. Then again I'm sure I'm not the only one guilty of this.

[SekoETC]

The textures are from images I found with Google and photoshopped them to have nothing but the material in question. For example I think the hemp was from a washcloth. I uploaded them in my Photobucket so you can have a look.

http://s14.photobucket.com/albums/a327/ ... Materials/

What's missing is feathered surface for feathered halter and skirt and probably cloak too, and oilskin for oilskin pants, jacket and sou'wester. Oh and rubber for rubber boots. I was wondering what color is rubber if it hasn't been dyed. Rubber could be just a regular flood fill with highlights since it feels silly to make a texture to be used just by one item. But having all materials in a clip might prove useful in the future in case there are new articles to add.

[fishfin]

Yeah... I can't imagine how someone could be offended by a picture, but... I'm a special person. Maybe other people can understand better.

Pictures can be offending, but I don't see anyway that someone could find the kind of stuff you're doing offending (and great work on it by the way, I think that it could be a great addition to Cantr, I don't really like the way the clothing system is now). What is offending about an outline of a person wearing a shirt? The only way that I can think of right off hand is if someone's relative had been murdered and they find any human outline disturbing... (I think that the origional fear was that some people might consider it idolatry but I don't think it qualifies as that.)