SC2Mapster

Okay so I want to display a units static portrait in a dialog window as a dialog item. I have a custom function to return the selected units portrait image. I can get the image to display on screen but not as a dialog item image.

Here is the debug message:

"00:00:01.50 Trigger Error in 'gt_SelectUnit_Func': Could not get 'triggerControl' from parameter in 'DialogControlSetPropertyAsString' (value: 0)"

Here are the triggers...

Select Unit
    Events
        Unit Selection - Any Unit is Selected by player Any Player
    Local Variables
        _unit = (Triggering unit) <Unit>
    Conditions
    Actions
        Variable - Set TargetImage = (GetUnitPortraitImage(_unit))
        Dialog - Set TargetDialogs[(Triggering player)].TargetPic image to TargetImage for (Player                  group((Triggering player)))
        Dialog - Display image 1 of size (237, 360) with image TargetImage using blend mode Normal                at Right with (400, 0)

GetUnitPortraitImage
    Options: Function
    Return Type: File - Image
    Parameters
        Unit = No Unit (Unit)
    Grammar Text: GetUnitPortraitImage(Unit)
    Hint Text: (None)
    Custom Script Code
    Local Variables
        PortraitModel = (Value of Actors (String((Unit type of Unit))) "PortraitModel" for player (Owner               of Unit)) <String>
        PortraitImage = (Value of Models PortraitModel "Image" for player (Owner of Unit)) "<String>
    Actions
        General - Return lv_portraitImage

I cant help you but want to applaud you for the amount of information you provided, which is rare. ^_^

You can get GIMP, free equivalent of photoshop, then grab a .dds plugin for it. After that you can create your own textures and just save them as .dds files. In the editor you can import those files and use them for most texture stuff. Also the good thing about .dds files is that the editor uses its alpha channel so you can make dialogs see through if you wanted.

I had installed the .dds plugins for gimp before and modified assets but at the time of posting didnt want to look through the list of assets, one after the other to find what I was looking for.(I was hoping someone knew the name of the file)

But, I did find the default terran dialog image and modified it.

Thanks Kafoso for the help.

If i remember right its just a generic progress bar but the 'fill' image is a shiny blue. I think the border is custom but again im recalling from memory.

The way Ive been doing progress bars is... 1) create a dialog box with a custom background image. 2) create a dialog image with the actual image value being what you want to fill your bar. Make sure the size in X of this image is set to the size or a bit smaller than you dialog box. 3) place the dialog image in the dialog box anchored to the left.

To show progress you simple offset the dialog image in x. The example there would be if the bar starts as full. offsetting the location of the dialog image negitively will show depletion of a bar, like an hp bar. If you want to show progress like the GemTD one, just start with a negitive offset that is equal to the size of the dialog box. ^_^

One more thing, there are people on here more qualified than me in this type of problem.

Quote from XenoYoxa: Go

@BasicGear: Go

nope dark archon is his picture lol. nice try though.

oh i see what you did there. Hows that working out for you?

Can anyone tell me what asset is used for the dialog background image?

Id like to modify my dialog backgrounds but want to modify an existing one, I need the size and format.

Isnt Jaxter's silhouette of a lurker? haha

Theyll have trouble making money off the marketplace, plain and simple in my book. Maps will have to be cheap and Blizzard will have to pay employees to regulate the system, that equals low revenue.

If Blizzard threw the 'make money off this' mindset out the window, I think it would be easier and faster to implement the marketplace. Give map makers developer rights and Blizzard producer rights, which means Blizz owns it really but the maker gets cred and royalties. Have a quick screening process to check content then a rate system for each map to keep people from getting too much buyers remorse.

Another good practice would be letting the player play the map one time, then require purchase. But then you get into wether or not the developer wants this. (beating a single player map in one long play through = no purchase)

But alas.. I know all of you guys have made good maps and theyre on Bnet now, so you may not agree but, I honestly think Blizzard should scrap the marketplace idea entirely.

Quote from Mille25: Go

Quote:

The marketplace is progressing very slowly. It's doubtful if it will come with HotS, Blizzard itself doesn't know.

um... what? D:

Means they cant find a good way of making profit with the marketplace so theyre not working hard on it. =P

Quote from Tolkfan: Go

Quote:

Over the course of the campaign you will tap into the core fantasy of the Zerg

I'm almost afraid to ask, but.... what the hell does that mean? :S

It was probably meant to be more like "Over the course of the campaign you will see the inner workings of the Zerg"

Probably not the way you want it. Like Reaper said, you could show the line of sight range for a unit, but adjusting to blockers and such is impossible; or else people would have solved the other problems, like a unit being able to shoot another unit on the other side of a wall due to a third unit giving the player sight.

Ill probably get to posting more stuff this weekend, but until then, has anyone actually read through my description? Even though it doesnt look nice, it has some good details to it.

Sure, can do. ill jump on gimp later and scribble some concept art. Especially the map.

So I have more but am tired of typing. Any feedback would be great, some questions too. Im hoping someone shares my enthusiasm on this idea.

Almost all mechanics are thought out very well in my head, I work 12 hour shift of mindless labor so I have sat on this idea for a while now. =p

Combat and Defense

Like I mentioned before, the opposing team wont be able to see what you have going on, except for a spy. But the castle is pretty big for a third person view player to catch all the details. To each teams northern from is a passageway into zerg territory. This path is closed off from outside the castle, so basically here, you can attack zerg north of you, but the opposing team wont be able to see this unless they go through you whole castle to the top of it, or battle through all the zerg to meet you on the other side.

The zerg enemy will have spine crawlers and spore colonys(repurposed as splash damage towers) that the team will need seige weapons for; and zerglings, roaches, and hydras that you will need bio for. So fightning north isnt easy. But the hidden resource caches are well worth the find.

Your castles defenses are neccessary, but cannot hold off a well prepared army. So dont imagine defense towers being all that strong. Imagine them as slow and fall back help. Having an army posted out front of the castle would be a good idea if you know you are about to defend and attack.

Upgrading at the bay/armory shouldnt be limited to 3 tiers, but instead maybe 5 or more. consider putting upgrades in for individual units rather than all bio, or all mech. (like for infantry; bronze sword to iron to steel to diamond (minecraft anyone? ^_^) and archers; stone arrows, bronze arrow, ... you get the idea)