Bt Builder

Discussions and help for the Bard's Tale Construction Set
dulsi
Posts: 242
Joined: Thu Mar 22, 2007 7:15 pm

Re: Bt Builder

Post by dulsi »

I have grabbed the files. It may be a couple days before I have a chance to try them.
Methuselas
Posts: 352
Joined: Tue Apr 28, 2009 11:03 pm

Re: Bt Builder

Post by Methuselas »

dulsi wrote: Tue Apr 05, 2022 1:04 pm I have grabbed the files. It may be a couple days before I have a chance to try them.
No worries. The 4x4 one is the one with clipping. I have a new build environment that's a perfect 4:3 ratio and divisible by 4, so there aren't any issues with display other, than the 3D View clipping. Even the fonts work properly. It's max resolution is 1600x900, though. Anything higher breaks the fonts, icons, etc. They're squashed. I can finally get BTBuilder to enter 1920x1080 without crashing, so we're ALMOST there.

Now, IF you have to get under the hood to fix code *AND* you feel inclined to do so (I know your interest in BTBuilder has waned), could you also make slots display transparent backgrounds? I switched to an indie license for Maya, 'cos it's cheaper, but Autodesk no longer supports Mental Ray. So, I rebuilt my entire render pipeline from scratch.

Depth and FOV will now work properly and seamlessly. I can render ALL the animations to where they'll appear to walk on the horizon plane and not float. It also means I'll be using the same render engine for both iClone and Daz Studio, so lighting will be the same across each sprite.

It also means I can make a City tileset that has sprites for 6am, Noon, 6pm and Midnight. :)

Oh? Are you okay with the placement of the Gamescreen map? I think it looks aesthetic and it was prep to make a Sci-Fi UI for Starsong. I like the design placement, though, so I was going to keep it. The build version you downloaded, doesn't have that set up, but if you want it, I can have a new environment build by this evening.
"Using No Way as Way; Having No Limitation As Limitation". - Bruce Lee.

BTBuilder Stuff - https://drive.google.com/folderview?id= ... sp=sharing
Methuselas
Posts: 352
Joined: Tue Apr 28, 2009 11:03 pm

Re: Bt Builder

Post by Methuselas »

Image


Took a break from working on the display settings, since I can't do much else. However, since I wanted to completely overhaul the UI, I have approximately 100 or so 100% Freeware True-Type Fonts for BTBuilder. I'm in the process of converting some Open-Type Fonts and sorting them into 3 categories: Fantasy, Modern and Sci-Fi. I have a nice replacement for the Arial font
"Using No Way as Way; Having No Limitation As Limitation". - Bruce Lee.

BTBuilder Stuff - https://drive.google.com/folderview?id= ... sp=sharing
Methuselas
Posts: 352
Joined: Tue Apr 28, 2009 11:03 pm

Re: Bt Builder

Post by Methuselas »

Image

Render camera for the Tileset and Slots is now working. Based off a 3m x 3m grid.

Image

This will allow me to rotate the render camera up and down, while still keeping the horizon line. Will work well for monsters, such as Giants, Dragons and Snakes.

The new cameras also do translations along the Z axis, allowing me to move monsters 3m. For example, if you were facing Barbarians at 10 feet, instead of using the Barbarian slot ming, you could use the Barbarian_10 ming, to give the illusion the monster was actually 10 feet away.

Image

This design also supports a ground 0, height 1 and height 2 map. More will be revealed when I can build a tech demo.
"Using No Way as Way; Having No Limitation As Limitation". - Bruce Lee.

BTBuilder Stuff - https://drive.google.com/folderview?id= ... sp=sharing
dulsi
Posts: 242
Joined: Thu Mar 22, 2007 7:15 pm

Re: Bt Builder

Post by dulsi »

Methuselas wrote: Tue Apr 05, 2022 4:40 pm Now, IF you have to get under the hood to fix code *AND* you feel inclined to do so (I know your interest in BTBuilder has waned), could you also make slots display transparent backgrounds? I switched to an indie license for Maya, 'cos it's cheaper, but Autodesk no longer supports Mental Ray. So, I rebuilt my entire render pipeline from scratch.
I wouldn't say my interest has waned. I just have a lot of interests. Bt Builder really needs games built with it and I just haven't found the time. For coding the multiple attacks you wanted is almost done. I was going to put it in until I noticed I didn't handle possession.

For transparent backgrounds, you mean display the 3D view and then draw the image right?
Methuselas
Posts: 352
Joined: Tue Apr 28, 2009 11:03 pm

Re: Bt Builder

Post by Methuselas »

dulsi wrote: Thu Apr 07, 2022 12:10 am
I wouldn't say my interest has waned. I just have a lot of interests. Bt Builder really needs games built with it and I just haven't found the time. For coding the multiple attacks you wanted is almost done. I was going to put it in until I noticed I didn't handle possession.

For transparent backgrounds, you mean display the 3D view and then draw the image right?
I'm thinking how old school 2d sprites worked in platformers. I assumed the sprites drop in order top down, like below:

Horizon
Tileset
Placeables
Slots

I wanted to have the Slots animate above all those, without tearing the screen. The old flame spell effect had the same problem with tearing, which is why I made the UI so dark, to hide it.
"Using No Way as Way; Having No Limitation As Limitation". - Bruce Lee.

BTBuilder Stuff - https://drive.google.com/folderview?id= ... sp=sharing
Methuselas
Posts: 352
Joined: Tue Apr 28, 2009 11:03 pm

Re: Bt Builder

Post by Methuselas »

Image

Imagine if we could use Portraits for Characters and UI elements for Spell Points, Hit Points and AC, instead of text on the screen for stats? Look at all that real estate. 8)
"Using No Way as Way; Having No Limitation As Limitation". - Bruce Lee.

BTBuilder Stuff - https://drive.google.com/folderview?id= ... sp=sharing
dulsi
Posts: 242
Joined: Thu Mar 22, 2007 7:15 pm

Re: Bt Builder

Post by dulsi »

I don't think the flame icon should tear at this point. It should clear to the background image first. The 3D view isn't handled that way. Or rather it wasn't handled that way. I've updated the code to support transparency in the slot images. The picture selection screen doesn't work right at the moment. It leaves the remnants of the previous image. Also if you make character portraits have transparency, you will be able to see the walls and stuff if you look at your portrait in Garth's or the Adventurer's Guild. (I'll see if I can put together a release tonight so you can see it.)

Portraits on main screen are on my list of things to support. You probably still need names because two people might have the same portrait unless we add some portrait selection.
Methuselas
Posts: 352
Joined: Tue Apr 28, 2009 11:03 pm

Re: Bt Builder

Post by Methuselas »

dulsi wrote: Thu Apr 07, 2022 1:58 pm I don't think the flame icon should tear at this point. It should clear to the background image first. The 3D view isn't handled that way. Or rather it wasn't handled that way. I've updated the code to support transparency in the slot images. The picture selection screen doesn't work right at the moment. It leaves the remnants of the previous image. Also if you make character portraits have transparency, you will be able to see the walls and stuff if you look at your portrait in Garth's or the Adventurer's Guild. (I'll see if I can put together a release tonight so you can see it.)

Portraits on main screen are on my list of things to support. You probably still need names because two people might have the same portrait unless we add some portrait selection.

Awesome! Thank you. To be honest, I was hoping for a portrait selection, as I wanted to use those as the "HP" image, like how Baldur's Gate did, where if you take damage your portrait would disappear an expose the "red" portrait underneath. I wanted to put them in a circle frame and have the "Spell Points" icon go around the avatar frame.


This was supposed to be a surprise, but I wasn't sure how the display screen would handle the overlays, so I was waiting to see what the issue was with the clipping of art in the 3D display. I'll support BTBuilder in a "legacy" capacity, meaning the old school, Bard's Tale like UI. I may even clone other dungeon crawlers, like Might and Magic, Wizardry, etc, if I have all the work needed to make them, like portraits on the UI screen.

BTBuilder, though is getting a massive overhaul and the new interface is designed to work full screen, but it should also work well on pocket chip. I was going to try and test this this evening, but I'm not sure how the display screen will feel about having the text screen, text and icons on top of it. I have almost all the UI elements worked out, including new sprites for all the "special flag" types, so they would pop up on the screen as a visual or if you could hide the UI.

I call it "Minimalist UI."


Image
"Using No Way as Way; Having No Limitation As Limitation". - Bruce Lee.

BTBuilder Stuff - https://drive.google.com/folderview?id= ... sp=sharing
dulsi
Posts: 242
Joined: Thu Mar 22, 2007 7:15 pm

Re: Bt Builder

Post by dulsi »

Looks great. Bt Builder can't do that right now. It would require really fixing the UI code to be able to implement that.
dulsi
Posts: 242
Joined: Thu Mar 22, 2007 7:15 pm

Re: Bt Builder

Post by dulsi »

Bt Builder 0.5.19 has been released. It now supports transparencies in monster images.

Also in itemtype.xml you can now add to the arrow entry "<bowDamage>bow</bowDamage>". This will make it use the damage of the bow not the arrow. I wanted this for Star Song. The "bows" would be laser pistol, laser rifle, etc. The "arrows" would be energy clips. Both pistol and rifle would use the same ammo but the rifle would do more damage. (Potentially you could make it use more charges as well but I haven't implemented that.)
Methuselas
Posts: 352
Joined: Tue Apr 28, 2009 11:03 pm

Re: Bt Builder

Post by Methuselas »

dulsi wrote: Fri Apr 08, 2022 1:53 am Bt Builder 0.5.19 has been released. It now supports transparencies in monster images.

Also in itemtype.xml you can now add to the arrow entry "<bowDamage>bow</bowDamage>". This will make it use the damage of the bow not the arrow. I wanted this for Star Song. The "bows" would be laser pistol, laser rifle, etc. The "arrows" would be energy clips. Both pistol and rifle would use the same ammo but the rifle would do more damage. (Potentially you could make it use more charges as well but I haven't implemented that.)
Ooh. Did we finally get tags for Bows or is this for damage only? Been wanting that for a while.

I'm running into some issues with the new Tileset template, so it will take me a tad longer to rebuild. It's nothing major, though. The script I'm using to create horizon maps, instances my model for me and lays them out in a pre-designed layout, so I don't have to manually place over 500 tiles by hand. For some reason, it doesn't like my perfectly measured 3x3m grid templates.

So I have to manually place over 500 tiles by hand. :roll: Nature tilesets that use HDR rendering look flawless, though. I can screen a couple of shots, if you want to see what I'm up to.

There's a tabletop RPG that I run for my kid and his friends, which is Sci-Fi. It's a D100 system, so I've been trying to figure out math to make it work with BT's D20 system. Just can't rename the Stats.

Next time they have that Dungeon Crawler contest, lets collaborate. With your Engine and my graphics, I bet we could slay that contest. :)

Oh, Dulsi, one more question: Doesn't BTBuilder use 6 seconds = 1 minute for time? I know Caars discovered that it doesn't move time, unless you move, but I'm trying to ensure I have the correct time rotation for the game engine. I have a neat idea I want to throw at you, to give BTBuilder some added realism and it will be a simple way for people to create their own Tileset Horizon files.
Last edited by Methuselas on Fri Apr 08, 2022 3:58 pm, edited 1 time in total.
"Using No Way as Way; Having No Limitation As Limitation". - Bruce Lee.

BTBuilder Stuff - https://drive.google.com/folderview?id= ... sp=sharing
Methuselas
Posts: 352
Joined: Tue Apr 28, 2009 11:03 pm

Re: Bt Builder

Post by Methuselas »

dulsi wrote: Thu Apr 07, 2022 11:17 pm Looks great. Bt Builder can't do that right now. It would require really fixing the UI code to be able to implement that.
Is this an issue with WYSWIGS? If you need placeholders to overhaul it, when you feel inclined to do so, just ask.

Yeah, I REALLY want the 3D View to be fullscreen. :P I've been perusing Steam and Gog for some dungeon crawler types, but they all have the "retro" feel. Nothing wrong with that, but BTBuilder has the potential to be one of the greatest free game engines out there.
"Using No Way as Way; Having No Limitation As Limitation". - Bruce Lee.

BTBuilder Stuff - https://drive.google.com/folderview?id= ... sp=sharing
Methuselas
Posts: 352
Joined: Tue Apr 28, 2009 11:03 pm

Re: Bt Builder

Post by Methuselas »

Image
Hair System Render Test. WAY faster than the old one, even on my beat up old laptop.
"Using No Way as Way; Having No Limitation As Limitation". - Bruce Lee.

BTBuilder Stuff - https://drive.google.com/folderview?id= ... sp=sharing
dulsi
Posts: 242
Joined: Thu Mar 22, 2007 7:15 pm

Re: Bt Builder

Post by dulsi »

Methuselas wrote: Fri Apr 08, 2022 3:56 pmIs this an issue with WYSWIGS? If you need placeholders to overhaul it, when you feel inclined to do so, just ask.

Yeah, I REALLY want the 3D View to be fullscreen. :P I've been perusing Steam and Gog for some dungeon crawler types, but they all have the "retro" feel. Nothing wrong with that, but BTBuilder has the potential to be one of the greatest free game engines out there.
The problem is that Bt Builder was harder with the idea of the Bard's Tale interface. To support transparency on the monster images I detect when the animation is playing in the main view and redraw the 3D view. If you were to draw other elements on top of the main view, they probably wouldn't be drawn all the time. Basically I need to redo it as a problem GUI layer. No elements hard-coded. To support a full screen view, I need to have the 3D view be the lowest GUI element. The other elements added afterwards and draw them in that order. I know a lot more about GUI code than I did when I initially coded Bt Builder. Even some of the Bt Builder code is better GUI code than others. The editors were because I made some of the code more flexible but some isn't still.

I like it though. Maybe I can get it up and running that way and we can do this for next dungeon crawlers game jam.
Post Reply