ID:115239
 
Applies to:DM Language
Status: Open

Issue hasn't been assigned a status value.
A way to give images a variable that makes them visible to everybody without having to add or remove visibility would be nice.

Images are good to use as a substitute for overlays that change a lot.

Something like a health bar has to either use overlays and be removed and added when it changes, or use an image that has to be shown to certain players and/or removed when required.
Maybe you can keep a list of clients and just output the image to them? You can also output the image to every client that logs in if they weren't in the list.
ExPixel wrote:
Maybe you can keep a list of clients and just output the image to them? You can also output the image to every client that logs in if they weren't in the list.

That is a solution. The current solution I use is create (if it's not already created) and display the image when you select a mob.

The problem with keeping a list, though, is we're talking hundreds and hundreds of static mobs and probably thousands of non-static mobs.
Aaiko wrote:
ExPixel wrote:
Maybe you can keep a list of clients and just output the image to them? You can also output the image to every client that logs in if they weren't in the list.

That is a solution. The current solution I use is create (if it's not already created) and display the image when you select a mob.

The problem with keeping a list, though, is we're talking hundreds and hundreds of static mobs and probably thousands of non-static mobs.

Then I suggest you just use overlays to do the job...work with what you got.
ExPixel wrote:
Then I suggest you just use overlays to do the job...work with what you got.

Overlays have to be removed and re-added when the image/icon changes. So images are more useful with something like a health bar, since you can just change the icon_state and be done with it.

I'm not looking for a solution. I have plenty of solutions and ways to work with what there already is. Just making a feature request of something that would be nice to have.
Aaiko wrote:
ExPixel wrote:
Then I suggest you just use overlays to do the job...work with what you got.

Overlays have to be removed and re-added when the image/icon changes. So images are more useful with something like a health bar, since you can just change the icon_state and be done with it.

I'm not looking for a solution. I have plenty of solutions and ways to work with what there already is. Just making a feature request of something that would be nice to have.


I doubt this is gonna happen very quickly though...
ExPixel wrote:
I doubt this is gonna happen very quickly though...

I doubt it as well, but there's no harm in making the feature request. It wont be done at all if nobody requests it.
I'd be perfectly okay with the over/underlays system being completely replaced by visible-to-all /image objects. However, backwards-compatibility is an issue, as well as whatever reason anyone else can provide.
Aaiko wrote:
I'm not looking for a solution. I have plenty of solutions and ways to work with what there already is. Just making a feature request of something that would be nice to have.

The problem is that people may read this feature request and not have a solution. Listing solutions for each feature request can be very helpful, especially when you consider the likelihood of all requested features being implemented.

My Handy Stuff library has an /Overlay object that makes it easier to manipulate overlays. You can do stuff like this:

mob
var
Overlay/armor_overlay

New()
..()
armor_overlay = new(src, 'armor.dmi')

proc
equip_armor(obj/o)
// updates the overlay to match the armor you're equipping
armor_overlay.IconState(o.icon_state)


What would seem to make the most sense is to allow overlays to be modified (and have the changes take effect) even after the overlay has been attached to an object. I figure there's some complication that makes this hard to implement, otherwise they'd have made it work that way initially (or so I'd hope).