ID:2081875
 
Resolved
Images with the override var set will cause the atoms using them to inherit any name or suffix set by the image. If the image's name or suffix is blank, the original still takes precedence.
Applies to:Dream Seeker
Status: Resolved (510.1342)

This issue has been resolved.
I have a suspicion this will either be fairly easy or ungodly complicated, and I'm not sure which, but here's my notion: as long as we can override an atom's appearance completely with an image, could we also override the name the client knows it by? When set, the image's name would show up for all default client-side foo (e.g., right-click menus), which would then be accepted by the command parser as a reference to the actual atom.

If feasible to implement, this would preserve the ability to use a lot of BYOND's built-in GMUD capabilities in a game where an object or character is known by different names to different players (e.g., magic items of dubious nature, unknown or disguised characters).

If not, it's not going to break anything I have planned, though it might delay some additions to the game. The handcoded alternative, I suppose, is to have a duplicate atom referencing the original, controlling visibility of both with images, and just make sure all verbs/procs get passed through to the right one.

Thank you for considering this suggestion. I know the meat of BYOND development is in extending its capabilities beyond the context-menu/tile-movement era, so I appreciate any attention given to extending those capabilities.
Mainly this would just involve overriding the internal GetCidName() function to be image-aware; the same would have to be done to the server for the webclient side of things, where parsing is concerned. I think GetCidSuffix() would need the same consideration.

I don't consider this complex to add. There's a slight possibility it may increase parsing time and impact some right-click menus, but I doubt it'd be by very much.
That's so great to hear, thanks!
I'd get use out of this as well, it would save a lot of processing on hand-rolled statusbars and right-click menus for things where I want people to know each other's name selectively.
Lummox JR resolved issue with message:
Images with the override var set will cause the atoms using them to inherit any name or suffix set by the image. If the image's name or suffix is blank, the original still takes precedence.
Glory, glory!