The Pendulum Online

[Matt]

A joint effort of me and Sonire.

Here is an early stage of development, with a not quite finished "GUI"

Yes, the game is full screen, the maps DO fit to an 800x600 screen res.

[Obsidian]

looks like it's going well so far. might want to look into semi-transparent forms... that's what i did, and i combined it with "always on top" forms, that way players could move the chat box around, and it looked like the more "professional" 3d mmorpgs out there. i still have the code if you'd like it.

[Matt]

Sure, problem is, my computer just died again, it'll work in awhile prolly.

If you want to share the code, post it, otherwise, PM it to me.

[Obsidian]

i'll post it when i get home, i'm at work right now and i don't have access to it. but, it uses an API for the semi-transparent forms so i'm not sure if it'll work on Win95 systems...

[Matt]

Eh, alot of stuff going in the game works only with nt based systems, so, one of the requirements is going to prolly be windows xp.

[Misunderstood]

there are 2 tutorials to do that here already.

[Reece]

What form on top?

Code:

Private Declare Function SetWindowPos Lib "user32" (ByVal hWnd As Long, _
    ByVal hWndInsertAfter As Long, ByVal X As Long, ByVal Y As Long, _
    ByVal cx As Long, ByVal cy As Long, ByVal wFlags As Long) As Long

Const SWP_NOSIZE = &H1
Const SWP_NOMOVE = &H2
Const SWP_SHOWWINDOW = &H40
Const HWND_NOTOPMOST = -2
Const HWND_TOPMOST = -1

' Set a form always on the top.
'
' the form can be specified as a Form or object
' or through its hWnd property
' If OnTop=False the always on the top mode is de-activated.

Sub SetAlwaysOnTopMode(hWndOrForm As Variant, Optional ByVal OnTop As Boolean = _
    True)
    Dim hWnd As Long
    ' get the hWnd of the form to be move on top
    If VarType(hWndOrForm) = vbLong Then
        hWnd = hWndOrForm
    Else
        hWnd = hWndOrForm.hWnd
    End If
    SetWindowPos hWnd, IIf(OnTop, HWND_TOPMOST, HWND_NOTOPMOST), 0, 0, 0, 0, _
        SWP_NOMOVE Or SWP_NOSIZE Or SWP_SHOWWINDOW
End Sub

Google found that ^^

[Matt]

I only have one question about that, if you place the form on top, how is a player possed to move and what not? Do you move all that code to the transparent form, or what?

[Obsidian]

you can make the form dragable if they mouse down on either of the text boxes, or the form itself. i'll upload the code for you tonight... if i can remember to do it... :roll:

[Matt]

No, I mean, when the player is walking and what not. Since the transparent form will be on top, the keypresses won't work in frmmirage.

Well, to my knowledge anyways.

[Misunderstood]

why would you want the keypresses to move the character in the textbox?. It prevents them from selecting text with their keyboard and such since the arrow keys would move the character, I think its good like that. But whatever, they can just click the screen if they want to interact again.

[Matt]

Um, you always twist what I say.

I meant, if you jsut lay a form over the main form, then how is the game going to process the keys, such as moving the player and what not.

[funkynut]

I think i figgered what i didnt like about vbmodaless

It always activated the window, with the code i gave you it had the option to activate or not. I think its pretty similar to renegades code above


Anyway, about the processing kes thing, you can have the option to not activate the window when its set on top, so the window underneath still has control.

Either that or you convert over to directinput, which isnt that bad

[Matt]

Oh, okay. I'll prolly be messaging you later for some help dealing with that. Thanks.

[Obsidian]

Here's the example for semi-transparent forms. the amount is adjustable so it can be more or less transparent.

http://xthost.info/endieko/Semi-Transparent%20Forms.rar

[Blue Fly]

dose any one have this file?


The link above has gone dead.

[Mattyw]

dose any one have this file? The link above has gone dead.

Wed Jun 14, 2006 11:53 pm

You don't need a file. Use Search button & look for the Script to do it.

[Blue Fly]

dose any one have this file? The link above has gone dead.

Wed Jun 14, 2006 11:53 pm

You don't need a file. Use Search button & look for the Script to do it.

I have tried searching and cant find any example or a good explination of the problem. I can get the box to be semi transparent over the map, but then if flashes every time the map is re-drawn (or built). I know it has something to do with the FPS or that the txt box is a windows fourm control object thingy and the map is not. Something to that nature is the problem.

[Mattyw]

Convert to DX8.

That's my answer, all WILL be alot easier & look so much epicer on DX8. =-p

Well, could BLT or whatever the text ONTO the Game Screen, then it moves depending on TextBox location.

[Anthony]

If the effect is the same, who cares how it was done?

Aren't you the one who told me that there is always a better way to do something .

[Rory]

If the effect is the same, who cares how it was done?

Robin