Custom Sprites

[Wingy]

You said that since the 1.0.4 version you could edit the tiles in such a way. Now in the 1.0.8 version you can do it with the sprites. But how can you do it?  :-? Well anyways... time to go play Hockey... bye. Please answer by the time I'm back!

[ryos]

Let me see if I can translate from Wingese. ;D

I think he wants to know how to embed custom graphics in the mansion file rather than a customized version of the Mansion Data files.

[joeb]

Thank God for translators......


Make a note of the tile (sprites shortly) number in the main sprites file (Midnight Mansion Sprites) that you want to change
Open up the mansion file
Create a new PICT resource with the number from the sprites resource file.
Paste the modified graphic into the new PICT resource
Save everything

When your mansion file is run in MM it checks FIRST in the mansion file for a matching resource number.
If it's there then it uses the mansion resource, if not it gets the PICT resource from the main sprites file.

@Vern,

correct?

Joe B

[joeb]

AHA.....

And from the BIG document on custom graphics that is currently posted I quote:

When Midnight Mansion runs a mansion file it creates the room graphics from resources. The mansion file content is slightly different from the Midnight Mansion Sprites file. It contains a list of rooms that contains lists of associated resources and geometries for that room. When Midnight Mansion is loading a resource it first checks in the mansion file to see if that resource exists in that mansion file. If it does, it uses that resource. If it doesn't find it then it goes to the Midnight Mansion Sprites file and uses the resource from there. The exceptions to this method are animations and critters, which are always pulled from the Midnight Mansion Sprites file. This tutorial will be covering the static graphics (the objects on the left scrolling picker in the Mansion Editor) so you will be editing just the mansion file.

When 1.08 hits it will look for ALL the GAME graphics (what's on the scrolling icon lists in the editor) so any graphics that have a number that matches what's in the main sprites file will be replaced by what's in the mansion file.

Hope this stands translation

;D :-[ ;D :-[ ;D

Joe B

[joeb]

AND before I get emails about locking the software up:

One final point to be aware of is that you can't be working on a mansion file and have it open in either Midnight Mansion or the Mansion Editor. Although this would be VERY helpful the combination of the Mac OS and Midnight Mansion or Mansion Editor doesn't allow a resource file to be opened by two applications at the same time.

Really, read the posted doc....

Joe B

[Wingy]

Would it be possible to do the same with the Graphics and sounds exept sound is .snd in ResEdit? :-?

[joeb]

That's why I asked earlier in the thread:

Just sprites?

For right now we're limited to the tiles/sprites and that's REALLY COOL. Most of the time I spent customizing in Dom was in that area. Besides, sound is a real headache to deal with and the graphics are really for the main identity of Midnight Mansion. I'm VERY happy with the state of MM. There is just a TON you can do with just the tiles AND sprites. Look at TOTOMB, Mummy's Revenge and The Money Pit. The only things modified in them is what Vern just made it easier to change. I think it'll be months before the coolness of these features wears off and for the rest of us who want to push the envelope he did make it a little easier to change things.

Joe B

[Wingy]

@Vern: Will the new feature moving platforms between rooms be in 1.0.8 or the expansion? (Please be in 1.0.8 because I need them to get Ted off his island!)

[Freddy]

It will be in the expansion, if I remember it well.

The difference is rather simple. New features are for the expansion, while MM 1.0.8 only correct things.