Elena|
Date |
Developer |
Comment |
|---|---|---|
| 22 June 2000 | Tom VanCourt | Moved to 'Notebook' directory, changed graphic file paths. |
| 21 June 2000 | Tom VanCourt | Initial version, reconstructed to replace original file. |
This note lists the graphics files used by the Encounter game, and lists the programming considerations that affect the images in each file. This note does not specify esthetic or stylistic aspects of the pictures, except where technical aspects of the product affect the image content.
All images should work well at all color resolutions specified in the SRS. They have been drawn for 24-bit color and tested at 16-bit color, but don't look very good on 8-bit displays.
There's one still image for each character. The character image has a transparent background so it can be overlaid on the file and procedural graphics for any area. Ideally, the character file would have an alpha channel to allow the scaled character to anti alias cleanly against any background, but present file formats (GIF is used) allow only 0% and 100% transparency. The character's edges should be anti-aliased to about 50% gray, to minimized contrast with arbitrary backgrounds.
The character's image is always scaled to 50% of the height of the area window, with the character's width scaled by the same factor as height. Character files may store the images at any resolution. Higher resolution gives better image quality; lower resolution (i.e. smaller files) give better refresh performance. At this writing, files around 150x250 pixels give an adequate balance of image quality and performance.
The character may be drawn on the right or left (as seen by the viewer) side of the area image. The image file is assumed to be the version for the right side of the screen, facing towards the left. When drawn on the left, the character is algorithmically reversed (so it faces to the right). Please draw the characters with minimal numbers of scars, tattoos, jewelry, or other features that would flip in a mirror reversal. It's already jarring enough to see the characters switch between right- and left-handed swordsmanship. All characters to date are drawn for flat, diffuse lighting from above. If necessary, assume a light source above, to the left of, and in front of the character.
Image files are always scaled to 50% of the displayed height of the area. That does not imply that all characters are drawn the same height. Image files may contain transparent pixels above and below the character image. The purpose of those transparent pixels is to set the character's height relative to the heights of other characters. Elena's image occupies about 95% of the height of the image file, so she's about as tall as anyone could be. (The maximum height of her ponytail is included in her total height, which may not create the desired appearance of height.) Freddie occupies about 85% of the height of the image file, so he appears somewhat shorter. Note that the tip of Freddie's sword is higher than the top of his head. That reduces that character's apparent height, since there are only blank pixels next to the sword point, above his head.
ElenaThis, at left, is the player's character. It's based on royalty-free Corel graphics, but has been customized. The original character had bare arms and legs. Those were covered to avoid the worst offenses against modesty if this program were sold in outside the US and European markets, esp. in the Mid East.
FreddieThis image, at right, also started as Corel royalty-free clip art. It was customized to have a transparent background, and to remove some stones from around the character's feet. (Those stones would not have been appropriate, for example, in the game's Living Room area.)
Area images fill the entire game window. They should not have any transparent pixels, since the application does not define the appearance of the window 'behind' the area file image. Like character image files, areas should have enough detail to look good on larger (1024x768 and up) screens, but still be small enough to load without taxing the viewer's patience. (Area images are cached, and draw much more quickly the second time than the first, even if scaled differently.) At this writing, area images are JPEG files, ~75-100K, 600x400 pixels. They are drawn to minimize the importance of most sharp edges, and to hide compression artifacts that could have corrupted large areas of uniform color. Area images should tolerate moderate widening or narrowing relative to height, since the image files will be scaled differently in X than in Y so as to an arbitrary game window.
Characters may be drawn at two positions in the area window. The right and left character positions are centered at 25% and 75% of the area window. They are 50% the height of the area window, but characters may appear smaller due to transparent pixels in the character's image file. Typical character images are 33% to 50% of the character's height, but no exact proportion has been defined. Area images should be drawn to contrast with all character images, and to provide reasonably visual clutter behind the characters. Most areas are drawn lighter than the characters. The Dungeon, however, is drawn very dark to make the lighter characters stand out visually. The character positions of all present areas are drawn in muted colors, to allow the saturated colors of the characters to stand out. Developers should check every character in every area, at each position, to verify proper appearance.
Passageways to other areas appear along some walls of each area. Captions are drawn automatically at each doorway, naming the adjacent area and indicating the "hot spot", where a mouse click will cause character motion. Captions are drawn in white with black outlines. Area graphics should avoid visual clutter near doorways that would obscure the captions.
Most walls have one doorway or none. If present, the doorway is centered half way along the width or height of the wall, and has no defined size. The Encounter game may allow two or more doorways along any wall (e.g. the east wall of the Drawing Room), independent of any other wall. If two doorways may appear, they are at the 1/3 and 1/3 positions along the length of the wall. Three doorways would appear at the 1/4, 1/2, and 3/4 positions, and so on for larger numbers of doorways. (No area, at this writing, does it, but a door space may be allocated and skipped. The program could allow room for two doors along one wall, but place only one door. That would appear as a wall with one door centered 1/3 of the way along the wall, rather then the used 1/3-wall position.)
One passageway on each of three walls: west, north, and east.
This area has two doorways along the east wall.
Single doors in the east and west walls
One door in the south wall.
Single doorways in the south and west walls.
Single doorways in the north and west walls.