A couple screenpack creation questions

[shastab24]

I was wondering a couple things, because I'm trying to actually get to making a screenpack:

Can a single character have multiple portraits visible on the fight screen (I want to have the character names be their logos and not have it be a font, so would I have to make a single portrait with both head and name, or is there a way to have more than one)?  If so, how can it be done?

Also, on the Versus screen, is it possible to have the background be a picture of the stage, rather than something standard (and as well, possibly have the name of the stage displayed somewhere on that screen)?  Again, if it can be done, it would be great to know.

[Cyanide]

Versus screen one. No, not possible. The background is default for everything. Stage is never listed at any point.

However for displaying on the select screen, absolutely... for some cleverness.

Lets say your select screen is 640x480 which is a pretty standard res. Set the portraits up so the writing is the correct way round on the p2 port and mirror the face. You don't want to flip it in the screenpack proper

[P2]========[P1]

would be what the portrait looks like, all as one picture. All facing is managed by the picture. Then, when you place the single portrait into the screenpack, the p2 portrait will be off screen if you are p1 or offscreen if you are p2. Alter the space between them to make sure you have enough. Text correct way round for both, but flip the p2 portrait itself. Don't flip it using the system.def code.

[shastab24]

Well, what I mean with the multiple portraits on the lifebars is something like this:

(Face sprite) (Lifebar)
                   (Powerbar)
                   (Name sprite)

Would that name sprite need to be part of the face sprite, or can it be separate?

Also, on the versus screen: darn.  I'll try to figure out something that can work as a background, then.

[Cyanide]

oh... during the fight. Urgh, kinda sorta, same logic. However it gets a bit stuffed up by simul where 2 names are listed.

You can actually define what small portrait is in use within fight.def. So you could define 4 seperate portraits for every character that look exactly how you want. However you have to make sure the names are off screen. And any time you add a new character you have to run through the process to give them the additional 4 portraits.

[shastab24]

Well, I pretty much assumed that giving each individual one the new portraits was going to be the case.  Anyways, how does one add extra portraits to the fight.def (or, for that matter, the Versus screen)?  I've tried to figure it on my own, but I'm not so good at it when I don't have a basis.  Granted, if I could find an already made lifebar pack that used multiple portraits, I could look at the code and try to extrapolate (though even then I might get lost--I'm coming at this completely new, after all, and know very little about coding), but I don't know which ones might do so.

[Cyanide]

Versus screen, no option. It uses the standard big portrait. Can't change it, can only create a big image which is offset to show the portrait you want for p2.

In the fight.def you find the bit about lifebars and you can define the portrait used. It's not so much find one with multiple portraits but one with custom portraits. The KoF XI screenpack is probably a good example. Although finding compatible characters with it may be harder.

[shastab24]

Maybe my brain is keeping me obstinately confused and therefore I'm just not getting it, but I was wondering where in the coding one would put the second portrait picture for the character.  I assume it's in the Face section, and said section on MUGEN regular looks like this:
p1.pos    = 2,12
p1.bg.spr = 50,0
p1.face.spr = 9000,0
p1.face.facing = 1
p1.face.offset = 0,10

I just wouldn't know what to put in for an extra portrait.  I mean, it's obvious p1.face.spr refers to player 1's face portrait, of course, but the question is how one can also specify an additional one to that while still keeping the one that's there shown.  It's also why I was saying I would have looked at coding of other ones that have used multiple portraits in order to find out for myself--their coding would actually have something additional there that could help me extrapolate.

[Cyanide]

Well, that's in the fight.def right? You're not putting in an extra. This particular sprite is ONLY used on the lifebars. So you tell it to use 9000,4 for example, and that's a sprite available JUST for your screenpack. If they don't have it, nothing displays.

This is a very very common problem when customising mugen like this. Custom coding the portrait into the character is kinda an option, but envshake may cause you problems there.

[shastab24]

Oh, I thought you were saying you could have multiple portraits, but this seems like you're saying you can't, that it all has to be on the one.  Maybe I simply misunderstood.  Dang, it's annoying to see all the tings that would be fun, but you can't do.  Oh well, I guess that instead of making them separate, I have to put the name on the same sprite as the face, despite what I wanted.  Overall, it's what I get for wanting to do something like that without knowing what's possible (but learning the limitations can be important, I know).

[Cyanide]

Yeah, there are always limitations. You could have 4 different ones, but it doesn't let you set any sort of default, so if they're not in use, or worse, are in use for a completely different reason, it tends to get a bit ugly.

Many things in mugen are best in a full game environment. Or alternatively, you never want to release them.

[shastab24]

I'm thinking I'll make two versions of the screenpack: one with the name logos and one with a font for the names, so if people want it they can choose one or the other.