A couple questions about .flc frames...

[dog]

1. I know that the max frame size for flicster is 240x240. How big is a terrain square (or diamond) in civ??

2. When making an animation from scratch, how does one set the "center" so that the unit touches the ground in the center of the active unit circle? (Sorry...I'm sure this one's been answered but I didn't find it)

3. Would a 240x240 frame be large enough to encompass the "centers" of all eight adjacent terrain squares? Does the fact that the flicster frame is a square whereas the terrain is in a diamond pattern prevent this? I'm looking at Balou's Parachutiste drop animation (240x220) and I think it's almost big enough, but the east and west adjacent squares might not quite fit in.

4. If the max frame size is too small to encompass all adjacent terrain squares, is there a way to shift the unit "center" within the flicster frame so that adjacent terrain squares could be accomodated in different directions (for example, in the SE direction, the unit would center in the upper left corner so that the SE adjacent terrain square would fit in the frame)?

Sorry if these questions have been answered elsewhere. I've done a little cut and paste and recoloring stuff but I've never messed with frames or started an animation from scratch. What I'm trying to work out is if an animation can carry over into an adjacent square. There could be several uses for this...an archer or throwing axeman could have his projectile carry on to the center of the adjacent square and look like it struck the other unit. For fantasy units, a wizard could cast a spell and the results could center on the adjacent unit (like a flame or lightening bolt or something). What I was hoping to make, with cut and paste, is a Combat Controller unit, where the CCT unit would have a bombard function and animation that would have the CCT unit kneeling and facing the target as a war plane flies over the target and drops a load.

Think this is possible?

I tried to post this question twice before and each time the board went down for several hours. Got my fingers crossed this time...

 

[dog]

OK, I've been doing a little experimentation.

Originally posted by dog
3. Would a 240x240 frame be large enough to encompass the "centers" of all eight adjacent terrain squares? Does the fact that the flicster frame is a square whereas the terrain is in a diamond pattern prevent this? I'm looking at Balou's Parachutiste drop animation (240x220) and I think it's almost big enough, but the east and west adjacent squares might not quite fit in.

All the "centers" of adjacent squares easily fit in the parachutiste's 240x220 frame, except the West and East squares which barely fit in (half the unit "circle" would fit in the frame).

Found a weird phenomenon (apologies if this is common knowledge). I made a grid of dots on the parachutiste flic so I could see the borders of the 240x220 frame and estimate where the center of adjacent terrains would be in relation to the unit in the flicster frame. Dots to the SE, South, SW and West go under the AI unit (not visible). Dots to the North, NE, East and NW go over the AI unit and are thus visible. This means that my bomber could pass over the enemy in the N, NE, E and NW adjacent squares. In the other squares the bomber would vanish or pass beneath the enemy unit. Weird. Workable though with a Harrier or Apache.

 

[ripptide]

Actually dog, the easiest way to center the unit is to use SBB. Use SBB to create the .bmp storyboard, then convert it to .pcx with whatever graphics app you're using. The start SBB again, but this time choose MUnit instead of the first selection. In the MUnit menu, choose "alone" and load your storyboard .pcx. Then just enable the shadow and grid checkboxes, and adjust the x and y offset spinners till it looks centered on the grid in all directions. After that its just a matter of saving the new centered storyboard and then converting it again into a .pcx to create the .flc from.

 

[dog]

Originally posted by ripptide
Actually dog, the easiest way to center the unit is to use SBB. Use SBB to create the .bmp storyboard, then convert it to .pcx with whatever graphics app you're using. The start SBB again, but this time choose MUnit instead of the first selection. In the MUnit menu, choose "alone" and load your storyboard .pcx. Then just enable the shadow and grid checkboxes, and adjust the x and y offset spinners till it looks centered on the grid in all directions. After that its just a matter of saving the new centered storyboard and then converting it again into a .pcx to create the .flc from.

What I was thinking was if it was possible for the unit to NOT be centered in the flc frame and yet still be centered in the game. And then could you have a different "centered" point in the frame (for the game, not the frame) that is different for each direction.

This might sound confusing. I guess what I'm trying to figure out is if the center of the frame in flicster equals the center of the unit touching the ground in the active unit circle in the game. If not, what is the relation and can this be manipulated?

Does the center of the flicster frame equal the center (unit touching ground in the active unit circle) in the game?

 

[GIDustin]

I do believe so. I think I had trouble with that when I made my V3 Rocket and Turrett. I had my anims centered in the frames, but in game they looked as if they were one more square south than they really were.


GIDustin

 

[ripptide]

I think I get you now, and yes kinda, the center of the flicster frame does pretty well match the center of the Civ unit grid, which in turn is normally what the center of the bottom of the unit is alligned to. The exception to this that I've seen (assuming that I'm even on the right track, which is a HUGE assumption) are air units that tend to be well above the frame center to appear well off the ground. But basically, I would have to say that if the unit was not centered in the .flc, then it couldn't possibly be centered in the game, since, again as I understand it, the game centers based on the .flc frame, not the unit. At least any of the units I've done to date are centered in the unit circle whenever I have used SBB and centered them on the grid.