Unused/empty sprites

[Ardis]

Okay, for the mod I'm working on, I'm running out of sprites I can replace. What leftover sprites still have a file where I can put a sprite of my own in its place and use for a unit? I only know of the Starbase so far, but nothing else.

[IskatuMesk]

For AO, I cannibalized stuff like installation doodads, pickup items, special structures, ect. that I knew I was never going to use.

[Ardis]

I came up with an interesting idea about this situation. I'm not sure if this is possible, but if it is... The possibilities would be endless.

What I would like to try is storing sprite data for two different units in one GRP file and have the iscripting set up to use only the necessary sprite data for the two separate units. Of course, I don't know what the limitations of iscripting are, so this may or may not work.

Also, what does AO stand for?

[IskatuMesk]

index.php?topic=511

Iscript can handle huge frame counts.

[Ardis]

So that means that I CAN store sprite data for two different units in one .grp file and let iscripting decide which frames to use?

[IskatuMesk]

Yeah. Why not?

[Ardis]

Okay. This saves me a lot of trouble then. Thanks.

[ShadowFlare]

Not for the same images.dat entry though, if that's what you meant.  There's really not any reason to use the same .grp file for two units unless they share frames.

[Ardis]

Crud... I think I figured that out about two hours ago anyway. I'm gonna have to either cut a unit or three or find a way to add more grp files and get the game to recognize them. I managed to make the Science Vessel turret available and use it for another unit but I goofed the iscripting and got a unit that crashed when it tried to turn.

EDIT: I punched a few holes and still managed to make it look decent. Now that I've got room for more sprites, I've got to make them work.

[Ardis]

Okay, I know I just posted previously, but I've got a wacky bug now.

I set the Kukulza (Guardian) up as a unit using a 254x254 sprite using the Battlecruiser iscript. It's using the Venom Flingy.dat entry, which is connected to the Corsair Attack Overlay (previously unused) sprites.dat entry, which goes to the Corsair Attack Overlay images.dat entry which is set to use the KhChunk.grp sprite file which is modified with my own sprite I made and it's set to use the Battlecruiser Iscript entry temporarily.

My problem is that the unit will randomly start spinning like crazy for a few seconds and won't stop even if I tell it to move. It will literally spin while moving and the spinning can prevent its attack from working.

Code: Select all

Sprite File: Corsair Attack Overlay (Unused)
Top Speed: 1400
Acceleration: 45
Halt Distance: 8000
Turn Radius: 20
Move Control: Flingy.dat
Unused: 127

Okay, one last thing. Upon review of everything, I noticed that the "Unknown1" box, in the Corsair Attack Overlay (Unused) sprites.day entry, was left unchecked.

[Fyrinite]

It's a hardcoded problem resulting from weapon flingys.  The SC engine automatically updates them to a higher turn radius so that they can hit their targets.  However, using them as units causes them to start spinning around randomly like that.  There is no current way to fix it except using a different flingy entry.

[Ardis]

Okay. Also, I figured out that even IF I could fit two unit sprites into a single grp file, they would have to be the same dimensions or else the smaller unit would be extremely off center.

I'll see if I can find another unused Flingy.dat entry. Thanks for all the help guys.

[ShadowFlare]

As I said, there is no reason to put two units into the same .grp file.  If you need another .grp file for an images.dat entry, add a new entry to images.tbl then choose that entry in images.dat.  Also, for the turning problem, try increasing the value labeled as "Turn Radius" (it should really be labeled something probably like "turning speed" since higher values make it turn around quicker).

It's a hardcoded problem resulting from weapon flingys.  The SC engine automatically updates them to a higher turn radius so that they can hit their targets.  However, using them as units causes them to start spinning around randomly like that.  There is no current way to fix it except using a different flingy entry.

What is it you are talking about exactly?  That isn't something I'd say I've ever encountered.

[Fyrinite]

SC has a piece of code for flingys that is a workaround to very fast units that can 'dance' around missles that normally turn very slowly.  It does a check on the id of the flingy, and then if it is within weapon flingys(141-171 and 201-206), then it increments the turn radius(in 1.15.1, the function starts at 0x494c80 if you're curious.  +0x21 is the flingy id offset and +0x22 is the turn radius.  This causes the turn radius to loop.  There's a certain value(somewhere near halfway) where units/weaopns(both use flingys and the same base struct for the first 0x64 or so bytes) start to turn around when idle.

[Lavarinth]

'Ello, DoA. (Offtopic, I know.)