Displaying animated .gif or way to do this.
by Tank Dork · in Torque Game Engine · 10/10/2002 (6:12 pm) · 4 replies
I'm not sure that this is the right forum... But,
I have this basically flipboard (4 sides front, back, left, right) trees in .dts format that are using transparent .png. Everything works great.
However, I also have these same views (front, back, left, right) in animated .gif files where the foilage ossilates (simulating wind in the trees) There not long animations.
I tried to replace the .png's with the animated .gif's and this didn't work.
I noticed that the GIF read function appears to skip any EXTENSION_RECORD_TYPE in the file. So, I guess I can't do this. sigh. *G*. (I want to look for the THIS-GOES-THERE function but, it just doesn't seam to exist. lol).
Anyway, how hard would it be to get these things to display on the planes? (we just got the engine about a week ago).
I read something in one of the post about using max IFL's or something, but I don't have max.
What would I have to do to accomplish this? (sorta what direction).
Thanks
I have this basically flipboard (4 sides front, back, left, right) trees in .dts format that are using transparent .png. Everything works great.
However, I also have these same views (front, back, left, right) in animated .gif files where the foilage ossilates (simulating wind in the trees) There not long animations.
I tried to replace the .png's with the animated .gif's and this didn't work.
I noticed that the GIF read function appears to skip any EXTENSION_RECORD_TYPE in the file. So, I guess I can't do this. sigh. *G*. (I want to look for the THIS-GOES-THERE function but, it just doesn't seam to exist. lol).
Anyway, how hard would it be to get these things to display on the planes? (we just got the engine about a week ago).
I read something in one of the post about using max IFL's or something, but I don't have max.
What would I have to do to accomplish this? (sorta what direction).
Thanks
About the author
#2
IE
treeleaf0000
treeleaf0001
on and on .....
Then when you have all images make a text file named somthing other than the images name like Leaves.IFL. make sure it save it as an ".IFL".
Next create a texture named "Leaves". Then apply the texture to the model, then export it. When you put it in the folder (for the game) don't add the texture named Leaves, instead add the IFL with all the base textures.
I still don't know if it will work because in MAX you have to add an "Texture Animation" DTS helper and assign the frames to it. I don't know which modeller your using but If you can add a Texture Animation DTS helper then you might add one and use the amount of frames that are required to complete the sequence of images.
Also one more snag might be that the model carries some info that tells the engine to look for an IFL and not a regular texture. I know in the dump files, when you use an IFL, it mentions it a few times.
Hope that helps let us know if it works.
Matt
10/13/2002 (7:58 pm)
If you wanted to use IFL's without MAX I think and I haven't tested this but you could use textpad or maybe notepad. You will need to make the images your using for the .gif into seperate images. Then name them with a numbering sequence.IE
treeleaf0000
treeleaf0001
on and on .....
Then when you have all images make a text file named somthing other than the images name like Leaves.IFL. make sure it save it as an ".IFL".
Next create a texture named "Leaves". Then apply the texture to the model, then export it. When you put it in the folder (for the game) don't add the texture named Leaves, instead add the IFL with all the base textures.
I still don't know if it will work because in MAX you have to add an "Texture Animation" DTS helper and assign the frames to it. I don't know which modeller your using but If you can add a Texture Animation DTS helper then you might add one and use the amount of frames that are required to complete the sequence of images.
Also one more snag might be that the model carries some info that tells the engine to look for an IFL and not a regular texture. I know in the dump files, when you use an IFL, it mentions it a few times.
Hope that helps let us know if it works.
Matt
#4
10/26/2002 (5:38 pm)
I am also interested to see if this works :) 
Torque Owner Robert Brower