Custom GUI?

#1 AFX2 (as well as previous versions) does "enable object selection using the mouse, integrated with selectrons, and object highlighting". Specifically it implements a single-selection model quite a bit like the one in World of Warcraft. AFX2 adds the ability to enter a free-targeting mode where a special kind of selectron can be interactively positioned on the ground.

I should mention though that in AFX2-for-T3D (currently in closed beta) there is no good solution for object rollover highlighting. T3D appears to lack a general per-object lighting solution, which would be the usual technique for this.

#2 I made the decision and finally bought it for TGEA! I'm very impressed to say the least.

Highlighting seems to work in TGEA... Did T3D change it so it can't work anymore?

Once you release the T3D version (soon, please please please!) my next change will be to integrate Yack Pack in.

Any chance you can give me some tips how to make a custom cursor that changes depending what item it is over, like chat bubble for person, hand for item? And then I need to know what object is under the cursor to call the correct Yack Pack function.

#3 Well...

A little search found this www.garagegames.com/community/resources/view/15095

Unfortunately, Canvas.setCursor() seems to work in TGE, but not in TGEA.

I might be able to solve the problem with this www.garagegames.com/community/resources/view/15453, but I think I'll pass on recompiling the engine till you release AFX for T3D.

#4

Quote:Highlighting seems to work in TGEA... Did T3D change it so it can't work anymore?

Yes, the highlighting technique that worked in TGE and TGEA does not work in T3D, and I'm somewhat embarrassed to say that I have not yet discovered an ideal replacement.

The reason it no longer works is that dynamic lighting is quite different in T3D. The previous lighting was structured more around how lighting affected the rendering of individual objects. With that kind of lighting, it's quite trivial to highlight objects by slightly raising the ambient lighting on objects that are highlighted.

This no longer possible in T3D because it does lighting in more of a global sense and (as far as I know) it does not have any per-object lighting control.

T3D does offer alternative possibilities, but it is a bit tricky to find a technique that's real cheap but still works generically on all objects without using special materials. There may be a great way to do it right now, but I haven't discovered it yet.

In the meantime, I'm looking at enhancing Selectrons so that they can optionally be configured to stay continuously active and then apply their effects for rollover highlights as well as selections. While this doesn't directly solve the highlighting puzzle, it does generalize the problem and makes it possible to use just about any kind of effect as a rollover highlight.

Also, it would probably help to tie in cursor switching a bit better as that's a pretty good alternative.

#5 did the object highlight on mouseover got to work for latest T3D1.1 B3?
as Jeff mentioned above that there is no good working solution for object rollover higlighting, is this the same thing as mouseover object highlight?

or 2 different things?.

#6 Yes, "mouseover object highlight" is probably the same thing as "object rollover higlighting" and no, I still don't know a good solution for T3D1.1 B3.

I did find a pretty good solution for the same thing in Unity, but I don't think it's transferable.

I'll be taking a fresh look at the problem for T3D1.1 final.

#7 Thanks for the prompt response Jeff,

BTW, i am working in another project in Unity , so, will be nice to see AFX for unity aswell.

any update on the developement? like an ETA for a release? and or a blog so we can see the actual updates about it.

#8 @ pilotcap232 -- I am working on something AFX-like for Unity. I still consider it to be "experimental" so there's no ETA on a release (if any), but I do blog about the work at effectronica.com/ .

#9 I would be even happy with a silhouette outline, as the one in Konrad resource but a bit blurred/faded, not so crispy...

#10 The approach in Konrad's resource is probably workable. I'll look at incorporating something like it into the next release, first as a hard-coded rollover highlight, and second as a possible new kind of effect.

#11 That would be great :-)
By the way, I like so much the effect as is in Guild Wars 2...

www.youtube.com/watch?v=o5wBIPF8bGA&feature=player_detailpage#t=561s (look at it in high res :-P )