markrebec

ok, so i've read all the tutorials i can find, about sidl.doc, alot of the posts on this site, and more, and im really pretty good when it comes to any form of code, and ive had some VERY slight xml experience in the past.

I've decided to start small, and try to create a new player window for myself. i know what i want in it, and kinda how i want it layed out. i figued that i would begin by simply adding an exp bar and percentage label. I thought i had a good understanding of the xml being used, but apparently.. i dont, and i figured that out as soon as i tried to implement stuff.

basically, what im requesting from you guys (anyone who can help) is for you to break down the code im posting below for me. I pretty much, rather than posting my modifications and letting you pick out everything thats wrong, would rather just have you explain the code that is currently there, as i learn better when i know exactly the way something is going to work, and then figure out HOW it does what it does.

Here is the player window code and below it is what i would like explained (if possible).
(im doing it in sections...)
lets start with the hp guage
---------------
<Gauge item = "Player_HP">
<ScreenID>PlayerHP</ScreenID>
<!--<Font>3</Font>-->
<TextColor>
<R>240</R>
<G>240</G>
<B>240</B>
</TextColor>
<RelativePosition>true</RelativePosition>
<Location>
<X>3</X>
<Y>0</Y>
</Location>
<Size>
<CX>108</CX>
<CY>41</CY>
</Size>
<TextOffsetX>8</TextOffsetX>
<GaugeOffsetY>33</GaugeOffsetY>
<Style_VScroll>false</Style_VScroll>
<Style_HScroll>false</Style_HScroll>
<Style_Transparent>false</Style_Transparent>
<!--<TooltipReference/>-->
<FillTint>
<R>240</R>
<G>0</G>
<B>0</B>
</FillTint>
<LinesFillTint>
<R>220</R>
<G>220</G>
<B>0</B>
</LinesFillTint>
<DrawLinesFill>false</DrawLinesFill>
<EQType>1</EQType>
<GaugeDrawTemplate>
<Background>A_GaugeBackground</Background>
<Fill>A_GaugeFill</Fill>
<Lines>A_GaugeLines</Lines>
<LinesFill>A_GaugeLinesFill</LinesFill>
<EndCapLeft>A_GaugeEndCapLeft</EndCapLeft>
<EndCapRight>A_GaugeEndCapRight</EndCapRight>
</GaugeDrawTemplate>
</Gauge>
---------------------
question 1:
<Location>
<X>3</X>
<Y>0</Y>
</Location>
<Size>
<CX>108</CX>
<CY>41</CY>
</Size>
this is the location and size of the "section" of the tga with the image in it correct? not the location and size of the item on the screen/in the window...
OR... isnt the size/location of the "picture within the image file" defined in the animations file, and then called upon with the A_interfacethingy things?? and in that case would this location/size be referring to the actual location/size within the window, and use the A_blahblah that u reference just a bit lower in the code?? (wow, that sentence doesnt even make sense to me... but umm.. yah... :-P )

question 2:
if the above is correct, then do these define where the item sits within the window??
<TextOffsetX>8</TextOffsetX>
<GaugeOffsetY>33</GaugeOffsetY>
and if that is the case, why is there a textoffset for the guage??

question 3:
<Gauge item = "Player_HP">
is Player_HP something like A_windowthingie that is defined in a file somewhere? or is that just something i make up to name it, kinda like the screenid tag???

onto one of the labels
-------------------------
<Label item ="Player_HPLabel">
<ScreenID>HPLabel</ScreenID>
<EQType>19</EQType>
<RelativePosition>true</RelativePosition>
<Location>
<X>3</X>
<Y>29</Y>
</Location>
<Size>
<CX>60</CX>
<CY>12</CY>
</Size>
<Text>Playername123456</Text>
<TextColor>
<R>255</R>
<G>255</G>
<B>255</B>
</TextColor>
<NoWrap>true</NoWrap>
<AlignCenter>false</AlignCenter>
<AlignRight>true</AlignRight>
</Label>
----------------------
question 1:
<Location>
<X>3</X>
<Y>29</Y>
</Location>
<Size>
<CX>60</CX>
<CY>12</CY>
</Size>
if i was correct in question 1 of the first section, then why is this here for something that is text, and not in an image or whatever?

question 2:
<Text>Playername123456</Text>
i've seen this in a few places... umm... wtf is it?? :-P hehe (i'm assuming that it gets translated to whatever your characters name is)

---------------------
<Screen item = "PlayerWindow">
<!--<ScreenID/>-->
<RelativePosition>false</RelativePosition>
<Location>
<X>516</X>
<Y>0</Y>
</Location>
<Size>
<CX>124</CX>
<CY>78</CY>
</Size>
<Text>Player</Text>
<Style_VScroll>false</Style_VScroll>
<Style_HScroll>false</Style_HScroll>
<Style_Transparent>false</Style_Transparent>
<TooltipReference>The Breath Meter</TooltipReference>
<DrawTemplate>WDT_RoundedNoTitle</DrawTemplate>
<Style_Titlebar>false</Style_Titlebar>
<Style_Closebox>false</Style_Closebox>
<Style_Minimizebox>false</Style_Minimizebox>
<Style_Border>true</Style_Border>
<Style_Sizable>false</Style_Sizable>
<Pieces>Player_HP</Pieces>
<Pieces>Player_Mana</Pieces>
<Pieces>Player_Fatigue</Pieces>
<Pieces>Pet_HP</Pieces>
<Pieces>Player_HPLabel</Pieces>
<Pieces>Player_HPPercLabel</Pieces>
</Screen>
-------------------------
question 1:
this is the window itself, correct? (i know its obvious, but i wanted to be sure)

question 2:
<Location>
<X>516</X>
<Y>0</Y>
</Location>
<Size>
<CX>124</CX>
<CY>78</CY>
</Size>
once again... if i was correct about this referring to the image itself (which, as i type this, i get less and less sure of) then why in the world would it be inside the screen tags?!?!



well i think thats about it for now.... i apologize for the long post, but im just tryin to get a push in the right direction... i think that once i figure out the above i'll be well on my way to creating a great UI. And from my experience... the best way to figure somethin like this out, is to ask for a little help to get that push. I'm sure i have a few more questions, and things that i havent even come accross yet. look forward to your responses

Thanx

------------edit--------------
ok, this is REALLY weird...

so when i read alot of code, and read a bunch of posts on forums about stuff, it get stuck in my head... then.. i, in turn, think about it as i lay in bed at night... which, in turn, SOMETIMES causes me to have dreams about it... LOL...

so i woke up this morning with the revelation that labels (like the 100 labels for health, exp, mana... etc) are more "objects" than text, like i thought. can anyone verify that fact for me? like, what im saying is... that the 100% "text" isnt actually text at all... its an object that is hardcoded somewhere, or created somewhere... and then just inserted by us wherever we want it... told ya this was weird...