Need help with my menu - Current issue is item grid layout

[DerVVulfman]

Yep. I like cleaning things, and it's still (insert Lilyffrog's demo title here).

[DerVVulfman]

Okay, it's still a mess.   I was out most of the day and only got back 30 minutes ago for a BITE to eat (werewolf joke).  But, I did a little bit of cleaning, and I put all your major configs in one area for the system.


  Scripts.zip (Size: 114.5 KB / Downloads: 3)

There's one section just to list all your items.  Should be simple to understand.   The actual window display will use a 'word-wrap' system that I've put to good use in quest systems.  Yep, you read that correct.... an actual WORD WRAP system.  Nope, I didn't make it.

Still workin....

[LilyFrog]

Oh wow, this looks really neat so far. Word wrap is also going to be invaluable to me, thank you so much for that. Also appreciate the addition of the list credits. I've been trying to keep track of those.

I'm a patient person, and it's already extremely cool of you to help me out with this, so it's no rush.

[DerVVulfman]

Yeah, I'm a big fan of credits. Just play one of my Lycan ABS demos and you'll see some fun I had just making opening titles. I use a technique that lets you press 'any key' to skip evented cutscenes.... But... just let the scenes play through.

As I said, I can't take credit for the word wrap feature. But you do have a placeholder for STORY, so I can just imagine you'd wish to use word wrap there too. Or lemme guess. LIGHTBULB JUST FLASHED!!!

I took a bit of time to ensure that the placement of the Description Popup Window was where you wanted it in the screen. Hehehe... 100% configuration placement for the win. The item name, image and flavor text (aka description) will also be configurable. At least, that's the plan.

[LilyFrog]

I may go check that out in a bit.

For the Story section I'm considering going with a library/book script by ForeverZer0, since I'm planning to use it to store story-recap stuff in sections as different things happen in the plot. It seems like it'd be the easiest way for me to include multiple paragraphs of (possibly varying) information, since said information is stored in simple txt documents.

I noticed that, thank you! And as someone who so far can't read code beyond the most obvious stuff, configurable things are always appreciated.

[DerVVulfman]

If you're dealing with a BOOK script, see if it you store the books in .TXT format or .RXData Format. If you plan to encrypt/compress your game, txt files do not compress with the rest of it and won't be packaged by RPGMaker.

It's not TOO difficult to convert .txt files into RXData.... just annoying. But the script must understand how to read .rxdata files

THAT... is a separate subject. .

[LilyFrog]

Hmm, it definitely uses txt. files. I guess I'll have to address that at some point... or find an alternative. Thanks for the head's up, separate subject aside.

[DerVVulfman]

I didn't modify or change the Pop-Up window... yet.   Instead, I did some script cleanup.  To be more specific, I broke up sections of the scripts into smaller bite-sized sections with headers describing 'basically' what each method does.  The scripts broken up may be larger, but that's because of the header comments.  For study purposes, make a new 'COPY' of your demo and use this attachment in it, and you can see a major before/after shot.


  Scripts.zip (Size: 115.19 KB / Downloads: 2)

OH... and I didn't notice what your old LoadSave script did. ROFL... it's the same as Scene_Load, except for ONE stupid command that sends the game to your main menu instead of the Title screen.  That's it?   So take a look at the new Scene_Load script I have in your package.  Without comments, only a dozen lines does what that script did.

If you're wondering how I broke it down to that small a size, hrm... I'm in 'CHAT' till Midnight usually (see the forum menu's 'Community' dropdown button). At least we're in the same timezone.

[LilyFrog]

I'm a little late, I think, but I might try to pop in tomorrow if my day doesn't go as badly. Spent the past hour trying to fix a messed up driver, again... ugh. Wacom tablets can be such a pain. I digress.

Wow, I'm not even sure how to process the differences fully at the moment, so I might have to check it out again tomorrow when I'm more present. It's really interesting how you can get pretty much the same results in so many different ways, though.

[DerVVulfman]

Gets better, LilyFrog.  I just did some more work on the popup display.  But to do what is needed, I added TWO more methods to the BITMAP class.

Okay, a little info.  The Bitmap class is a hidden class that you would normally bot be able to touch.  But a number of us intrepid scripters know of the class and how to tweak it.  In this, there are a number of additions made.

The first one to note is the 'Scaled Blit' method by SephirothSpawn.  Blitting is the act of pasting a bitmap to a location.   SephirothSpawn's Scaled Blit method takes the image and makes it fit within a specific area, shrinking it or increasing its size to fit.  BUT... it doesn't distort the image in doing so.

The second one is the 'Formatted Text' method by Trickster.  This is an enhanced version of the default draw_text method, using the same basic x and y positions, text area width, and line height of the original.  But the difference is that when the text goes beyond the prescribed width, the text is continued as another line below the first.  It doesn't do Right-Justified, Centered, nor 'Full Alignment'... but it does the trick.

With that out of the way, I remastered the pop window in the scripts to add the image and description.  I .. um... forgot to add the item NAME like your mockup.  But it's pretty much there.

Oh, and for the test, I added an image to add into your Graphics\Pictures folder.  It MIGHT look familiar.




  Scripts.zip (Size: 117.11 KB / Downloads: 1)

  Lilyflower.png (Size: 10.8 KB / Downloads: 1)