Using images instead of icons

ID:264366
 
Mar 25 2009, 5:00 pm
Code:
mob
    var
        image/img
        
    New()
        img = image('punk.dmi',src,MOB_LAYER,src.dir) 
    
    verb
        IconThing()
            usr << img


Problem description:
Right, so as you can see, I'm experimenting with images instead of icons. Why? Because I want to create players that essentially have image attributes (ie can only be seen by players I specify).

The problem? Using this code makes the image appear and attach to the player, but the image does not animate movement or change directions based on where the player is facing. In other words, it's totally useless.

Now changing directions is easy, but is there a way to get the image to be treated the same way as the mob's icon without changing its visibility, or is this impossible?
Mar 25 2009, 6:57 pm
Images are not animated unfortunately. One thing you might do (which I imagine you referenced against when you said "without changing its visibility") is to manipulate the mobs' invisibility var for the ones you want to hide, and the see_invisible for the ones you want to be able to see them.
Mar 25 2009, 6:59 pm
In response to Kuraudo
Kuraudo wrote:
Images are not animated unfortunately. One thing you might do (which I imagine you referenced against when you said "without changing its visibility") is to manipulate the mobs' invisibility var for the ones you want to hide, and the see_invisible for the ones you want to be able to see them.

Yeah, that would only work for one group. The issue is potentially having many more than just a single group in the one area, and making sure each group can only see their specific visibility range.

Mainly what I'm referring to is that you can put an image in an overlay which animates just fine, but the overlay itself is visible to everyone...
Mar 26 2009, 5:04 am
In response to Perpetr8r the Perpetu8r
Unfortunately, that's strictly a function of (all) overlays though, not images themselves.
Mar 26 2009, 5:05 am
In response to Kaioken
Kaioken wrote:
Unfortunately, that's strictly a function of (all) overlays though, not images themselves.

So basically it can't be done? x_x
Mar 26 2009, 5:43 am
In response to Perpetr8r the Perpetu8r
It's possible to a certain degree by updating the image manually all the time whenever a change is needed, such as every time the mob moves, but there's probably no avoiding that this whole approach would be cumbersome and limited in the end.
Mar 26 2009, 6:22 am
In response to Kaioken
*sigh* I always seem to be chasing the impossible options. Oh well, I guess I'll have to figure something else out then...