Visual Equipment!

@gamerxp Fix one thing, break another...

Regarding pre-caching. While it would be faster when switching out items, the initial loading would be extremely slow. My current method is awful and slow itself, I'm not going to deny that, but that's because it reloads just the map whenever performing an update right now...I'm working on a much better method that updates the actor individually, but I got side-tracked thanks to a lengthy power-outage.

Sure, I can expand on VE Actor to let you specify what you don't want affected by it.

I see. I knew I missed a couple of things...I'll fix the flashing issues in the next update.

So it's weird, but for some reason(even when I first started working on this), unlike most sprites, the VE sprites are positioned perfectly on the character, which causes all kinds of problems with sprites that use offsets to be positioned properly, like the balloons. I'll do what I can to fix as many offset-related issues as possible, but I'm not sure if I'll be able to get them all or not.

I can make a patch for Bust Portraits to work with this, yeah.

And an expression system for faces? Can do.

- About pre-caching. Since it uses Java-Script - can't it be made using threads? Like running a background task for image loading. Or at least allow to manually pre-cache some images that will be switched often (like poses for main character).

- Offset problems seems to be apply to animation effects as well.

- Making it work with bust and also allow expressions will be really neat. How I see it should be for the user is:

1. You have a bunch of images with different expressions for same character (can be multiple different pictures since 8 images are often not enough).

2. When in game - this portrait get replaces with face/bust with current pose specified (or some other method to select a basic image - maybe some [tag] at the end of image name - that will be event better) and with face image corresonding to specific subimage selected.

I tried doing this by moving all VE Image to negative layers, but original face image were still drawing below them, so that method did not worked (and it's also hard to work with since you can't see whole face on that image)

Hey Rexal,

I wanted to ask you if you already have a patch for yanfly's extensions?

I ran through the posts, so if this was mentioned, I missed it and apologize.

Are the images (equipment, ve image sets) thrown into the character sprite frames or are they separate images/sheets played with the character frames? I ask because I want to, hopefully, adjust speeds on specific sprites and adjust frame count with the extra frames plugin, but if it's all thrown into one sprite frame as the character, I don't think it will work. Basically just need to know if it's all 1 image/sheet in the end playing, or if they are in fact all different images/sheets playing when the character moves instead. 

I can't test right now, so figured I'd ask instead. Will help me understand how it's built regardless and save some time that could be spent digging through the code if it's unnecessary. 

Would it be possible to put these tags under class as well? If for example, I want certain class to have certain items or such.

To add to my question above, is there also a function that will call to update the character if I change the prefix on the fly, and is there a way to change the prefix on the fly so it's dynamic?

I've looked and didn't see anything so far, and will continue looking, but hoping this is an easy answer instead. Tried a few things now and failed.

Bump (4 days, is this ok?)!

Anyone? I'm trying to be able to change the prefix and update the character build for the pieces put together in the actor (done in comments, changed in script). I can get it to change the prefix, but it doesn't update, so I was hoping someone could help with both on the right, or best, way to do it.

This is so I can dynamically change the build pieces of the character. I'm just trying to make an idle, walk, and run with pieces into the sprite. 

Can you add the option to add visual parts through event commands, like in Victor's Visual Equip for Ace? (Like, adding a visual part without having to actually equip something)

Great plugin, mostly.  I'm having a MAJOR bug when using the "Add/ Remove Party Members" from the event creator, with VE, the battle just sort of ends. 

As an example:

  Battle against a monster, "OH NO ITS BIG!"
  Character 2 ADD "Don't worry I'm here to help!"

Battle Ends.

Is there any work around or way I can fix it?

Awesome Plugin!

I have one suggestion. Currently if you use "hide: layer" it only clears the default parts. Would it be possible to code something in, that allows to hide any image on that layer?

For example:

Slot 1: Wig

[ve image: Wig,50]

Slot 2: Helmet

[ve image: Helmet,60

ve hide: 50]

Now it should only show the helmet.

Thank you!

Hi!

I want to know if u Rexal could update the plugin to add parts with variables, or switches, or events, without have to equip someting.

Example:

Switch 1 [ON] = Hair Sprite 1

Switch 2 [ON] = Hair Sprite 2

Or

Variable 1 Value 1 = Hair Sprite 1

Variable 1 Value 2 = Hair Sprite 2

---

Variable 2 Value 1 = Eye Sprite 1

Variable 2 Value 2 = Eye Sprite 2

Thank you

Its a very Cool plugin but needs a bunch of work and updates.

Uhm, tried it but seems like unable to work with YEP plugins :(


What shud I do?

You can do nothing at the moment. We have to wait until Rexal create a patch or new version :(

I have a question about this plugin. I need visual equipment for my game and this seems to be what I want, but is there a way I can have an equipment have conditional sprites? For example, my character will look different if the player has died, so equipment will also look different. Is there any way to make that conditional with this script?


EDIT


Nevermind! I utilized the pose part to do that. So when the player dies, it just sets a new pose. Simple as that. Thanks for the script!

Sorry for the double post, but I couldn't add a quote to an edit. Lovvins, I am using YEP plugins and this one works perfectly fine for me.

Is there anyway to make this script compatible with states?


Would it be very nice to add parts via states!!


Thank for your efforts!

Been messing around with the code.  Getting prefix and name to evaluate to variables the same way as color is quite doable without breaking existing formatting, just need to catch for undefineds.  I've tested with faces and map sprites so far and it seems to work fine, haven't tested battlers yet but the fix should work for those as well.  I needed something that let me build a character from scratch in-game (well, the face at least) and change it on the fly, and this with the right tweaks seems to do just that.


What I'm trying to nail down though is how to get this to play well with some of Yanfly's menus, particularly the party select screen.  It seems the composite faces don't erase properly and always overlap elements taking up the same space.  Nothing from either plugin or the default window code suggests this should be happening, but I've only been working with MV for all of two days.  Maybe it has to do with child sprites being handled differently?

Sorry for bump.  Bit of an update digging around and figuring out what makes this gem tick, hoping someone who knows MV more than I do can weigh in on what I'm assuming so far.


I think a lot of the compatibility issues with menus stem from the fact that all vanilla and plugin menus makes the assumption that when a face is drawn onto a menu, MV vanilla just takes the face file and plops it onto the window, whereas now the face is drawn as a plurality of sprite objects that need their own care and feeding.  You don't see the effects of this in vanilla menus because the vanilla menus all use faces in very simple ways, for example you don't see many instances of text or other ui elements overlapping a character portrait.  


The trouble starts when fancier, prettier UIs like YEP stuff come into play, where I've run into overlap and update issues, or other plugins like Orange's HUD, which likewise expects a vanilla drawface function and starts lagging the game when instead it gets a bunch of sprites.  I've tried a hacky fix for the overlap issue substituting addchildtoback for addchild, but it reverses the layer order which in turn screws up the map sprites, among other problems.  All this makes me think that since faces are handled so differently by the game, it should be treated as a separate module from the actual character sprites.

This is an awesome plugin, thank you Rexal!


I have 3 questions, though: 


1- Is it possible to add default parts mid-game? As if... a barber shop, for example, where the character can permanently change the hair part, as if it was default. Or perhaps a character creation of sorts where the player chooses (and sets) their default parts.


2- Still on the character creation thing, is it possible to add notes to an actor? Mid-game too? Because if they can choose the gender, for example, they would need to have a prefix note added for female armor (for example). I know I could achieve this with multiple actors but that might become a mess with every command/plugin that uses actorID in the future.


3- Finally, just out of curiosity... why is prefix used for items? I mean... if it always overrides the character prefix, why not simply call for the right image? For example, if an item calls for Hat but I want PrefixHat, why not simply call PrefixHat instead of calling Hat and having a prefix?


I didn't get its usage :p


Thanks and keep up the good work! :3