helvbi.png and helvbr.png

jweeks · Post by **jweeks** » Wed Jan 28, 2004 2:14 am

Is there a way to make these two .png font tables look better? On my Windows version of BZFlag 1.10.4, it is impossible to read these fonts unless there is a very dark background. I have tried it on several different computers, all with different video cards, and the same problem occurs. This was not a problem when they were .rgb and I don't remember this being a problem on 1.9.9.

Thank you.

JeffM · Post by **JeffM** » Wed Jan 28, 2004 7:07 am

the fonts didn't change, they are the same images, just difrent formats, PNGs are compressed. Save the old fonts out from gimp as no compression PNG and use them.

oh and rgb hasn't been used since 1.7gx, all the 1.9.x versions and later have used png.

larsl · Post by **larsl** » Wed Jan 28, 2004 12:26 pm

I think the problem is that the background isn't shaded when you're in the menu as it used to be in earlier versions. I'm not sure why it isn't.

jweeks · Post by **jweeks** » Wed Jan 28, 2004 4:03 pm

Patlabor221 wrote:the fonts didn't change, they are the same images, just difrent formats, PNGs are compressed. Save the old fonts out from gimp as no compression PNG and use them.

oh and rgb hasn't been used since 1.7gx, all the 1.9.x versions and later have used png.

I appeciate the information but that doesn't really answer my question. Maybe my question was bad.

So, why do the fonts look bad on my computer and on every other computer I have tried? I have no clue how to "Save the old fonts out from gimp as no compression PNG and use them."

Thanks for the help.

jweeks · Post by **jweeks** » Wed Jan 28, 2004 4:04 pm

larsl wrote:I think the problem is that the background isn't shaded when you're in the menu as it used to be in earlier versions. I'm not sure why it isn't.

Ahhhh, so maybe there is a design flaw?

JeffM · Post by **JeffM** » Wed Jan 28, 2004 4:25 pm

you probably have difrent hud gui setings, play with your hud size, if you go all the way to the right it makes it transperant.

the Hud was not intentionaly changed for 1.10.anything.

you said the fonts looked better as the RGB files, the only diference between them and the PNG files is the format. So perhaps it's not the fonts and one of your settings.

Perhaps providing more info, like say screenshots would help.

jweeks · Post by **jweeks** » Wed Jan 28, 2004 7:55 pm

Patlabor221 wrote:Perhaps providing more info, like say screenshots would help.

You requested it so here are two screenshots of two of the help screens. You should notice that the font is almost unreadable with the blue sky as a background and even with a darker background it is still unacceptable.

I find this to be very annoying.

jweeks · Post by **jweeks** » Wed Jan 28, 2004 9:38 pm

Here is the second attachment.

JeffM · Post by **JeffM** » Wed Jan 28, 2004 9:59 pm

wow yeah that does look like crap, dosn't look that way for me.

can you take a picture of your "options" page so I can see how your set, and try to dupe it. Maybe something changed with blending.

Thanks.

I am looking into redoing the font system for 1.11, as it's crufty as hell right now.

Post by **blast** » Wed Jan 28, 2004 10:28 pm

Also, I noticed he is using software rendering. Does that have something to do with it?

larsl · Post by **larsl** » Wed Jan 28, 2004 10:30 pm

No, I use the nVidia drivers and I see the same thing.

JeffM · Post by **JeffM** » Wed Jan 28, 2004 10:54 pm

it could be blending, that is why I want to see the setings. bending and smothing affect the textures the fonts use.

so an options page shot, and the screen res running.

could also be interp issues.

but by far, One should NOT be running the high res pack on a GDI rendering system, that's just asking for pain.

Post by **blast** » Wed Jan 28, 2004 10:57 pm

Hmm...noticed it looks bad on mine too. I'm running at 1024x768 @ 32 bit. Graphic settings all on/maxed except for shadows.

JeffM · Post by **JeffM** » Wed Jan 28, 2004 11:16 pm

what card/chipset

and why shadows off?

JeffM · Post by **JeffM** » Wed Jan 28, 2004 11:22 pm

ok got it duped, it mostly has to do with screen res, since BZ scales the fonts it gets jacked up at some scales. So it's not the images.

not much I can do for 1.10.4 but definaly in 1.11 it'll all be changing.

Post by **blast** » Wed Jan 28, 2004 11:32 pm

GeForce FX 5200 PCI

The shadows are off just because of personal preference. Also, I found that the problem with the screen not dimming is located in SceneRenderer.cxx.

Line 573:

Code: Select all

bool doFog = LocalPlayer::getMyTank() && (LocalPlayer::getMyTank()->getTeam() != ObserverTeam);

That sets doFog equal to false when you are in the menu. Then, further down, we have this:
Line :

Code: Select all

if (!doFog || (reallyUseFogHack && (teleporterProximity > 0.0f || useDimming)))
    glDisable(GL_FOG);

Because the doFog is false, it make this turn off the fog. This then prevents it from showing a dimmed background. A 1.10.3 build I have didn't have the doFog variable, and it displayed the background dimmed, as expected. Hard coding the doFog variable as true seems to have fixed the problem.

jweeks · Post by **jweeks** » Thu Jan 29, 2004 12:01 am

blast wrote:Hard coding the doFog variable as true seems to have fixed the problem.

How would I hard code the doFog variable as true?

I am looking forward to seeing your BZFlagXL version. When will it be ready?

Post by **blast** » Thu Jan 29, 2004 12:10 am

On line 573 of SceneRenderer.cxx, I changed it to:

Code: Select all

bool doFog = true;

As far as BZFlag XL, I not really sure when it will be done. College is picking up the pace now, and I'll start to get more and more homework.

jweeks · Post by **jweeks** » Thu Jan 29, 2004 12:14 am

blast wrote:As far as BZFlag XL, I not really sure when it will be done. College is picking up the pace now, and I'll start to get more and more homework.

Thank you.

What makes your version different than the "official" BZFlag?

JeffM · Post by **JeffM** » Thu Jan 29, 2004 1:05 am

blast, if you wana submit a patch for that, I'll get somone to put it into the 1.10.4 maint branch.

JeffM · Post by **JeffM** » Thu Jan 29, 2004 1:27 am

ahh I see the bug now, it was busted when we made it so observers didn't get teleporter fog.

so forcing it will break that.

I will work up a solution.

Post by **blast** » Thu Jan 29, 2004 4:07 am

In SceneRenderer.cxx, I replaced this code:

Line 573:

Code: Select all

bool doFog = LocalPlayer::getMyTank() && (LocalPlayer::getMyTank()->getTeam() != ObserverTeam);

With this code:

Code: Select all

  bool doFog = true;
  if (LocalPlayer::getMyTank() && LocalPlayer::getMyTank()->getTeam() == ObserverTeam)
	doFog = false;

It seems to work like you wanted it to. Does this fix it? If so, I just made a patch that I'll try to post tomorrow. (going to bed right now

)

JeffM · Post by **JeffM** » Thu Jan 29, 2004 7:28 am

yup that's the exact fix I came up with too

it's a simple enought change, no need for a patch, I'll put it in the maint branch and head.

good catch on finding it.

Post by **blast** » Thu Jan 29, 2004 12:43 pm

Well, I just found that the fix above still doesn't totally solve the problem. When you are an observer, the menu still displays wrong. So I removed all mention of doFog and instead focused on the teleporterProximity.

Notice this code, just below where doFog was defined:

Code: Select all

    // turn on fog for teleporter blindness if close to a teleporter
    float teleporterProximity = 0.0f;
    if (!blank && LocalPlayer::getMyTank())
      teleporterProximity = LocalPlayer::getMyTank()->getTeleporterProximity();

I modified that to look like:

Code: Select all

    // turn on fog for teleporter blindness if close to a teleporter
    float teleporterProximity = 0.0f;
    if (!blank && LocalPlayer::getMyTank() && LocalPlayer::getMyTank()->getTeam() != ObserverTeam)
      teleporterProximity = LocalPlayer::getMyTank()->getTeleporterProximity();

JeffM · Post by **JeffM** » Thu Jan 29, 2004 3:58 pm

ahh I like that better.