Need HP/MP Bar Organization Help...

[Ariaka]

First, this is not a scripting question. I know I will need to use scripting to get my idea to work. What I am having trouble with, is how to organize the graphics for my hp/mp bars.





Basically the top two bars represent the hp/mp. The third set represents hp/mp that have not yet been obtained. And the fourth set (which is incomplete as I need to finish the cracks and coloration) is supposed to represent depleted hp/mp out of their total. Would I simply make the empty bar and have one of each gem type for the graphic assets, clusters of gems or is there an easier/more accepted way?

 

[HexMozart88]

The best way I can think of is to make it into separate files: one for your layout (The square and stuff around it), one for the background, which goes under your background(empty image) and have your slider go in between the two. Example of what I did:

Spoiler

This is the layout. 

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The background.

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The bar. 

Then in my show picture command, I put the background as my first picture , the bar as my second, and the layout as my third. 

 

[Kes]

General Discussion is for discussing the principles of game making, not implementation.  "How do I...?" questions belong in the Support forum for the engine you are using.  However, your info underneath your avatar does not include that detail, so I can't move it.  Neither can anyone give tightly focused advice, because how you do it might vary depending on which engine it is.


Please indicate what you are using (and maybe also edit your Profile to include it) and then I can move this to where it should be.


Thanks.

 

[Wavelength]

If I were scripting this from scratch, I'd probably represent it as you mentioned in your final sentence - create an empty HP/MP bar and a single "gem" asset for HP (and a single gem for MP), and have the game determine how many colorful gems to show based on the player's current HP/MP.


However, for something like Luna Engine the way you would do it is to create the full graphic for the completely empty and completely full bars.  Luna Engine would display a percentage of the full bar over the empty bar based on the player's current HP/MP.  (This could mean that the player might have 6.2 out of 20 gems worth of HP - and yes, 20% of the 7th colored gem would appear.  But in your example, this wouldn't look too bad.  It's why most people use a smooth gauge, though, like the one in @HexMozart88's screenshot.)


((BTW, since it can be confusing - an example of when such a question belongs in Game Dev General Discussion: if this question were "How should I represent the HP/MP bars to the player", it would go in General Discussion (or Game Mechanics Design); if the question is "How should I represent the HP/MP bars to the game so it can show something to the player", that usually belongs in a Help subforum.))