Placeholder Graphics

[Tsukihime]

This script allows you to use placeholder graphics for your events. The appropriate graphics will be chosen automatically by the engine during the game.


The script is focused on actors and allows you to create placeholders based on an actor's face or the actor's character sprite. Faces are commonly used during event dialogue, while character sprites might be used on the map, either to reflect a member of the party, or perhaps an actor that is currently NOT a member of the party.


Placeholder graphics are useful in situations where the graphics that should be displayed are not determined when you designed the game. For example, depending on the choices that the player makes, the actor that they end up bringing to the final dungeon may be different for each player, and to provide a realistic cut-scene, you want to show the correct face in the messages. If different actors have different dialogues, then it would be better to simply create separate dialogue trees using conditional branches or otherwise, but if the only difference is visual, this is an option.


A placeholder is replaced based on the context defined by the placeholder itself. For example, if an event’s sprite is based on the actor that is currently the leader of the party, then we say the placeholder has a party context, and the engine will automatically grab the party leader and use its graphic for the event. On the other hand, you could have an event’s sprite based on whoever is actor 1, whose graphic may have been created using an in-game character generator.


Get it at HimeWorks!

 

[nio kasgami]

I also guess this script permit to reduce a lot event load ? (I mean when you have to do multiple expression but not the same character)

 

[Tsukihime]

I also guess this script permit to reduce a lot event load ? (I mean when you have to do multiple expression but not the same character)

If you mean less event commands of the form

if member1 is actor1  Show Text (actor 1's face, "Hello!")else if member1 is actor2  Show Text (actor 2's face, "Hello!")else if member1 is actor3  ...

Then yes, in that case where the only difference is the face you want to show, this would cut down a lot of redundancy.

 

[Sixth]

Nice script!

I encountered the "who is the leader" problem with text messages just a few days ago.

I managed to overcome that with simply calling this script call:

$game_message.face_name = $game_party.leader.face_name$game_message.face_index = $game_party.leader.face_index$game_message.background = 0$game_message.position = 2$game_message.add("Yeah, I am the leader of the party!")Edit: Damn this post editor, always cuts down my post if I have BBCode mode on. >.>If this script can shorten this or even automate it, I will definitely use this!

And I see some other neat uses for this too!

Thanks for the script, I will try it out in my project!

 

[Tsukihime]

That is another solution to the who-is-the-leader problem. It brings up other issues, such as word-wrapping, which would require external scripts to deal with.


However, I prefer to click and assign these kinds of things. If you're using external tools to handle story boards, you'd probably go with a picture or message codes.

 

[MrPurpleDreadlocks]

I have a question about this script (sorry if this is necroposting)

I know you have to create your own placeholder images, and I am using one. http://i.imgur.com/cvg4pl1.png

However I have come across a problem, basically it reads the correct file from my custom character, however I still have to set the position. 

Here's my issue.

my custom character: (KaiMonkey's Character Selection v3.0)

http://i.imgur.com/tibUC4T.png <-- selecting the characters face and body

http://i.imgur.com/Rv0aV7I.png <-- verifying the face has been selected and name.

http://i.imgur.com/LnMP7aS.png <-- the result. (Eric, what are you doing here?)

Do i just need to have it in a 96 x 96 setting? What am I doing wrong.

Thanks

EDIT: In case it wasn't clear I was wondering if it was possible to have it know what index the faceset was at. Like Ernest is Actor4-5 not Actor4-1(Eric) or do I need to manually put that in.

 

[Tsukihime]

The index is pulled from the original actor.


So if his face index was in position 1, then using other pictures would also result in that.

 

[MrPurpleDreadlocks]

The index is pulled from the original actor.

So if his face index was in position 1, then using other pictures would also result in that.

I just wrote an edit to my post, but I'll state it again. 

I realize I could just manually put the index as in Actor1 slot can be moved to Actor5 slot. However I have a custom character that I would like to be dynamic. Like what if I wanted to use Actor3-5 or Actor2-7. I would have to manually select that placeholder. (not exactly what I want).

So I guess what I am not understanding what you mean.

Here are pictures to help explain.

http://i.imgur.com/uXGJOl5.png <-- my database (i'm using Elmer -Actor 1-)

http://i.imgur.com/vxnxto5.png <--- The event in question

http://i.imgur.com/agvWzDK.png <-- The textbox in question

http://i.imgur.com/PwZ0YOG.png <-- the menu can read it correctly (just to show that it is verified the right face)

http://i.imgur.com/EeMqaYZ.png <-- the textbox reads the index I indicated in the textbox, index 1 which isn't the correct one. I thought it would read the index automatically.

Is it because I have 8 slots, versus just 1?

EDIT: nevermind, I fixed my issue I had to add a line in draw_face that overwrote the old face_index being used. Now it will use the correct index from the actor, regardless of what index I use.

 

[Tsukihime]

You're right, I looked at the draw_face method and it wasn't pulling the face index from the placeholder data.