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Modding and game content creation => Tools => Topic started by: Zoythrus on 30 August 2010, 14:07:21

Title: a .gif as a tex?
Post by: Zoythrus on 30 August 2010, 14:07:21
hey people, i have found some questions about texing in certain threads that i think could be fixed if .gifs could become a texture type. this would allow for changing textures, like for a pool of slime or something. it would make certain texes look much better.

so, can this be done?
Title: Re: a .gif as a tex?
Post by: ElimiNator on 30 August 2010, 16:24:10
It is possible but .gif is copyrighted and it might bring up some problems.
Title: Re: a .gif as a tex?
Post by: Zoythrus on 30 August 2010, 21:32:54
it is?  that puts a kink in my plans...
Title: Re: a .gif as a tex?
Post by: Yggdrasil on 30 August 2010, 23:10:15
The patents have expired some years ago. There's not problem of using gif nowadays. MNG is an alternative.

I'm not sure if there's any big benefit of using animated textures...
Title: Re: a .gif as a tex?
Post by: John.d.h on 31 August 2010, 00:29:53
I'm not sure if there's any big benefit of using animated textures...
Ah, you're not using your imagination. ;)

Robots with blinking lights, lava monsters with pulsating heat showing through the cracks in its skin, a water elemental that ripples and shimmers... okay, so maybe not a big benefit, but there are a few uses.
Title: Re: a .gif as a tex?
Post by: Zoythrus on 31 August 2010, 01:59:25
I'm not sure if there's any big benefit of using animated textures...
Ah, you're not using your imagination. ;)

Robots with blinking lights, lava monsters with pulsating heat showing through the cracks in its skin, a water elemental that ripples and shimmers... okay, so maybe not a big benefit, but there are a few uses.

that's why i want this!
Title: Re: a .gif as a tex?
Post by: Omega on 31 August 2010, 02:05:32
Indeed, they could benefit aside from the fact that GIF has a 256 color pallet restriction...

Perhaps the (abet, lesser known) MNG (Multiple-image Network Graphics) is a better alternative? It is basically an animated PNG file, and is under the same licenses, etc (GAE supports PNG).

GIMP can export to MNG, which works the same way as it exports to GIF. It could be quite fun to see such a feature included, since as John said, imagine something like a water element that ripples and shimmers... Plus, some things could be easier to animate with an image than with a model (or even impossible to model sometimes). Of course, for those features, MNG would be MUCH better alternative to GIF since GIF only supports 256 colors and one alpha channel, which would make team color difficult, as well as limit quality poorly.

More info:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multiple-image_Network_Graphics
Title: Re: a .gif as a tex?
Post by: ElimiNator on 31 August 2010, 15:20:36
MG supports .PNG, .TGA, .BMP, and .JPG. (Ill see if I can get them to add .GIF)
Title: Re: a .gif as a tex?
Post by: Omega on 31 August 2010, 18:05:42
Even if GIF is added, it would probably need some work to be able to support animation though...
Title: Re: a .gif as a tex?
Post by: Mark on 31 August 2010, 21:53:26
You could possibly add some kind of blood spreading from a wound in the death anim with .gifs or mngs.
Title: Re: a .gif as a tex?
Post by: titi on 3 September 2010, 12:44:52
particles are meant for this :)
Title: Re: a .gif as a tex?
Post by: ElimiNator on 3 September 2010, 16:18:24
But there are some things like flashing monitors, with stuff playing on them that can't be made with particles.
Title: Re: a .gif as a tex?
Post by: Zoythrus on 4 September 2010, 03:05:37
But there are some things like flashing monitors, with stuff playing on them that can't be made with particles.
that's why i asked this!
Title: Re: a .gif as a tex?
Post by: Gabbe on 4 September 2010, 21:12:45
but will the texture get messy if there are diferent g3ds? Like one "standing" and "walking", will the texture then replay when a new animation g3d is loaded, so that it`ll look messy?