Interface:The Dialogue Color Pixel Strip And What It Affects
Posted: Sun Aug 16, 2009 5:37 pm
I learned quite a bit from working on my Myth 3 Interface port, and I am hoping some of it might also benefit others. With this in mind, I give you my breakdown of the color pixels strip, and what it affects.
Inside the 'Internal Dialogue Elements' tag at bitmap 49, is a small 1 pixel high strip of various colors. It is these pixels that effect the colors of pretty much all the Myth 2 text items.
To make a Tutorial of sorts in finding out what pixel changed what, I created a strip with various colors that are easily identifiable:
From there, I took various screenshots showing the impact it had on the interface:
Here are the results, sorted by individual pixels:
• 0 Dark Orange
o Filter text
o Multiplayer login window text
o Load Game date
o Online: Games with missing plugs text
o Loading Game text
o Volume/Gamma text
o Resolution/Text Cache text
o Difficulty paragraph
o Controls names
o Current Set/Right Click/Mouse Wheel/Caps Lock/Horiz Mouse Mvment Text
o MultiGame: Name, Password, Game Type, Difficulty Level text
o General and Level Tips text
o Preffered Games: Choice slider text, Name text
o Player Stats: Main text
o Find Player: Name text, paragraph
• 1 Light Orange
o Typed filter text
o Multiplayer: Typed input text
o Online: Typed chat input text
o Controls: Inputed keys text
o Save Game: Typed name text
o Typed name text
o Player Stats: Inputed personal text
o Find player: Typed name text
• 2 Dark Blue
o New Game: Difficulty/Plugins tab, Plugins/Cancel/Ok buttons
o Plugins: Cancel/Ok buttons
o Multiplayer: Servers/Cancel/Login buttons
o Online: Room/Buddy/Order/Local/Pref tabs, all buttons
o Load Game: Delete/Cancel/Ok buttons
o Saved Films: All buttons
o Options: All buttons
o Controls: Revert Set/Cancel/Ok buttons
o Save Game: Cancel/Save buttons
o Multigame: Plugins/Cancel/Ok buttons, Player Limit/Time Limit text
o General/Level tabs, Next Tip/Ok buttons
o Game Paused: Button text, Quit/Resume buttons
o Preffered Games: Cancel/Save buttons
o Player Stats: Cancel/Ok buttons
o Find Player: All buttons
• 3 Light Gray
o Online: Normal game text
o New Game: Map list text, Difficulty levels text
o Plugins: Available/Active map list text
o Load Game: Map list text
o Films: Film list text
o Options: Resolution/Graphics/Difficulty list text
o Controls: Current Set/Right Click/Mouse Wheel/Caps Lock/Moriz Mouse Mvmnt list text
o Multigame: Map/Game Type/Difficulty list text
o Solo game objectives text
o Player Stats: Game Type list text
• 4 Dark Yellow
o Max FPS option choice
o Tex Cache option choice
o Saved Games list text
o Multiplay: Player Limit/Time Limit/Planning Time/Team Max option choice
o Preffered Games: Map and Game Type list text
• 5 Brown
o NONE ???
• 6 Sky Blue
o New Game: Map List/Difficulty Level selected choice
o Plugins: Map selected choice
o Load Game: Saved Game selected choice
o Films: Film List selected choice
o Options: Video/Resolution/Difficulty Level selected choice
o Controls: Current Set/Right Click/Mouse Wheel/Caps Lock/Moriz Mouse Mvmnt selected choice
o Multigame: Map/Game Type/Difficulty selected choice
o Player Stats: Game Type selected choice
• 7 Neon Green
o New Game: Map List/Difficulty Level active choice text
o Plugins: Map active choice text
o Online: Game active choice text
o Load Game: Saved Game active choice text
o Films: Film List active choice text
o Options: Video/Resolution/Difficulty Level active choice text
o Controls: Current Set/Right Click/Mouse Wheel/Caps Lock/Moriz Mouse Mvmnt active choice text
o Multigame: Map/Game Type/Difficulty active choice text
o Player Stats: Game Type active choice text
• 8 Pink
o NONE ???
• WHITE (These are apparently hardcoded in, and cannot be altered)
o New Game: Anti-Clump/TFL Gameplay text
o Multiplayer: Save Password/Update Server Appearance text
o Online: Inputted chat text
o Options: All Radio Button texts
o Controls: All Radio Button texts
o Multigame: All Radio Button texts
o Level Tips: Radio Button text
o Preferred Games: Preferred Map/Preferred Game Type text
o Status Bar: Unit Names/Flavors/Level/Gametype text
o Control Bar: Button text
As you can see, some pixels share a common theme. For example 1 Light Orange is all input text, while 6 Sky Blue is always the color of a selected item.
The two which I am curious about are 5 Brown and 8 Pink, which both appear to not alter anything. In addition, all pixels after 8 also don't seem to have a purpose. Finally, why are there hardcoded items, as shown in WHITE, that couldn't have been linked to an unused pixel?
I am hoping we can start a discussion on this. I'll answer any questions as best as possible. I also hope Myrd, Melekor, or even Iron can pop in and address the questions I posed.
Inside the 'Internal Dialogue Elements' tag at bitmap 49, is a small 1 pixel high strip of various colors. It is these pixels that effect the colors of pretty much all the Myth 2 text items.
To make a Tutorial of sorts in finding out what pixel changed what, I created a strip with various colors that are easily identifiable:
From there, I took various screenshots showing the impact it had on the interface:
Here are the results, sorted by individual pixels:
• 0 Dark Orange
o Filter text
o Multiplayer login window text
o Load Game date
o Online: Games with missing plugs text
o Loading Game text
o Volume/Gamma text
o Resolution/Text Cache text
o Difficulty paragraph
o Controls names
o Current Set/Right Click/Mouse Wheel/Caps Lock/Horiz Mouse Mvment Text
o MultiGame: Name, Password, Game Type, Difficulty Level text
o General and Level Tips text
o Preffered Games: Choice slider text, Name text
o Player Stats: Main text
o Find Player: Name text, paragraph
• 1 Light Orange
o Typed filter text
o Multiplayer: Typed input text
o Online: Typed chat input text
o Controls: Inputed keys text
o Save Game: Typed name text
o Typed name text
o Player Stats: Inputed personal text
o Find player: Typed name text
• 2 Dark Blue
o New Game: Difficulty/Plugins tab, Plugins/Cancel/Ok buttons
o Plugins: Cancel/Ok buttons
o Multiplayer: Servers/Cancel/Login buttons
o Online: Room/Buddy/Order/Local/Pref tabs, all buttons
o Load Game: Delete/Cancel/Ok buttons
o Saved Films: All buttons
o Options: All buttons
o Controls: Revert Set/Cancel/Ok buttons
o Save Game: Cancel/Save buttons
o Multigame: Plugins/Cancel/Ok buttons, Player Limit/Time Limit text
o General/Level tabs, Next Tip/Ok buttons
o Game Paused: Button text, Quit/Resume buttons
o Preffered Games: Cancel/Save buttons
o Player Stats: Cancel/Ok buttons
o Find Player: All buttons
• 3 Light Gray
o Online: Normal game text
o New Game: Map list text, Difficulty levels text
o Plugins: Available/Active map list text
o Load Game: Map list text
o Films: Film list text
o Options: Resolution/Graphics/Difficulty list text
o Controls: Current Set/Right Click/Mouse Wheel/Caps Lock/Moriz Mouse Mvmnt list text
o Multigame: Map/Game Type/Difficulty list text
o Solo game objectives text
o Player Stats: Game Type list text
• 4 Dark Yellow
o Max FPS option choice
o Tex Cache option choice
o Saved Games list text
o Multiplay: Player Limit/Time Limit/Planning Time/Team Max option choice
o Preffered Games: Map and Game Type list text
• 5 Brown
o NONE ???
• 6 Sky Blue
o New Game: Map List/Difficulty Level selected choice
o Plugins: Map selected choice
o Load Game: Saved Game selected choice
o Films: Film List selected choice
o Options: Video/Resolution/Difficulty Level selected choice
o Controls: Current Set/Right Click/Mouse Wheel/Caps Lock/Moriz Mouse Mvmnt selected choice
o Multigame: Map/Game Type/Difficulty selected choice
o Player Stats: Game Type selected choice
• 7 Neon Green
o New Game: Map List/Difficulty Level active choice text
o Plugins: Map active choice text
o Online: Game active choice text
o Load Game: Saved Game active choice text
o Films: Film List active choice text
o Options: Video/Resolution/Difficulty Level active choice text
o Controls: Current Set/Right Click/Mouse Wheel/Caps Lock/Moriz Mouse Mvmnt active choice text
o Multigame: Map/Game Type/Difficulty active choice text
o Player Stats: Game Type active choice text
• 8 Pink
o NONE ???
• WHITE (These are apparently hardcoded in, and cannot be altered)
o New Game: Anti-Clump/TFL Gameplay text
o Multiplayer: Save Password/Update Server Appearance text
o Online: Inputted chat text
o Options: All Radio Button texts
o Controls: All Radio Button texts
o Multigame: All Radio Button texts
o Level Tips: Radio Button text
o Preferred Games: Preferred Map/Preferred Game Type text
o Status Bar: Unit Names/Flavors/Level/Gametype text
o Control Bar: Button text
As you can see, some pixels share a common theme. For example 1 Light Orange is all input text, while 6 Sky Blue is always the color of a selected item.
The two which I am curious about are 5 Brown and 8 Pink, which both appear to not alter anything. In addition, all pixels after 8 also don't seem to have a purpose. Finally, why are there hardcoded items, as shown in WHITE, that couldn't have been linked to an unused pixel?
I am hoping we can start a discussion on this. I'll answer any questions as best as possible. I also hope Myrd, Melekor, or even Iron can pop in and address the questions I posed.