@DATABASE GRAC V2 TUTORIAL @$VER 1.0 (3/6/97) © 1997 Andy Gibson @node main "CHARACTERS BUTTON" After clicking on the @{b}CHARACTERS@{ub} button you will be asked to input a name for your character. Simply type in any name you want then click on the @{b}OK@{ub} button. You may be asked to Name/Rename the path of where the character file will be saved to, so simply enter the device name. Our example was GAME: (don't forget the colon) So simply type that into the requestor (but only if you have a blank disk in the drive named GAME or if you have assigned GAME: to your Hard Drive. Of course, you don't have to use GAME, this is just an example name after all :) Right... Click on @{b}OK@{ub} and now the fun really begins - NOT! This has got to be one of the worst parts about GRAC! I hate grabbing characters and I'm sure that after you have grabbed a few frames, you will feel the same. Anyway, it must be done, so on we go.... Click on the @{b}LOAD PIC@{ub} button at the bottom left of the screen. You will be presented with a requestor. From here you must load up one of your character's iff files. Click on the @{b}LOAD PIC@{ub} button at the bottom left of the screen. Simply load your iff file via the requestor. You will briefly be shown your piccy with all frames on the screen. The next part is where things become a little bit difficult. You MUST grab each frame of your character exactly right or he/she will wobble on the screen when animated! (ie. when they walk) To do this takes practice, but practice does make perfect. Before you start grabbing your frames, please take a look at the top of the screen for a second. You will see a Slider and just underneath it, you should see `@{b}1 stand >@{ub}'. This tells you which frame you should be grabbing. Obviously this is the frame where your character is facing to the right. If you move the slider to the right, you will see `@{b}1 stand >@{ub}' change to tell you exactly which frame you should be grabbing. @{i}For your reference you should have:@{ui} 1 stand > @{i}standing to the right @{ui} 2 stand \\/ @{i}standing facing the front @{ui} 3 stand /\\ @{i}standing facing the back @{ui} 4 walk > 1 @{i}walking to the right frames 1-8 @{ui} 5 walk > 2 6 walk > 3 7 walk > 4 8 walk > 5 9 walk > 6 10 walk > 7 11 walk > 8 12 walk \\/ 1 @{i}walking to the front frames 1-8 @{ui} 13 walk \\/ 2 14 walk \\/ 3 15 walk \\/ 4 16 walk \\/ 5 17 walk \\/ 6 18 walk \\/ 7 19 walk /\\ 8 20 walk /\\ 1 @{i}walking to the back frames 1-8 @{ui} 21 walk /\\ 2 22 walk /\\ 3 23 walk /\\ 4 24 walk /\\ 5 25 walk /\\ 6 26 walk /\\ 7 27 walk /\\ 8 28 reach up > @{i}reach up facing to the right @{ui} 29 reach up \\/ @{i}reach up facing to the front @{ui} 30 reach up /\\ @{i}reach up facing to the back @{ui} 31 reach out > @{i}reach out facing to the right @{ui} 32 reach out \\/ @{i}reach out facing to the front @{ui} 33 reach out /\\ @{i}reach out facing to the back @{ui} 34 reach down > @{i}reach down facing to the right @{ui} 35 reach down \\/ @{i}reach down facing to the front @{ui} 36 reach down /\\ @{i}reach down facing to the back @{ui} 37 head > 1 @{i}character's head talking frames 1-4 @{ui} 38 head > 2 @{i}all facing to the right... @{ui} 39 head > 3 40 head > 4 41 head \\/ 1 @{i}talking heads facing to the front @{ui} 42 head \\/ 2 @{i}as before, frames 1-4 @{ui} 43 head \\/ 3 44 head \\/ 4 45 head /\\ 1 @{i}as above, but the 4 frames all show the@{ui} 46 head /\\ 2 @{i}back of the character's head. @{ui} 47 head /\\ 3 48 head /\\ 4 The above are all the predefined character frames and must be grabbed in the correct order. Frames @{b}49@{ub} to @{b}100@{ub} can be any other character movements that you require. Maybe you need to have a few frames to show your character blowing up, energising, lying down, sitting down etc. Simply draw the frames and grab them between @{b}49@{ub} and @{b}100@{ub}. Use your imagination folks :) You can draw these extra frames on a separate iff picture and simply load that when required via the @{b}LOAD PIC@{ub} button at the bottom of the screen. But let's not worry about extra frames in this tutorial! Now that you're ready to grab the frames, simply click on the @{b}GRAB@{ub} button at the bottom left of the screen. @{i}(Please make sure your slider is back at position 1 first of all)@{ui} Now you will see your full picture with all frames plus a cross hair mouse pointer just waiting for you to grab a character frame. To do this, simply hold down your Left Mouse Button and draw a box around your character frame. When you have done this, release the LMB and then move your cross hair to the bottom centre of your character's frame. This is where we grab the hot-spot. Press your LMB to grab and that's it! As long as you are very careful, each frame should be smoothly animated when you move the slider up and down. So go on...grab all the required frames and play about with the slider to make sure each frame has been grabbed correctly. More info about grabbing characters can be found in your GRAC manual of course. Now you need to click on the @{b}COLOUR@{ub} button at the top of the screen. This will pop up a palette for you to simply choose a colour from using your LMB. This colour will be used for the character's speech. So please pick a bright colour from those shown in the palette. If you plan to have more than one character in your game, then each one can use a different colour for their speech. Good idea. The @{b}NAME@{ub} and @{b}PATH@{ub} buttons will not really be used because you already have entered the save path and the name of your character beforehand. But they are there just in case you change your mind. As for the @{b}LOAD@{ub} button at the bottom of the screen. Well, you can use this to simply load up a character which you created earlier. Although, I don't see you using it much either. Basically if you have a character which you have from a previous game, simply choose this option to load it in. This would simply save you having to grab all frames. Right, now you have all frames grabbed, simply click on the @{b}SAVE@{ub} button and then on the @{b}EXIT@{ub} button and that's all there is to it. Please do be patient as it does take time to master, but once you have grabbed a few frames, you'll get the hang of it I'm sure :) @{b}RECAP:@{ub} @{i}Click on CHARACTERS Name Character Name Path (only if asked) Click on LOAD PIC @{ui}@{b}1@{ub} @{i}Click on GRAB @{ui}@{b}2@{ub} @{i}Grab your frame as described above. @{ui}@{b}3@{ub} @{i}Set Hot Spot as described above. @{ui}@{b}4@{ub} @{i}Move the SLIDER up one position and repeat steps 1 to 4 until all 48 frames have been grabbed! Click on SAVE Click on EXIT@{ui} What you are basically doing is grabbing small brushes (known as Bobs in Amos) just like you would do in a paint program. The only difference being, once you have grabbed the Bob, you have to set a Hot Spot also. Don't worry if you don't know what a Hot Spot is! It's just a point in the Bob which should be in the same position for each one so that when they are animated, all frames (Bobs) are at the same height/level. It's very similar to the Brush Handle option in Dpaint really. Just make sure the Hot Spot is set to the character's feet in every frame. @endnode