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2014-09-23 13:52:23
33 votes, rating 6
33 votes, rating 6
FFB needs your help (almost done)
Recent reports about crashes of the FFB client have been narrowed down to an error in the sound component that are now surfacing due to changes in Java itself (which is why they didn't show up until the latest Java Updates). I've (hopefully) fixed those in the new codebase. Which is why it's about time for an update of FFB (client and server) to version 1.2.0.
This is a MAJOR rewrite of big parts within the server (about 50% of the code) to reduce the storage size of replays and prepare the client to be moved over to JavaScript at some point in the future (by changing the communication layer). I've been somewhat reluctant to push this update out, because I wanted to add more bugfixes and features and have them tested more thoroughly. But it's all been a bit slow going (did some successful experiments with JavaScript in the meantime though) and the recent error forces my hand...
Once Christer and I have synced our schedules you can expect a major update (probably next week or the week after). This changes the underlying database and lots of internal configuration stuff so the ride might be a bit bumpy at first. Replays will need to be converted to the new format to be useable again so older ones might be unavailable for a while. We'll keep you updated...
Now to the real topic of my post: YOUR HELP. I would like to change the way player icons are stored for the new version. Currently each player consists of 4 icons: home standing (red jersey), home moving, away standing (blue jersey) and away moving. Each player position can have several variants (2 blitzer motives, 4 lineman versions etc.). I want to have only a single image per player for all of these. The lineup will be like above (home standing to away moving). If there are several variants each gets another row in the image. Player icons are not necessarily the same size, but they are all square. So two amazon blitzers 28 x 28 each will result in an image of 4 x 28 = 112 pixels width and 2 x 28 = 56 pixels height. The software can calculate the right slice of the full image to put on the pitch from that. Background needs to be transparent. The resulting image needs to be PNG or GIF.
Want to help with that? Awesome! PM me and tell me which teams you would like to convert and I will send you instructions on how to download the images you need (1.5MB ZIP file) and how to send me the results. We need to do this within the next 2 weeks if possible.
Keep on playing!
[EDIT]
Clarification on the layout:
We have a Dark Elf Assassin in 2 variants. Each variant has 4 icons: home team standing (HS), home team moving (HM), away team standing (AS) and away team moving (AM). Each icons is 28 x 28 in size.
The resulting image would be 4 x 28 = 112 in width and 2 x 28 = 56 in height.
It would like this:
V1HS V1HM V1AS V1AM
V2HS V2HM V2AS V2AM
[/EDIT]
[EDIT2]
Thanks to a script from Christer the bulk of the work has been done automatically. Some minor adjustments are still needed and some more positional variants might be added. If you're still interested in helping with that please contact WhatBall who is coordinating these things. Thanks.
[/EDIT2]
This is a MAJOR rewrite of big parts within the server (about 50% of the code) to reduce the storage size of replays and prepare the client to be moved over to JavaScript at some point in the future (by changing the communication layer). I've been somewhat reluctant to push this update out, because I wanted to add more bugfixes and features and have them tested more thoroughly. But it's all been a bit slow going (did some successful experiments with JavaScript in the meantime though) and the recent error forces my hand...
Once Christer and I have synced our schedules you can expect a major update (probably next week or the week after). This changes the underlying database and lots of internal configuration stuff so the ride might be a bit bumpy at first. Replays will need to be converted to the new format to be useable again so older ones might be unavailable for a while. We'll keep you updated...
Now to the real topic of my post: YOUR HELP. I would like to change the way player icons are stored for the new version. Currently each player consists of 4 icons: home standing (red jersey), home moving, away standing (blue jersey) and away moving. Each player position can have several variants (2 blitzer motives, 4 lineman versions etc.). I want to have only a single image per player for all of these. The lineup will be like above (home standing to away moving). If there are several variants each gets another row in the image. Player icons are not necessarily the same size, but they are all square. So two amazon blitzers 28 x 28 each will result in an image of 4 x 28 = 112 pixels width and 2 x 28 = 56 pixels height. The software can calculate the right slice of the full image to put on the pitch from that. Background needs to be transparent. The resulting image needs to be PNG or GIF.
Want to help with that? Awesome! PM me and tell me which teams you would like to convert and I will send you instructions on how to download the images you need (1.5MB ZIP file) and how to send me the results. We need to do this within the next 2 weeks if possible.
Keep on playing!
[EDIT]
Clarification on the layout:
We have a Dark Elf Assassin in 2 variants. Each variant has 4 icons: home team standing (HS), home team moving (HM), away team standing (AS) and away team moving (AM). Each icons is 28 x 28 in size.
The resulting image would be 4 x 28 = 112 in width and 2 x 28 = 56 in height.
It would like this:
V1HS V1HM V1AS V1AM
V2HS V2HM V2AS V2AM
[/EDIT]
[EDIT2]
Thanks to a script from Christer the bulk of the work has been done automatically. Some minor adjustments are still needed and some more positional variants might be added. If you're still interested in helping with that please contact WhatBall who is coordinating these things. Thanks.
[/EDIT2]
Comments
Posted by Roland on 2014-09-23 15:12:12
does the site upgrade iclude custom rosters for [L]?
Posted by Kalimar on 2014-09-23 15:16:18
Custom rosters (and custom icons) are a Fumbbl thing (Christer needs to provide a way for coaches to register / edit those). Technically FFB has had support for those built-in almost from the start.
Posted by Roland on 2014-09-23 15:17:53
ah, 0k so it's more options then? (+ the bugfixes)
Posted by Garion on 2014-09-23 15:18:18
Roland these are client upgrades and how fumbbl interacts with it. The site update will be what allows custom rosters etc... which there is currently no word on.
Posted by Garion on 2014-09-23 15:19:44
ninja'd
Posted by WhatBall on 2014-09-23 15:29:23
I will help oversee the conversion of icons. I am concerned about colour pallets getting whacked out and such. Let me experiment and see if I can make a PS script to easily convert the icons over.
Thanks for all your work sir!
Thanks for all your work sir!
Posted by Roland on 2014-09-23 15:31:19
+1xThanks for all your work!
Posted by Kalimar on 2014-09-23 15:33:24
@WhatBall: if we go from GIF (256 colors) to PNG (millions of colours) we whould be fine, no?
Posted by Garion on 2014-09-23 15:35:42
A forum thread for this with an example of how you want them laid out could be a good idea, if you could start that off Whatball?
Posted by WhatBall on 2014-09-23 15:37:07
Yes, that is fine. PNGs would be great. The worry I have is if people precombine multiple GIFs without first converting the target file to PNG, they will lose colours before re-saving as a PNG. Maybe we need a group PM with all the volunteers to discuss.
Posted by WhatBall on 2014-09-23 15:38:11
Going to PNG and this style may also open the client size discussion up again. ;)
Posted by Kalimar on 2014-09-23 15:41:20
Which is fine by me. It IS a step on the way to a) a JavaScript client and b) different client sizes. Both things for the future, though...
Posted by harvestmouse on 2014-09-23 15:42:23
Yes, I would like a template.
Posted by WhatBall on 2014-09-23 15:45:51
I can make some standard templates for Photoshop for everyone.
@mouse: If you are taking High Elves, can you fix their helmets? It has been bugging me for ages that they are cut off. They will have to be reset to 32x32 likely, then touched up. I can do them if you don't want to, but I think now would be a good time to fix them.
@mouse: If you are taking High Elves, can you fix their helmets? It has been bugging me for ages that they are cut off. They will have to be reset to 32x32 likely, then touched up. I can do them if you don't want to, but I think now would be a good time to fix them.
Posted by Kalimar on 2014-09-23 15:52:25
Edited the original post to explain the intended layout of the new images a bit better (hopefully).
Posted by Garion on 2014-09-23 15:55:35
Some icons are bigger than 28pxl. Such as the giant and some big guys iirc. Will it matter if the template is bigger for those players?
Posted by Kalimar on 2014-09-23 16:03:01
Nope. Some of the newer ones (and treemen) are even larger than the 32 x 32 square size on the pitch. The icons within a set need to be all of the same size though and have width = height. The client will handle properly centered placement on the squares of the pitch.
Posted by Garion on 2014-09-23 16:04:21
okay cool, cheers for the clarification :)
Posted by Christer on 2014-09-23 16:22:33
For the record, I wrote a small tool that does this icon conversion automatically. I would advise holding on with the manual conversion for now :)
Posted by Kalimar on 2014-09-23 16:53:07
Shame on me for not coming up with such a tool myself ;-)
Posted by WhatBall on 2014-09-23 17:08:39
The tool is awesome Christer, thanks!
I went through them and there are only a few errors, some sets (snots/zombies) that have an icon that is a different size from the other. We will hand fix these. This conversion is very much appreciated.
I went through them and there are only a few errors, some sets (snots/zombies) that have an icon that is a different size from the other. We will hand fix these. This conversion is very much appreciated.
Posted by Roland on 2014-09-23 17:44:32
Does this have anything to do with the loading of the icons in the beginning of the game?
Or is it just to reduce the # of files?
Or is it just to reduce the # of files?
Posted by WhatBall on 2014-09-26 17:30:57
The icons that currently load are only player portraits or icons that are not in the default set. The reduced number of files should speed things up though.