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Parent MapsParent Maps provide a way of positioning objects in the mud client using the config file as opposed to 3dtags. For example in the config file you can position a sack at x=252.30, y=289.47 using the following position element: <POSITION name="sack" x="252.30" y="289.47" /> The type of parent map used to display the sack determines when it is displayed. For example if it is a staticposition parent map then the sack is drawn when the mud client is first loaded and stays in the mud client until it is shut down. A staggeredposition parent map on the other hand would only draw the sack if the player was a certain distance from the sack. A mobsquare parent map would only draw the sack if the mud said the sack was in the room eg {osack,+}. There are also map parentmaps that instead of having a list of position have a 2D image with the same dimensions as the mud. The color of the 2D image at the x,y is matched to the 'color' attribute of an object and the corresponding object is drawn. In this way you can specify large areas of vegetation on the 2D image and draw it without the need for a huge list of position. The layout of parent maps is as follows where parentmaps has any number of staticposition, staggeredposition, staticmap and staggeredmap but only one mobsquare. For example: <PARENTMAPS> </PARENTMAPS> Position parent maps (staggeredposition,staticposition and mobsquare) have any number of position elements that provide the position of an object. The order in which the parentmaps are rendered is the order in the parentmaps. In the above example the mobsquare would be rendered last. Individual parent map have a 'objectsorting' parameter such as: <STATICPOSITION objectsorting="none"> which signifies the order in which object a rendered by the mud client in the parentmap itself. If it was 'renderfarthestfirst' then the furthest would be rendered first. Staticposition <STATICPOSITION> Staticposition parent maps also providing impostering which allows for an object to be replaced by another object when a player moves a certain distance from the object centre. For example when a player moves a long way from the town of sanom you could replace the town with just the walls thus increasing the framerate. This is discussed more thoroughly in the impostering document. Staggeredposition <STAGGEREDPOSITION name="smallstagger" width="9" stagger="3" > The above example draws a sack at 252.30, 289.47 if a player is within a 9 unit square around the sack.
When a player walks 3 mud units the parent map will be refreshed. It is also possible to use staggeredposition to draw objects that are specified by the mud. For example when a player walks into the room and the mud specifies a fountain (eg ofountain,+) the position of the fountain can be specified by the staggeredposition if it within the room radius (refer to rooms). For example if the mud specifies {ofountain,+} and the room centre is x=253, y=295.5 and room radius is 0.7 then the fountain will be drawn at x=253,03, y=295.07 <STAGGEREDPOSITION width="15" stagger="5" objectsorting="none" useinmob="true" To specify use the staggeredposition in this way 'useinmob' should be set to true. Sometimes you might want to match objects that might be slightly outside the room radius. You can use the attribute 'mobleeway' that is a factor that is multiplied by the room radius by in order to get a match. Thus if the roomradius is 0.4 inin the above example you wont get a match. If you multiplied it by 0.4 by 1.5 you would. Staticmap The following is an example of a staticmap in parentmaps <STATICMAP filename="maps\staticobjects.tga" /> An example of a static map is show below:
Staggeredmap <STAGGEREDMAP filename="maps\staggeredobjects.tga" width="15" stagger="4"/> Mobsquare You'd use 'mobsquare' over staggeredposition with 'useinmob' set to true when you want to display an object in the mud that is always there such as a heavy and unmoveable bed. The player can see the bed from a distance even though hes not in the room and when he gets into the room he can click the bed as though it were a mud item. If on the other hand the item is something like an applepie that can be taken then you dont want the apple pie to be seen from a distance since it might not be there when the player gets into the room because it might have been eaten. In such a case you'd use a mob square. |
