| Who wants a new STI Editor?[message #329995]
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Sat, 25 January 2014 18:18 
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 Tox |
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Messages:249
Registered:February 2000
Location: www.webcodesign.de |
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Find the campaign on IndieGogo: Jagged Alliance 2 STI Editor
Hello guys,
long time since I've been here, nice to see this place still exists. 
Some of you might have already seen the screenshot I posted on BP's facebook wall. For those who haven't:
That is an alpha version of a new STI editor. A while back I wanted to mod a few graphics of v1.13, but I ran into some trouble with the old STI-Edit and couldn't really finish what I had in mind. So I looked up the STI file format specs and began writing the editor. But at the moment I'm just starting my graduation project and my study financing has run out (turning 30 disqualified me), so I have other things to worry about than the editor.  That got me wondering if it could be an idea to turn this into a crowdfunded project. I realize this is basically 'just' another STI editor, so why pay for it's development? Here's some ideas of what I could develop if I had the financial backup.
- Drawing functionality like STI-Edit, but better and more.
- Finer control over line thickness
- Square tool
- Rounded rectangle tool
- Star tool
- Trapezoid tool
- Triangle tool
- Spiral tool
- Brushes like Photoshop uses, loaded from simple PNG files, naturally they can be colored
- A layer system like Photoshop, along with a file format to contain it for later edits
- Layers can be exported as / imported from simple text script files OR as SVGs
- Vector based shapes, loaded from text files with drawing instructions or SVGs
- Isometric drawing tools (plane, cube, curve, line, polygon, circle, ...)
- Isometric guides (for actual tile dimensions)
- Image enhancement tools
- Sharpening with very fine controls (amount, direction, different modes, ...)
- Contrast, brightness and gamma adjustment
- Color adjustment (saturation, hue, brightness)
- Support for editing STIs within SLF packages
- Integration of a JSD editor
- Palette editor, similar to my JA2PAL tool, but more sophisticated.
- Color selection through the HSB model (hue, saturation, brightness) giving a finer control over colors
- Edit STI palettes as well as the general JA2 palette (skin, hair, etc.)
- Import and export (PAL and ACT)
- Read support for JA1 STIs
- Read/write support for BMP, PNG, STI (8bit, 16bit)
- Clipboard import/export
- With enough funding even a model editor could be possible
This is just the first list of ideas that come to mind. I'd like to hear what you guys think. What features would you like to see in a STI Editor? What's troubling you with the old STI-Edit? Would you be willing to chip in to help me make this editor?
Looking forward to your replies!
Tox, Lord of the Bytes
[Updated on: Thu, 20 February 2014 11:59] by Moderator Report message to a moderator
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Sergeant 1st Class
JA2STI Creator
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| Re: Who wants a new STI Editor?[message #330015]
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Sat, 25 January 2014 21:20 
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| Tox |
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Messages:249
Registered:February 2000
Location: www.webcodesign.de |
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Loading different types of STIs / playing back animations:
5FRw_Rq-b4c[/video]
Adjusting colors on the fly:
iMG_B250pEU[/video]
Note: the speed is drastically reduced by the screen recording tool.
Zooming:
-f63ynk9xIc[/video]
[Updated on: Sun, 26 January 2014 00:13] by Moderator Report message to a moderator
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Sergeant 1st Class
JA2STI Creator
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| Re: Who wants a new STI Editor?[message #330268]
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Sun, 02 February 2014 02:54
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| Tox |
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Messages:249
Registered:February 2000
Location: www.webcodesign.de |
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Drawing a building using 3D walls and drawing STIs:
Xc7RMWvB5Ns[/video]
This is a test for isometric drawing tools. The building in the upper right, the dead queen and the floor tiles are drawn from STI files, the building in the lower left is drawn using isometric vector graphics.
[Updated on: Sun, 02 February 2014 02:58] by Moderator Report message to a moderator
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Sergeant 1st Class
JA2STI Creator
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| Re: Who wants a new STI Editor?[message #330309]
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Tue, 04 February 2014 17:24
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| Taro_M |
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Messages:292
Registered:November 2008 |
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Will it be possible to utilize 3D models in some shape to create a base for animations? I id something like this using blender, it was only a simple animation of opening the doors, but it did work.
BTW: Where do I throw my money at?
[Updated on: Tue, 04 February 2014 17:28] by Moderator Report message to a moderator
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Master Sergeant
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| Re: Who wants a new STI Editor?[message #330380]
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Thu, 06 February 2014 23:36
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| Tox |
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Messages:249
Registered:February 2000
Location: www.webcodesign.de |
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Thanks, that's nice to hear
I wouldn't dare to make an estimate for a model editor at the moment, my isometric engine implementation is still in a very early state. It is based on a generative arts engine I have written: Pop Art Digitalis. It uses scripts as input for drawing instructions and forms the base of the engine. That engine is 2D and I am currently adding 3D features, which can be scripted, too. Based on that I should be able to develop a model system. But, I haven't developed a 3D engine before, I find it hard to make an estimate for such a potentially complex system. I think developing the STI Editor will give me a lot more insight into the whole subject, eventually enabling me to make an estimate. For now I'll consider a model editor a feature for version 2.0.
As for the money issue: to me there are two things to consider here.
a) I think it is fair that developers try to get their development time paid, especially if the program is supposed to be freeware (which, btw, applies to my editor).
b) Natural selection
I don't think someone would have a chance to get funding for a simple Hit Chance Calculator. That is stuff you do for fun (and learning) while you still live at your parent's and go to school. I doubt there'd be many people to fund it nor the need from the developer's side.
But if the program is more complex the situation changes. The time needed to develop (and debug!) increases drastically, so it will eventually take a long while until completion. If the project is not canceled along the way, that is... I hope people will realize that it's a good deed to finance such a development because it has two important effects IMHO. It helps to support the community as a whole (modders have a better tool to make even cooler things). And it gives the developer the possibilities and responsibilities to do the project in a shorter time span. And with the responsibilities comes the deadline, so there is an actual chance the project will be finished.
@Shanga's comment: I think it's a bit early to go into details, but that's up to Shanga.
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Sergeant 1st Class
JA2STI Creator
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