Need help with casting bar

Tynker · #1 04-14-2005, 04:29 PM

I am trying to make use of the arcan orb to create a casting orb instead of the old bar.. I need some help tho with how to make the orb "fill".. I have tried some things but so far the best I have done was a box that would fill but also was behind the orb. Including 2 screen shots of the unfilling orb

I know there has to be a way to do this

Thanks

Laffs · #2 04-14-2005, 05:01 PM

A vertical progress bar would do the trick wouldnt it?

Tynker · #3 04-16-2005, 09:21 AM

Well.. if you mean just like changing the original progress bar to a vertical and resizing it to fit the orb.. I tried that and it ended up "behind" the orb. I had it just large enough that you could see the corners of the square behind it.. The original EQ had a TK arcane casting orb ..perhaps I should see if I can get a clue from that

Laffs · #4 04-16-2005, 09:34 AM

Yeh I remember that UI

I am crap at grafix related stuff but..

Maybe you need a transparent "hole" in the middle of the orb and the vertical progress bar grafic needs to be the same as the grafic that is in the middle now...

Does that make any sense?

dc_roenfanz · #5 04-16-2005, 12:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Laffs

Yeh I remember that UI

I am crap at grafix related stuff but..

Maybe you need a transparent "hole" in the middle of the orb and the vertical progress bar grafic needs to be the same as the grafic that is in the middle now...

Does that make any sense?

Yes it does. And thats the surprising part!
Basically what Laffs is saying is that you need to go into Photoshop, and create a casting "bar" that is round. The standard bar fill styles are rectangular which is why they wont work. If you make a 'round' "bar" with the alpha so that only the circle is transparent, then *poof* you have a nice spherical casting progress ... er, shape.

Hope that clears the bar part up.

As for the "hole" he is correct there also. Take that orbs.dds, and modify the alpha so that it is partially transparent. Since you will be placing the progressbar behind it, the main sphere portion needs to be partly transparent. In the alpha, black = no transp, and white = 100% transp. Thus: various forms of grey = different transparency percents.

Tynker · #6 04-17-2005, 12:58 PM

Thanks all... Really helping out.. now the next question is, where can I get a dds editor to do this?

I did a couple searches and found a viewer which now I can see the orbs.dds file and all the graphic parts in it.. but cant edit it to make it transparent or translucent.