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[odnorf]

I would like to be able to set a "loading screen" with a loading bar (0->100%). If a game is really big or it's running on a slow computer then it would be better than the simple message "Loading...".

[odnorf]

Sorry for posting again for no reason but you answer all my other "wishlist" posts so I believe that you missed that one...

[Mnemonic]

You mean a loading bar when the game initializes? It's a little tricky, because it's hard to tell in front how much data needs to be loaded in total. And loading the scenes is the same case. I was thinking about adding the ability to display some sprite while loading, you know, like a spinning CD or something...

[odnorf]

The spinning cd should work but how about a full-background? Can't this be done? And about the loading bar I have an idea (maybe it won't work - I am not a programmer). When the engine compiles the game it could store the information on what it has to load when the game initializes. What do you think?

[Mnemonic]

The spinning cd should work but how about a full-background?

Well, if I allowed you to display a sprite while loading, then it's just a matter of the size of that sprite.

When the engine compiles the game it could store the information on what it has to load when the game initializes. What do you think?

I'm afraid it's not possible. The way the compilation process works now, it just doesn't have such information (the sprites load things, those things can reference and load other things etc. etc.)

[odnorf]

I'm afraid it's not possible. The way the compilation process works now, it just doesn't have such information (the sprites load things, those things can reference and load other things etc. etc.)

OK... last try... If BEFORE the compile, the ProjectMan checks the game files and generates a new file "loading.settings" with all the needed information? Can't this file then be used so that the engine knows how many files (and of what size) has to load yet?...

[Mnemonic]

The problem is, the engine doesn't load everything, it only loads files necessary at the moment. And which files are loaded is driven by the script logic. It just isn't easy to pre-determine this.

[odnorf]

OK...ok... I give up...  

[Brassfire]

Would you be able to make a loading movie or something and have the game itself still loading in the bg?Then you'd just have to make your movie hopefully longer than the longest it would take a slow computer to load the game.

But I know nothing of what I speak...

[Mnemonic]

Yes, that's what I thought when I was talking about the loading sprite. But be warned, the sprite update timing won't be accurate.

[Brassfire]

I was thinking something like flash or mpg for movie format, not a simple png or bmp.