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[sychron]

Hi,

would it be possible to use an image for the loading progress indicator?
This would enable indicators with rounded edges etc.

To display the image, there could be two modes: "stretch" and "reveal". "stretch" takes the image and stretches it according to the current percentage, "reveal" just reveals the image according to the percentege.
The artist should be responsible for fitting the progress indicator image into the progress indicator area of the loading screen ... it should just replace the colorfill.

So much for the basic request, while writing it, I got another idea:

Solution to some "problems" or wishes while loading could be a sprite progress indicator. This ist just a simple sprite, except it is NOT animated normally. Instead, you calculate the current frame based on the load percentage. so if the sprite has 100 frames, each percent will display another frame. if the sprite has just 10 frames, every 10 percent share one frame.  Artists should be aware that there is no guarantee that a frame is shown at all, for it might get skipped by fast loading progress.

This would make some special effects possible, ranging from switching loading screen images (as requested sometimes) to alternative loading indicators, perhaps a simulated console printing status messages.

From other threads I know that the loading image will only be updated from time to time when the indicator changes, so (ab)using the indicator itself to create theese effects could be a way to "enhance loading experience" without much engine reprogramming ;-)