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Changing a line definition

  • Thread starter Thread starter GHD
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GHD

GHD

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If I change a line definition in Lines_Def then edit a line which uses that definition, the GP editor uses the position from the previous definition. The only way to make it use the new definition is to reselect the definition in the GP editor.

Would it be possible for the GP editor to look up the definition on entry?

A corollary. Having changed the definition, I have over thirty lines which use that definition so I need to edit and re-select the definition for each one separately.

Would it be possible to have a function to automatically edit and accept all GP lines?
 
If I change a line definition in Lines_Def then edit a line which uses that definition, the GP editor uses the position from the previous definition. The only way to make it use the new definition is to reselect the definition in the GP editor.

Would it be possible for the GP editor to look up the definition on entry?
Click to expand...
This one is easy. I need to reload the definitions whenever the texture editor is used. Consider it done.

A corollary. Having changed the definition, I have over thirty lines which use that definition so I need to edit and re-select the definition for each one separately.

Would it be possible to have a function to automatically edit and accept all GP lines?
Click to expand...
This one, not so much. First of all, you'd have to talk to Jon about such a function. The ADE_GP editor simple edits whatever shows up. Another - and probably more workable - alternative would be to "flag" a line definition as changed and "suggest" you edit any line that uses it line during the compile process (as the editor already does for objects that require editing prior to compile). I realize this isn't as convenient as having it done "silently", but doing it silently involves a brand new concept and, if you had made any hand-edits after initial placement, they would be lost. If you haven't done any hand edits, all you would need do when the compiler opens the editor would be to click OK.

Don
 
Thanks Don.

I did the second one by using the GP list and editing all which used the old definition and changed them to a completely new definition. Then, again using the GP list, edited all lines with the new definition to the one it should have been.

It took two passes but at least it got the job done without missing any.
 
I spoke too soon. I already reload the texture and line defs when the editor opens. Your first problem is not that the editor uses the old definition. Rather, it's that the editor doesn't know that the line definition has changed and, so, it retains the old UVs (i.e., does nothing).

The texture editor has no way of knowing if the changed line def is in use. Simply setting a flag for that linedef isn't adequate since whatever action you would want to take would occur repeatedly each time you edited an object that used that linedef until the flag were somehow reset. But, since the GP editor only "knows" about the object currently loaded, there's no way for it to know when the flag should be reset.

There are a couple of things I could do, however:
  • place a button on the GP editor dialog that, when clicked, effectively reselects the current line def (i.e., emulating the user actually reselecting the line def); and/or.
  • assuming Jon could easily implement a "send all objects to the editor" routine (basically what he does prior to compile but with a different header), on exit from the texture editor, ask the user if he/she wants all lines that use the line def to be opened in the editor. An issue I see with this approach is that you would have no indication what line was sent and, unless the feature were used in conjunction with the button above, any custom placement (such as that for undimensioned lines) would be lost.
While these both are relatively straightforward to implement, the user implications are significant and need to be addressed before I do anything.

Don
 
I needed to change another line def and it is PITA when there are more than a couple of lines which use that texture.
 
George, as you can see from my previous post, there's no simple way to handle this. The GP editor doesn't have access to any data other than the immediate object sent by ADE.

If Jon can send each object together with a header telling the editor what to do, then the editor could re-place the texture UVs based non default parameters. This would not be a silent edit and the user would have to adjust/confirm each new placement.

Since you haven't commented on the earlier suggestions, I assume they are of no interest to you.

Don
 
What I would like is to be able to tell the editor that a particular line definition has been changed and for it to recalculate all lines which use that definition.

It would be better than having all lines calculated based upon a definition which no longer exists and any new lines created with the same definition calculated with the new definition (if you see what I mean).
 
I understand your frustration, George, and I've proposed a way to try and alleviate it. I can think of no way for ADE_GP simply "to recalculate all lines which use that definition" without user adjustment/confirmation.

There's no way currently (nor that I can conceive of with the current structure of the program) to know that a texture/line definition has changed. The new definition replaces the old. So, the editor only has access to the "current" definitions.

Earlier, I proposed a button on the editor dialog by which the user could advise the editor that the texture/line definition for the current object had changed and to call for an update of all objects using that texture/line. So, that button is step 1.

The editor holds no history for any object (nor does such history exist). So, the editor doesn't know which UV's were generated based on default parameters and which were adjusted by the user. And, since the old defitions are long gone, it has no way to find out. The only possibility I can visualize is for the editor to recalculate based on defaults, for the user to re-make any necessary adjustments and, finally, to confirm for each object that the placements are OK.

It appears we've made life a bit too easy for you. Think back to when you had to use GMax to create ground polys and trial and error to position them. How would you have handled line definition updates in that scenario.

Don
 
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