The Dink Network

(I'm using WinDinkEditPlus)

So while testing my dmod, I realized all the grass(seq 65) sprites had vanished.

I had set them to no_hit and stored them in the sprite editor so I wouldn't have to set no_hit every time. Because of this I thought perhaps storing them had something to do with the bug I'm having. So I deleted them all and placed some grass without storing them. But they still didn't appear when testing in Dfarc. Then I just placed them as they are- as in without going to properties and changing anything. Again, they didn't show up.

Following that I went into the dink folder and copied the Grass folder with the ffcreate in it and moved it over to my dmod's folder. I created the Lands folder, and put the Grass folder inside. Then I restarted Windinkeditplus and placed some more grass. When testing they didn't show up.

In case you're wondering, I haven't changed the .ini lines of the grass at all.

I'm really confused about this. The seq(65) sprites show up in the editor but not in dfarc.

I fixed the problem by changing the seq of the grass.
After I did that I put different graphics into seq 65.
The new graphics appear in Dfarc.

Though if I put the grass back into seq 65, they won't show up in Dfarc.

Anyone have any ideas about what's causing this?

My first guess would indeed be the ini file; if you didn't touch it, maybe it got modified automatically somehow? I'd say go check if the grass lines are still there, and if there are other lines about sequence 65 that may interfere with things.

When you say it "shows up in DFarc", I suppose you mean in the Dink engine (whichever one you're using) that is launched by it? DFarc itself doesn't show any sprites AFAIK...

If you have Freedink installed, running that from a commandline may also help: it can give useful error messages when things are wrong (note "can"; it doesn't always do it, and they aren't always useful ) To run it, go to where it is installed, then do
freedink -w -d -g c:\path\to\dmod (this uses windowed mode and debugging mode, and sets your game path so it doesn't start the original game).

I'd say go check if the grass lines are still there, and if there are other lines about sequence 65 that may interfere with things.

The .ini was like the first thing I checked. There were absolutely no changes to sequence 65 what-so-ever. Though I feel like if the ini lines were indeed where the problem lied, then there'd be some sort of indicator in the editor.

Replace DFarc with Dink Smallwood v1.08 then.

There were absolutely no changes to sequence 65 what-so-ever.

I'd say try replacing it with the original ini file anyway. Your new sprites will be messed up, obviously, but if the grass returns you know thats where to look. If it doesn't I have no clue... Visions maybe?

Though I feel like if the ini lines were indeed where the problem lied, then there'd be some sort of indicator in the editor.

There should be, of course, but it may be a weird parsing bug in the engine where an extra space makes the line invalid or something like that. The editor's ini parser may not be bug-compatible and thus not notice the problem.

The grass show up when I replace the .ini with the one from Dink. I compared the two files, and the only differences in mine are the added lines and the commented out lines for the sprites I'm not using(i.e. Boncas, stone giant, pig, fairy, etc).

So, I'm still not sure what the problem is.

Can you send both ini files to me? (wijnen@debian.org) I'd like to have a look at them.

Maybe you've hit the limit of lines? This is just a wild guess though... I've never run into a problem like this before. The problem is likely in .ini file if replacing it fixes the problem.

Maybe you've hit the limit of lines?

by limit do you the number of sequences used? If so then no. The available sequences go from 0 to 999. Anything above or below that just won't load because there is no space for them.

You have added line 192 before loading the grass:

load_sequence_now graphics\new\charon\Chrn9- 65

Assuming those graphics don't exist, it will (I think) mark the slot as used and reserve 0 frames for it. This reservation isn't changed when the grass is loaded. (For the same reason, the sword animations are loaded before the fist attacks, because they have more frames which need to fit in the reservation when they are loaded).

I think if you remove line 192, it should work.

I added that after the grass stopped loading. If I load those graphics down with the other added graphics they won't appear in the editor.

Edit: If I take out that sequence the grass will appear as seq 65 in the editor. However they still won't show up when testing.

Hmm, try a few alternatives with how the .ini line is loaded?

E.g.
load_sequence_now graphics\lands\grass\grass- 65 NOTANIM

load_sequence graphics\lands\grass\grass- 65

If your problem is weird, it might help.

Also, try doing a preload_seq(65) in start.c or something. Preload() supposedly isn't needed in v1.08 anymore, but again, weird problems...

I tried adding the now and it didn't work.

I added the preload_seq(65); to start.c and it still didn't show up.

Strange. In that case you should take a look at your image files, I suppose. I just tried using your ini file in a random dmod, and (aside from complaining about being unable to load all the new graphics), it works fine. However, you do have a new grass sprite, so I commented that out and restored the original one.

I'd try replacing your new grass graphics with other graphics which you know work, and see what happens.

They're the same graphics. It just works if it's loaded into a different slot.

They're the same graphics.

Sounds like you're hitting some really dark part of the engine here... If you load them from the original location instead of your dmod's directory, it doesn't work either, I take it?

How about moving the line up or down in the file?

And can you test with Freedink? If that doesn't work either, then there's a difference between your computer and mine, which might be the cause.

If you load them from the original location instead of your dmod's directory, it doesn't work either, I take it?
Nope.

How about moving the line up or down in the file?
Done that, still no luck.

And can you test with Freedink?

I don't have freedink on my computer but I can get it easy enough.

Does the grass show up in other D-Mods?

Yes. But if I create a new dmod and place some grass and test that, they don't. So perhaps it's got something to do with the skeleton. Though I'm using Mike Snyder's Skeleton Version B, and that wasn't messing up the grass before. As far as I know it's got practically the exact same .ini that the original game has.

Have you tried saving your D-Mod's .ini file somewhere, and copying the original game's and/or the skeleton's .ini file into your D-Mod's folder, and see if the grass sprites show up that way?

I have. The original game's will work. The skeleton does not.

I remember having trouble with Skeleton B's and S's .ini in general (though not quite like this). If I remember correctly I ended up taking the main game's .ini and just adjusting it because I got tired of missing graphics and things. But if your game is far into development with a lot of graphics added that could be quite a pain to change.

edit: the only other thing I can suggest without seeing the file myself is to try taking out specific random lines until it works. Then you'll see which line(s) are causing the problem.

Try replacing another D-Mod's .ini with the skeleton one. If the grass sprites disappear in that D-Mod, then we can be certain it has to do with the .ini, which I'm rather certain about already.

If it does, try downloading the skeleton again, and see if that fixes it. Although you've probably tried that already.

That's some weird bug you got there. Can you upload your ini file somewhere for all of us to see?

I know this may be a dumb suggestion, but I know that some of your recent work has been with visions. They're not set to an incorrect vision are they?

It has nothing to do with visions. The problem must have something to do with the skeleton. Though I just changed the grass to a different seq and I'm going to leave it that way.