Re: [Freeciv-Dev] Tileset infomation files

[David Pfitzner <dwp@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Trent Piepho wrote:
> 
> I finished with my reorganizing of the XPM file locations.  It now works ok, I
> can start the client with -tiles civ2 to get the tiles stolen from civ2, or
> -tiles dwp to get the new units David made. 

Good stuff.  Now, do we want to distribute more tile sets with freeciv,
or as separate add-ons, or... ?  Obvious we can't distrib the civ2
ones, but I think we should add the Ralf Engels tiles (would need 
minor adjustment for the roads).  Naturally I'd also like to have my
new units included once they're finished.

(Re my units: I've slowed down on these; for some reason 
people keep wanting patches checked in, bugs fixed, etc ;-)  
I've now finished redrawing all units except the sea units, 
though I also want to tidy up my colormap sometime.)
  
> I haven't added any kind of information file to the tileset directory, but I
> think it would be a good idea.  I'd like to use the registry format that the
> saved games uses, since there is already code to deal with it. 

Agreed.

> I'm not sure
> on exactly what should be in it though.  This is my first thought on what it
> could look like:
> 
> [tileset]
> name="Some name for the tileset"
> author="Who made it"
> opaqueflags=0 or 1     ; do the flags under the units totally cover the tile?
>                        ; the default ones do, but the civ2 ones don't

Would this be instead of the client option?  Or would you
possibly still want to display them as opaque?

The default tiles do actually include _some_ transparent
pixels for some flags:  some blue parts have a checkerboard
pattern which makes them sort of semi-transparent, but its a
subtle effect. (With the default tiles, I couldn't work out 
what the "transparent flags" option did for a long time!)

>  It might also be nice to have the units or tiles split
> into separate files, so maybe there should be some way for the spec file to
> describe this?

Having worked on some unit icons I'm actually _less_ keen on
this, or at least to have the default units all split up.
It seems more convenient to me to keep them together.  
However an optional way of including individual unit icons
from separate files could be useful. It would make some sense
to do it somehow with my rulesets, since if you're adding
or changing unit types (via rulesets) you may well want to 
change the icons too.  But I'm not sure of a good way to do 
all this.

-- David