Splash Screen Manager control - guiSplashMgrCtrl
by Ryan Mick · 08/19/2009 (3:48 pm) · 90 comments
What is it?
The guiSplashMgrCtrl is a GUI control for creating multiple splashes in TGE/TGEA/T3D. The guiSplashMgrCtrl control uses child controls that inherit from a base guiSplashItemCtrl which encompasses most of the base functionality for showing a splash item. Included in this is the guiSplashBitmapCtrl which fades a bitmap in and out over defined times.
What it does
By extending the guiSplashItemCtrl and creating the guiSplashBitmapCtrl you will be able to use this to present your users with sequential or randomized splash items when your game loads or by utilizing it in playgui you can create effects like count downs or blood splatters. Splash items can be randomly shown with a simple console call.
Extendable
Creating your own splash items is easy. All you have to do is make sure you inherit from guiSplashItemCtrl. You will then want to override the following methods for your needs:
onRenderDesignTime
onRenderNormal
calcNewBounds
Look at the guiSplashBitmapCtrl (included in the zip) for an example of how to create your own controls.
Download
In the video below you can see the Splash Manager in action in 2 scenarios. The first is a an intro splash showing 3 splash items ( I used the same image for all 3). The next section is to create blood splatter effects over the playGui when ever the player takes damage. When the player takes damage a random splash item is shown (out of 5 profiled) and then it slowly fades away. The fade in and out times are configurable to your needs.
Now to work on migrating all my GUI controls to T3D.
The guiSplashMgrCtrl is a GUI control for creating multiple splashes in TGE/TGEA/T3D. The guiSplashMgrCtrl control uses child controls that inherit from a base guiSplashItemCtrl which encompasses most of the base functionality for showing a splash item. Included in this is the guiSplashBitmapCtrl which fades a bitmap in and out over defined times.
What it does
By extending the guiSplashItemCtrl and creating the guiSplashBitmapCtrl you will be able to use this to present your users with sequential or randomized splash items when your game loads or by utilizing it in playgui you can create effects like count downs or blood splatters. Splash items can be randomly shown with a simple console call.
Extendable
Creating your own splash items is easy. All you have to do is make sure you inherit from guiSplashItemCtrl. You will then want to override the following methods for your needs:
onRenderDesignTime
onRenderNormal
calcNewBounds
Look at the guiSplashBitmapCtrl (included in the zip) for an example of how to create your own controls.
Download
In the video below you can see the Splash Manager in action in 2 scenarios. The first is a an intro splash showing 3 splash items ( I used the same image for all 3). The next section is to create blood splatter effects over the playGui when ever the player takes damage. When the player takes damage a random splash item is shown (out of 5 profiled) and then it slowly fades away. The fade in and out times are configurable to your needs.
Now to work on migrating all my GUI controls to T3D.
About the author
#82
01/22/2011 (9:39 am)
Sorry about that, the download link is fixed. 
#83
01/22/2011 (9:45 am)
Cheers Ryan, appreciate the quick turn around to fix this. 
#84
03/01/2012 (11:05 am)
Any plans for this to be updated for 1.2?
#85
03/01/2012 (11:15 am)
As a matter of fact i just updated this one and the guiAdvBar to 1.2 this weekend. I just havent had time to QA them completely before i publish them.
#86
03/01/2012 (7:14 pm)
any chance you know when youll be making this avabile to public
#87
03/01/2012 (8:09 pm)
My current PC doesn't run 1.2 very well, so I have a new one coming that should be here next week. After I get that I will be able to test them properly to make sure everything works as expected. So the short answer is hopefully next weekend.
#88
03/04/2012 (2:25 pm)
I have just posted the update for T3D 1.2
#89
The error in release is as follows
art/gui/PlayGui.gui (2): Unable to instantiate non-conobject class guiSplashMgrCtrl.
03/13/2012 (8:15 pm)
Okay please explain this if I install this and run it out of debug it works. But if I launch game release it stops functioning and goes back to normal any ideas?The error in release is as follows
art/gui/PlayGui.gui (2): Unable to instantiate non-conobject class guiSplashMgrCtrl.
#90
03/14/2012 (7:08 am)
Sound to me like you are trying to run the exe that you have not built with the splash control in. If you built the project in debug the changes will only be in the debug exe (yourgame_DEBUG.exe). This sounds like the case since both torsion and the project file default to debug configurations. Verify the exe that Torsion is running and then run that one. Then rebuild your solution in the other mode so that both your exe's are current. 
Torque Owner Jules
Something2Play