13 replies to this topic

[Evex]

I know the Devs have said we be able to select colors that the mech would be painted in along with camo patterns, which use the selected colors. My suggestion is more or less on what happens if there is a color placed somewhere the player doesn't want it. For instance the cockpit of the mech is pink, but the player wanted it to be one of the other colors say orange. Essentially each part has a the three selected colors show, but the player can switch the colors or null a color out of that area. For instance say that we have a mech that is Green, Black and grey selected for the main colors.

There is a section on the torso that appears black, while the rest of the torso is colored green and grey. The player would select the torso, and essentially replace the black with either green, or grey depending whats suppose to be in that area. Essentially the player is just using the three colors selected to adjust the color placement on the mech, where they feel a color shouldn't be.

[Garth Erlam]

Sounds similar to the Dawn of War II system, am I right?

[Evex]

I never played Dawn of War II, but thank goodness for you tube. Not exactly while that is an interesting way of doing things. I was thinking more of DC Universe way of coloring. Here's a reference video for the devs to view, since my explanation probably doesn't get what I'm trying to suggest across.

Reference Video best viewed in full screen.


You can ignore the swapping of costume pieces.What I'm getting at is that the player can select a part of the battlemech, and then change its colors according to the three color pallet choosing. For instance say there is a color a player doesn't want on the head. They can select the head, and then the color pallet would pop up again. The player can select from the pallet to replace a color on the head they don't want, or don't like the initial location of without disturbing the rest of the mechs paint scheme.

Edit: Found another video that matches what I was getting at this time based on the Warhammer series.

Reference video II best viewed in full screen

Edited by Evex, 01 May 2012 - 05:11 PM.

[ManDaisy]

looking at the warhammer vid, this reminds me the old idea of an online purchase for different looking, but the same mech parts, to fund mwo that was floating around a while back.

[MaddMaxx]

How about Paint by the Numbers. Then even the kiddies can play.

[Curon Hifor]

At first, I read the title as "Individual Pants", but then corrected my perspective.

As for painting 'Mechs based on separate locations, I don't see why not. I mean, it can't be that hard to code it in...

[Garth Erlam]

Oh yeah, it's easy, you just type paint=IndivParts, right?

[Dihm]

Garth Erlam, on 02 May 2012 - 09:07 AM, said:

Oh yeah, it's easy, you just type paint=IndivParts, right?

Sounds like you've got the problem solved! Good work PGI!

[Curon Hifor]

Garth Erlam, on 02 May 2012 - 09:07 AM, said:

Oh yeah, it's easy, you just type paint=IndivParts, right?

I would imagine you just implement a method that, by default, paints each area individually, and when a player selects "color scheme" and "all", it just paints all areas that scheme. Drop down boxes would be useful for that, or "click a button" would work well too. I'm only versed in Java, but I can formulate an idea of how to implement this sort of thing without too many problems.

It also depend on how far your coders are into the project as well. If its something they've 'taken care of' several weeks ago, then there's really no reason to have them go back to it, especially if they're knee-deep in something else right now.

[MaddMaxx]

Garth Erlam, on 02 May 2012 - 09:07 AM, said:

Oh yeah, it's easy, you just type paint=IndivParts, right?

Or we could go more suffocated perhaps.

type paint #1 = IndivPart LTorso

type paint #4 = IndivPart LArm

type paint #10 = IndivPart CTorsoRear

whatever method is easiest really.

Edited by MaddMaxx, 02 May 2012 - 10:38 AM.

[Evex]

blinks* Um guys I think you're misunderstanding me to a degree with this. The warhammer video was just another example of how individual parts of the mech can be painted. The suggestion itself is about touching up a mech after the color pallet and camo is used. You wouldn't be allowed to change the camo pattern on each part of the mech, or the individual colors outside the selected pallet. That is what I was trying to show with the DC Universe video, as in order to change the pallet to a color you want you have to go change the main pallet. Let me try to explain it this way.

You have your main pallet which consists of three colors. This palette is the central control for the mechs color scheme. You select a camo which then places the colors selected according to what the pattern is. During this a sub group of pallets are created for each part, which dictate where the main pallet goes. A player might find that a certain part of the mech doesn't place a color in the proper place, or wants to switch the order the colors are used in that part of the mech.

The player would select this part, which the easiest way would be a drop down menu, or by selecting that part while in the paint area of mechlab. After selection the sub pallet appears with where the colors are placed on the mech, along with the main pallet shown up for color selection. You would then click on a color in the main pallet, and click the color you want it to replace on the sub pallet. By doing this you can touch up that area of the mech without disturbing the rest of the mechs paint scheme.

Edit: see the first reference video for visual presentation, in my last post, of what I mean by main and sub palette.

Edited by Evex, 02 May 2012 - 02:04 PM.

[Evex]

Double post but its not worth starting a second topic for the same subject. I should of posted this a lot sooner as well.


I figured out how to make this work to a degree thanks to the mechlab video you guys posted. You just have to use the same mechanic the player uses to select the body part of the mech they want to change weapons/equipment in. Instead of showing weapons and critical slots though, you can show the mechs color placement for that arm, and the players color pallet. The player would then select a color from there pallet, and which color on the selected section they want to change. Here let me give an example.

Paint example

A. mech part selection
B. Image of selected mech part
C. primary color scheme of mech part
D. Players selected pallet.

Lets say in this example I wanted to change the green on top of the AC/20 housing to black. The player would select the black color from their pallet in d, and then click on the first box (green one which represents first color in the scheme). This should change the green on that part of the AC/20 housing to black. Lets also assume that the player wanted to change the black on the lower abdomen to green. They would select the green color from d, and then click the third box in C, black one ( third box represents third color in the scheme.) This would change that section to green.

[flying1ace]

Dihm, on 02 May 2012 - 09:31 AM, said:

Sounds like you've got the problem solved! Good work PGI!

lol

[Jonas]

I like to do mine up kinda like the Axman in the BattleTech cartoon.