My first draft of this class quickly showed me the error of my ways, as the coordination of the multiple sub-sprites would be extremely difficult, due to scaling and flipping, for example. Especially scaling.
Unless.. the multiple subsprites were co-located - i.e. had the same position (which is a CENTRE position), even if this meant they had a lot of transparent content in them.
Once you do that, however, there's no longer any need for a composite class. You just mirror certain characteristics of the main sprite (position, scale etc.) on the subsprites, eliminating the need for a composite class.
Easier still, make the main sprite and the principal subsprite as a single sprite with all the necessary animations - say, the boat and its wake, and use a separate sub sprite for each of the other animations required.
So, long story short, no composite sprite class.
I'm now ready to start setting up a more satisfactory demo version with some interesting action, so I'll be working in Povray a lot - a condition that isn't conducive to much reporting from me.
I'd like again to appeal to anyone who wants to collaborate on the Povray side. I'd be delighted to share the load and the credit with you.
Meanwhile, and this is the problem with me, I've seen another possible use of the Jade engine and I keep thinking about that instead of getting on with what I should be doing!
(below) Junk sprite with bluescreening.
This is a "game" with just six scenes, and very little to do except pick up a candle and drop it, but the music and sound effects are there, and the options.
Try it if you dare. Actually it is very benign as alpha versions go. Other than its own running space and private data, it only uses the media player, and surrenders or pauses that whenever it loses focus.
It works for me on my Android Xoom, but I'm interested in the behaviour of other platforms.
From left to right the options are Quit, Restore, Save, Music On/Off, Inventory, Pause.
Double tap to pick up and drop the candle.
The next activity is definitely the prototype game. I've got all the elements I need in the engine now, I think. I just have to use these capabilities to write an acceptable mini game.
I've been a little disappointed by the appearance of some of my backgrounds on the Xoom. I'll experiment with less compressed jpg files.
package uk.co.amazonsystems.jade;
import java.util.ArrayList;
import android.content.Context;
import android.media.MediaPlayer;
import android.media.SoundPool;
import android.media.AudioManager;
public class JadeSound
{
// This class handles all sounds. There are two sound sources. Use soundpool for short
// transient sounds. A single soundpool does all the sounds.
// For background music and ambient sound, Use MediaPlayer. Each sound is a new mediaplayer.
// Only one sound can be running at a time. All such sounds are looped.
public static final int OK_SOUND = 0;
public static final int BAD_SOUND = 1;
public static final int NOSUCH_SOUND = 2;
public static final int BAD_PLAY = 3;
private SoundPool soundpool = null;
private static int CHANNS = 4; // Sound Channels
private String soundName; // current ambient sound name
private int [] SFX = new int[CHANNS]; // Stream IDs
private int priority = 1;
private int soundid[]; // Sound IDs
private Context thiscontext;
private MediaPlayer mp;
private ArrayList soundfiles;
private int buggins;
private boolean soundstate = true;
// Initialise
public JadeSound(Context JadeContext, ArrayList SFXFiles)
{
thiscontext = JadeContext;
soundfiles = SFXFiles;
if (soundpool != null) soundpool.release();
soundpool = new SoundPool(4, AudioManager.STREAM_MUSIC, 0);
int temp = soundfiles.size();
soundid = new int [temp];
for (int ii = 0; ii < temp; ii++)
{
int resid = getRaw(thiscontext, soundfiles.get(ii));
if (resid == 0)
{
soundid[ii] = 0;
}
else
{
soundid[ii] = soundpool.load(thiscontext, resid, priority);
}
}
for (int ii = 0; ii < CHANNS; ii++)
{
SFX[ii] = -1;
}
buggins = 0;
}
public int playSFX(String name)
{
return playSFX(name, 0);
}
public int playSFX(String name, int Loop)
{
int index = soundfiles.indexOf(name);
if (index == -1)
{
return NOSUCH_SOUND;
}
else
{
soundpool.stop(SFX[buggins]);
if (soundid[index] != 0)
{
int reply = soundpool.play(soundid[index], 1, 1, priority, Loop, 1);
if (reply == 0) return BAD_PLAY;
SFX[buggins] = reply;
buggins++;
if (buggins >= CHANNS)
{
buggins = 0;
}
}
else return BAD_SOUND;
}
return OK_SOUND;
}
public int playAmbient(String name)
{
// if the same sound name, just exit immediately
// we use the same mp we used last time, and keep playing the same song
if (soundName != null)
{
if (soundName.equals(name))
{
return OK_SOUND;
}
}
// if the media player still in use, reset it, release it and null it
if (mp != null)
{
mp.reset();
mp.release();
mp = null;
}
// remember the new sound name for next call
soundName = name;
// find the sound file in raw
int resid = getRaw(thiscontext, name);
// if it's not there, return
if (resid == 0)
{
return BAD_SOUND;
}
// Finally, create a media player
mp = MediaPlayer.create(thiscontext, resid);
// if it doesn't work, return
if (mp == null) return BAD_SOUND;
// Ambient always loops
mp.setLooping(true);
// start the playback
mp.start();
// if the song flag is false, pause it
// we may have to start it later
if (!getSoundState())
pauseAmbient();
return OK_SOUND;
}
public void pauseAmbient()
{
if (mp != null)
{
mp.pause();
}
}
public void resumeAmbient()
{
if (getSoundState())
{
if (mp != null)
{
mp.start();
}
}
}
public void pauseAll()
{
if (soundpool != null) soundpool.autoPause();
pauseAmbient();
}
public void resumeAll()
{
if (soundpool != null) soundpool.autoResume();
resumeAmbient();
}
public void closeSound()
{
if (soundpool != null)
{
soundpool.release();
soundpool = null;
}
if (mp != null)
{
mp.reset();
mp.release();
mp = null;
}
}
public void setSoundState(boolean state)
{
soundstate = state;
}
public boolean getSoundState()
{
return soundstate;
}
// Helper method that translates a filename in res/raw to a resource id
public static int getRaw(Context context, String name)
{
return context.getResources().getIdentifier(name,
"raw", context.getPackageName());
}
}
Having further considered the matter of the GUI, I've decided to base it all on sprites, rather than a special screen. It is probably neater, and certainly more efficient. So another carefully designed backdrop hits the wastebin.
