Alpha Blending Npcs in 2.0 or 2.3

[Guest]

download link

[http://www.freemmorpgmaker.com/files/imagehost/pics/e7af871755961eafa51c68ceea14fb42.rar](http://www.freemmorpgmaker.com/files/imagehost/pics/e7af871755961eafa51c68ceea14fb42.rar)

if any credit is due anywhere it goes to robin.

In this tut you will be able to make your npcs alpha blend and turn it on and off. you can just as easily change it to work with players, or anything else for that matter. even alphaed paperdolls. i will cover a few of the things you can easily change to make this work for you.

**ALL Client Side.**

add the attached **alphablend.dll** to your **client directory**

add the attached **alphablend module** to your **client**

at the bottom of **frmmain** add

```

Private Sub optAlphaff_Click()

' If debug mode, handle error then exit out

If Options.Debug = 1 Then On Error GoTo errorhandler

Options.alpha = 0

' save to config.ini

SaveOptions

' Error handler

Exit Sub

errorhandler:

HandleError "optMOff_Click", "frmMain", Err.Number, Err.Description, Err.Source, Err.HelpContext

Err.Clear

Exit Sub

End Sub

Private Sub optAlphaOn_Click()

' If debug mode, handle error then exit out

If Options.Debug = 1 Then On Error GoTo errorhandler

Options.alpha = 1

' save to config.ini

SaveOptions

' Error handler

Exit Sub

errorhandler:

HandleError "optMOff_Click", "frmMain", Err.Number, Err.Description, Err.Source, Err.HelpContext

Err.Clear

Exit Sub

End Sub

```

in **frmmain** add a lablel and set its caption to **Alpha Blending**

in **frmmain** add a option box to the option window named **optAlphaOn**

in **frmmain** add a option box to the option window named optAlphaff

open your **config.ini** file and add **alpha= 1** to the list

search for **Private Type OptionsRec**

below

```

Sound As Byte

```
add

```

alpha as byte

```

search for **Call PutVar(fileName, "Options", "Sound", str(Options.Sound))**

below it add

```

Call PutVar(fileName, "Options", "Alpha", str(Options.alpha))

```

search for **Options.Sound = GetVar(fileName, "Options", "Sound")**

below it add

```

Options.alpha = GetVar(fileName, "Options", "Alpha")

```

at the bottom of **Public Sub LoadOptions()**

add

```

If Options.alpha = 0 Then

frmMain.optAlphaff.Value = True

Else

frmMain.optAlphaOn.Value = True

End If

```

search for **Public Sub BltNpc(ByVal MapNpcNum As Long)**

and change it to

```

Public Sub BltNpc(ByVal MapNpcNum As Long, alpha As Boolean)

```

then directly below the other dims in **sub bltnpc** add

```

Dim aDC, bDC As Long

```

now find this bit further down the same sub….**sub bltnpc**

```

' Proceed as normal

y = MapNpc(MapNpcNum).y * PIC_Y + MapNpc(MapNpcNum).YOffset

End If

```

directly below that code add this

```

' render the actual sprite in alpha blend

If alpha = True Then

If Sprite = 146 Then

aDC = DDS_BackBuffer.GetDC

bDC = DDS_Character(Sprite).GetDC

If Options.alpha = 1 Then

FoxAlphaBlend aDC, ConvertMapX(x), ConvertMapY(y), 32, 32, bDC, rec.Left, rec.top, 100, RGB(255, 0, 255), 1

Else

Options.alpha = 0

FoxAlphaBlend aDC, ConvertMapX(x), ConvertMapY(y), 32, 32, bDC, rec.Left, rec.top, 255, RGB(255, 0, 255), 1

End If

DDS_BackBuffer.ReleaseDC aDC

DDS_Character(Sprite).ReleaseDC bDC

Else

Call BltSprite(Sprite, x, y, rec)

End If

End If

```
at the bottom comment out or delete this line

```

Call BltSprite(Sprite, x, y, rec)

```

next find this bit of code in **moddirectdraw7**

```

' Npcs

For i = 1 To Npc_HighIndex

If MapNpc(i).y = y Then

Call BltNpc(i)

End If

Next

```

change to this

```

' Npcs

For i = 1 To Npc_HighIndex

If MapNpc(i).y = y Then

Call BltNpc(i, True)

End If

Next

```

ok thats it. now on to the explaining bits.

```

'render the actual sprite in alpha blend

If alpha = True Then

'this here can be replaced by a case select if you wanted, in this case i set my ghost to sprite number 146 via the npc editor. so if its that sprite, it will be alpha blended.

If Sprite = 146 Then

aDC = DDS_BackBuffer.GetDC

bDC = DDS_Character(Sprite).GetDC

If Options.alpha = 1 Then

'these 32, 32 numbers are the sprites frame size, set it to your sprites frames size, a player sprite is 32, 48 standard i belive.

' the 100 in this line is the level of alpha being applied. in the latter its 255\. 255 = max

FoxAlphaBlend aDC, ConvertMapX(x), ConvertMapY(y), 32, 32, bDC, rec.Left, rec.top, 100, RGB(255, 0, 255), 1

Else

Options.alpha = 0

' the rgb stuff is the color used for the alpha blending, its set to the stock purple magenta color that eo sprites are backed against.

FoxAlphaBlend aDC, ConvertMapX(x), ConvertMapY(y), 32, 32, bDC, rec.Left, rec.top, 255, RGB(255, 0, 255), 1

End If

DDS_BackBuffer.ReleaseDC aDC

DDS_Character(Sprite).ReleaseDC bDC

Else

'down here we do the normal calling of the sprite.

Call BltSprite(Sprite, x, y, rec)

End If

End If

```

[Zzbrandon]

What does this exactly do?

[Guest]

well in this edit it will make npc with sprite #146 be alpha blended and apear more ghost like. it can be changed to apply the effect to anything.

[tslusny]

Why you maked it as ON/OFF value, why you do not saved it as value from 0 to 255 and then make scrollbar for setting it in NPC editor and then read from it and not just check if its highter than 0 then alphablend it at specific value

[Guest]

> Why you maked it as ON/OFF value, why you do not saved it as value from 0 to 255 and then make scrollbar for setting it in NPC editor and then read from it and not just check if its highter than 0 then alphablend it at specific value

im sure you could. why dont you post your edit?

[tslusny]

> im sure you could. why dont you post your edit?

And why yes? I am using DX8 

[Valentine90]

That's fine, but do not recommend, especially these days when we have DirectX8, the alpha leaves the game slow.

[bunny123]

I made a quick edit that only requires one check box.

Delete the label, **optAlphaOn**, and **optAlphaff**.

Add one check box, name it chkAlpha.

Replace the frmMain code with:

```
Private Sub chkAlpha_Click()

' If debug mode, handle error then exit out

If Options.Debug = 1 Then On Error GoTo errorhandler

Options.alpha = 0

' save to config.ini

SaveOptions

' Error handler

Exit Sub

errorhandler:

HandleError "optMOff_Click", "frmMain", Err.Number, Err.Description, Err.Source, Err.HelpContext

Err.Clear

Exit Sub

End Sub
```

At the bottom of **Public Sub LoadOptions()**, replace

```
If Options.alpha = 0 Then

frmMain.optAlphaff.Value = True

Else

frmMain.optAlphaOn.Value = True

End If
```
with

```
frmMain.optAlphaff.Value = Options.alpha = 0
```

Done.

[Zzbrandon]

Why not just simply make the npc transparency ghostlike instead of adding this script it slow game??

[bunny123]

By the way, I fixed my above post. I have NO idea how the optAlphaOn code got in there! :/

[Guest]

good stuff. nice to see someone help out.

[VKAllstar Game.NET]

upload new link please . i can't download it TT