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Komag's avatar
Komag
Roku Guru
9 years ago

bitmapset.ticklist ? What is it?

I'm diving deeper into my understand of how sprite animations work. I'm setting SetTime() for my sprite regions. Then using AnimationTick() on the compositors. But what is the .ticklist, as in bitmapset.ticklist? It always seems to be an empty array.

I can't find any documentation or mention of this on the Forums or anywhere else - is there some info I'm missing?
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6 Replies

  • Komag's avatar
    Komag
    Roku Guru
    9 years ago
    I've tried breaking into the game at various points, and always I find an empty ticklist array. Might it be used very very briefly under-the-hood somehow?

    It SOUNDS like some sort of counter for the AnimationTick()s we do to compositors, but that's just a wild guess.
  • EnTerr's avatar
    EnTerr
    Roku Guru
    9 years ago
    No clue what you are talking about. Is it about the "v30/bslDefender.brs" thing i have never used?
    If so, why don't you look at its source code?
  • Komag's avatar
    Komag
    Roku Guru
    9 years ago
    I just spend about 15 minutes searching for that without any luck, where can I find it?
  • EnTerr's avatar
    EnTerr
    Roku Guru
    9 years ago
    "Komag" wrote:
    I just spend about 15 minutes searching for that without any luck, where can I find it?

    You'll have to "brave the Leopard" for that one (to borrow from RokuKC). 
    Source is exhibited in Co's display department. So go to the console cellar with a `ListDir()` torch and look for a disused "common:/" lavatory "LibCore/" and in a filing cabinet labeled "v30/" you'll find that "bslDefender.brs". Does that make you feel more like Indiana Jones or like Arthur Dent? 
  • Komag's avatar
    Komag
    Roku Guru
    9 years ago
    Thanks, I've learned a couple things in there! (But not anything about TickList, sadly)
  • TheEndless's avatar
    TheEndless
    Channel Surfer
    9 years ago
    "Komag" wrote:
    Thanks, I've learned a couple things in there! (But not anything about TickList, sadly)

    Actually, I suspect you did, without realizing it.  TickList is defined as an empty array in this line:
    set = { ExtraInfo: {}, Backgrounds: {}, Regions: {}, Animations: {}, TickList: [] }

    but is never populated, nor accessed anywhere else in the code.  So, the answer to your question is quite simply, it's an empty array that serves no purpose.  Perhaps at one time they considered supporting defining animation ticks in the BitmapSet XML, but never got around to implementing it.

    With that said, this line doesn't instill any confidence that they'll be adding support anytime soon...
    ' Aug 23, 2010

    FWIW, I can honestly say, in the countless 2D API apps I've written, I've never found a need to use bslDefender.