My Universal Binary Overscan Secret Weapon

Lovejoy

Today i will be sharing with this community one of my little gamesalad secrets. It is a simple yet effective way for repositioning hud actors while using overscan, no matter what device their using. This does not require any extra game attributes made, unlocking actor or any of that mumble jumble. Just one behavior in the actor.

As always, iPad as a base is always my recommended starting point.

This is the equation that makes it all happen:

For Portrait: abs((((game.Screen.Size.Width*1024)/game.Screen.Size.Height)-768)/2)

For Landscape: abs((((game.Screen.Size.Height*1024)/game.Screen.Size.Width)-768)/2)

This equation pretty much finds the space cut off when using overscan. It can be used for more than just the following, but for now this is all ill be going over. And yes i know there is an extra set of brackets in the equation.

So here is how we use it in a project,

Simply place a change attribute behavior in your actor. And change the self position, either x if portrait, or y if landscape.

Working on Portrait Mode:

Since overscan will cut off the sides of the screen, we only need to worry about left and right. So change self.position.X to

For actors on left side of the screen: Self.Position.X+abs((((game.Screen.Size.Width*1024)/game.Screen.Size.Height)-768)/2)

For Actors on right side of the screen: Self.Position.X-abs((((game.Screen.Size.Width*1024)/game.Screen.Size.Height)-768)/2)

Working on Landscape Mode:

Since overscan will cut off the top/bottom of the screen, we only need to worry about top and bottom. So change self.position.Y to

For actors on the top of the screen: self.Position.Y-abs((((game.Screen.Size.Height*1024)/game.Screen.Size.Width)-768)/2)

For actors on bottom of the screen: self.Position.Y+abs((((game.Screen.Size.Height*1024)/game.Screen.Size.Width)-768)/2)

A single change attribute behavior when using overscan. Your project will look excellent in any device, including the thousands of android devices. Below i attached 2 test project files. One for Landscape, and one for portrait. Both in a zipped folder.

Braydon_SFX

Works extremely well!
Thanks for sharing!

EDIT: New badge headed your way!

ookami007

Thank you! So, can your formula be used to find the top and bottom of the visible portion of the screen?

Lovejoy

@Braydon_SFX said:
Works extremely well!
Thanks for sharing!

EDIT: New badge headed your way!

Thank you

@ookami007 said:
Thank you! So, can your formula be used to find the top and bottom of the visible portion of the screen?

Yes

robertkdale

Thanks @Lovejoy It works perfectly! Thanks for sharing!

ookami007

Excellent! You rock!

Do you mind if I use this formula in my upcoming class?

Lovejoy

@robertkdale said:
Thanks Lovejoy It works perfectly! Thanks for sharing!

No problem.

@ookami007 said:
Excellent! You rock!

Do you mind if I use this formula in my upcoming class?

I don't mind at all, i shared it so the whole community has an easier time with their projects.

Approw

@Lovejoy Thanks for sharing this great technique! does dis also work like a charm on android devices?

MentalDonkeyGames

@Approw I adhoc tested on two devices, and it worked fine.

Lovejoy

@Approw said:
Lovejoy Thanks for sharing this great technique! does dis also work like a charm on android devices?

Yes, it works on any device.

Armelline

I fully endorse this method. Always use overscan instead of stretch when it's possible.

gingagaming

Thanks for sharing @Lovejoy

RThurman

@Lovejoy -- great idea!
Thanks for posting this!

Lovejoy

@Armelline said:
I fully endorse this method. Always use overscan instead of stretch when it's possible.

Thank you, means a lot.

@gingagaming said:
Thanks for sharing Lovejoy

Np.

@RThurman said:
Lovejoy -- great idea!
Thanks for posting this!

Np.

Im glad everyone finds it useful.

wanegroup

So nice - great share!!!!

ookami007

Quick question... anyone try this on an Android?

It does not seem to be calculating correctly. It seems to work fine in the preview... just not on the android device itself. I get 0.

ookami007

Ok... I've tried it multiple ways... looks like Android is having issues with Screen size.

Lovejoy

@ookami007 what exactly are you trying to do?

BBEnk

I filed a bug on Android not detecting device display size awhile back.

http://bugs.gamesalad.com/show_bug.cgi?id=384

ookami007

@Lovejoy - I'm trying to use the formula on an Android device. It looks like @BBEnk already filed a bug report on it.

Instead of getting the actual screen size, I get the game size (in this case iPad 1024x768) when I know the phone resolution is 1920x1024. Consequently, the formula doesn't work.

MentalDonkeyGames

Pu> @ookami007 said:

Lovejoy - I'm trying to use the formula on an Android device. It looks like BBEnk already filed a bug report on it.

Instead of getting the actual screen size, I get the game size (in this case iPad 1024x768) when I know the phone resolution is 1920x1024. Consequently, the formula doesn't work.

Try putting the code in a constrain attribute instead of change attribute.

According to the bug report, that should work.

ookami007

@NipaDidIt - I'll try using constrain. Thanks!

ookami007

@NipaDidIt - I constrained the screensize height and width to two attributes but I'm still getting the game size, not the attributes of the screen.

Lovejoy

@ookami007 said:
NipaDidIt - I constrained the screensize height and width to two attributes but I'm still getting the game size, not the attributes of the screen.

Can you take a screenshot of these rules? Because from what this says, you constrained the screen size to an attribute, which it can't really be done so it will show whatever the attribute is. It needs to be the other way around. The attribute changed to the screen size.

ookami007

Sorry @Lovejoy I meant the other way around, but I was rushing back to work over lunch.

I'm constraining newheight = screen.size.height and newWidth = screen.size.width

Here's the funny thing.

I have it do a display text with the Height/Width and they are correct (1920x1024)... but, it still looks like it's grabbing the game size (1024x768) for the calculations.

I've pulled all the hair off my head with this... I'm going to have to start pulling hair from more sensitive locations if I can't figure this out...

AlchimiaStudios

@ookami007 said:
Sorry Lovejoy I meant the other way around, but I was rushing back to work over lunch.

I'm constraining newheight = screen.size.height and newWidth = screen.size.width

Here's the funny thing.

I have it do a display text with the Height/Width and they are correct (1920x1024)... but, it still looks like it's grabbing the game size (1024x768) for the calculations.

I've pulled all the hair off my head with this... I'm going to have to start pulling hair from more sensitive locations if I can't figure this out...

What device are you testing on?

ookami007

@AlchimiaStudios - Samsung Galaxy S5.

ookami007

So, I have it inside a timer, inside the first scene... and that didn't work... so now, I have it loading a new scene and waiting for a few seconds before going on and it seems to grab it... FINALLY.

So... I guess I'll have two splash screens.

Lovejoy

@ookami007 said:
So, I have it inside a timer, inside the first scene... and that didn't work... so now, I have it loading a new scene and waiting for a few seconds before going on and it seems to grab it... FINALLY.

So... I guess I'll have two splash screens.

What type of timer did you try? Perhaps try a "every" o second timer and then change scene after 2 seconds. This way you may be able to only use 1 splash screen.

CaptFinn

I dont see the code anywhere in your zip. And when I switch from ipad landscape to iphone 6 landscape. then overscan. the object are off the screen. Or am i not reading this post correctly?

MentalDonkeyGames

@FINNBOGG said:
I dont see the code anywhere in your zip. And when I switch from ipad landscape to iphone 6 landscape. then overscan. the object are off the screen. Or am i not reading this post correctly?

When you switch it to iPhone 6, you need to refresh the preview.