Adding your objects to the Object Gallery, and more

[debussybunny563]

I'm not sure if anyone else knows this, but you can add any a2c (object files in Alice) files you have to the Alice Local Gallery.

Go to the Alice 2.2 folder-click Required-click gallery, where you will find all the objects and folders currently in the local gallery, and then add your own folder there for your own objects.

Simply put all of your a2c files into your folder, and the next time you open Alice, the local gallery will display your folders and objects!

This makes adding objects a lot easier, as there is now no need to import files.

However, the drawback is that this will only work on your computer, but if you think about it, you can't import the objects if you're not on your comp anyway, so :D

[debussybunny563]

You can also modify the picture you see whenever you open Alice.

Once again, go to Alice 2.2-Required-but then click etc.

The pic that it's set to is AliceSplash, so to change it simply delete that and put in a picture of your liking into the etc folder and name it AliceSplash, and the program will display your picture at startup instead!

[x2495iiii]

Good ideas. I even managed to get thumbnails for the models working as well.

Cool stuff.

[DensetsuNoKaboom]

Did you know if you follow bunny's instructions for the splash screen, but instead go to the gallery, go to one of the folders within, and save your file as directoryThumbnail, you can change the directory thumbnails?

@bunny and x2495iiii: how do you upload those huge pictures?

[debussybunny563]

Did you know if you follow bunny's instructions for the splash screen, but instead go to the gallery, go to one of the folders within, and save your file as directoryThumbnail, you can change the directory thumbnails?

@bunny and x2495iiii: how do you upload those huge pictures?

Yeah, it's cool, 'cause you can use it to add your own thumbnails for your folders.

If you go into the Required folder and just look around, you can kind of see where Alice gets everything.

I have Windows 7, and there's a program it has installed called Snipping Tool, which allows you to take pics of your screen either fullscreen, a certain window, or a highlighted rectangular area.

Not sure what X used though.

I even managed to get thumbnails for the models working as well.

How? I figured out the directory thumbnail thing, but how do you get the individual models to display?

Wait, you're using 2.0?

[jediaction]

Did you know if you follow bunny's instructions for the splash screen, but instead go to the gallery, go to one of the folders within, and save your file as directoryThumbnail, you can change the directory thumbnails?

@bunny and x2495iiii: how do you upload those huge pictures?


I never got my thumbnails working. But YES, i know how to get your own objects in a folder. I have a folder with all of my objects that i posted in one big file

[DensetsuNoKaboom]

Good ideas. I even managed to get thumbnails for the models working as well.

Cool stuff.


I thought I found the way, but it just kept giving me the "no thumbnail" picture and when I opened the folder my object was in in Alice, it gave me an unknown error.

[debussybunny563]

You can change/add object thumbnails by going to the .alice2 folder where all the thumbnails are stored.

BTW, the .alice2 folder isn't in the Alice 2.2 folder, at least for me, so you might have to search it.


EDIT: Actually, it doesn't seem to be working for me. I'm 100% sure you modify what's in the .alice2 folder, but I don't know exactly what to do.

A little help, X?

[x2495iiii]

Did you know if you follow bunny's instructions for the splash screen, but instead go to the gallery, go to one of the folders within, and save your file as directoryThumbnail, you can change the directory thumbnails?

@bunny and x2495iiii: how do you upload those huge pictures?

Yup. First thing I did was make my new objects folder have a thumbnail of my avatar.

How to upload the pictures: PrintScreen (Prtsc) key, Paste to GIMP, save as jpg, attach to post.

Yeah, it's cool, 'cause you can use it to add your own thumbnails for your folders.

If you go into the Required folder and just look around, you can kind of see where Alice gets everything.

I have Windows 7, and there's a program it has installed called Snipping Tool, which allows you to take pics of your screen either fullscreen, a certain window, or a highlighted rectangular area.

Not sure what X used though.

How? I figured out the directory thumbnail thing, but how do you get the individual models to display?

Wait, you're using 2.0?

Neat. I have 7, but I hadn't heard about that. I'll have to check that out.

Hehe, a little techno elbow grease. It's at the end of this post.

I never got my thumbnails working. But YES, i know how to get your own objects in a folder. I have a folder with all of my objects that i posted in one big file

Well, here's how you get thumbnails for individual models.

1. Import the model into an Alice world with no ground. Keep the blue sky, light, and camera though.

2. Place the model as you'd like the thumbnail to look, then capture a screenshot.

3. Unzip any given .a2c that came with Alice, then open the thumbnail image inside in your favorite photo editor (I use GIMP)

3. Open the captured screenshot in the photo editor, then select the blue sky with a color selector and a threshold of about 45-50.

4. Invert the selection (ctrl-i), then cut the selection (ctrl-x).

5. Save it as a new layer in the thumbnail image (the cut selection should paste from your clipboard across projects.

6. Resize and rotate the new layer as needed, then delete the background layer. Don't save yet

7. Unzip the .a2c file for the model you were making a thumbnail for. Save the open thumbnail photo to this newly unzipped folder under the same name and as a png. Export as necessary.

8. Select the contents of the folder (not the folder itself), then zip it again.

9. Change the extension to .a2c and test it out in Alice.

That's how I did it. It seems like a lot of work, but it's like 5-10 minutes for each model. Not really a heart-stopping amount of time, you know?

[debussybunny563]

lol You computer geeks and all your techie stuff. :p

Just kidding,
Thanks for the tut. X.

I'll try it out tomorrow.

EDIT: How do you unzip an a2c file? When I right click on one, there doesn't seem to be that option.


BTW, I saw your "People are the Heart of Maritz" video on YouTube, and...
Probably, no, it is the funniest video I have ever seen made with Alice.
("Three thousand?! And which one are you serving now? [sign beeps from 3 to 2] How long is this going to take? [out to lunch] ARRGGHHH!!!")
(I bet the 2 thumbs down were from people who didn't know you were using Alice, 'cause it's really great animation.)

[debussybunny563]

There are two ways (that I know of) to make a world take up less file space without modifying the actual content.
Keep in mind, though, you should only do this if you're finished making changes to the world.

One: Choose File > Save As and resave the file. It will consequently be smaller.

Two: Choose File > Export as Web Page. Apparently the actual option of viewing it as a webpage is buggy, but we're not looking for the web page. In the same folder as the webpage (which, by default, I think, is named 'My_Alice_World'), there should also be an a2w file, which is just a copy of your world. Once again, it's file size should be reduced.

I think part of the reason is that making backups of the file takes up space too, so a newer file (with less backups) will be smaller. I guess you can also change this by going to the Preferences and change the number of backups you want to save.

[arty-fishL]

I must have missed this thread.

The way I have always added thumbnails to objects is similar to X:


start a new world, hide the ground or delete it
go to atmosphere color
go to change it, but click on other...
go to the RGB tab
change all values to 128
now you have a grey sky
position your model well for a screenshot
take a pic of it and open it in a good graphics editing program
change the height to 128 (the wifth of all thumbnails in the gallery is 128, but it doesnt matter)
save it as thumbnail.png (as a png file)
open the a2c file in a zip program
paste in the png picture you just edited
done


and thats not all you can hack in Alice:

[debussybunny563]

and thats not all you can hack in Alice:
Nice.

http://www.alice.org/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=3384&stc=1&d=1282435013

Not sure how helpful that'd be though... :D

[arty-fishL]

oh well :rolleyes:

[DensetsuNoKaboom]

I must have missed this thread.

The way I have always added thumbnails to objects is similar to X:


start a new world, hide the ground or delete it
go to atmosphere color
go to change it, but click on other...
go to the RGB tab
change all values to 128
now you have a grey sky
position your model well for a screenshot
take a pic of it and open it in a good graphics editing program
change the height to 128 (the wifth of all thumbnails in the gallery is 128, but it doesnt matter)
save it as thumbnail.png (as a png file)
open the a2c file in a zip program
paste in the png picture you just edited
done



I've tried that, it just gave an unknown error.

[arty-fishL]

then youve either set the image to the wrong format or the wrong name or not zipped it back up in the a2c object again or its corrupt for some reason. Also you maybe messed up the a2c file by accidentally removing or editing something.

[DensetsuNoKaboom]

OK it works now.

[DensetsuNoKaboom]

Dangit, I tried changing the splash screen but now the program refuses to show any splash screen at all...

[jediaction]

Is it showing True or False or the opacity?

[SirThorfinn]

That bright green would kill my eyeballs.......:eek:

[debussybunny563]

Is it showing True or False or the opacity?

DNK was asking 'bout the splash screen, which has nothing to do with programming within Alice itself, so no.

[jediaction]

What?

[debussybunny563]

When you open Alice, you know the screen that pops up?

You can change that to a picture of your liking, and it somehow stopped showing up for DNK.

[jediaction]

Really? How?

[debussybunny563]

Really? How?

Posted earlier in the thread:

You can also modify the picture you see whenever you open Alice.

Once again, go to Alice 2.2-Required-but then click etc.

The pic that it's set to is AliceSplash, so to change it simply delete that and put in a picture of your liking into the etc folder and name it AliceSplash, and the program will display your picture at startup instead!

Click on the little arrow beside the quote to see the pictures that I attached with it.

[jediaction]

Got it

[David B]

http://www.alice.org/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=3384&stc=1&d=1282435013

How do you do that?

[jediaction]

THe green?

[arty-fishL]

modified an Alice file, ive made a much more useful one now.

[jediaction]

useful what?

[David B]

http://www.alice.org/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=3384&stc=1&d=1282435013

How do you do that?

THe green?

modified an Alice file, ive made a much more useful one now.

useful what?

That is cool, but how do you do that? I would like to know so that I can do it myself! :)

[David B]

Please?

[David B]

Click here to improve your viewing experience of this post. (http://www.alice.org/community/showpost.php?p=30943&postcount=33)

Okay, I figured out how to change the color scheme of Alice, and here is what I changed it to:

http://davidbsaliceforumsfiles.yolasite.com/resources/Alice%20Modified%20Scheme.bmp.

Although I have figured out how to do that, there are still a few things I don't know:

http://davidbsaliceforumsfiles.yolasite.com/resources/Alice%20Modified%20Scheme%20By%20Arty-FishL.jpg.

For the things I have marked in your screen shot Arty-FishL, please tell me how to do so that I may do it myself.

[arty-fishL]

Click here to improve your viewing experience of this post. (http://www.alice.org/community/showpost.php?p=30943&postcount=33) Its exactly the same post, just on its own.

Okay, I figured out how to change the color scheme of Alice, and here is what I changed it to:
(I got rid of the image for the quote) How'd you do that without working out how to do the rest? Unless you cheated and edited the picture in a photo-editing thing. Also do you run Windows 2000?




Although I have figured out how to do that, there are still a few things I don't know:
...
For the things I have marked in your screen shot Arty-FishL, please tell me how to do so that I may do it myself.


How did you get multiple clipboards?
Where did you get the world statistics from?

- Alice > menubar at the top > edit > preferences > seldom used


How come your methods, events, and your code all say "arty-fishL"?

- Its a custom style.


Some of these methods are ones I have never seen before. Where did they come from?

- Jython scripting enabled.


Why do they all say Arty-fishL?

- Custom style, i felt like it.


Also, why is the last one blank?

- I made that in 10 minutes or something just for the picture, I wasnt really taking that much care.

please tell me how to do so that I may do it myself.I really dont want to go saying how to do that to people who dont have experience in Java and Python, I dont want to end up wrecking people's Alice's. As I posted somewhere on the forums I will release some basic files soon, Im busy for now.

[zlloyd1]

arty-fishL,
I was reading your post on how to lessen the file size of an Alice file and you said,
I must have missed this thread.

The way I have always added thumbnails to objects is similar to X:

start a new world, hide the ground or delete it
go to atmosphere color
go to change it, but click on other...
go to the RGB tab
change all values to 128
now you have a grey sky
position your model well for a screenshot
take a pic of it and open it in a good graphics editing program
change the height to 128 (the wifth of all thumbnails in the gallery is 128, but it doesnt matter)
save it as thumbnail.png (as a png file)
open the a2c file in a zip program
paste in the png picture you just edited
done
and I think I get what you are saying, but I am unclear about one part. When you say position your model well for a screenshot, what does that mean exactly?? Every time I try to take a screenshot of my Alice world it takes a screenie of the entire Alice interface and not of a single model. :confused: , so I am confused as to how to follow your instructions because I cannot add a png file of the entire interface to my project, but I do need it to be much smaller. I have tried saving it under a different name but that did not do enough, it made it smaller but it is still not under 10mb, which is what I need to submit my work because that is the maximum files size allowed to be added as an attachment.:(