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

[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]

Originally Posted by 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?

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]

Originally Posted by 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?

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]

Originally Posted by x2495iiii

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]

Originally Posted by 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?

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.

Originally Posted by debussybunny563

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.

Originally Posted by jediaction

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.

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.)