[Beta] Timeline Object

This is the public beta of my Timeline Object. Some of you may have noticed the page on FusionWiki, which you can refer to as documentation. This beta also comes with some examples because it seems that some people misunderstood the concept of the object during private (people in the chat) beta testing, so I thought examples would work better than words.

The Timeline Object is a storage object meant for things such as time effects and recording. It works on a per-frame basis, and allows you to manage positions, which contain events, which contain their own values and strings. When the timeline object's internal time is moving, it will go through each position and trigger all the events at that position by name. Time can move forward, backard, and faster than 1 position per frame even. Unfortunately I have not yet implemented floating point speed.

The point of the object is to simplify the process of recording, delays, and other time effects. It can even be used for other crazy things like a scripting language (I'll make an example of this later).

It features saving and loading the timeline to/from strings and files, so you can easily create a timeline once and use it for things like cutscenes and demo recording that can actually be interrupted. Things like replays and rewinds are made much simpler with this extension, rather than using an array object.

There is no specific purpose for this object, except that it is oriented towards time related things. You can use it for whatever you like if it works for your situation.

You can download it here: http://www.LB-Stuff.com/MMF2/Extensions/Timeline_BETA.zip
Make sure to read the FusionWiki article and look at the examples, they'll help ;)

Please post any bugs, requests, or typos in this thread. Also, if anyone thinks they can make an icon, it will probably be better than the current one ;)

Interesting extension, but, (sorry for my question) what it's purpose?

(because there are not a description)

As I said, read the FusionWiki article and look at the examples. ;)

EDIT: I added a description (sorry that I forgot to do that before!)

Ok, LB, i see the goal of your object.

And, i must admit that: It is really a cool goal.

Thanks!

Anyone have any bug reports or feature requests? I'd like some feedback so I know what needs to happen in terms of the extension itself, documentation, examples, ect. :)

Yes, i have a suggestion LB :D

Can you implement float values??

Thanks, for the moment, it's stable at my computer.

OK, but where? Float Values for the event values or Float Values in the time speed/current time?

Hum, event and time speed/current time with floats can be useful yes.

By the way, some "quicks" more-easy example will be apprecied.

- Moving a character and Forward in the time for an another character
- Moving a character and Backward in the time?

Yours examples are too oriented-bullets lol, then Variables and some things are really confused for me.

(yours examples are really complex for me, i understand it, yes, but, take more time for learn instead some other extensions, BUT, LB keep in mind, it's perhaps because i'm French?)

Also, hum.. before you ask it, lol, yes, i already see the page on the Fusion Wiki ;)

And, certainly, your extension is really cool! Thanks for making better than actually, (it's already good!).

Why a help file when there's a FusionWiki?
http://www.fusionwiki.com/wiki/Timeline_Object

Also, characters moving forward and backward in time isn't too hard. I'll add that example in the final release.

Floats will take a while to do, but I will see what I can get done.

Attached variables just allows you to add strings or values to each individual event. That way you can store, for example, an object's position in an event, and then when the event is triggered, you can get the position back again.

FusionWiki should not be a replacement for proper object documentation.

Ok, thanks for making theses examples LB!

And thanks for variables explain!

Also, Retriever is on the right way, How we can read the documentation IF we are not connected to the Internet where we are?

It's a problem, for my part, i'm always connected to the Internet when i use Multimedia Fusion 2 or even my Computer..

But perhaps some guys do not have Internet sometimes..

Then, if you can, make an external documentation for us :)

Sorry, I should indeed make real documentation. I'll get started on that when I can find a free .chm maker...

How about this LB:
http://www.321download.com/LastFreeware/page27.html

Marv

Wait i'm remember i've see a special DocMaker for Extensions of MMF2.

I research the name, wait LB!

Found: http://web.archive.org/web/20080330193432/www.syntesis.org/downloads/mfxdoc

(It's called MfxDoc).

Actually the author discontinued its development i think, because, it IS not anymore available from his official website.

Looki found a help authoring package that he really liked, although I forget its name. Ask him.

I added a link to my previous post, guys, take a look.

Don't use that. Use HelpNDoc instead.

Yes, it's also nice, i had take a look!

Url will be: http://www.helpndoc.com/

Thanks guys, I'll get started on the documentation. ;)

Nova will love this, he has wanted an object like this for a long time!

This extension has been released: http://www.clickteam.com/epicenter/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=208708

@Jax: Which Nova?

Novabrain, but he's not around anymore.

Thanks for this extension LB :)

Yeah let me just add that this is an amazing extension!
I have two request.

1) could you add "On Position Changed" to the events? That'd be awesome.

2) Would it be possible to add an automatic feature that would remove specific events if the time is moved to before a given time? That'd be even more awesome!

Thanks :D

Also a 'last added event index' would be nice, as adding event values is pretty much impossible at this point with multiple events at once (either that, or CurrentEvent is broken)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by MechatheSlag

could you add "On Position Changed" to the events? That'd be awesome.

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I will add this...thanks.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by MechatheSlag

Would it be possible to add an automatic feature that would remove specific events if the time is moved to before a given time? That'd be even more awesome!

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Well, it would be much simpler to do it with the current extension as it is, just set a flag and use "Move to Position" and, in accordance with On Event (Current Event), delete all the events while it's moving to that position.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by MechatheSlag

Also a 'last added event index' would be nice, as adding event values is pretty much impossible at this point with multiple events at once (either that, or CurrentEvent is broken)

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You want # of Events at Position - 1, which already is there. Current Event Name/Index is the name/index of the event being triggered at that time.

Thanks for the help, much appreciated :D