C# code for Overlays

Does anyone know C# code that shows how Overlays are supposed to be used? I have some C++ snippets but that'll take a time to figure out and translate to NET code.

OverlayManager.Singleton.GetByName("name of overlay").Show();

The "name of overlay" parameter must match any given overlay name defined in an overlay file.

Hey Eldritch thanks for replying

I was looking for a more comprehensive solution =]. Anyways porting the C++ snippet for Overlays wasn't that hard after all. Here's what I've got:


//Overlay
OverlayManager overlayManager = OverlayManager.Singleton;
// Create a panel
OverlayContainer panel = (OverlayContainer)overlayManager.CreateOverlayElement("Panel", "PanelName");
panel.MetricsMode = GuiMetricsMode.GMM_PIXELS;
panel.SetPosition(10,10);
panel.SetDimensions(100,100);
//panel.MaterialName = "MaterialName"; // Optional background material

// Create a text area
TextAreaOverlayElement textArea = (TextAreaOverlayElement)overlayManager.CreateOverlayElement("TextArea", "TextAreaName");
textArea.MetricsMode = GuiMetricsMode.GMM_PIXELS;
textArea.SetPosition(0,0);
textArea.SetDimensions(100,100);
textArea.Caption = "Hello World";
textArea.CharHeight = 16;
textArea.FontName = "TrebuchetMSBold";
textArea.ColourBottom = new ColourValue(0.3f,0.5f,0.3f);
textArea.ColourTop = new ColourValue(0.5f, 0.7f, 0.5f);

// Create an overlay, and add the panel
Overlay overlay = overlayManager.Create("OverlayName");

overlay.Add2D(panel);
// Add the text area to the panel
panel.AddChild(textArea);

// Show the overlay
overlay.Show();


I am getting an error though when I try to run the program:

OGRE EXCEPTION(5:ItemIdentityException): Could not find font
TrebuchetMSBold in TextAreaOverlayElement:setFontName at
...\src\OgreTextAreaOveralyElement.cpp (line 360)

Any idea what might cause that?

It cannot locate TrebuchetMSBold.. do you have that font? Try changing that to some font you know you have.

I changed it with a font I have in my OgreSDK/media/fonts directory but I'm still getting the error. The resource.cfg seems to reflect the paths correctly.

Change it to "BlueHighway" and it should work, does for me.

That does work, strangely I don't have it in my fonts folder though.

No, it is in the gui folder.

Ok, I trying to use the code above to also get my cursor displayed.

I've uncommented

panel.MaterialName = "MaterialName";

and replaced MaterialName with "dirt.jpg" from
Media\materials\textures folder. (tried both "Dirt" and "Dirt.jpg" )

For some reason I'm getting an error similar with the first one when I try to run that.

That is not a material. Materials can be located in the files in materials/scripts. You set a material, which in turn contains one or more textures.

thx, but the ones in the scripts folder don't work either (tried a few)

Try Core/StatsBlockCenter

Are you looking into a magic globe other there?
Anyways is there a way to display an image with an alpha channel using materials? I'm trying to display a cursor.

Hey Eldritch thanks a bunch for your help.

No magic globe, did this stuff earlier today just to try it out, though I used overlay files instead of creating one by code.

I don't know about transparency.. might be possible.. someone else might be able to shed some light on that.

thx, but the ones in the scripts folder don't work either (tried a few)
Did you used the filename (like "Example.material") ? This is not how materials are loaded, if you open Example.material you will see several declarations of materials (like "material Examples/EnvMappedRustySteel"), you use the declaration to set materials (i.e "Examples/EnvMappedRustySteel").

is there a way to display an image with an alpha channel using materials? I'm trying to display a cursor.
You need to read the Ogre manual to learn more about material scripting.

Thanks for pointing that.