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MAKING MAZES

IMAGE STACK

Overview of the Image Stack

The 'Image Stack' is above the ChalkBoard and is the main area of the Game Screen:

How The Image Stack Works

• The 'Image Stack' is called a stack because it stacks images in layers on top of each other to join them together as one image that is presented to the player.
• The 'Image Stack' is designed to display PNG images that are 1366x500 pixels in size.   Images smaller than that size will not reach the right or bottom sides of the stack area.   Images larger than that size will pass the bottom and right sides of the stack area.
• PNG images can have transparent parts and the 'Image Stack' is designed so that the images lower in the stack can still show through the transparent parts of the images higher in the stack.   The following video illustrates this:

• When the Challenge Maze Software starts, every layer in the stack is occupied by a PNG image and the stack stays this way the whole time the Challenge Maze Software is running.   However, it can look like all layers are not occupied because some layers are filled with completely transparent images.   Before adding any image, the Challenge Maze Software must remove the image currently on that layer.
• When a layer is cleared of an image, it is automatically replaced by a completely transparent image.

Image Drawing Guide Template

In the Challenge Maze Software Download there is a template guide for making images that will show on the 'Image Stack' part of the Game Screen.   The template named 'Image Outline.png' is in the 'Picture Visual' folder.   Most of the image is completely transparent except for the red lines.   It looks like this:

The image has a red outline and inner vertical red lines.   The outer lines are the size limit (1366x500 pixels) of what can be shown in the Challenge Maze Software.   The inner vertical bars show where some computers will be limited in showing images.   Most laptops and computers today have screens that are at least 1366x768 pixels and can show the entire size of the 'Image Stack'.   About 10-20% of computers may have screens of the size 1024x768 pixels.   The inner reds lines show the edges of the parts of the images that will be visible on computers with 1024x768 pixels screen size.   If making custom images, try to make sure that the 'clipping' that will occur to the image on smaller screens does not greatly degrade the usefulness of the image.

This guide image can be used by opening it in an image editor.   To find out a bit more about editing images, please visit the Editing Files Section.  

Image Stack Layer Positions

The layers near the top of this table are at the top of the stack and the layers near the bottom of the table are at the bottom of the stack.

* Layers for Images and Animations marked with an asterisk will not automatically clear themselves when a player enters a new room.