DXC Companion

Tutorial 2 Part 2

Now we will look at custom mouse pointers. Make sure you do Part 1 of this tutorial first!

Download this mouse pointer (pointer.bmp (1kb)) and copy the file into the same place as the files for the previous part of this tutorial. You may create your own mouse pointer if you wish. It just needs to be a BMP file and its size is unimportant (but don't make it too big or too small!)

In the same project that you created in the previous part of this tutorial, create a new image in the banks window and select the mouse pointer file. Create a new sequence and select the mouse pointer and enter the values : Sprite X = 16 (the width of the frame), Sprite Y = 15 (the height of the frame), Sprite Count = 1 (there is 1 frame in total), X Count = 1 (there is 1 frame on the only line in the sprite sheet)

Enter the code to create a new sprite in your CREATE_SPRITES() procedure (Create Sprite 2,100,100 Using Bank 5). Remember to turn the sprite on (Sprite On 2). You should also enter "Set Bitmap 4 Transparency To 0,0,255" into the INIT_DISPLAY() procedure so that the mouse pointer doesn't have a background.

Add a new procedure to your code called MOUSE_POINTER(). Add the DefProc command underneath the other DefProc commands and call the procedure before the main loop. In the procedure type in the Set Mouse Pointer command along with the sprite number (Set Mouse Pointer To Sprite 2). Add the command "Mouse Show" to turn the mouse on.

Your code should look like this :

NOTE: If you do not wish to type the code below you may download or open this text file and simply copy and paste the code into your project.

//TUTORIAL 2 Part 2

//DEFINE VARIABLES
Global KEYPRESS$

//DEFINE PROCEDURES
DefProc INIT_DISPLAY()
DefProc CREATE_SPRITES()
DefProc LOAD_MUSIC()
DefProc MOUSE_POINTER()

//---- START MAIN CODE ----

//CALL THE PROCEDURE TO CREATE THE SCREEN
INIT_DISPLAY()

//CALL THE PROCEDURE TO CREATE THE SPRITES
CREATE_SPRITES()

//CALL THE PROCEDURE TO LOAD THE MUSIC
LOAD_MUSIC()

//CALL THE PROCEDURE TO CREATE THE MOUSE POINTER
MOUSE_POINTER()

SynthCommand(MIDI_Play) //PLAY THE MUSIC

//START LOOP - THIS LOOP WILL REPEAT UNTIL A KEY IS PRESSED
Repeat

Until KEYPRESS$ > ""

//THE INIT_DISPLAY PROCEDURE CREATES A SCREEN AND A PLANE
Procedure INIT_DISPLAY()

//CREATE A MAP IN BANK 50

//CREATE A TILE USING A BACKGROUND IMAGE IN BANK 1

//CREATE PLANE 1 USING THE MAP IN BANK 50

//CHANGE THE TRANSPARENCY OF THE SPRITES TO AN UNUSED OR BACKGROUND COLOUR

Set Bitmap 4 Transparency To 0,0,255

EndProc

//THIS PROCEDURE WILL CREATE THE SPRITE
Procedure CREATE_SPRITES()

//CREATE SPRITE #1 AT 256,176 USING THE SEQUENCE IN BANK 3

Create Sprite 2,100,100 Using Bank 5

//ENABLE THE SPRITES

Sprite On 2

//NOW TURN ON THE SPRITE SYSTEM

//TURN OFF ANIMATION ON SPRITE 1

EndProc

//LOAD MIDI MUSIC
Procedure LOAD_MUSIC()

//LOAD THE MID FILE INTO MEMORY

EndProc

//CREATE MOUSE POINTER
Procedure MOUSE_POINTER()

//CHANGE THE DEFAULT POINTER TO THE SPRITE

//TURN ON THE MOUSE (BY DEFAULT IT IS TURNED OFF)

EndProc

EndProg