- last post: 01.01.0001 12:00 AM PDT
Posted by: RighteousTyrant
Posted by: CAVX
Posted by: pmpinainteasy
Not at all CAVX. They could use layers.
The basic layout of a character model avatar looks like this:
PlayerModel.ashx?p1=0&p2=10&p3=5&p4=0&p5=4&am p;p6=0&p7=2&p8=17&p9=90
The .ashx file is an image handler that pulls an image from a database.
The URL variables p1 through p9 are all different parameters given for the image.
More than likely, in this format, the images are all completely separate.
If the database had to layer every single parameter on top of each other to make that image, it would take a heck of a long time to load any forum page.
Adding a p10 parameter just would take a lot of work, especially at this point.
Because, remember, you can't just change the weapon. You also have to change the way your character is holding the weapon depending on what it is, and some weapons are bigger or smaller than others, revealing a different amount of the chestplate. Remember that shoulders and chest armor pieces are both customizable, so every single weapon would need an entirely new picture for every possible permutation combination at this point. Even if Bungie somehow layered the current pictures together, they couldn't just magically layer the weapon on because of this.
Could the system perhaps only have to generate the image once (say, anytime you change your armor/color combo) and then save it (associated with your Gamertag, perhaps) such that it's available for quick retrieval?
You mean like how screenshots are uploaded to Bnet? Instead of the game reading the permutations you have, it simply takes a snapshot after you've made a cgange and uploads the pic to Bnet? Sounds plausible...