Translucent Overlay Sprite (i.e. "developer console")?

Translucent Overlay Sprite (i.e. "developer console")?

• Aaron Sulwer

  You don't have to use the Vector4 Color constructor, I just used that in the example because I thought people might find it easier with 0 - 1.0. You can also use the 4 byte constructor:
  
  Color col = new Color(255,255,255,50);
  
  Cheers,
  Leaf.
  
  
  
  

• Will Merydith

  Check out the GetData and SetData methods of the Texture2D class.  You may be looking for something like this:

  uint[] data;

  // public void GetData(T[] data) where T : ValueType
  consoleTexture.GetData<uint>(data);

  // TODO: Add your modify logic here
  for (int index = 0; index < data.Length; index += 2)
  {
      data[index] = data[index] / 2;
  }

  // void SetData(T[] data, int startIndex, int elementCount, SetDataOptions options) where T : ValueType
  // The SetDataOptions.Discard operation will overwrite every location within the surface.
  // This is a valid option when using dynamic textures.
  consoleTexture.SetData<uint>(data, 0, data.Length, SetDataOptions.Discard);

  
  

• eTape

  If you make your original image translucent, then when you draw it with the SpriteBlendMode.AlphaBlend, it will be translucent. So just make your image as see through as you want it to be and you should be good to go.
  
  There may be a way to do it programmatically, but it really doesn't make sense to do that in code when it's easier (and less costly to your program) by doing it initially with your artwork.
  
  
  
  
  

• VulturGryphus

  Thanks everyone for taking the time to respond.  Leaf's solution worked great for me.  I decided to make the texture white so that I could completely control the color of the console within my code.

  Here's what I ended up with: http://xtknight.atothosting.com/images/tilegame1-devconsole.png

  Why did they decide to go with 0.0-1.0f (float) instead of 0-255 (byte) to represent an 8-bit color value   If I wanted 50/255, how would I write that in float format   0.1960784313725490196078431372549f   How is the rounding handled   Would 0.196f (49.98) suffice for 50   What about 0.19f (48.45) for 48   I could always just do this, right

  new Vector4(127/255, 127/255, 127/255, 1.00f)

  ..for an RGB(127,127,127) color value at full opacity.

  Also, once I mark something as an answer does it lock the thread

  
  

• yandrea

  If you want to control the transparency or tint of a sprite then you can use the Color parameter when calling SpriteBatch.Draw(). There's certainly no need to go altering the texture data.
  
  If you want the sprite to be transparent then you change the alpha value of the Color parameter. In this example I'm using a Vector4 to construct the Color which means that the alpha value should be in the range 0 - 1.0 where 0 is complete transparent and 1.0 is completely solid. Note, you can still use alpha in your textures, this will just multiply the alpha values in your texture with the alpha value in the Color parameter.
  
  Color col = new Color(new Vector4(1,1,1,0.5f)); // draw sprite 50% transparent
  sprite.Begin(SpriteBlendMode.AlphaBlend);
  sprite.Draw(texture, destRectangle, col);
  sprite.End();
  
  You can also change the RGB values to tint the sprite different colours. Does that help
  
  Cheers,
  Leaf.
  
  
  

• WayneSpangler

  I also would like to know how to make this as I'm needing it in my application (for something different than a developer console though). But I want to be able to alternate between a normal version of the texture, and a translucent version of it in real time. The original image also has transparency so I can't just turn alphablend on and off, and make the image file itself translucent. Also, I'm not considering creating a translucent copy of every image file a solution. Isn't there a way to access every pixel in a Texture2D, and for instance, divide the alpha byte in half Thanks :)
  
  
• Translucent Overlay Sprite (i.e. "developer console")?