OpenXcom Forum

OpenXcom => Suggestions => Topic started by: Daiky on November 17, 2010, 03:28:10 pm

Title: externalization of small bitmaps that are now hardcoded
Post by: Daiky on November 17, 2010, 03:28:10 pm
Probably something that is interesting to add somewhere on the way: the hardcoded bitmaps (for eg. drawing a base, ufo, craft on the globe and the recently added small number font, or the yellow arrow in the battlescape) may be externalized by BMP(or PNG) files?
To further increase the flexibility/moddability of the game.
Title: Re: externalization of small bitmaps that are now hardcoded
Post by: bramcor on November 18, 2010, 03:47:22 am
If that was done, would you not have do distribute the copyrighted graphics with the c++ code to make things work? Distributing copyrighted work without consent is usually a bad idea :P

Another option might be to create placeholder graphic files for each that the player could swap out with his own stuff. I guess OpenXcom would have to scan the placeholders for bit-changes from the original placeholders at each launch or something to know which to include instead of the originals extracted from the DATA folder...

Just a thought ;)
Title: Re: externalization of small bitmaps that are now hardcoded
Post by: Daiky on November 18, 2010, 10:20:15 am
I'm not talking about external graphics (PCK, SPK files), but the non-copyrighted hardcoded bitmaps.
As far as I know noone can hold the copyrights of a 3x3 pixels square :)

Title: Re: externalization of small bitmaps that are now hardcoded
Post by: bramcor on November 18, 2010, 01:48:59 pm
Hardcoded "graphics" probably don't fall under copyright rules if they are generated algorithmically. The output of such an algorithm can probably be distributed safely, or the functionality of the algorithm could be replicated by various means.

However, if I understand correctly, copyright does extend to all content of an artifact (a game in this case), whatever form it might have. So even if the 3x3 px squares are hardcoded into an executable file bit by bit its form does not differ much from the representation it would have in a PCK or SPK file. Thus it is likely that it is covered by the same copyright terms as the rest of the game content.

I am quite sure we are free to replicate (not copy from the source) such trivial graphics as a 3x3 px blob on our own if it does not breach a trademark (fx. this might be the case with the graphic update for The Two Sides due to the very specific replication of UFO:EU's characteristic character and vehicle design) or a patent (which would be next to impossible to achieve for the graphics themselves as patents are usually connected to processes of creating artifacts in non-trivial manners).

In terms of copyright it all comes down to whether you are "licensed" to distribute a work (or parts of it) created by another person/entity than yourself.

I am no expert in the field though ;)
Title: Re: externalization of small bitmaps that are now hardcoded
Post by: Daiky on November 18, 2010, 02:51:43 pm
In any way, the placeholders idea sounds good, but that is part of graphics modding.
But that would imply going to a world of modern graphics files, going away from the xcom palettes... and I think that is only going to happen after release 1.0
So I rest my case for a while :)