Support for localized pictures

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silene
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Support for localized pictures

Post by silene »

Thanks to Chusslove, the engine has now an improved system for handling localization of pictures. Whenever it has to load a picture, it searches if there is a localized version of it, or if there is a localized picture that can be overlaid on it.

In other words, if you are an artist about to produce a picture that contains some (English) text, please split it into two pictures: the background picture with no text, and an overlay picture transparent almost everywhere except for the text (and perhaps some borders around it, and so on). That way, it will be easy to generate on-the-fly variations of your picture by replacing only the overlay by one containing the translated text.

Also, if you are the author of a picture already in game (e.g., the titlescreen map or the logo), you may still have the original Gimp/PhotoShop/whatever file around. It should then be easy for you to split the image into the background part and the text overlay. If so, please post or send the two files, it would be a great help.
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Jetrel
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Re: Support for localized pictures

Post by Jetrel »

When the new logo gets done, we'll do that to the in-game logo(s):
http://www.wesnoth.org/forum/viewtopic. ... &sk=t&sd=a

We won't waste the effort of doing it before, unless groovy somehow abandons that project.

We may have to coordinate with translation teams on correctly presenting the text of their language of the game, whilst applying the photoshop effects to make it look like the wesnoth logoform. More important for non roman/cyrillic languages, since all western languages share the same basic layout and legibility/design rules.

And that's all I've personally had a hand in as an artist. In fact, beyond map labels, I find myself having trouble thinking of any other cases where we have actual in-game images-as-text at all, so this might be a really easy to finish project. Are there any others?
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caslav.ilic
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Re: Support for localized pictures

Post by caslav.ilic »

Of the existing images, logo and maps are rather well covered. We have a standalone shield of the logo, and maps as layered images in branches/resources/cartography-tools.

The only other in-game images with text (aside from help screenshots) are the TRoW writings in data/campaigns/The_Rise_Of_Wesnoth/images/story/. It would be nice if someone would jot down how to create them from scratch (e.g. the framed parchments in east.png, west.png, and the backdropped letters of tgi-*.png), in clear steps in Gimp[*], so that translators can easily reproduce them.

I've started a wiki page with instructions for translators per image type, so any modifications and additions (such as for the TRoW stuff) are welcome:

http://www.wesnoth.org/wiki/ImageLocali ... zed_Images

(Since I myself have no discernible graphics skills, feel free to pour on what's bogus in current instructions :)

[*] Gimp bit is kind of important, as translators are unlikely to have (legal) access to Photoshop or another high-priced tool.

edit: Wiki page got moved.
Last edited by caslav.ilic on April 16th, 2009, 6:14 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Chusslove Illich (Часлав Илић)
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zookeeper
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Re: Support for localized pictures

Post by zookeeper »

Jetryl wrote:And that's all I've personally had a hand in as an artist. In fact, beyond map labels, I find myself having trouble thinking of any other cases where we have actual in-game images-as-text at all, so this might be a really easy to finish project. Are there any others?
There's a couple of screenshots in the help showing parts of the interface.
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Sgt. Groovy
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Re: Support for localized pictures

Post by Sgt. Groovy »

Jetryl wrote:...whilst applying the photoshop effects to make it look like the wesnoth logoform.
The most reasonable approach would be to write the effect into a script, then all the translators would need to do would be to type out the text, adjust the placement and press a button to create the metallic, 3-d effect. I already have most of it figured out as SVG filter, I think I should be able to make it in GIMP scripting (though currently only in Python-fu), and it would be good if somebody made it into a Photoshop script.
In fact, beyond map labels, I find myself having trouble thinking of any other cases where we have actual in-game images-as-text at all, so this might be a really easy to finish project. Are there any others?
Probably not, but now that the engine supports it, campaign developers might be more encouraged to use text in story art (like, speech bubbles for a comic-styled story art).
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torangan
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Re: Support for localized pictures

Post by torangan »

Replacing screenshots with localized versions can be done by just about everyone if the translation is done, or am I missing something?
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caslav.ilic
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Re: Support for localized pictures

Post by caslav.ilic »

Right, screenshots are no-brainer. (Even so, I wrote in the above article a few points on them, to fend off what-can-go-wrong-will rule.)
Chusslove Illich (Часлав Илић)
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Re: Support for localized pictures

Post by Tet »

I think there is one more application to overlay images/portraits in game besides language.

It could be great for dialogs. Displaying two portraits together using overlays.

Examples:
King promotes hero.
Hero rescues villagers.
Hero finds treasure.
Hero for background (exploding volcano, throne room, etc.)
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Viliam
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Re: Support for localized pictures

Post by Viliam »

Instead of splitting an image into a part without text and a part containing only text, perhaps the program should allow to write the text above the image. This way we do not need an imagine containing text, but only the text.

I guess in most situations the standard font would be OK -- labels on maps, texts in speech bubbles. (The only exception I can think of is the game logo. I think it could rather stay in English; perhaps with a "subtitle" below it.)


By the way, there will need to be some guidelines for making images with replaceable texts. For example think about font size -- maybe English texts could be legible even in 5 pixel letters, but what is the minimum font size for legible Chinese texts? The speech bubbles must be wide enough, because there is alwasy a possibility that the translated text will be longer than original one. How will you support left-to-right vs right-to-left direction in speech bubbles when more characters speak in the same frame? :hmm:
caslav.ilic
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Re: Support for localized pictures

Post by caslav.ilic »

Viliam wrote:[...] perhaps the program should allow to write the text above the image. This way we do not need an imagine containing text, but only the text.

I guess in most situations the standard font would be OK -- labels on maps, texts in speech bubbles.
There was this suggestion floating around, but judging by the current examples, I see it as impossible while yet maintaining reasonable visual coherence and artistic feeling of the image.

For example, on maps, the standard font (DejaVu Sans) for geographic labels would not look very in-character for Latin and Cyrillic alphabets. Then, due to different lengths of labels in different languages, if automatically placed they could ungracefully cover map features; manual hinting is necessary. (And then there are parchment backgrounds for some labels...)
(The only exception I can think of is the game logo. I think it could rather stay in English; perhaps with a "subtitle" below it.)
You could add a subtitle using the current mechanism, by making one transparent PNG with the subtitle written out as overlay image.

I personally would find this solution unsatisfactory for my language, hence the instructions to make the full logo for those that would like it.
[...] The speech bubbles must be wide enough, because there is alwasy a possibility that the translated text will be longer than original one. How will you support left-to-right vs right-to-left direction in speech bubbles when more characters speak in the same frame?
Speech bubbles would have to be specifically programmed, of course to take random real text as input, and to scale and position properly with it regardless of length and font. So actually they would have nothing to do with localization of images.
Chusslove Illich (Часлав Илић)
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Re: Support for localized pictures

Post by Anregar »

Hi,

Does somebody know what font was used to obtain data/campaigns/The_Rise_Of_Wesnoth/images/story/trow-logo.png ?
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