Dialogs and dynamic pictures

[vektorboson 8]

Well, I'm trying to make a dialog with a picture which is dynamic, that means I have an external program that changes this picture every few seconds.

Now I have two problems:

1.

When I do this:

_pictureCtrl ctrlSetText "path_to_picture.jpg";

It always loads exactly the same picture; this means ArmA caches the image data, and whenever this same path is referenced, ArmA loads the obsolete image from its cache, instead of from the hard drive.

2.

Even if ArmA reloaded the image file, ArmA disallows modification of the file.

---

Now I can think of one solution: Name the pictures sequentially, like

path1.jpg

path2.jpg

...

The problems I see are:

- since ArmA caches the images, this will fill up ArmA's texture cache, and possibly degrade the performance, since ArmA may throw away important texture data faster than without this.

- For long running missions, the drive is filled with unnecessary files; so I have to remove them (if it is possible at all, since ArmA disallows modifications to loaded files),

So, are there any ideas how I can solve this in the best way?

[i0n0s 0]

Each time ArmA looses focus, it will close the file handles. So reloading afterwards should bring the new image.

[vektorboson 8]

Each time ArmA looses focus, it will close the file handles. So reloading afterwards should bring the new image.

Yes, I know, but ArmA still caches the image. Also it's no solution to let the player ALT-TAB every few seconds, so I can write to a file.

Is there no solution beside sequential file naming?

[PhilippRauch 0]

Trying to make a movieprojector ingame vectorboson? Or stream livecam to arma? :D ...

[vektorboson 8]

Trying to make a movieprojector ingame vectorboson?

Actually I once modelled a beamer, but I can't find the model anymore. :D

But the thing is: If we've got submarines in ArmA, they should have waterfall displays, no? I coded a very simple waterfall display, a work of 5 minutes, but if there is no acceptable solution to this, I guess I have to abandon it.

[t_d 47]

does closing and reopening the dialog work?

[PhilippRauch 0]

cant spooners holomap be 're/misused' for such displays?

[vektorboson 8]

does closing and reopening the dialog work?

Nope.

cant spooners holomap be 're/misused' for such displays?

I don't know right now how Spooners holomap works, but everything where you can 'set the pixels' would help.

[PhilippRauch 0]

I mean, if its for submarines, haveing some 'holomap desk' could be quite 'cool' although i know little about naval stuff, even though i loved to play dangerous waters and my granddad was in the trading navy... :rolleyes:

http://www.flashpoint1985.com/cgi-bin/ikonboard311/ikonboard.cgi?act=ST;f=70;t=76596

is the link to old bis forum thread with it... maybe thats something... at least for the newer 'high-tec' subs out there, otherwise maybe the system of spon radar (converted to spon sonar) could be nice inside a subs bridge..