My random name generator

[DragonBlaze]

Anyway, I was working with programming in java, and I'm to the point where I get to make GUIs (graphical user interfaces). This name generator is my first attempt at making on (outside of class at least). It was basically just a learning thing, but it may be useful if you want some names for a project.

Anyway, its pretty simple. Theres a length and a minimum length text field where you get to input the max and min length for your name. Then theres a checkbox saying if you want it to be exactly that length, of if you want it to be anywhere from the minimum length to the max length. Names must be at least 3 characters. There is no limit to how long they can be; however, longer names don't make much sence in my generator.

Once you have those three feilds, you just hit the generate button, and a name is generated for you.

I THINK that you would need the Java runtime enviornment to run this (JRE 1.6) but I'm not to sure. I made this into an executable file with a third party program so it may not be required.

It's a very small download, here it is.

http://www.savefile.com/files/1249834

Also, if anyone has any ideas for more programs I can write, let me know Though theres not much I can do at the moment, I can write up programs that pop up, but I can't do too much in the way of graphics yet. I can do some minor io streaming (file saving and writing). So err yeah...

[Ben]

dude, a chipset generator, for XP....
in exe form. And i will make stuff and donate my secret stash of origonals

[DragonBlaze]

By chipset generator you mean...

Have a bunch of tiles that you can place on the chipset, organize how you want, import your own, then export it as one chipset when your finished?

If thats so, I could probably do it; however, I'll need to work my graphics skills because I can do little more  than display an image on the screen. But it shouldn't be too much harder moving them around a bit then combining them into one file.

[X_marks_the_ed]

I'd try it, but I have no idea how to actually run Java applications besides those on the internet, most guides on the internet just say the same exact (word for word, copy + paste) process. I follow it, but it always just ends without any effect.

You can explain how to actually start a Java program and I'll give it a whirl.


EDIT: Never mind, I actually get an error message when I open it, instead of just doing absolutely nothing. I can find out myself from here.

[DragonBlaze]

Its a java program, but I made it into an exe. So all you should have to do is unzip the file (its a .zip right now). Then double click on the Name Generator.exe file.

I'm not sure if you'll need java on your computer to run this. Normally you would, but since it was converted, that requirement may have been taken off.

So anyway, if you can't run it, then you need the JRE (java runtime enviornment). To get the JRE, you need to go to sun.java.com and download it from there. Its a free download. I'm using JRE 1.6.

I just noticed something when I tested this out, letters like t b x p g and others are never shown. This is because i used a process where if one of those letters are shown, they must be followed by a letter such as r or w, (so you don't get combinations like pbt) but I switched to lines around... It works just fine, and some names can be cool, but some letters won't be there. I'll update it later today after i get done with work.

[A Forgotten Legend]

Look at some examples to XP tilesets.  It'd be rather easy to set it up I'd think for a tileset generator because you can use any of the tiles on all layers, and they have infinite height.  It would be neat, and useful.

[Moosetroop11]

Sounds cool. I don't think my computer would like it though.

[DragonBlaze]

Originally posted by A Forgotten Legend
Look at some examples to XP tilesets.  It'd be rather easy to set it up I'd think for a tileset generator because you can use any of the tiles on all layers, and they have infinite height.  It would be neat, and useful.

Yeah, I think I can do it. I'm thinking out loud here, but I would make a big panel for the tileset. The user selects the hight. The panel wouldn't really be much, and all it really has is an array of tiles that can be put on. The tiles may be a little bit more dificult. I would need to make a class for them, and have them extend the component class (if they extend the component class, they can be displayed on a screen). Then I would need to override the paint method to give them their appearance, and add action listeners to them for if their clicked they can be moved around.

The only thing that I don't really know how to do at this point would be if I had all the tiles on the screen, I don't know how to save them ALL as one image file...



So basically, this is how it'll work.
- Theres a big panel that you can put tiles on.
- You can select which color is transparent.
- You have two lists of to choose from (autotiles and regular tiles)
- You can drag and drop the tiles on the screen.
- Tiles can be differant sizes (trees for example would take 6 tiles).
- You can import ANOTHER tileset, and just copy and paste blocks from that to your tileset.
- You can import specific tiles, but there will be a number of tiles included.


Thats pretty much all I got so far...

What I might do for this is make it into a web applet. As a web applet, it would be accessable via a website. Though I would need  place to host the applet, and I don't know of any really that would work out to well.

Note that if I do make this, I'll be learning how to make it at the same time as I'm making it. I'm guessing if I release it, it'll be fully functional; however, it may not look to pretty or anything yet. I want to learn a lot more computer programming crap, and my stupid school doesn't offer a computer programming class that I can take next semester, so I'll be doing a lot of stuff on my own. Luckily I hang out with my cps teacher a lot (at clubs and such at school) so I can ask him for help if I really get stuck on anything.

[DragonBlaze]

Alright, I decided to make, or rather attempt to make, this tileset generator. This seems easy enough, but we'll see...

Anyway, I don't have ANY rmxp graphics on my computer, so if you have some tiles, wanna send them over? I'll need autotiles and normal tiles. By defualt, I can use .png, .jpg, .bmp, and .gif. I don't really know of any other file formats for images, but I'll need images in these formats. So yeah, if you can zip them up and send them over, that'd be great.

I have no idea how the tilesets work, so could someone explain a few things for me?

As far as I understand, the tileset can be any height, but only a set width. And again, as far as I understand, the tiles are 32 x 32.

So anyway, what is the width in tiles for the tileset?
And how exactly do autotiles work, like where do they need to be located.

If there is anything else about tilesets I should know, please tell me

Also, if anyone has any ideas on how this should work, please let me know


Finally, has anyone tried my name generator? I just want to see if it is runnable on other computers. I now know that the JRE 1.6 is needed on the computer in order to run this. So if anyone ran this program, please let me know.

[A Forgotten Legend]

I posted a article on RmXP on the wiki, look there.  Hm...  if you download the trial of XP, you could use the RTP.  Theres some tilesets in the Complete resources too.

[DragonBlaze]

The thing is I'm too lazy to go out and look for graphics right now. I hardly knew how to do anything for this project when I started, so I wanted to spend my time learning how to do it rather than looking for resources. I don't want to have any rtp graphics in this by default. I want this to be a legal program, and including rmxp default graphics would be illigal... People could easily import the graphics if they want, but I don't want to provide them.

Anyway, I learned quite a bit in the last day, and this is what I got so far.

I made an image plane with 8 columns and a user specified amount of rows (can be adjusted). Theres a text box for inputing the name of the tile you wish to add, once you type in the name and press enter, the tile appears at the next avalible spot on the tileset.

It's not much, BUT this is only a test version to get the grid working for the tileset. I got the grid mainly working, but I come across some problems when adding an element to the grid that is two or three tiles wide or high rather than just 1 x 1. I'm currently working that out.

I have support for adding tiles at the next avalible spot and at a user specified spot. Its basically paving the way for when I add mouse features in to allow the user to drag and drop tiles where they want them.

Once I get the grid working out perfectly, I'll work on making the menu aspects of it. For example, users won't have to type in the name of file they wish to use as a tile, they'll just select it from a list.