Comments

• ChrisIceBox

  October 2014

  The standard "glow" in 3D games is more of an example than anything.  The Highlight script is designed to be overridden with custom effects, should you want them.
  
  First, assign a Highlight script to your sprite, and link it to the Hotspot, in the normal way.  Then, in it's Inspector, uncheck Brighten materials.  This will stop the script from actually affecting anything, but it'll still keep a track of how "intense" such an effect would be.
  
  Through a custom script, you could then access it's public function GetHighlightAlpha (), which returns a float between 0 and 1.  You can then use this value to affect the sprite/model in whatever way you like.
  
  Inside a script attached to the same object:
  
  float intensity = GetComponent ().GetHighlightAlpha ();
  
• willoneill

  October 2014

  Thanks Chris! I'll give it a shot! Gotta wade into some code sooner or later...!
• willoneill

  October 2014

  Hey Chris,

  
  

  OK! Been trying to put this into action with a friend, and have gotten it working but with a snag. Hoping you can help.

  
  

  Here's the script we've made in accordance with your direction:

  
  

  using UnityEngine;

  using System.Collections;

  
  

  public class Newscript : MonoBehaviour {

      

      // Use this for initialization

      void Start () {

      

      }

      

      // Update is called once per frame

      void Update () {

  
  

          float colorAlpha = GetComponent<AC.Highlight>().GetHighlightAlpha ();

          gameObject.renderer.material.color = new Color(0, 255, 0, colorAlpha);

  
  

      }

  }

  
  

  The good news: It works! When I move my character into the hotspot, the sprite highlights with a full bright green.

  
  

  The bad news: When my character is not in the hotspot, the sprite completely disappears. I think maybe the alpha is essentially becoming zero when the object is not highlighting.

  
  

  Any thoughts? From Chris or from anyone.

  
  
• ChrisIceBox

  October 2014 edited October 2014

  I think you're confusing the highlight alpha with the *actual* alpha of the sprite.
  
  The GetHighlightAlpha () function simply returns how intense the highlighting effect should be.  Instead, you'll want to add on a new color that's a factor of the intensity:

  Color originalColor;

  void Start () {

  originalColor = renderer.material.color;

  }

  void Update ()

  {

  float colorAlpha = GetComponent ().GetHighlightAlpha ();

  renderer.material.color = originalColor + new Color (0f, 255f, 0f) * colorAlpha;

  }
• willoneill

  October 2014

  I appreciate the quick feedback as always, Chris! I get what you mean conceptually, and I think I see how the script you've provided should do that.

  
  

  Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to work. The sprite appears as normal when I'm outside of the hotspot, and after entering the hotspot it doesn't seem to have any effect at all. The sprite does not recolor. Is it possible that the additional color that the highlight is adding is somehow not being added to the sprite, or is not visible on top of it, or...?

  
  

  Sorry this one has been so tricky.
• ChrisIceBox

  October 2014

  I'll admit I didn't test it, but you see what I'm getting at in principle.  It may depend on your sprite's material, too.  I'd suggest asking on the main Unity forums - this is a more general question, after all, and I'm not necessarily the best to ask.
  
• willoneill

  October 2014

  Fair enough - thanks again! I'll post it up here for others to make use of if I get it figured out.