Non-scrollable actor in scene attribute disappearing.

sinbot

I have an actor in a scene that is set to "non scrollable" in the scene attributes. The actor is just a "back button". The problem is that the actor disappears completely from the scene when I test it. When I select "scrollable" it can be seen but of course then scrolls away, which I don't want to happen. I can't think of any reason why the actor would be disappearing just from making it non scrollable. I checked everything and far as I can tell everything looks normal. The only programming within the actor is a scene change. I tried making the actor movable and non-movable within its own physics and that did nothing. I'm really stumped. Anyone else have this issue??

bob loblaw

where is your camera positioned and is the scene bigger than the camera?

if the scene is bigger than the camera, is the actor in the bottom left portion of the scene in the space that’s the size of the camera?

sinbot

The camera begins at the top of the scene. The scene is definitely larger than the camera. The actor is positioned in the lower 3rd of the camera start position and centered.

This is how it looks when scrollable is selected. When non-scrollable is selected it's completely gone.> @bob loblaw said:

where is your camera positioned and is the scene bigger than the camera?

if the scene is bigger than the camera, is the actor in the bottom left portion of the scene in the space that’s the size of the camera?

RThurman

Try positioning the back button at the bottom of the scene and uncheck scrollable. (Not at the bottom of the camera start position. Instead put it at the bottom of the scene.)

sinbot

Weird! That worked!! Can you tell me why this is?

bob loblaw

what @RThurman said.

i had that same !@#$% of a problem before working it out a while ago. any time you do a non scrollable layer like a HUD setup, always place the actors/instances in the bottom left part of the scene within space that’s the size of your camera.

that back button should be on its own non scrollable layer at the top of your layer order if you want it to stay on your screen. same for any other actors you want to keep there.

i’m guessing it has something to do with it being the original part of the scene so it locks to that position when it’s non scrollable.

sinbot

this is why the forums can be a lifesaver. I don't think I would have thought to try that. Thank you guys ; )

RThurman

@sinbot -- It is kind of a mind bender isn't it?!?

Here is one way to wrap your head around it -- think of it as if you are placing non-scrollable actors on the actual screen (hardware). Not in the scene. And not in the camera's viewport.

Just use the screen's coordinates as if it were a piece of glass, and the non-scrollable actor is just a sticker on the glass screen.

sinbot

I was trying to do that but since my scene starts at the top I assumed that is where the actor would need to be.> @RThurman said:

@sinbot -- It is kind of a mind bender isn't it?!?

Here is one way to wrap your head around it -- think of it as if you are placing non-scrollable actors on the actual screen (hardware). Not in the scene. And not in the camera's viewport.

Just use the screen's coordinates as if it were a piece of glass, and the non-scrollable actor is just a sticker on the glass screen.

RThurman

@sinbot said:
I was trying to do that but since my scene starts at the top I assumed that is where the actor would need to be.

Not quite. In GameSalad, the 0,0 position is in the lower left corner of the scene (and screen).