SOLVED Draw Font to Surface - Alpha problem

[JeanSwamp]

Hello,

I am currently drawing some sort of inventory/item list with a lot of sprites and text to a surface, so then I can just mask the surface for scrollable purposes.

When drawing text to a surface, the text looks blurry, undefined and messy. After looking around in a lot of threads I found out that using gpu_set_blendenable(true); before drawing the surface and set it back to true after, will make the text look alright.

HOWEVER, since the rest of the surface has a lof of transparent areas, because is a big surface, everything that is transparent turn to black, so this method won't really fix the problem.

Is there any alternative on how to solve this? I can't believe this is even happening that something so simple like drawing text to a surface has bad results.

 

[FoxyOfJungle]

Try:
gpu_set_colorwriteenable(true, true, true, false);

Do this before drawing items on the surface. (after surface_set_target).
Don't forget to turn alpha again afterward.

 

[JeanSwamp]

Try:
gpu_set_colorwriteenable(true, true, true, false);

Do this before drawing items on the surface. (after surface_set_target).
Don't forget to turn alpha again afterward.

Using this alone or combined with the blendenable?

Using it alone makes everything invisible. Using it combined has no effect.

 

[FoxyOfJungle]

So, try using it when drawing the surface. Test them both to see which one works.

gpu_set_blendenable(false);
gpu_set_colorwriteenable(true, true, true, false);

draw_surface(...);

gpu_set_blendenable(true);
gpu_set_colorwriteenable(true, true, true, true);

Don't forget to use draw_clear_alpha() after surface_set_target().

I suggest to you this video:

 

[JeanSwamp]

So, try using it when drawing the surface. Test them both to see which one works.

gpu_set_blendenable(false);
gpu_set_colorwriteenable(true, true, true, false);

draw_surface(...);

gpu_set_blendenable(true);
gpu_set_colorwriteenable(true, true, true, true);

Don't forget to use draw_clear_alpha() after surface_set_target().

This is something I've tried also and didn't have good results.

 

[FoxyOfJungle]

This is something I've tried also and didn't have good results.

Post screenshot.

 

[JeanSwamp]

Normal

draw_surface(shop_surface,bbox_left,bbox_top + _diff );

Combined

    gpu_set_blendenable(false);
    gpu_set_colorwriteenable(true, true, true, false);
    draw_surface(shop_surface,bbox_left,bbox_top + _diff );
    gpu_set_blendenable(true);
    gpu_set_colorwriteenable(true, true, true, true);

Only colorwrite - Same result as no filters

//    gpu_set_blendenable(false);
    gpu_set_colorwriteenable(true, true, true, false);
    draw_surface(shop_surface,bbox_left,bbox_top + _diff );
//    gpu_set_blendenable(true);
    gpu_set_colorwriteenable(true, true, true, true);

surface_set_target(shop_surface);
    draw_clear_alpha(c_black,0);
    gpu_set_blendenable(false);
    gpu_set_colorwriteenable(true, true, true, false);
    //ALL THE ITEMS DRAWN
    gpu_set_blendenable(true);
    gpu_set_colorwriteenable(true, true, true, true);
    surface_reset_target();
    draw_surface(shop_surface,bbox_left,bbox_top + _diff );

surface_set_target(shop_surface);
    draw_clear_alpha(c_black,0);
    //gpu_set_blendenable(false);
    gpu_set_colorwriteenable(true, true, true, false);
    //ALL THE ITEMS DRAWN
   //gpu_set_blendenable(true);
    gpu_set_colorwriteenable(true, true, true, true);
    surface_reset_target();
    draw_surface(shop_surface,bbox_left,bbox_top + _diff );

Same result as above

 

[FoxyOfJungle]

Are you using a font sprite?

Check this option in the sprite:

If it doesn't work, try "Premultiply alpha".

 

[JeanSwamp]

I am not using a font sprite no.

About Premultiply, I heard that thing before but I have no idea what that is.

 

[FoxyOfJungle]

So what do you use to make the outline effect on the text?

I strongly recommend using a font sprite.

 

[JeanSwamp]

So what do you use to make the outline effect on the text?

I strongly recommend using a font sprite.

Using a font sprite is just a terrible solution if you want to support other languages. Chinese glyphs do not even fit in the biggest GM texture page.

Also. I think I fixed it lol

 

[Nocturne]

Also. I think I fixed it

Please say how so other people can benefit from the solution.

 

[FoxyOfJungle]

What is your solution? Post here to help the next one please.

Edit:
Nocturne was faster.
Why did you remove screenshots from your game? This is important.

 

[JeanSwamp]

So if you're drawing multiple sprites and text to a surface you must use gpu_set_colorwriteenable(true, true, true, false); only before each draw_text calls that you may have and turn it on right after. If you try to do it the before the draw_surface, or after surface_set_target and turn it back on before surface_reset_target will cause everything to be invisble.

Make sure not to apply to to any sprite, ONLY to individual text events within surface_set_target and surface_reset_target

It will look a bit like this:

surface_set_target(surface);
draw_clear_alpha(c_black,0);
draw_sprite(sprite1,image_index,x,y);
gpu_set_colorwriteenable(true, true, true, false);
draw_text(x,y, "text1");
gpu_set_colorwriteenable(true, true, true, true);
draw_sprite(sprite2,image_index,x,y);
draw_sprite(sprite3,image_index,x,y);
gpu_set_colorwriteenable(true, true, true, false);
draw_text(x,y, "text2");
gpu_set_colorwriteenable(true, true, true, true);
draw_sprite(sprite4,image_index,x,y);
gpu_set_colorwriteenable(true, true, true, false);
draw_text(x,y, "text3");
gpu_set_colorwriteenable(true, true, true, true);
draw_sprite(sprite5,image_index,x,y);
draw_sprite(sprite6,image_index,x,y);
surface_reset_target();
draw_surface(surface,x,y);