I am searching for people used to IMEs (Input Methode/Mode Editors) used with Japanese, Chinese, .... My problem is that i want to implement support for them, but I don't fully understand how they are used because I am not able to speak/read any of those languages. Maybe someone here with a deeper understanding of this languages is willing to answer me some questions (with ICQ or such interactive messenger would be the best i think). But the first question is, in a game or application do you often switch IMEs? Like from kanji to ascii or such things. And what input mode is most expected/most standard, I found that there are at least 4 variants (on the spot, over the spot, off the spot, root window)? Thanks, Fionn

Well this is why i hope that someone who uses it everyday can help me here, because most of the info on the net are not really useful if you have no idea how it is used in everyday usage and such things.

I'm from China. Although I has no experience of making a game that supports IMEs, but at least I've used them a lot. :)

Agree with Anon, IMEs are very important part of localized game. And you can use APIs exposed by windows to make your own in-game IME window.

The simplest way of supporting IMEs is using Direct3DDevice method: SetDialogBoxMode(). This function allows the use of GDI window/dialog in full-screen application. So that game players can use Windows build-in IMEs to input special characters in game. The only thing you need to do is just watching WM_CHAR message, to get the actual input data.

The downside of this approach is that SetDialogBoxMode() will slow down the game application. And system default IME window may not fit into your game's visual style.

A better but harder way is to implement your own IME windows, using Windows IME API. The basic idea is just watching various IME messages in your game application, and drawing a in-game window in your game that mimic the functionalities provided by system IME window. (You probably should already have a GUI system that supports Windows-like widgets in your game, right?)

Maybe you need to install a localized Windows, to see how IME works on that system.

In the last days i figured must stuff about IMEs out, but there is one thing still puzzling me:

If i am inside a game, i got it working to switch the different input languages (DE->EN->JP for example), but as far as i know there are also different input modes. (I used this example http://bulldog2.redlands.edu/dept/AsianStudiesDept/Language/japanese_write.htm)

So there seems to be some different input modes with each IME too (like the Direct Input and Hiragana in the sample).
How would you switch this modes inside a game (or how would it be best to implement that?), everything with Hotkeys/Shortcuts? Or does a internationalized game has a sort of complex language managment bar?


If you would have some screenshots of actual implementations of IMEs in games that would be great.

Fionn

First, sorry my poor english.

Maybe i can help you a little.

Send Email to me: mclxly@sina.com

I will send you some about chinese IME example picture.

ps:I'm a game developer.Create GUI for Game.