Game Image Layering Help

I'm making this game in java, as it is my first attempt at a full fledged game. It's fairly going well, until I hit the NPC part. The depth of them needs to change when I'm in front of, and behind them. When I'm behind him, he needs to appear in front of the player, and when I'm in front of him, it needs to appear behind me. Problem is, the only way I can do this is JLayeredPane, and it hasn't worked at all so far, seeing as the entities in my games just use simple images and not icons. The render looks like this:

//Draw here
map.drawMap(g, screenX, screenY, player.X, player.Y);
time.drawTimeOverlay(g, screenWidth+20, screenHeight+20);
levelMessage = stats.tick();
eman.tick(g, player, screenX, screenY, map);
player.tick(g,screenWidth,screenHeight,screenX, screenY, this);
inven.drawInventory(g);
stats.drawMeters(g);

All that needs to be done is eman and player to be switched when necessary, however nothing is this simple in Java.
Any suggestions?

Is this a top down orthographic or a 2D sidescroller? I don't know if I can help you (do most of my games programming in C++) but the order in which you render the sprites on screen relates to which one is on top. The last one you draw will draw over the other ones. Try putting the player.tick line before the eman. If you need one in front of the other based on certain conditions just create a boolean and an if.

Code Java:

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if (playerInFront) {
   player.tick(g,screenWidth,screenHeight,screenX, screenY, this);
   eman.tick(g, player, screenX, screenY, map);
else {
   eman.tick(g, player, screenX, screenY, map);
   player.tick(g,screenWidth,screenHeight,screenX, screenY, this);
}

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Oh, and try to use the highlight tag around code. It makes it easier for us to read and help you.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ChristopherLowe

Is this a top down orthographic or a 2D sidescroller? I don't know if I can help you (do most of my games programming in C++) but the order in which you render the sprites on screen relates to which one is on top. The last one you draw will draw over the other ones. Try putting the player.tick line before the eman. If you need one in front of the other based on certain conditions just create a boolean and an if.

Code Java:

---

if (playerInFront) {
   player.tick(g,screenWidth,screenHeight,screenX, screenY, this);
   eman.tick(g, player, screenX, screenY, map);
else {
   eman.tick(g, player, screenX, screenY, map);
   player.tick(g,screenWidth,screenHeight,screenX, screenY, this);
}

---

Oh, and try to use the highlight tag around code. It makes it easier for us to read and help you.

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That looks like it'll work! Thanks man. I appreciate it!
Oh, and it's Top Down, Like pokemon, or the retro Final Fantasies.

EDIT!
Actually, no that wouldn't haha.
eman is the Entity Manager, which manages numerous entities.
Essentially, Imagine the player between two vertically parallel NPCs.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by SkyAphid

EDIT!
Actually, no that wouldn't haha.
eman is the Entity Manager, which manages numerous entities.
Essentially, Imagine the player between two vertically parallel NPCs.

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In that case you will need to redesign to get what you want. One cheap and quick option may be to pass the player object into your entity manager as a parameter and then gig things around in eman.tick so the player gets drawn where you want. Without looking at how you designed your game it is kind of difficult to know how to advise you, this suggestion may be way off.

Actually, I am not entirely sure what the problem is now. Perhaps you could provide a screenshot? If it a top down, then won't the player ALWAYS be on top?