Bikerdude - Xmas FM

[Bikerdude]

@warnings: nothing there to worry about, unless something is showing up as black in your map.

Hmm, fair enough. Id still like to know whats causing the biggest error on that list though, the one about the dagger..

[Bikerdude]

Couple of questions...

 

I would like to, but its ok if I cant have..

 

1. how do I get more than 1 key to open a door? the 'used_by_1' & 'key_name' dosent seem to work on the second key.

2. how do I use my own sounds..?

3. Is there anyway to change the menu music..?

4. Is there anyway to disable the 'darkmod' loading logo..?

5. Is there anyway to have a very very fine mist or fog through out the mission..?

6. And lastly,. regarding light entities such 'atdm:torch_gothic_wall', why do none of the light oprions under add property work to reduce the light radius or falloff..?

 

Other than that Im almost readyt for release bar some quick beta testing.

Edited January 3, 2010 by Bikerdude

[Crispy]

I don't have much TDM mapping experience but I'll give these a stab...

 

1. This shouldn't be necessary in theory, but try removing the second underscore: used_by1

 

2. Add the sound file in the appropriate place in the directory structure (somewhere in a folder called "sound"), and create a soundshader for it (also in "sound", with a .sndshd extension). We don't yet have a good set of documentation on this ourselves, but in the meantime, take a look here:

 

http://www.iddevnet.com/doom3/sounds.php

http://wiki.thedarkmod.com/index.php?title=Sound_File_Formats

 

You can also look in the TDM PK4s to see how the existing sounds are set up.

 

3. Yes. You can override any of TDM's assets simply by including files of the same name (and with the same path) in your mission PK4. For testing, just put them in your Doom3/mymission folder (or Doom3/darkmod if you're not using a mymission folder yet).

 

4. For when your mission is loading? You can make your own mission loader GUI. Can't find any docs right now, but you can look at the existing missions that do this.

 

5. Yes. Use a fog light. I don't know the details, maybe jdude or Fidcal can help you.

 

6. I think that's one of the torches that spawns an attached light at runtime. Instead of using spawnargs named "xxx", call them "set xxx on light" instead and the spawnarg will be applied to the attached light entity instead of the torch bracket entity.

[Bikerdude]

4. For when your mission is loading? You can make your own mission loader GUI. Can't find any docs right now, but you can look at the existing missions that do this.

5. Yes. Use a fog light. I don't know the details, maybe jdude or Fidcal can help you.

 

I mean the little dark mode that starts as a point of light...

 

Hmm I tried various types of fog light and they were all far too thick, almost swap like. Maybe Ill have to read up on them, I think its possible from what Ive read so far to setup a fog light but tweak the disatnce at which it becomes opaque if that makes any sense.. Im looking for fog thats barely visable for at least 6-10 meters around the player, but in the distance it just about goes opaque enough etc. maybe what Im trying to do isnt possible perhaps..

 

7. Is there anyway to decrease the spacing of the live of text on the objectives screen when in-game..?

Edited January 3, 2010 by Bikerdude

[Fidcal]

used_by1 doorkey_1"

used_by2 doorkey_2

used_by3 doorkey_3

 

If you want a very fine haze throughout then add one SINGLE foglight centre somewhere (not in the void) and extend its radius to cover everything. I recommend you do not attempt (at this late hour) to put in several foglights because the boundaries show. Give it these properties and adjust them as needed:

 

"_color" "0.12 0.12 0.12"

"texture" "tdm_fogs/cloud_fog"

"shaderParm3" "3000"

 

You can tweak the colour/brightness in the normal light color editor but I recommend somewhere near the above.

 

The shaderParm3 is the thickness. The value is the distance at which the fog is totally opaque. So in the above example, anything beyond 3000 units would be totally whited out. You will need to test to find the thickness you want.

 

This fog will pervade inside rooms but small rooms it will barely show such a think fog.

 

I urge you NOT to add thick foglights at this stage. You need to design a fog FM around the fog from the start. It will look horrible where it meets doorways and you will waste a lot of time. The thicker the fog then more true this is.

 

Adding sounds:

 

http://wiki.thedarkmod.com/index.php?title=Sounds:_Background_and_Local

[Bikerdude]

used_by1 doorkey_1"

used_by2 doorkey_2

used_by3 doorkey_3

 

"_color" "0.12 0.12 0.12"

"texture" "tdm_fogs/cloud_fog"

"shaderParm3" "3000"

Sweet just what the doctor ordered.

[Bikerdude]

Got another odd isse where the moon is appearing in two halfs....

 

Ive deleted and created the sky box, but nada..

[Mortem Desino]

Got another odd isse where the moon is appearing in two halfs....

 

Ive deleted and created the sky box, but nada..

 

You'll just need to look inside the 3d skybox, there's a small cube in there that's got nodraw and a "moon" texture on one face. Select that moon face (ctrl-shift-LMB) and use the surface inspector ('s') so the full moon fits on that face.

[Bikerdude]

ta.

[Bikerdude]

Another minor issue..

 

Ive got a wheel of cheese, I'm trying to sort it so it adds to the players inventory for dropping off later.

 

but I must be doing something wrong as I ive tried with a moveable and a static food entity, then a model and adding the frobable and add to inventory args...

 

grrr

[Serpentine]

I havent really played with it, but I think its 'grabbable' which it requires.

[Mortem Desino]

Use the entity "darkmod/Items/Custom/atdm:moveable_custom_item" and assign it the "model" of the moveable cheese wheel.

[Bikerdude]

Use the entity "darkmod/Items/Custom/atdm:moveable_custom_item " and assign it the "model" of the moveable cheese wheel.

Aha, I would never have known to do that, thanks!

[Bikerdude]

Another question

 

After reading this - http://wiki.thedarkmod.com/index.php?title=Sleeping_AI

 

I assume it not possible to get an Ai to sleep on the ground..?

[Springheel]

I assume it not possible to get an Ai to sleep on the ground..?

 

Not at the moment, no.

[Bikerdude]

these have been buggin me...

 

1. Why do Ai that are spawned sitting and which have a patrol route, spin round 90 degrees to their left...?

 

2. What why do Ai when they have a clear path route through a door they can open, not open it but instead just go roundin bloody circles..

 

3. regarding wait time, whats that measured in, secondS..?

 

4. why do Ai not go and wait in the location of the path_wait, but instead of the last path_corner before the path_wait..?

 

 

Edited January 6, 2010 by Bikerdude

[Mortem Desino]

1. I don't quite understand. There is code to make AI turn in order to get out of their seat. Is that the problem?

 

2. That doesn't happen unless there's any number of problems.

- AAS is out of date (you need to dmap)

-*.aas32 file is not getting updated (dmap files needs to be deleted before you compile again.)

- The AI's feet (origin) is sunk into the floor, and it's not picking up the right AAS grid area. (double-check your AI's origin in DR. Even a sitting AI can be placed a few inches above the ground)

- The doorway somehow has been monsterclipped. (double-check your DR filters and look for nearby monsterclip brushes that might be the culprit.)

- The door is set as forbidden (ai_should_not_handle)

 

3. Do you mean the "wait" spawnarg? Yes: "wait" is measured in seconds. And you can use values above two. I once had a guard with a stomach flu; He laid in bed for 60-90 seconds, only to walk over to the latrine and sit there for 10-20 seconds. And repeat.

 

 

Weird things can happen if you start thinking too hard. In a WIP city of mine, there was an inaccessable area I made purely for eye candy, so I monsterclipped the lot of it. Later, I extended the map to include a small factory with builders hard at work. But the builders didn't want to pathfind. It took me 2 hours to figure out that the area still had that giant monsterclip brush around it.

[Crispy]

4. why do Ai not go and wait in the location of the path_wait, but instead of the last path_corner before the path_wait..?

So you can do stuff like chaining multiple path_* entities together (useful if you wanted the AI to, say, admire a painting with path_turn and path_anim, wait 1 second with path_wait, sneeze with path_anim, then move on) without needing to put them all in the exact same location so as to avoid the AI walking around more than you wanted. If path_wait and cousins made the AI walk to them as well as perform whatever action they specify, then you'd have to put all those path entities in the exact same place in the editor to avoid unwanted AI movement, which would make them very difficult to manage.

[Bikerdude]

1. I don't quite understand. There is code to make AI turn in order to get out of their seat. Is that the problem?

2. That doesn't happen unless there's any number of problems.

- AAS is out of date (you need to dmap)

-*.aas32 file is not getting updated (dmap files needs to be deleted before you compile again.)

- The AI's feet (origin) is sunk into the floor, and it's not picking up the right AAS grid area. (double-check your AI's origin in DR. Even a sitting AI can be placed a few inches above the ground)

- The doorway somehow has been monsterclipped. (double-check your DR filters and look for nearby monsterclip brushes that might be the culprit.)

- The door is set as forbidden (ai_should_not_handle)

3. Do you mean the "wait" spawnarg? Yes: "wait" is measured in seconds. And you can use values above two. I once had a guard with a stomach flu; He laid in bed for 60-90 seconds, only to walk over to the latrine and sit there for 10-20 seconds. And repeat.

 

1. Nope just create an Ai, make it sit, then give it a path - the first thing the Ai does is spin around to thier left and start walking (but because thier left in my case is a monster clip the little fucker gets stuck.

2. ah that makes sense now

3. ta.

4. ta.

Edited January 6, 2010 by Bikerdude

[Crispy]

1. Nope just create an Ai, make it sit, then give it a path - the first thing the Ai does is spin around to thier left and start walking (but because thier left in my case is a monster clip the little fucker gets stuck.

You mean they spin to the left while sitting down, and then stand up and start walking? That's exactly what Mortem means - normally chairs are behind tables, so AI normally have to turn before they get up (otherwise they'd clip into the table).

 

It should be sitting up at the angle that it sits down at, but I'm not sure what the exact behaviour is for AI that start sitting.

[Bikerdude]

It should be sitting up at the angle that it sits down at, but I'm not sure what the exact behaviour is for AI that start sitting.

I though something like that so i changed the starting pos of the Ai.. and the little fucker than did 270 degree spin so ended up facing the same bloody direction as before...

[Serpentine]

If you get AI ignoring doors and cutting paths short etc, it can be due to either a visportal on the door not working or two visportals nearby touching, hard to explain really, but just remember if all else fails check the VPs. Even if the VPs are set up perfectly they can causes AI to do strange things I have found.

[Springheel]

I though something like that so i changed the starting pos of the Ai.. and the little fucker than did 270 degree spin so ended up facing the same bloody direction as before...

 

I'm not sure if I'm reading this correctly, but just in case, changing the direction the actual AI faces in DR will have no effect. It's the direction of the arrow on the path_corners (and possibly the path_sit itself, I can't remember) that determine where the AI faces.

[Fidcal]

If you get AI ignoring doors and cutting paths short etc, it can be due to either a visportal on the door not working or two visportals nearby touching, hard to explain really, but just remember if all else fails check the VPs. Even if the VPs are set up perfectly they can causes AI to do strange things I have found.

Thanks Serpentine! I didn't really believe it but I thought I'd give it a try. I have a plain straightforward corridor with a visportal about a quarter the way up. A guard just supposed to patrol up and down, nothing special. But I kept finding him stopped about (you guessed it) a quarter of the way up. Also another AI goes through there on a longer patrol and he stopped too! No monsterclip or other obstructions. I did wonder before about that visportal but it made no sense. Anyway, as a test I just converted it to nodraw, dmapped, and now he seems OK.

 

Now I think I'll experiment with some other doors where the AI are having problems to see if it they are to do with the visportals.

 

[EDIT] Waddayaknow! There's another visportal in a corridor where 4 AI were stood when I was testing earlier. I'll try removing that one later.

[Ishtvan]

Cool. Greebo & angua know better than me, but I think the AI pathing system uses the visportals to break areas into manageable chunks as well. So it makes sense that visportal weirdness could cause AI weirdness. Hopefully we can figure out how to fix the visportal without removing it, though, because we still want them in there in general.