Editing Tip of the Day

[SiyahParsomen]

I just found something new while I was preparing my old stuff to polish.

 

When you want to align properly texture to curved patch like this one in the image, divide a brush according to the angle of the patch then use it's shader for your purpose.

 

[Fidcal]

Do you create a brush, texture it first natural and then rotate it so one edge is at one end of the curved patch and the other edge is at the other end or do you overlap the curve with a large brush and cut through at the ends of the curve then texture the brush?

 

And then presumably you copy the texture to the curve?

[SiyahParsomen]

I made it with one edge is at one end of the curved patch and the other edge is at the other end. It gets distortions w/o this way.

[ungoliant]

this one is worth a thread-necro.

 

I have figured out the math to the perfect DR circle.

 

1. Grab the verts of the 4 corners

2. Open "rotate and scale" tool.

3. Enter value "0.9428" in the 2 corresponding axis of the scale tool, and scale "up" (it scales down really)

4. Perfect circle.

 

If it still looks off to you, increase patch subdivisions to 30 or something really high, and look again, the math is correct

 

Enjoy.

[demagogue]

I've now added all these tips to the Editing FAQ/Tips wiki article.

 

In the future, feel free to add tips straight to this wiki entry so they're all in one place.

Or you can still add it to this thread, but also add it in the wiki entry as well.

 

http://wiki.thedarkm...ting_%26_How-To

[ungoliant]

tried to re-edit that page, but I have no account, and there doesn't seem to be a registration page.

 

The method listed above does not work for brushes, please update the entry to reflect this. AFAIK creating prisms with brushes seems to work accurately without need for something like this anyways.

[demagogue]

Ok I put it under the patches heading.

That's right, not everyone has a wiki account sorry.

At the top of that page it says "please add it if you have edit control or PM it to a team-member if you don't."

You can do that.

[fllood]

In the future, feel free to add tips straight to this wiki entry so they're all in one place.

yeah... but unless it's hidden better than treasure in Jesps missons there seam no way to register for the wiki to do so...

Can someone please post a link to the registration screen? Thx.

[Sotha]

I made a bunch of pinchable non-moveable candles into my WIP like this:

1) Make a func_static candlestick. place light source entity candleflame on it.

2) Give the candlestick "frobable 1."

3) Give the candlestick S&R response frob, extinguish light and candleflame name.

4) Done.

5) You can copy the entity bunch around and all the params should update correctly for the new replica.

 

Frobbing will not relight it: the player needs to relit them with a flame source.

 

These are great for gameplay: you can put a lot of lights in your map and make them relightable by AI without remorse. The player can always pinch them out for free (ie without expending water arrows). The reason why I wanted immobile candles was that the moveable candlesticks don't look too good with AI. The AI will not light them if they are thrown on the floor and the AI cannot pick them up and put them back into use.

[atad0007]

I made a bunch of pinchable non-moveable candles into my WIP like this:

1) Make a func_static candlestick. place light source entity candleflame on it.

2) Give the candlestick "frobable 1."

3) Give the candlestick S&R response frob, extinguish light and candleflame name.

4) Done.

5) You can copy the entity bunch around and all the params should update correctly for the new replica.

 

Frobbing will not relight it: the player needs to relit them with a flame source.

 

These are great for gameplay: you can put a lot of lights in your map and make them relightable by AI without remorse. The player can always pinch them out for free (ie without expending water arrows). The reason why I wanted immobile candles was that the moveable candlesticks don't look too good with AI. The AI will not light them if they are thrown on the floor and the AI cannot pick them up and put them back into use.

Great Idea, I would love to see more of these in fan missions.

[SiyahParsomen]

 

These are great for gameplay: you can put a lot of lights in your map and make them relightable by AI without remorse. The player can always pinch them out for free (ie without expending water arrows). The reason why I wanted immobile candles was that the moveable candlesticks don't look too good with AI. The AI will not light them if they are thrown on the floor and the AI cannot pick them up and put them back into use.

 

I don't think changing default behavior of a movable object is good idea. I got used to hit candles with broad arrow to throw on the ground. Now I can't do that and I'll be like waddaff?!

[Sotha]

I don't think changing default behavior of a movable object is good idea. I got used to hit candles with broad arrow to throw on the ground. Now I can't do that and I'll be like waddaff?!

 

Pity. I used those thick candle models for the unmoveable candles and the moveable candles are all in a candle holder. Sure, it is only an inconsistency if the map has moveable candles in addition to the unmoveable ones.

 

If you think about arrowable light sources there are several issues. Why can't you shoot candles off the chandeliers? Or the wall candle mounts? Or break an electric grill light with an arrow? There is similar inconsistency in there.

 

Generally I avoid putting moveables in my maps. The reasons are simple: the AI cannot deal with them and the physics in general are borked.

 

EDIT: Hm.. I have to research the ability to make the light extinguish if an arrow hits the candle body. That might be a reasonable compromise.

[SiyahParsomen]

Pity. I used those thick candle models for the unmoveable candles and the moveable candles are all in a candle holder. Sure, it is only an inconsistency if the map has moveable candles in addition to the unmoveable ones.

 

If you think about arrowable light sources there are several issues. Why can't you shoot candles off the chandeliers? Or the wall candle mounts? Or break an electric grill light with an arrow? There is similar inconsistency in there.

 

Generally I avoid putting moveables in my maps. The reasons are simple: the AI cannot deal with them and the physics in general are borked.

 

EDIT: Hm.. I have to research the ability to make the light extinguish if an arrow hits the candle body. That might be a reasonable compromise.

 

I don't have any problem with other light sources because we know that broadhead arrows don't have effect on them since the begining. There should be some consistency on candles too.

Edited March 19, 2012 by SiyahParsomen

[Baddcog]

There are inconsistencies all across the board if you look into it enough.

 

But there's a point where you gotta draw the line if you ever want to 'finish' a product. I know technically TDM never has to be finished but released yes...

 

If we make electric lights breakable, then why are crates breakable...Pretty soon everything in game needs to be destructable and you spend all your time on a destruction sandbox but never get to other points of the game. I was actually pushing for breakable lights myself when I started, some of my lamps are carried over from the breakable lights demo I made for T2.

 

But generally I think the major thing is electric lights are forced 'tough' areas. If the player can black out the whole map it looses it's challenge. (of course mappers can choose to add switches)

----------

 

Anyway, chandeliers and some wall candles are old models and the candles are a part of the object, not attachment. We can make an alternate version but can't touch those without breaking old maps. (also for the chandeliers it cuts down drastically on entities to have them modelled in). (1 object, 6 flames, 1 light for a 6 candle model. 7 objects, 6 flames, 6 lights for separate candles.

 

The physics is nice alternative to put them out, but a 'true' thief uses water

 

I don't think the wide candles are moveable by default anyway (could be wrong), so it might be inconsistant but players get used to it. Just like silver stuff loot but that one little silver bowl is.

[SiyahParsomen]

The physics is nice alternative to put them out, but a 'true' thief uses water

 

simply no. Broadhead arrow is 1 and water arrow is 5 gold. If I can put candles out by my skills, why bother to use expensive way?

 

Apart from that when you are out of w arrows, b arrows can save your game.

[RPGista]

Dont forget that water arrows are clean, stealthy tools to put lights out, they dont leave a mark and only a clumsy guy would alert anyone with them, but broadheads make a clear noise when it hits the candles, and leave a broken arrow on the floor guards can spot and be suspicious about. I use them all the time too, but I think both strategies are balanced.

[SiyahParsomen]

Dont forget that water arrows are clean, stealthy tools to put lights out, they dont leave a mark and only a clumsy guy would alert anyone with them, but broadheads make a clear noise when it hits the candles, and leave a broken arrow on the floor guards can spot and be suspicious about. I use them all the time too, but I think both strategies are balanced.

 

Agreed. I usually prefer to use them on some distance where AI can't hear it.

[Bikerdude]

Custom short-cuts and folders for missions: mapping best practice.

 

Don't know if this has been mention or if its in the wiki, but as I am helping some of the contest authors with their mission I though I would pop this in here -

 

TDM mission archives have a specific folder structure. if you open up one of my missions, eg 'business as useal' as its a fairly simple folder structure, you can see what files go in what folders etc.

 

Step 1: Make a folder in the root of your doom3 folder with the same name as the your map file name and then create custom TDM/DR short cuts as follows, so for the above mission I made a folder called 'BaU' (short for business as usual)

 

TDM = D:\Games\Doom\Doom3.exe +set r_fullscreen 0 +set com_allowConsole 1 +set fs_game_base darkmod +set fs_game bau

DR = "C:\Program Files\DarkRadiant\DarkRadiant.exe" fs_game_base=darkmod fs_game=bau

 

There are two commands in my TDM short cut "+set r_fullscreen 0" and "+set com_allowConsole 1", - the first command allows you run doom3 in a window (this is because I like to have it open at the same time as DR). The second command allows you to access to console by pressing only having to press the ¬ key (its the one above the tab key)

 

The reason behind having separate folder is its far tidier to have a separate mission folder with all the files needed for that mission, and when you come to pack the mission you just go into hat folder and add all the files and folder to a .pk4 file etc (btw a pk4 file is a .zip archive with the file name extension changed to .pk4)

 

And lastly there are 3 files that you need to copy to the root of the mission folder "doomconfig.config", "config.spec" and "gamex86.dll". But don't pack these into the pk4 as above, as these files are only needed so you can run the mission in TDM from that folder while working on it. (its a mappers required only thing)

[ungoliant]

good advice all around. I like to keep basic tdmlauncher and DR shortcuts, and then add additional ones with the parms you mentioned, for each thing i'm working on. I used to keep all random assets i'd created or imported for customization in doom3/darkmod/xxxxxx folders, and it eventually got so damned cluttered I couldn't find anything or remember what assets went to what project. yuck.

Edited March 31, 2012 by ungoliant

[Bikerdude]

good advice all around.

Talking of projects, we haven't heard a peep from you about yours, how about some screenies mista

[ungoliant]

Soon to come, I'm working out my first model in Blender as we speak. I've watched all the blendercookie tuts, and a lot of the blendtuts videos, and have been doing a lot of fooling around. I have found this mod has a striking lack of stalagmites and stalactites, and I intend to rectify this

 

Also I have some exciting news. I'm not sure if this is old news and all modelers know how to do this or not, but I think I've hacked out a way in my brain to bake an AO image for a model according to its UV map, and and overlay the AO image into a D3 material shader(s) the model uses, using some blend mode with some alphatest involved. If I'm right, it will work, and it's totally going to kick ass. Time will tell. The best part of my theory is that it won't even require a new source image for the material, just 1 added AO image, and can be skinned multiple times easily.

Edited March 31, 2012 by ungoliant

[SeriousToni]

Custom short-cuts and folders for missions: mapping best practice.

 

Don't know if this has been mention or if its in the wiki, but as I am helping some of the contest authors with their mission I though I would pop this in here -

 

TDM mission archives have a specific folder structure. if you open up one of my missions, eg 'business as useal' as its a fairly simple folder structure, you can see what files go in what folders etc.

 

Step 1: Make a folder in the root of your doom3 folder with the same name as the your map file name and then create custom TDM/DR short cuts as follows, so for the above mission I made a folder called 'BaU' (short for business as usual)

 

There are two commands in my TDM short cut "+set r_fullscreen 0" and "+set com_allowConsole 1", - the first command allows you run doom3 in a window (this is because I like to have it open at the same time as DR). The second command allows you to access to console by pressing only having to press the ¬ key (its the one above the tab key)

 

Good hint!

[SiyahParsomen]

Soon to come, I'm working out my first model in Blender as we speak. I've watched all the blendercookie tuts, and a lot of the blendtuts videos, and have been doing a lot of fooling around. I have found this mod has a striking lack of stalagmites and stalactites, and I intend to rectify this

 

cool news.

 

I always wanted to see stalagmites and stalactites like in dear esther for darkmod. Assets for caves will encourage mappers to make them.

[Springheel]

Isn't it better to make stalactites out of the same patch mesh as the cave walls? If they're separate models I'm not sure how you'd avoid visible seams.

[SiyahParsomen]

 

yeah there'll be seams but it worths to other benefits. If you want to make a geometry like above with the same patch, well you can't. They can be more detailed and better on performance. Besides you can place them easly.

Edited April 1, 2012 by SiyahParsomen