Bikerdude: - questions

[Mortem Desino]

Generally, when you compile your map, any walkable surface (even angled roofs, each staircase step, even the tops of Monsterclip brushes will generate an AAS area for pathfinding.

 

If you fill large spaces with big monsterclip brushes, Dmapper won't generate those pathfinding areas inside the brush, and you'll get a smaller mapname.aas## file. That smaller aas file means faster map load, and a little less wasted CPU time.

[Fidcal]

Thanks for confirming that MD; I wasn't certain myself.

[Bikerdude]

Fake Flare: the TDM recommended way..?

 

Evening

 

After looking at some of the D3 maps I found the SFX decal for flare, its far too bright for TDm so what other methods would you lot recommenced for some fake or non-fake flare?

 

ta.

 

[update]

 

I think i found the answer below...?

 

http://modetwo.net/d...res_a_nice_Glow

 

that said pressing 'K' has no effect, what function is that calling so I can map in my key prefs..

Edited May 13, 2010 by Bikerdude

[Bikerdude]

Vine arrows:

 

Do we have working vine arrows yet....?

[Springheel]

Do we have working vine arrows yet....?

 

They're still in a WIP state. Crispy was working on them at one point but then got a real job.

[Fidcal]

I think 'K' must be the key for the light inspector to set _color. I can't say I understand that tutorial though.

[Bikerdude]

I think 'K' must be the key for the light inspector to set _color.

Hmm, I went into light inspector and it was all greyed out...using the shaderparm works for the brightness and Ive figured out colour, but transparency is illuding me

 

what other ways have i got of making things glow ..?

Edited May 13, 2010 by Bikerdude

[Serpentine]

He might be referencing the built in version of radiant (i.e edit in doom3)

[Fidcal]

I'm not sure what exactly you are trying to do Biker. If it's some sfx flare effect then I don't know anything about it. Or are you just trying to make a self-lit texture, ie, like a window that is lit in the dark without any nearby light? Or maybe an overlay decal that could be placed over any surface to make it self-lit?

[Melan]

They're still in a WIP state. Crispy was working on them at one point but then got a real job.

 

What would they be for, however? I never thought they added to Thief 2 - they were just there to let Garrett climb up to high places in Mechanist complexes where there was no wood.

[Bikerdude]

Or maybe an overlay decal that could be placed over any surface to make it self-lit?

that is exactly what I'm trying to do.. that and Id like to ad fake glow to things, like the crystals in my cave etc..

[Springheel]

What would they be for, however? I never thought they added to Thief 2 - they were just there to let Garrett climb up to high places in Mechanist complexes where there was no wood.

 

Our vine arrows are nothing like T2. When you fire them at a wall they make a patch of vines grow out in all directions, and you can then climb on the wall using the vines (just like you can climb natural vines in some maps).

 

In gameplay terms, it's a bit like a limited form of climbing gloves.

[Fidcal]

Is this of any use?

 

 

It's a texture that applied any surface embrightenizes and colorifizes whatever is behind. In this example I put the texture onto some patches. I made each patch a func_static. I then gave each one its own _color value.

 

You can make this as follows....

 

Copy and paste the material def into a text file

Save it as eg, mymap.mtr in the materials folder

The top line is any sensible virtual path/name you want. That is where it will appear in the media browser in DR.

 

textures/mymap/color_me_overlay

{

nonsolid

noshadows

noselfshadow

 

qer_editorimage <optionally add a sensible path/image here to show in the editor>

 

{

blend add

map _white

red parm0

green parm1

blue parm2

}

}

I just don't know what you want to apply it to. I'm unsure if it would be of any use to models like crystals. You'd have to wrap them in a patch. It would work laid over a window pane or similar. But for models it is best to make a new skin. Not trivial like just adding a bright property in Dromed. You need to find the model file. Open it in a text editor. Figure out the textures it uses. Find the texture def in the mtr. file. Copy the def to a new file. Add the blend add stage in the example above. Make a new skin file. How far do you want to go? It's all relative.

[aidakeeley]

Is this of any use?

 

I don't know if it is of any use in this instance, but, to me, it was nicely and concisely written and interesting to boot!

Edited May 14, 2010 by aidakeeley

[Melan]

Our vine arrows are nothing like T2. When you fire them at a wall they make a patch of vines grow out in all directions, and you can then climb on the wall using the vines (just like you can climb natural vines in some maps).

 

In gameplay terms, it's a bit like a limited form of climbing gloves.

 

Okay, that makes sense and even sounds cool, although it will need a lot of consideration from mappers, esp. combined with mantling and rope arrows.

[Fidcal]

The vine patch is relatively small (though its size I don't think is finalized) so you can't just spray any tall building and get up anywhere. I guess the patch is around 6 to 8 feet square? (though you might stack them if you have a few.) So you might look out an upstairs window and see another window opposite that looks like you might get in. Stone sill so can't use rope. Shoot a vine just below and jump to the patch. You can now move around 6 to 8 feet up and down and left and right and so open the window and mantle up.

 

They complement rope arrows:

 

Rope: tall vertical no width, only work on wood etc. can swing. Can retrieve arrow after.

 

Vine: Works on stone (much more common than wood. Not decided which surfaces I don't think but stone seems a good limit to me and easy for player to remember.) Small patch but has width. Cannot retrieve after.

[aidakeeley]

I love the sound of these vine arrows too.

 

And I hope that (contrary to the gloves in T3?) there isn't some uncertainty as to which stone texture will work. I mean it should be the kind of thing you can count on -- if it looks vine-able, it is vine-able.

 

How far along would you guys estimate the WIP is? Couldn't really find anything on the bugs.angua.at site (at least with a google site search).

[Bikerdude]

noclipmodel on func objects:

 

When noclipmodel is set to '0' I know this makes so the player cant snagg on it etc, but is this also true for monsters and Ai..?

[Fidcal]

Does it? I thought it meant 'don't use the simple clip model for collision detection but use the complex visible model. Use solid 0 to make completely non-solid.

[Bikerdude]

Does it?

Ive foudn i can use either for the player, but your saying if i used solid then it works for both the player and Ai..? Would this also save me having to put a monster clip around it also..?

[Fidcal]

Depends what it is. What is it that you want to make non-solid? A couple of examples I use solid 0 for...

 

Curtains. I then put a smaller nodraw solid cloth inside so the player and AI can clip partly into the visible curtain so it doesn't seem so hard edged.

 

Resized models using the hack. Because they keep the original collision model the resized visible will be wrong. So I make it solid 0 and make a nodraw solid brush inside roughly the size and shape (plus noshadows because that keeps the original too.)

 

What had you in mind for non-solid? AI will walk through it as well as the player so it's not a general purpose thing.

[Bikerdude]

What had you in mind for non-solid? AI will walk through it as well as the player so it's not a general purpose thing.

Well I had been using noclipmodel on some bits of furniture, and nosolid on pipe work.. from what your saying it should all be non solid where I dont what either the player or Ai to get snagged on etc..?

 

Oh And how do i re-size an object in DR btw..?

Edited May 15, 2010 by Bikerdude

[ungoliant]

you put solid 0 on pipework??

 

Oh And how do i re-size an object in DR btw..?

 

if you mean models, strangely enough, you can resize them with 'rotation'. its in the wiki somewhere, thats how i learned this trick. i believe that resizing this way screws with shadows and clipping though.

[Fidcal]

Biker: If you want the player and AI to walk through stuff yes then make them solid 0. Another example I forgot is light foliage. But I wouldn't make a table or chair solid 0 or it will look strange. I wouldn't even make a drainpipe solid 0 unless there was a narrow gap and I wanted to pinch a bit of space. I'm not sure what the problem is. If you have say, a stool against a wall and an AI is snagging against it then it sounds like you don't have monsterclip on the stool. If you use monsterclip then the AI will go round it correctly.

 

To resize a model using the hack these are the 'rules':

 

• 
   
  
• Do not apply this to AI, movers, and moveables; pretty much just func_statics.
  
• Give it the property and value: rotation 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1
  
• The above defaults are normal scale and sets it to normal rotation. This just makes the values easier to work with. If you need to actually rotate it then do it afterwards.
  
• Adjust the values of the '1' s ONLY where the first is the X direction, the middle one is Y and the last is height.
  
• These are relative to the world so if you intend to rotate the model afterwards then it may change. eg, if you make a fence double length north and south and later rotate it to east/west then it will now be double thickness north and south and normal length east and west.
  
• Example: to make a fence 1.5 times its normal height give it 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1.5
  
• Note you must have three zeros between each value and all separated by one space.
  
• The collision is the same as before so make solid 0 and insert a nodraw solid brush inside (there are different types for sound, eg, wood)
  
• The shadow is the same as before so give it noShadows 1. If you need a shadow then make the above nodraw brush into something visible but hidden inside the model.
  
• With some models the specular (shinyness) makes the model go black or horrible. Depends on what it is. I made two small bookends from a city watch statue and they look rather black and grey but hey! in this case who is to say what they should look like. I say they are black and grey bookends. Many models resize fine though. Some are unusable. In theory you might track down the material and remove the specular but I won't go into that here.
   
  

[Bikerdude]

• I have an Ai, with target set to a path_sleep, I have the arg "lay_down_left 1" set on the path sleep, the Ai is on the laft hnad side of the bed facing away from the bed.. The Ai still ends up laying down the bed the wrong way..
• What would cause Ai when woken up drop through the floor..?
• I like hearing the new voice on some of the commoner Ai, but its the same voice on 3 of the commoners(despite the fact one has a pagon head, the other a hooded head and the last a blond noble head. Only the commoner in the bar has the original tdm voice..

Edited May 16, 2010 by Bikerdude