Wiki for SATC cutscene

[grayman]

A couple people have requested a wiki page on how I created the final scene in Somewhere Above the City.

 

I'm thinking of doing this, but before I do, I wanted to find out what people are expecting, before I go off and write something totally useless.

 

The scene uses sets, cameras, scripting, a conversation, vocals, and two SAG members.

 

Are there particular areas people are trying to learn?

 

Thanks!

[aidakeeley]

I wanna "learn" SAG member Jessica Alba.

[Baddcog]

I think it would be very useful.

 

I'd probably suggest most important is how to get a cutscene to work basics. A-Z. script, camera tut. Then you can link/add on to the conversations page. So as long as you give a short explantion: do this, do that, trigger conv like this... Then we can read the conv page to get more in depth.

[grayman]

I wanna "learn" SAG member Jessica Alba.

 

LOL. I checked. She's not available.

[Sotha]

I think it would be very useful.

 

I'd probably suggest most important is how to get a cutscene to work basics. A-Z. script, camera tut. Then you can link/add on to the conversations page. So as long as you give a short explantion: do this, do that, trigger conv like this... Then we can read the conv page to get more in depth.

 

Most excellent! Thank you in advance, Grayman! I tried to reverse engineer your movie from the somewhere.map earlier today, but encountered entities so exotic to me it was really difficult to decipher what was going on.

 

Baddcogs suggestion is basically perfect: A-Z instructions how to create a simple scene where the camera moves around a bit and a few actors. I'm pretty sure that would get people started on the right track.

 

Some things which deserve special clarity:

• What entities are needed? What do they do? What is their purpose?
• How the movie is started (a trigger to something)?
• How the camera is panned, zoomed, moved, teleported around?
• Briefly how the conversation is set? (+link to the conversation article)
• How the movies get ended so the control returns to the player?

[Serpentine]

Are there particular areas people are trying to learn?

 

Something that would be extremely useful would be a example map. You could chop the section right out of your fm (if that is a possibility) or just using the same stuff from your fm construct a really simple working example. Having this mirrored would not be a problem and it'd be incredibly helpful for working out what's needed, what goes where, how changes effect the end product etc.

 

But otherwise we could just open up your map and have a look... but I do love a good simple but realistic use example

[grayman]

Okay, good ideas here.

 

There are existing wiki pages on some of this stuff, but nothing brings it all together, and some methods have to be dug out of scattered web sites.

 

 

How's this sound:

 

Part 1 - camera creation, pointing the camera, starting the scene, changing cameras, ending the scene, and the infamous "cinematic" spawnflag

 

Part 2 - splines, camera movement

 

Part 3 - actors, vocals, camera position, conversation, lighting, where to place the player

 

Part 4 - animation, triggers, sound effects, objectives, and whatever else occurs to me

 

Part 5 - a step-by-step breakdown of the SATC scene from start to finish

 

 

Probable format for each part will be a wiki page with accompanying *.map file and links to existing pages for more info.

 

I'll make each part available as I complete it. Sort of like a serial story. Feedback from the earlier parts will help me with the following parts.

 

Now for a technical question: Where/how do I host these pages?

Edited August 28, 2010 by grayman

[Sotha]

How's this sound:

 

[...]

 

Now for a technical question: Where/how do I host these pages?

 

Sounds very thorough and excellent to me.

 

Why not write the tutorial in the TDM wiki? There are many TDM tutorials already there.

http://modetwo.net/d...title=Main_Page

[Springheel]

Excellent Grayman, I will definitely be using this when you're done!

 

Now for a technical question: Where/how do I host these pages?

 

Definitely on our wiki.

[grayman]

Definitely on our wiki.

 

Great!

 

I'll put together Part 1 and start everything off with a Wiki page titled "Cutscenes". I'll probably put each Part on its own page and thread them together with links.

[aidakeeley]