Ocn's questions on TDM editing.

[ocn]

Ah, yes, the prefab is broken, it uses "textures/Flanders/blokken_even_grijsbruin" .

 

I can fix that up for the v1.04 release (or possible 1.05), but you should fix it yourself, just select the faces and use another material.

 

Okay. Thanks.

[ocn]

I think there's a problem with the clocktower gargoyles as well. They clearly have a texture in the editor (though none show up in the surface inspector), but ingame they are black.

[Tels]

I think there's a problem with the clocktower gargoyles as well. They clearly have a texture in the editor (though none show up in the surface inspector), but ingame they are black.

 

Hm, ah, yes, they had "skin" "1" set on them. Delete the spawnarg and they should be good. Sorry for not catching this. There was also the problem of extra spawnargs on worldspawn, I deleted them for now.

 

Thanx for the report!

 

The "railings" look very good, they should probably be made into models (and have a much simpler LOD model, too), but thats for another day.

 

Edit: I fixed the railings now to be properly aligned (and have only one corner post instead of two overlapping ones. Also converted a few things to func_statics. ocn, do you want a copy of the updated tower?

 

Edit #2: I fixed a few more textures, man that thing was really sloppy done

[ocn]

ocn, do you want a copy of the updated tower?

 

 

That'd be cool. I'd be happy to host it on my site until a proper release for anyone else who wants to use it, if needed.

[Tels]

Here you go:

 

http://bloodgate.com/mirrors/tdm/pub/clocktower_prefab.zip

[ocn]

Thanks, Tels.

 

Would it be possible to attach a semi-transparent, video textured patch that would fill the entire screen infront of the player at certain points throughout a mission?

[Tels]

Thanks, Tels.

 

Would it be possible to attach a semi-transparent, video textured patch that would fill the entire screen infront of the player at certain points throughout a mission?

 

Hm, what do you want to achive?

 

There are overlays, this is f.i. used when underwater. I guess you could also render a ROQ (video) as texture on them, but I am not sure.

[ocn]

I just want to try and see if it will work to integrate video overlays as some kind of flashbacks at key points of a mission. Trying to tie some story elements together. I think I read somewhere that video textures were supported. But I'm not sure if it would work like this.

[Tels]

I just want to try and see if it will work to integrate video overlays as some kind of flashbacks at key points of a mission. Trying to tie some story elements together. I think I read somewhere that video textures were supported. But I'm not sure if it would work like this.

 

Good question Just try it

 

Here is a sample material, replace the "map" with a suitable video texture:

 

textures/special/overlay_video
{
       qer_editorimage textures/water_source/green_plain_flat
       noshadows
       twosided
       nonsolid
       {
               blend blend
               map textures/water_source/green_plain_flat
               alpha 0.25
               rgb 0.4
       }
}

 

And here the overlay GUI, store it under "guis/yourguifilehere":

 

windowDef Desktop {
   rect      0, 0, 640, 480
       nocursor 1

       background "textures/special/overlay_video"
}

 

You need to write a map script with roughly this:

 

I think it also might be best to not trigger the destroy, but let it happen after X seconds automatically ala:

 

void start_flashback_1 ()
{
   float flashback_gui = $player1.createOverlay( "yourguifilehere", 1);
   // wait 10 seconds
   sys.wait( 10 );
   $player1.destroyOverlay( flashback_gui );
}

 

Then you need to call them, best do this from a trigger_once (so when the player runs through it, the flashback starts, and ends 10 seconds later).

 

Edit: Another possibility would be to have a scripted sequence happen in an extra room, and use a portal_sky as overlay. The overlay would then show you exactly what happens in the other room, but I think this might be more tricky.

[Sotha]

Flashbacks, eh? And video? So they are not interactive?

Could you use simply the cutscene system?

 

The player hits a trigger_once and starts a non-interactive cutscene with camera moving around a predestined path. You could play with sound, fog and lightning to make the scenes going on to look like a flashback.

 

I wonder if we had a blur, vignetting or black&white overlay filter to make the flashback even more "dreamy."

[ocn]

Flashbacks, eh? And video? So they are not interactive?

Could you use simply the cutscene system?

 

The player hits a trigger_once and starts a non-interactive cutscene with camera moving around a predestined path. You could play with sound, fog and lightning to make the scenes going on to look like a flashback.

 

I wonder if we had a blur, vignetting or black&white overlay filter to make the flashback even more "dreamy."

 

Yes, that's certainly an option. But I was half hoping I could use some pre-rendered animations with various effects... I think that would be cool.

Thanks for the tips, Tels- I'll try my best to test it... when I get the hang of everything else.

[Serpentine]

I played with the animated specular for sparkles... it doesnt really work very well sadly :<

 

Have some other ideas, but we'll see

[ocn]

I played with the animated specular for sparkles... it doesnt really work very well sadly :<

 

Have some other ideas, but we'll see

 

Oh blast! Thanks for trying.

[ocn]

Is there any way to slow certain events down, like they happen in slow motion?And I don't mean for instance that a single AI moves at a slower speed, but the whole gameworld.

Edited February 14, 2011 by ocn

[Tels]

Is there any way to slow certain events down, like they happen in slow motion?And I don't mean for instance that a single AI moves at a slower speed, but the whole gameworld.

 

Yes, there is g_stoptime (I think that what it is called) and also a CVAR which can change the speed of the game time (forgot the name, tho).

 

I had toyed with the idea to give this a scripting interface, so that certain events could slow things down automatically, and then speed them up again (like "huge explosion everything goes slow motion for 3 seconds") but I never got around to it. Too many ideas not enough time

[ocn]

Yes, there is g_stoptime (I think that what it is called) and also a CVAR which can change the speed of the game time (forgot the name, tho).

 

I had toyed with the idea to give this a scripting interface, so that certain events could slow things down automatically, and then speed them up again (like "huge explosion everything goes slow motion for 3 seconds") but I never got around to it. Too many ideas not enough time

 

Well, I like your ideas. That's sort of what I need. I want a camera to follow an event that happens relatively fast due to the physics involved. And it's a rather important event to the story, so I'd like to emphasize it. So I guess I'll read up on manipulating variables in game then.

 

EDIT: Perhaps this could be something: http://www.doom3world.org/phpbb2/viewtopic.php?t=6501

Edited February 14, 2011 by ocn

[ocn]

I might be the most easily confused guy on the face of the planet. Could someone please tell me how I can trigger scripts. I read the wiki, I'm still confused.

I need to teleport in an AI when the player reaches a point, at the same time I want to trigger a cameraview. I've tried different things, but only one of the events seem to be triggered no matter what I do.

[Sotha]

I might be the most easily confused guy on the face of the planet. Could someone please tell me how I can trigger scripts. I read the wiki, I'm still confused.

I need to teleport in an AI when the player reaches a point, at the same time I want to trigger a cameraview. I've tried different things, but only one of the events seem to be triggered no matter what I do.

 

Basically put in the map a "atdm:target_callscriptfunction"

Give it spawnarg "call" "scriptname"

"name" "call_scriptname"

 

Draw a brush in the location you want the player to trigger your scene and make the brush into a trigger_once. Give it spawnarg

"target" "call_scriptname"

 

Then write a file yourmapname.script and place it in your /maps directory, sitting alongside with your yourmapname.map.

 

Put the following in the script-file.

void scriptname() 
{
sys.println("scriptname script is running"); // debug you get a message in the console if the script runs like it should.

sys.trigger($the_entity_that_teleports_the_ai_in); 
$Camera1.activate($player1); // Switch view
sys.wait(13); // duration of view

$Camera1.activate($player1); // Return control to player
}

 

the_entity_that_teleports_the_ai_in needs to be a func_static, which has stim&response event for TRIGGER, which causes the effect of teleport(set origin) to the AI. You need to enter the new coordinates.

Remember that you also might need to "add new target" to the AI to have him walk somewhere. (Or use the conversation system or script commands to boss him around.)

 

Also note that AI (and probably ALL entities that need to work somehow in a cinematic) should have spawnarg "cinematic 1" set. Otherwise the AI will be invisible in the movie or entities targetted might not work if they don't have the property.

 

I hope this helps.

[ocn]

Thanks, Sotha. But the events still occur sequentially. First the cameraview then the teleportation. And it isn't triggered at the right spot, where the call script function is located. It is triggered some distance away.

[Sotha]

Thanks, Sotha. But the events still occur sequentially. First the cameraview then the teleportation. And it isn't triggered at the right spot, where the call script function is located. It is triggered some distance away.

 

Hmm. Obviously I don't understand what you want to accomplish. In scripting, everything is sequential, but they happen so fast that they seem simultaneous.

 

And the location of the call script function is not vital, only the location of the trigger_once that targets it.

 

Could you give a more detailed explanation what you want to do? If it is a huge spoiler, you can PM me. I'll try to help to the best of my ability.

[ocn]

Well, it goes like this see:

 

The player starts out at the end of a walkway, before him he sees a huge ominous building with clocktower and all. As he approaches he hears a woman scream, and the camera switches to a woman that falls to her death infront of the building. Then switches back to the player.

[Sotha]

Well, it goes like this see:

 

The player starts out at the end of a walkway, before him he sees a huge ominous building with clocktower and all. As he approaches he hears a woman scream, and the camera switches to a woman that falls to her death infront of the building. Then switches back to the player.

 

Yeah, that should work like this:

• trigger_once should be located where the player should be when the scene starts. When the player touches the trigger_once, it targets the script call entity.
• The script call entity calls the script.
• The script activates the camera ($Camera1.activate($player1) (You must place the camera in DR where you want it to view the scene.)
• The script waits for one second for a nice dramatic effect (sys.wait(1)
• The script teleports a ragdoll in the air (sys.trigger($the_entity_that_teleports_the_ai_in)
• The script plays a speaker attached to the ragdoll that screams like hell. (sys.trigger($scream_speaker))
• The script waits for the few seconds it takes for the ragdoll to splat on the ground (sys.wait(2))
• The script unhides a LOT of blood splat decals at the moment of body ground impact. (sys.trigger(blood_decals))
• The script waits a few seconds for the player to view the gruesome scene. (sys.wait(2))
• The script returns the control to the player $Camera1.activate($player1);

In principle, this should just work. Remember to have ; in the end and a $ in front of all entities you trigger with the the script commands. Also remember to give the cinematic 1 property to all the entities.

 

Once you get this to work, you can have the camera to follow the ragdoll coming down. The cutscenes wiki articles cover this quite well, but do feel free to ask if you run into trouble!

 

http://wiki.thedarkmod.com/index.php?title=Cutscenes_Part_2:_Splines_and_Camera_Movement

[ocn]

Wow. Those are clear and concise instructions, I think even I can understand. Let's see how it goes. Thanks for taking the time.

[ocn]

Nope. It's not working.

This is the script:

 

void Roll1()

{

sys.println("scriptname script is running"); // debug you get a message in the console if the

 

script runs like it should.

 

 

 

$Camera_1.activate($player1); // Switch view

sys.trigger($atdm_teleport_1);

sys.wait(5); // duration of view

 

$Camera_1.activate($player1); // Return control to player

}

 

I've skipped a few of the obove steps, but it should work right?

What happens is that when the player reaches the trigger once enity, the camera view is rendered for 5 seconds, then it switches back to players POV, and then the ragdoll falls.

 

Additional Outburst: "God Dammit!"

Edited February 15, 2011 by ocn

[Sotha]

Nope. It's not working.

This is the script:

 

void Roll1()

{

sys.println("scriptname script is running"); // debug you get a message in the console if the

 

script runs like it should.

 

 

 

$Camera_1.activate($player1); // Switch view

sys.trigger($atdm_teleport_1);

sys.wait(5); // duration of view

 

$Camera_1.activate($player1); // Return control to player

}

 

I've skipped a few of the obove steps, but it should work right?

What happens is that when the player reaches the trigger once enity, the camera view is rendered for 5 seconds, then it switches back to players POV, and then the ragdoll falls.

 

Additional Outburst: "God Dammit!"

 

Strange.

All the entities have the cinematic property? Double check.

Does the ragdoll teleport at all? Does the ragdoll teleport, but float in air like the physics were disabled while cutscene is running? If it floats what happens if you sys.trigger the ragdoll right after teleportation. If it does not teleport at all, check that the S&R teleportation is set up correctly and that those entities have also the cinematic property.