Tutorials in Darkradiant

[Bikerdude]

The idea is mappers can create a video tut (like Komag did with his Vtuts) and add it to this thread, and here is my 1st video tut -

 

Creating a curtain

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6nv_tOSw1XQ

[grayman]

Terrific! Great idea, adding tutorials.

[swordbreaker]

so cool!

 

I just checked your tutorial and it's hard to read values, characters in lower than 720p. You may use better codecs as Komag did or a small virtual magnifying glass that covers a small region around the pointer. Sadly, I don't remember the name of the program.

[Melan]

That was good! Thank you.

[Bikerdude]

You may use better codecs as Komag did or a small virtual magnifying glass that covers a small region around the pointer. Sadly, I don't remember the name of the program.

The original video was done in full 1080p, unfortunatly even though the original is in youtubes own format (h.264) the process of uploading to them still results in quality loss. So unless someone knows of a better video hosting site then I am all ears, failing that I will just upload the files somewhere so people can watch them in full quality. Fyi the original is nice and sharp and is only 67mb.

[swordbreaker]

you may want to ask komag how he did. It's readable in 360p http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8k858aBLwOs

 

or give a try to vimeo

[Bikerdude]

He set his screen to a much lower res than 1080p when he made the vid, which is why you can see the text more easily. So for the next tut I will set a lower res, but it isnt gonna be as low as Komag's though. And Vimeo only goes upto 720p I believe.

[fllood]

What happened to your Curtains video Biker?

 

Edit: forget my comment, I did forget about that damn proxy filter while been at work

Edited July 7, 2011 by fllood

[Komag]

i did mine at native 720p, so if you watch it at 720p you are seeing exact native pixel sizes. 720 scales down to be pretty visible at lower resolutions as well. I think it's a good compromise resolution to use, as most people don't have monitors with 1080p or higher resolutions

[jdude]

Cool! It's interesting to hear your voice it's so different than what I thought Bikerdude, I was expecting American accent

[Mortem Desino]

Actually, I think I've KO'd bikerdude at least a dozen times in various missions already.

[ungoliant]

need an official 'bikerdude' character voice set sporting phrases like "what are you like?"

[Bikerdude]

What happened to your Curtains video Biker?

They have been used in a project that Melan and myself are working on

 

i did mine at native 720p, so if you watch it at 720p you are seeing exact native pixel sizes.

As in 1280*720..?

 

Cool! It's interesting to hear your voice it's so different than what I thought Bikerdude, I was expecting American accent

LOL, wash your mouth out, only the 'queens engerish' here...

 

Actually, I think I've KO'd bikerdude at least a dozen times in various missions already.

yeah thanks for that, Benny... the next ale is on you.

 

need an official 'bikerdude' character voice set sporting phrases like "what are you like?"

Heheh that can be arranged, now where is your tut vid mista...

[jdude]

Maybe we should get a tutorial request thread going. I'd be interested in making some myself, but I don't know if I could stomach listening to my own voice haha. What software did you use to record btw?

[Bikerdude]

What software did you use to record btw?

Camstudio, as its free and can even record games (much better than fraps)

[Komag]

yeah, 1280x720

[AngelWolf]

I think a series of videos that breakdown each feature of dark radiant would be nice. so there could be a video that focuses specifically on the surface inspector, one that talks about sky boxes, one on how to make water, etc. the videos available currently are nice, but focus mostly on square brush work and patches. Show off every feature on every menu.

[Bikerdude]

Vertex blending: (w/ Obsttorte's vertblend script)

1. I created a folder called ' blend ' in my fms folder
2. I created DR/TDM shortcut's to point to said folder -

• C:\Program Files\DarkRadiant\DarkRadiant.exe fs_game=darkmod/fms/blend
• D:\Games\Darkmod\TheDarkMod.exe +set fs_currentfm blend

3. I then copied all the relevant files to the ' D:\Games\Darkmod\fms\blend ' folder

• maps> - this is where you place the test map.
• materials>tdm_blend_texture.mtr - this is the blend texture definition.
• models>blendtest.ase - this is where you will placed the .ASE model with the blended textures.
• textures>common>blend.tga - this is the blend texture that you apply to the blend blocks/brushes which are placed where you want to blend your textures.

4. I have attached a copy of the blend fm, enjoy.

blend_text.zip.txt

Edited June 18, 2018 by Bikerdude

[grayman]

Nice tutorial, Biker.

 

And thanks to Obs for providing the script.

 

In the tut, you pointed out that the blending area is a dip in the patch. Does a dip always have to be used? Can we blend two flat patches together in any way? My application is snow on a cobblestone street. I'd like the covered part of the street to not have snow, and the exposed part to have snow. It wouldn't make sense to have a dip in the place where the two textures blend.

 

Also, you said you attached the blend FM, but I don't see it.

[Obsttorte]

The patches do not need to be dip. What Biker did wrong in the first place was not that the patches were flat, but due to the fact he had the patch tesselation set to automatic, which is the default, there were no vertices inside the blend blocks. So if you want to have the blend effect on an even patch, you only need to open up the patch inspector (shift+s) and set the tesselation to manual. Then add some values for horizontal and vertical tesselation to provide enough vertices.

 

Another note: The blend texture used to mark the vertices does not need to be shipped with the fm. Only the material definition with the texture actually used on the model needs to be shipped.

 

Nice video anyways, Biker. I only expected your voice to be deeper

 

EDIT: There is a "center at origin" option.

[Obsttorte]

@Biker: Regarding your question in the end. You have to use the rotate and scale commands on all blend stages. Thus meaning: diffuse, specular, bump (not sure about this one), and the ambient stage.

 

You only did that for the ambient stage, which basically does nothing more then to color the texture in regards to the ambient light in the area.

[grayman]

@Biker,

 

Can we get a copy of the blend FM?

 

Thanks.

[Bikerdude]

Opps, sorry I forgot to attach the fm, see my post above.

[NeonsStyle]

Bikerdude, do you still have that video tutorial. I've just read all of this and am completely lost. I have the blend maps you did but it all

just looks like nodrawsolids.

 

Completely confused. I need to learn how to do this for my next map, as it's going to play a big role.

[Bikerdude]

I will have to make a new one, give me a week or so.