Looking for DarkRadiant tutorials

[MirceaKitsune]

After many struggles, I managed to get DarkRadiant compiling and starting up on my Linux machine. Since I'm an old Nexuiz / Xonotic user, I'm familiar with the original gtkRadiant and its fork netRadiant, and all basics regarding brushes and texturing. The brush tools in DR are almost the same, which makes getting started a lot easier. But DarkMod and its mission creation systems are obviously a lot more complex than what I did in the past, and there are a lot of new features and changes. I looked for video tutorials, but couldn't find much to get me started.

 

First of all, I'd like help understanding the various new features in DR, which didn't exist in gtkRadiant. There are new menus and concepts... such as a window to edit and preview particle systems. I also don't understand how Darkmod entities are defined or placed on maps yet, and how you can create your own NPC characters or items or weapons for a mission. Then how to teach NPC's to patrol a specific area, and how they navigate the world and walk to targets to begin with (I assume there's no dynamic pathfinding system). And how do you do simple stuff like switches controlling specific lights or doors, as well as complex scripts to add advanced actions and reactions across a level?

 

Lastly, I noticed that idTech4 doesn't use bsp files, which Radiant would previously compile the map into... instead map files appear to be used directly by the engine. I was wondering if I understood this right, and if clicking the "save" button in DarkRadiant updates the real map file used by DarkMod... or do I still need to compile parts of the map separately (such as VIS)?

 

On top of understanding the technical functionality, I'd also like some tips and tricks on how to create a good looking map. What's the most efficient way to make a detailed city... with doors and windows that open, lots of physical objects like crates and vases, as well as the eye candy like the god-rays and dust seen in front of some windows?

[motorsep]

Check this one first: www.iddevnet.com/doom3/ to get an idea about the concepts of the idTech 4

 

and the now defunct ModWiki

Edited January 3, 2015 by motorsep

[VanishedOne]

http://wiki.thedarkmod.com/index.php?title=A_-_Z_Beginner_Full_Guide_Start_Here!

[Sotha]

Yes, Fidcal's excellent A-Z tutorial will cover almost everything you need!

 

Once you are through it, do not hesitate to ask in the forums if you have problems. We have a nice community here and helping each other is part of the mapping fun!

[MirceaKitsune]

Thank you! I will check those out, and ask if I have more questions.

[MirceaKitsune]

http://wiki.thedarkmod.com/index.php?title=A_-_Z_Beginner_Full_Guide_Start_Here!

I followed the entire tutorial, and it was very helpful! If yesterday I had no idea how DarkMod mapping even works, I think I could now create my own missions... at least after I fix all the problems DarkRadiant throws at me.

 

I have one more question however, which is not DarkRadiant specific but related: Is there a tutorial on defining your own entities? How would you use the existing models to create your own AI characters, functional candles, custom item and weapon definitions, etc? I know these defined in a text file, in def format with examples existent in tdm_defs01.pk4 or the various AI pk4's. But are there some basics to easily creating my own?

Edited January 4, 2015 by MirceaKitsune

[SeriousToni]

There is a scripting and skinning section in the wiki if I recall correctly. Did you search for it already?

[HMart]

Even tho TDM is somewhat different from Doom 3 its tutorials can give you some clues on how stuff work, and just tweak them to the TDM paradigma.

 

http://www.katsbits.com/tutorials/#doom_3_tutorials

 

http://www.iddevnet.com/doom3/

 

http://web.archive.org/web/20050403160745/www.planetdoom.com/d3cc/

[MirceaKitsune]

There is a scripting and skinning section in the wiki if I recall correctly. Did you search for it already?

I found a few things I think, I will look at them soon.

 

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

 

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