RenderDef Models in Purchase Screen

[Springheel]

Bah, I'm getting nowhere fast with this menu.

 

I decided to take a break from fonts and look at the image part of the purchase screen.

 

While renderDef models will work for the mouseover effect, there are two big problems.

 

One, each model will need an individual modelOrigin and viewOffset value, at a minimum. Otherwise small objects will look tiny and large objects will be cut off by the available space. Not only that, but depending on the origin position, you might wind up with a screenshot of looking down the tip of a sword, for example (I was going to have the model rotate but that creates its own issues).

 

Two, trying to get the model to look good on top of parchment will be tricky. I might be able to do it by overlaying parchment on TOP of the model, but I don't know what that will do to the text.

 

 

I think the main reason we were going to use models is because we wanted to make it easy for mappers to create new purchase entities. However, if we use models they'll have to edit the mainmenu.gui to create a renderDef window with appropriate values for their model (very confusing for most), or risk having the model be cut off / too small / at a weird angle.

 

It might be more mapper-friendly to ask them to simply take a screenshot of their object and make an image file. The entitydef for purchase items already has an "image" flag that could point to a .tga file.

 

Thoughts?

[greebo]

Models sure would be cool. If it's just the adjustment of the viewOffset, that might not be the showstopper. If a mapper goes for custom purchase-able items, tweaking the viewOffset is worth the effort, I think.

 

If there are serious problems with getting it look good in the first place, then I'd vote for images of course.

[New Horizon]

We could potentially make a low...low...poly version of the models especially for the loadout screens, scale them to similar sizes, and give then give them the correct origins. I think this might look better in the end...as I remember rdumple saying that the higher poly models looked more jaggy at tiny sizes in his T2 Hud mockup. That's why he did low poly versions of everything...plus, then you're not rendering full sized models for such a small purpose.

[Springheel]

If it's just the adjustment of the viewOffset, that might not be the showstopper. If a mapper goes for custom purchase-able items, tweaking the viewOffset is worth the effort, I think.

 

That requires some pretty sophisticated knowledge though. First of all they'd have to be able to find the right place in the (exceptionally large) mainmenu.gui, and then would have to know how to add a new renderdef and how to teak those values. I suspect most mappers won't have the confidence or knowledge to do that.

 

We could potentially make a low...low...poly version of the models especially for the loadout screens, scale them to similar sizes, and give then give them the correct origins.

 

We could do that. Although the images are going to be fairly large on screen (much larger than the HUD icons), so I'm not sure how pleasing a low-poly model would be. It would certainly mean we could use a default renderdef, but then mappers would have to make models of any purchasable items they wanted to add. I guess modeling is a more common skill for mappers to have than editing guis.

[PinkDot]

Isn't it similar problem to inventory items? Then shouldn't the solution be the same as well?

[Springheel]

You're right; any new purchasable entity would need an inventory icon as well. In a pinch, the mapper could use the same image for both.

 

Well, that settles it then. I think I'll go ahead with 2d images for the purchase menu unless anyone can think of a compelling reason not to.

[Baddcog]

If they don't rotate (no biggie) than a screenshot image is just as good as a highpoly version.

Much easier than lowpoly versions of everything that might possibly be sold/bought.

 

A quick screeny in Max can be a specific size, one shot with tga. Very easy.

[Dram]

It makes little sense to me to use 2D icons in game, where 3D would easily fit in, and use 3D models in a menu gui. I'd say if anything, the other way around, or both 2D.

 

Just noticed the date...and that we're using 2D...ehehe