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Newbie DarkRadiant Questions


demagogue

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Do I really have to separate my already created brush into 3 new brushes for every single door i'm trying to make?

 

 

No

Just follow the tutorial. That is just one of the methods. There are easier ways and you'll learn them as you go through the tutorial or as you play around with the editor.

My method - I create a brush thick as the wall and as large as the door+frame. I put it where I need the door and use CSG substract to create the hole (this will automatically split the big brush into smaller brushes). After that I remove the temporary brush.

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Yes, but be careful with CGS subtract.

If you aren't in complete control of what it subtracts, you run the risk of inadvertently splintering a brush into dozens of tiny shards, which is awful on every level. It's a tool that's there and you can use, just be careful with it. I don't really use it anymore after some bad experiences and am more likely to use the brush-cut tool, which just cuts one clean line at a time, and do it that way. Slower, but easier to control. But as long as you watch what you're doing, any method is fine.

What do you see when you turn out the light? I can't tell you but I know that it's mine.

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Well atm I think I've gotten comfortable with using the clipping tool and just clipping around the door then deleting the brush from where I want the door to be placed.

 

 

Another question I have,

 

Is there any way to simulate or through actual light sources create an artificial sun. I have an idea for a daytime mission that I'd like to create and the ability to make a sun would be awesome. (I could also do this the longway just using a daytime lit skybox, but that would involve making alot more light sources).

 

Thanks for the help, no ascii art this time hehe.

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Ok, another question here.

 

Um....what does this mean?

 

"Could not open pointfile: C:/games/Doom 3/darkmod/maps/map.lin" (map.lin is the name of whatever map i'm using).

 

The A-Z tutorial says that I can use the pointfile function to find leaks in my map (in this case, I just made a room and it has a leak, no idea)

Whenever I try to use Pointfile on any map I've created, i get that error, with map.lin

 

Any ideas would be helpful, thx much.

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You might have the same problem Snakebite did. If you have a mission installed in TDM, and dmap, the pointfile is generated in the mission's subfolder instead of the folder where you store your map files. Look for it there. Hope this is helpful.

Come the time of peril, did the ground gape, and did the dead rest unquiet 'gainst us. Our bands of iron and hammers of stone prevailed not, and some did doubt the Builder's plan. But the seals held strong, and the few did triumph, and the doubters were lain into the foundations of the new sanctum. -- Collected letters of the Smith-in-Exile, Civitas Approved

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There can be increased performance as a result of moving things to func_static, however there is no hard and fast "it will be faster"

as for entity slots, while they do take them up you can combine a large number of brushes/patches into a single static, so its best to do it like that.

 

Things to bare in mind :

When converting brushes to func_static you do need to caulk surfaces which will never be seen, for example if you have a small box sitting on-top of a larger bottom caulking the bottom of the smaller box is advised, the performance difference is immeasurable small for most situations, but if an area is being lit from multiple sources etc it becomes quite noticeable.

If you are detailing anything with brushes, chances are they should be statics, keeping logical groups does help and from experience actually makes changing things later much easier because you're thinking in groups, learn to use that right click menu! :)

And remember, if you're making railings etc, it's highly advisable to go over it all afterwards and throw around the ol monster clip!

 

 

Mhm, mhm...Is it beneficial to, let's say, make a whole staircase into a func_static? The steps as well as the railings are brushes...

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Mhm, mhm...Is it beneficial to, let's say, make a whole staircase into a func_static? The steps as well as the railings are brushes...

 

Yes for sure, that is a great example actually. Only problem; AI cannot pathfind on func_statics. You'd have to make a ramp brush out of monster_clip texture that follows the stairs, then the AI can pathfind on it.

I always assumed I'd taste like boot leather.

 

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You might have the same problem Snakebite did. If you have a mission installed in TDM, and dmap, the pointfile is generated in the mission's subfolder instead of the folder where you store your map files. Look for it there. Hope this is helpful.

 

Are .lin files always created on compile, or just if there is a geometry error? Because I had a leak and the geometry was fine. Turns out it was a path-corner poking into the void and I couldn't find a .lin file to help me with the leak.

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Are .lin files always created on compile, or just if there is a geometry error? Because I had a leak and the geometry was fine. Turns out it was a path-corner poking into the void and I couldn't find a .lin file to help me with the leak.

 

Uninstall the the mission already installed and DMAP again. Now it should find the .lin file

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Okay, so I'm making a candle with a flame. I've bound the flame to the candle, and the candle is moveable, the fire follows it, etc.

 

Problem is, when I pick up the candle, the flame stays on the candle,....but it also stays floating in mid-air. (just the flame).

So I now have a perfectly working, functional candle with attached flame, AND a flame floating 6-7 units above my coffee table. (this is all with just one entity)

 

Help would be appreciated =D

 

 

 

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Why not just use a normal candle entity? binding them manually like that isnt much use as the combo entity can be tweaked is much the same ways and looks a whole lot better and takes far less time. You'll find them under Spawn Entity -> darkmod -> movables -> candles. if you are using a candle holder, the candle will spawn in the holder ingame with the flame attached etc, as you'd expect.

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Why not just use a normal candle entity? binding them manually like that isnt much use as the combo entity can be tweaked is much the same ways and looks a whole lot better and takes far less time. You'll find them under Spawn Entity -> darkmod -> movables -> candles. if you are using a candle holder, the candle will spawn in the holder ingame with the flame attached etc, as you'd expect.

 

Well I was pretty much just following the A-Z manual since I'm still REALLY new to DR. But I'll try your method here and post my results =D

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Yeah, that worked much better, I think what was happening was I was using that entity on accident before, and wasnt properly binding the light to the entity. So I ended up with what I thought was a bound candle light, but was actually just a functioning entity and a static floating light.

 

Your way is much easier =D.

 

 

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Yes, Dark Mod keeps advancing ahead of the wiki tutorials. We never had those ready made candles when I wrote that tutorial. I'll update it but also leave reference to the binding because everyone should know that method too for other stuff.

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Does anybody know a good location or wiki article on how to make stairs, or do i have to make individual brushes for each step? I couldnt find one that was complete, the current wiki article is missing half the picture examples and the rest is about making a spiral staircase.

Edited by ravenx444
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Also, I'd really like to make a convincing street like the beginning to the Tears of St. Lucia mission, is the uneven terrain in the alleyway made using bevels or some other technique?

 

I like how the street level is contrasted with the sidewalks and adds alot of depth to the players walking area.

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Models are entities (func_static), as such they dont seal from the void at all, even if they look 100% solid. As such you need to create a box around the roof area.

 

An easy way to do this is to : set grid size to 2 -> select the roof -> right click in ortho view -> wrap with monster clip -> change moster clip to caulk -> "make room" from the left hand menu then delete the floor!

 

Should be that simple :)

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Also, I'd really like to make a convincing street like the beginning to the Tears of St. Lucia mission, is the uneven terrain in the alleyway made using bevels or some other technique?

 

I like how the street level is contrasted with the sidewalks and adds alot of depth to the players walking area.

 

Just remember, you can extract the st_lucia pk4 (it's a glorified zip file), extract it to doom3/stlucia2 or whatever, then you can open the map file in DR and have a look at how things are done, most of it will most likely just be patch work with a static subdivision (look into the patch inspector tool in DR). But I found it a great help messing around in other peoples maps where I saw something I didnt understand or wanted to make something similar to.

 

If you are loading a packaged mission in this way and there are materials missing etc, you might need to set the "Mod Base" setting in DR to the folder name, i.e stlucia2 in the example, but remember to swap it back when you've done messing around else you might start using materials/models/stuff which arn't standard :)

 

If all of this goes over your head :

tl;dr - the road is most likely patches, start playing with them and the patch inspector tool... insanity will soon follow :P

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That's usually caused by the map optimization spazzing out, what's most likely happening is that you've subratacted something nearby or made some intricate work on a low grid scale (i.e 0.125). The easiest way to fix it would be to replace the stuff with single brushes that you know are fine, else examine the area for something that looks a bit strange, you could also select all the brushes nearby, hit v to go into vertex mode, select all the vertices on the selected stuff and with your grid size set to 1, snap to grid... however that is very situational and often wont work, food for thought :)

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Alright, I'll try that!

 

Another question... wth is wrong with this texture?

 

http://img293.images...3/1329/wtha.jpg

 

On the left, a pitch-black corrupt texture appears.. it has a very irregular form (it dosn't match the brush shape at all). I've had this before as well. What is causing this, and how can I fix it?

 

As Serpentine said, that is usually from map optimizations, recreating the wall might work.

Also I noticed that you are using my transparent Lion stained glass window, you cannot use that on a window that faces the void as it will cause leaks, it's not a solid texture like a brick texture. If you have another sealed room on the other side of that window it will work just fine though.

I always assumed I'd taste like boot leather.

 

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Does anybody know a good location or wiki article on how to make stairs, or do i have to make individual brushes for each step? I couldnt find one that was complete, the current wiki article is missing half the picture examples and the rest is about making a spiral staircase.

Yes, make individual brushes for each step. Once you've made one you only need clone so it can be quite fast.
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If a non-solid texture like stained glass penetrates right through a wall it will still cause internal leaks even if there is a room on the other side. What you need is solid worldspawn wall to seal behind the window. If the window can be seen from the other side then the window should be in two parts - inside and outside with worldspawn solid in between. A transparent or openable window needs a visportal of course.

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