Newbie DarkRadiant Questions

[Byrgius]

Anyone got this result yet?

 

 

For now I could only project pointed light of windows, but how do you create light streams and particles of dust or whatever that is? It's beautiful!

[Sotha]

Open up my lich queen's demise map and find the windows inside the castle.

There are 2 lights on the window: one point light to lit up the area in front of the window. Then there is a spot light on top of the window with a window light texture. There is a patch light beam which comes from the window and hits the floor. I didn't use dust particles, but you could easily place a func_emitter in front of the window. You can see examples of those in the LQ's study, the big room with the skylight window in the ceiling.

 

Examples:

http://media.moddb.c...0/lich_Q_11.png

http://media.moddb.com/images/mods/1/4/4000/lich_Q_6.png

http://media.moddb.com/images/mods/1/4/4000/lich_Q_7.png

[Obsttorte]

Light streams: There is a texture for it. If I remember correctly it can be found under darkmod/nature. Put it on some patches, convert them to func_staticand make them nonsolid. There is also a shaderparm controlling how fast the streams are moving, but I can't remember which one. Take a look at Flakebridge Monastery to see how it is done.

 

Particles: Create a func_emitter and set the model to the appropiate one (tdm_moondust or so). The particle is quite big and goes trough the ground. If you have something below, you either have to create an own down-scaled version of the particle or have to turn the particle off (you can turn them on and of by triggering the func_emitter).

 

Hope that helps.

[Byrgius]

Thanks I'm working on this! I have a problem with choosing classes, when I add func_static it doesn't replace the class worldspawn of my patch. Tried this on other maps and I can switch classes with no problem. What am I doing wrong?

 

Is there a way to make moonrays more visible and how can I make window texture (in my case window model) glow a bit, so it looks like the moon is shining through?

 

Also is there a way to copy/paste things between projects?

Edited June 29, 2013 by Aryx

[Obsttorte]

Right-click on your worldspawn and select *convert to func_static*.

 

There is a shaderParm for this purpose. But I'm not sure which one it is. As said, look at Flakebridge or Old Habits (Rebuild) where it is used.

 

What do you mean with projects? Different map files. Well, you can export your selection as map or as prefab and import this then in another map file.

[Byrgius]

 

Can't find that option with RMB on worldspawn. Also tried clicking it below where slightly different menu appears but still no *convert to func_static*.

 

With copy/pasting, I ment models, entities and their properties.

[Sotha]

Right click object in orthoview.

[grayman]

For now I could only project pointed light of windows, but how do you create light streams and particles of dust or whatever that is? It's beautiful!

 

An aesthetic comment about light beams: Make sure they only radiate in one direction. We have a few missions where moonbeams come through windows on more than one side of a building. The last time I checked, there's only one moon in the sky, so only the windows facing in that direction should have moonbeams.

[Sotha]

An aesthetic comment about light beams: Make sure they only radiate in one direction. We have a few missions where moonbeams come through windows on more than one side of a building. The last time I checked, there's only one moon in the sky, so only the windows facing in that direction should have moonbeams.

 

I'm guilty of this. I usually put light beams in from all windows completely deliberately.

 

In my opinion, you get light in from all windows, because the moonlight lits up your whole neighbourhood. You get reflected light in from all windows. On a full moon light you will see that light seeps in from every window, not just the windows pointing towards the moon.

 

That's the daft realism argument.

 

Then there is the more important argument on aesthetics and gameplay: windows will have an interesting gameplay effect if you have a strong light in front of them. Keeps player on his toes.

Also it would look strange if light was seeping in from one window, but not from the other.

 

A matter of taste, I suppose. Just be sure *not* to do what me, Biker or grayman might tell you should do. Just make your own decision how you would like it to be.

[Byrgius]

Right click object in orthoview.

 

Thank you, I got it now!

 

An aesthetic comment about light beams: Make sure they only radiate in one direction. We have a few missions where moonbeams come through windows on more than one side of a building. The last time I checked, there's only one moon in the sky, so only the windows facing in that direction should have moonbeams.

 

I'll keep that in mind, allthough the planet on which TDM's based on is not Earth, so it could have multiple moons

[grayman]

I'll keep that in mind, allthough the planet on which TDM's based on is not Earth, so it could have multiple moons

 

Yes, that's possible. I hereby throw in the towel.

[Lux]

Throw in the towel? Comon guys, anyone can argue till their blue in the face about anything and TDM is clearly Medieval Europe, this planet, 1 moon.

[Byrgius]

Now I have some problems with making window glow. I made a patch just slightly in front of window and added 'flarezizable' texture to it as instructed here: http://wiki.thedarkmod.com/index.php?title=How_to_give_Textures_a_nice_Glow

 

Allthough the 'K' key is not binded to DR so this guide isn't that helpful. I've added the 'spawnarg _color 1 1 1' to that patch entity as instructed in this topic: http://forums.thedarkmod.com/topic/11266-moonlight-through-windows/page__p__220096__hl__shaderparm__fromsearch__1?do=findComment&comment=220096

 

 

Still I don't get any positive results. Any suggestions?

[AluminumHaste]

Okay whoever wrote that wiki article did a bad thing, you should never hotlink to an outside source. The image should have been uploaded to the wiki, now it doesn't exist and we get text instead of an image.

[Byrgius]

So how can I make this work then?

[AluminumHaste]

Sorry I'm not sure, I've never done that one before.

[Sotha]

But... Thw majority of TDM stock window textures do have skins with various glows: yellow lights or moonlight. Just use a different skin. And you can emphazise the glow by putting a point light in front of the window like I suggested earlier.

[Goldwell]

Is there a simple way to make a guard drunk? Like a sparnarg (I believe they are called) where I can just set his current state from normal to drunk?

 

I just want to have a guard who maybe has a drunk vocal set and is swaying like a drunk person

[Sotha]

I think there is a "drunk" spawnarg. Just click the inherited spawnargs visible and browse. It does not do much, I think it reduces the AI aquity. There aren't many drunken anims. there is a drunken swaying, but you need probably to use a path_anim to access it. You can make him drink if you def attach a bottle and replace some anims, explained prolly in the wiki. Also there aren't very impressive vocal sets for drunk characters.

[Goldwell]

Well another problem i'm running into is getting an AI to walk a pathway once everything has been set.

 

So I have my trigger_once entity targeted at my path_waitfortrigger entity (which the AI is targeting as well) and the waitfortrigger entity is targeting my path_corner but nothing happens when I walk through the trigger.

 

I tried connecting the trigger to a light and when I walked through the light turned on but alas the AI did nothing. Do I need to set anything in the AI before it will move?

[Byrgius]

I've made a patch over model window I have to place a different texture, but none give the desired effect. Even though some are lighter they're not glowing, as if the moon would shine through. Is there really no way to make textures glow?

[Sotha]

Well another problem i'm running into is getting an AI to walk a pathway once everything has been set.

 

So I have my trigger_once entity targeted at my path_waitfortrigger entity (which the AI is targeting as well) and the waitfortrigger entity is targeting my path_corner but nothing happens when I walk through the trigger.

 

I tried connecting the trigger to a light and when I walked through the light turned on but alas the AI did nothing. Do I need to set anything in the AI before it will move?

 

It should work like this. I've done it in Mandrasola. The woman the player follows has a waitfortrigger entity in the waiting room, second floor of the house she enters.

AI->path->path_waitfortrigger->path.

AI walks to path. then stands until you trigger path_waitfortrigger. then he continues to the next path. Also, in mandrasola my path_waitfortrigger has the property ANGLE. Maybe that is required for the entity to work? Test.

 

Maybe the AI must hit a path entity BEFORE the path_waitfortrigger? If that is the case, you could just let the AI stand without giving him targets. Then your trigger_once targets a func_static with S&R that ADDS A NEW TARGET for the AI. This should work too. I've done it in the past. The AI must not have any targets in this scenario. Then you add a new target and he starts partolling your waypoints.

 

Third way to control your AI directly would be to use the conversation system, but this gets interrupted and the AI resumes normal pathing if the AIs are interrupted during the conversation.

 

 

I've made a patch over model window I have to place a different texture, but none give the desired effect. Even though some are lighter they're not glowing, as if the moon would shine through. Is there really no way to make textures glow?

But... Thw majority of TDM stock window textures do have skins with various glows: yellow lights or moonlight. Just use a different skin. And you can emphazise the glow by putting a point light in front of the window like I suggested earlier.

 

If you built your window yourself, you can choose the lit version of the texture.

[Goldwell]

It should work like this. I've done it in Mandrasola. The woman the player follows has a waitfortrigger entity in the waiting room, second floor of the house she enters.

AI->path->path_waitfortrigger->path.

AI walks to path. then stands until you trigger path_waitfortrigger. then he continues to the next path. Also, in mandrasola my path_waitfortrigger has the property ANGLE. Maybe that is required for the entity to work? Test.

 

Maybe the AI must hit a path entity BEFORE the path_waitfortrigger? If that is the case, you could just let the AI stand without giving him targets. Then your trigger_once targets a func_static with S&R that ADDS A NEW TARGET for the AI. This should work too. I've done it in the past. The AI must not have any targets in this scenario. Then you add a new target and he starts partolling your waypoints.

 

Third way to control your AI directly would be to use the conversation system, but this gets interrupted and the AI resumes normal pathing if the AIs are interrupted during the conversation.

 

Hm it's really weird because I just tried that yet nothing happened still... Basically it works like this AI->Pathwaittrigger->pathcorner

 

That should work right? then all I have to do is trigger the pathwaittrigger and then the AI should begin his walk.

[Sotha]

Hm it's really weird because I just tried that yet nothing happened still... Basically it works like this AI->Pathwaittrigger->pathcorner

 

That should work right? then all I have to do is trigger the pathwaittrigger and then the AI should begin his walk.

 

I only know it works

AI->path->waitfortrigger->path

and that the waitfortrigger has angle property.

 

This is different from your setup.

[Goldwell]

I only know it works

AI->path->waitfortrigger->path

and that the waitfortrigger has angle property.

 

This is different from your setup.

 

Ok so basically I have it setup your way now but still nothing happens (this is driving me insane)

 

I have it set as follows:

 

AI --> Path corner --> waitfortrigger --> pathcorner

 

If I noclip I can see the AI is walking to the first path corner no problem but once I walk past the trigger once it does nothing

 

As for the angles I tried pointing them in the direction I wanted and nothing... so then I tried pointing them towards each other and still nothing :/

 

Either this is a bug or there is something really obvious not clicking