Newbie DarkRadiant Questions

[RJFerret]

Don't lights activate targets when activated?

 

You'd think that would be easier, but it's actually harder, and it's a different procedure depending on the light type used, requiring special spawnargs, complicating it further. See http://wiki.thedarkm...ring_via_Lights in the Triggers wiki page for details.

 

However Grayman reminds me, you can have the S/R system simply trigger the trigger_hurt on/off, by working around the display bug (if present for you) in DR by pulling up the pop-up of effects, and cursoring down to "Trigger" offscreen. See the section http://wiki.thedarkm...Stim.2FResponse.

[grayman]

Melan, which fire entity are you using?

[grayman]

It's not too bad, though, going the spawnarg route.

 

If the flame's name is 'flame' on the light holder, and the trigger_hurt's name is "trigger_hurt_1", simply add this spawnarg to the light holder:

 

"set target0 on flame" "triger_hurt_1"

 

Surely map authors have done more complicated things than this w/o complaining or getting confused.

[RJFerret]

Having done both in my maps, I find the consistent way that can be used with any circumstance and simply shift-dragged from one fire area to another easier than the other method, which varies depending on light entity, may not be obvious what the spawnarg should be (can't simply target with one keypress in DR, need to figure it out), needs manual spawnarg adjustment for every one, and subsequently test more rather than already knowing it works because it's just a clone of a previous working setup.

 

But I provided that way too as you never know which is easier for an individual mapper's mind to wrap itself around, or circumstances in the map. I know I had oodles of troubles trying to sort out the S/R system initially, and used triggers like crazy where others would use stims, so it's ironic in this case I prefer the reverse.

[Melan]

Don't lights activate targets when activated?

 

If so, all you need is to target the fire at a surrounding trigger_hurt, set "delay" on the trigger_hurt to the duration between ouchies (in seconds).

 

When the fire is doused, the light goes out, which activates the trigger_hurt, turning it off.

 

When the fire is relit, the light comes on, which activates the trigger_hurt, turning it on.

Thank you! This method works painlessly and perfectly.

 

I am using standard fireplace fire entities.

[Digi]

"AAS32 is out of date"

 

{assorted details, edited out}

 

{edit} nevermind. Apparently skipping dmap is bad, eh?

Edited May 28, 2014 by Digi

[grayman]

{edit} nevermind. Apparently skipping dmap is bad, eh?

 

Yup.

[Digi]

Ok, real question (that I couldn't solve with a couple minutes of common sense tinkering, or browsing through the wiki):

 

How do I center text on an "Entity GUI" sign? Is it a specific script in the "gui_parm1" property? Or something else? Because I managed to get the text, and place it just in front of a generic empty sign texture so that it shows up (maybe not the best way to handle such things, but I'm taking a "if it's stupid and it works, it's not stupid" approach currently). And I'd rather not create an entity for each word, which would be too inefficient and clearly wrong even for me.

Edited May 28, 2014 by Digi

[Sotha]

I made those gui_parm1 texts in Knighton manor. I had a separate gui entity for each LINE of the text. Aligning them was a chore.

 

Still, it would be less work than extracting the dds texture for the sign, paint on it the text I would like, save it as a dds, would make a material for it, and add a skin for the sign model that would apply my custom texture on it.

[Obsttorte]

The gui file on the entity defines how the text on the guis get setup. If you need to have several lines, you could try /n or similar or make your own gui.

[Sotha]

I have a fireplace with a grate, firewood and fire entity in it.

 

In front of the fireplace, there is a table.

 

The fire is "shouldbeon 1" and I have an AI which has 100% chance to relight lights. He still does not care about the fireplace if the light is doused.

 

I suppose his line of sight is blocked so he never sees the fire being out. Was there any trick to make objects invisible (for this purpose), so that the AI so that he can see the fire stim?

[grayman]

No, there's no trick to make the table invisible.

 

Even if there was, if it's blocking the LOS, it would most likely be in the way when the AI wanted to relight the fire.

[Sotha]

Nevermind. I had accidentally put the shouldbeon in the firewood. Heh! Now works nicely.

[Digi]

The gui file on the entity defines how the text on the guis get setup. If you need to have several lines, you could try /n or similar or make your own gui.

 

I'll play around with it, thanks.

 

I made those gui_parm1 texts in Knighton manor. I had a separate gui entity for each LINE of the text. Aligning them was a chore.

 

Still, it would be less work than extracting the dds texture for the sign, paint on it the text I would like, save it as a dds, would make a material for it, and add a skin for the sign model that would apply my custom texture on it.

 

And if I can't manage Obsttorte's trick, this brute-force method will stand in nicely. Gracias.

[Digi]

Slow but steady progress on my first mission. Something that's come up:

 

Some textures (brushes?) don't render properly in-game (they look fine in DR), and I'm able to see right through them. It's most apparent in a particular prefab building (which isn't a func_static) but I've seen it crop up on a couple other small brushes, or rather parts of brushes. It hasn't really hindered my building, but I know I'll have to deal with it eventually. Are there common reasons that this happens?

 

Otherwise, I'm pleased with my progress so far. I'm not going to win any awards, and I'm aware of at least a couple crucial shortcomings that I'll have to learn eventually (for example, everything I've done is flat, which I know is a no-no for higher-level design...I may try to rectify that toward the end), but it's starting to come together into something coherent.

Edited May 29, 2014 by Digi

[Moonbo]

Hey Digi, normally the reason why certain planes on brushes "disappear" in game is most likely because the renderer is coughing up a bug. Try converting the offending brushes to func_statics - this usually solves the problem. Just remember that the geometry won't seal anymore if you do that.

 

Oh, and make sure that everything is snapped to grid, that may also help (and is good to do anyways).

Edited May 29, 2014 by Moonbo

[Digi]

Hey Digi, normally the reason why certain planes on brushes "disappear" in game is most likely because the renderer is coughing up a bug. Try converting the offending brushes to func_statics - this usually solves the problem. Just remember that the geometry won't seal anymore if you do that.

 

Oh, and make sure that everything is snapped to grid, that may also help (and is good to do anyways).

 

Thanks, I'll give it a shot.

[Goldwell]

Is there an easy way to get thick rope in the game thats moveable? and preferably I can edit how it's laid out in DR?

[Sotha]

Make a stiff func_static cylinder patch rope and surround it with ladder brush?

[Goldwell]

I had already created a stiff cylinder with the rope texture but when I try bending it to be a bit more like a rope it starts turning to garbage. The only free falling rope (which if I position correctly doesn't look too bad) is the default rope in TDM and it's far too thin.

 

I don't need to be able to climb this either as its purely a visual thing

 

Is there a way to select a start point and a finish point and let gravity pull the rope into the right place?

Edited May 30, 2014 by Goldwell

[Obsttorte]

The ropes used in tdm are articulated figures. If you want something to behave like them, you have to set them up. There is a wiki article on how to do that.

[Sotha]

I have a moveable object in the players hands (frobber).

 

Is there a script command to force the player to drop it?

[Sotha]

I have a moveable object in the players hands (frobber).

 

Is there a script command to force the player to drop it?

 

Yeah, it is

 

$player1.holdEntity($null);

[Moonbo]

Another interesting little factoid about the grabber is that if you put the spawnarg "drop_to_hands" at "0" on an inventory moveable it will just drop to the ground if you drop it, instead of popping into the grabber first.

Edited May 31, 2014 by Moonbo

[Digi]

I'm having a helluva time with readables. What do you guys use for reading/writing .xd files? I have Notepad++ currently, which seems to read them fine, but won't save as that file type. I could manually change the file type, but worry about compatibility issues at that point. Every tutorial I've read (and there are several) just starts with "create your .xd file" which doesn't really address my question.

 

The whole readable creation process is somewhat confusing, but I hope that the tutorials start making sense soon.