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Get help with installing and running the Cafu Engine here. This forum is also for general questions and discussion of all aspects regarding the Cafu Engine.
Sindwiller
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Post by Sindwiller » 2006-04-14, 21:38

Hello!

Im new here and i have'nt tried the engine yet (yes, shame on me!), but i think i'll use it for further development. It looks soo cool!

Only some questions/suggestions:

1. Can i use for world lightning ONLY lightmaps and for dynamic meshes (static models, characters, weapons) per-vertex (or was it per-pixel?) light and stencil shadows? I dont want to make a Doom3 clone thought. ;)

2. Is it possible to use DeleD ( http://www.delgine.com ) as the main level editor/modeler? Ive readed that the CA3DE-Editor is much like Hammer/Worldcraft. That's cool, but i think i need more functionality ;).

Wfr, Sindwiller
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Kai
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Post by Kai » 2006-04-15, 15:06

Hi there ^^

1. Yes you can use and combine all light-types as you like.
It is possible to create a lighttype that draws a stencilshadow and is affecting all meshes (at what level you want , per pixel or per vertex)
The only thing is that it requires a good design to look well, because there is a big difference between those types.

2. I never heard of this editor before, im sure Carsten too.
So i would say no its not possible.

But (now comes the good thing ;) ) we always like to hear about others ideas. So we could offer you to tell us why you like this editor more than Hammer or what features you miss. Its alwasy possible to add features or improve things if its of any value ;)

Of course this is Carstens final decision , cause he is the one who codes all stuff
Sindwiller
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Post by Sindwiller » 2006-04-15, 15:40

2. Well, DeleD is the most best and adaptable modeler for level deisgn. It has an really easy to use interface and it feels like Hammer/Worldcraft. :D

I like this "Editor" because it isnt just a editor (like Hammer), it is much more. It has CSG functions, low-poly routines and is suitable for static modeling. The only thing i dont like, is the fact that it doesnt have a Linux version :( . But it just kicks ass.

Wfr, Sindwiller
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Thrawn
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Post by Thrawn » 2006-04-15, 16:32

Well about map editors:

It is very common that you are new to a new map editor and you are not used to it yet, that you don't like it. Believe me, everyone around here wanted a new editor at first because he thought that it`s the best one but after some time they all loved CaWE, Ca3DEs' editor.

Really! Kai loved something like 3dMax for mapping O_o, I was used to GTK Radiant and Quake 3 editors, some prtefered hammer or other onces. But as I said, after some time, we loved CaWE.

No editor CAN be better because it has been developed specially for Ca3DE and supports all it's features and is tuned for this purpose.

The needed amount of work to get a new editor is MASSIVE, you can assign a programmer for a year to fulfil the task to make it compatible, so please udnerstand that it is not possible to support multiple map editors.

Just get used to CaWE and you'll love it =)
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Sindwiller
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Post by Sindwiller » 2006-04-15, 17:01

Actually, i only wanted to know if i could import my DeleD Map from .dmf to .3ds or similar format, and then export it to CAWE. :D

Wfr, Sindwiller
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Thrawn
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Post by Thrawn » 2006-04-15, 17:16

Oh well then.. ;)

CaWE can import .map files. Those map files can be created with all Quake 3 mapping editors and with hammer editor + some free onces.
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Carsten
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Post by Carsten » 2006-04-16, 19:51

Hi Sindwiller,

Thrawn and Kai have already given very good advice I think, but I would like to add that DeleD apparently falls into the class of map editors that are like general-purpose modelling tools, but somewhat specialized for making maps. (Another example of this category of editors is gmax.)

However, Ca3DE and many commercial games as well require more structural information about a map than the information that is implicit to a .dmf or .3ds file.
That means that you can use DeleD for making models, but not maps for Ca3DE.
For making maps for Ca3DE, the use of CaWE is highly recommended.
Best regards,
Carsten
Sindwiller
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Location:Zürich, Switzerland

Post by Sindwiller » 2006-04-17, 09:50

Hi Carsten! (why were talking on english when all here are from Germany or other German-speaking Country? ;) )

I need DeleD for nothing more than making lvl geometry.

Last question: Is this "CaLight" an Global Illumination lightmapper or not?

Wfr, Sindwiller
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Carsten
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Post by Carsten » 2006-04-17, 10:26

Sindwiller wrote:Hi Carsten! (why were talking on english when all here are from Germany or other German-speaking Country? ;) )
That's a wrong impression. Although the majority of posters currently seems to speak German, the majority of the readers certainly doesn't. ;)
I need DeleD for nothing more than making lvl geometry.
Then CaWE would be the better choice.
Last question: Is this "CaLight" an Global Illumination lightmapper or not?
Yes, CaLight creates the lightmaps using Radiosity methods.
Best regards,
Carsten
Sindwiller
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Post by Sindwiller » 2006-04-17, 10:47

Then CaWE would be the better choice.
lvl Geometry = Static Models and Details :D

Wfr, Sindwiller

ps. i just tried out CAWE and compiled a map. It is very cool. But why i cant get an higher FPS than 30?
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Carsten
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Post by Carsten » 2006-04-17, 11:54

Ah, okay. Note that you will have to convert the exported 3ds files to Doom3 md5mesh files, converters for this are available from http://www.doom3world.org/phpbb2/viewtopic.php?t=5474
If you don't have 3D Studio Max, I or maybe somebody else can write a 3ds to md5mesh converter/importer...

And the 30 FPS are probably because you have vertical sync turned on in your display settings. Try to turn it off, and you should get more.
Best regards,
Carsten
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Kai
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Post by Kai » 2006-04-17, 12:03

Be careful with wrong terms !

Level geometry is the basic geometry that is used for the radiosity calculation.
But static models and details are not "level geometry" even though they are inside of every level ;)

The reason why your fps is about 30 is because of the player attached dynamic light. This was mounted for testing purpose, but we will remove it in the next demo :)
Without dynamic light you fps would be around 100-200 depending on your system...
Sindwiller
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Post by Sindwiller » 2006-04-17, 12:08

If you don't have 3D Studio Max, I or maybe somebody else can write a 3ds to md5mesh converter/importer...
Thank god i have still Gmax! :D
Level geometry is the basic geometry that is used for the radiosity calculation.
But static models and details are not "level geometry" even though they are inside of every level
Ah, ok... :roll: Static Models then...

Wfr, Sindwiller
Sindwiller
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Post by Sindwiller » 2006-04-17, 13:03

Duh! I dont know why, but it seems that the GMax MD5 Exporter doesnt work :(.

Wfr, Sindwiller

EDIT: Ive tried the one with blender and it works (but only the .ace). But why i cant view my model in the model viewer? And it seems that "static_detail_model" doesnt load my model...
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Carsten
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Post by Carsten » 2006-04-17, 23:57

Hmmm. Ideally, I or somebody else should write a 3ds-to-md5mesh converter, at least it's my idea to support new file formats in the future by converting them to md5mesh files. This should be reasonably easy and saves me from writing new rendering code for each newly supported format.
(You don't happen to be a programmer, do you?)

The big problem is that I'm currently very busy with TechDemo issues, and so there is little time for 3ds, even though I considers this as a very important format. I really should dig out the specs again, and have a look...

About your questions about blender and ace: What exactly doesn't work with the model viewer?
With static_detail_model, do you give the name relative to the game directory? For example "Models/Static/Tonne01.mdl" is a correct name.
Note that after entering the name, you first have to click with the mouse in another field (e.g. the angles) before CaWE reloads and displays the static detail model.

If you still cannot get it running, you may send me your model that doesn't work with the modelviewer, and the map that doesn't show the static_detail_models, then I'll have a look. Oh, for static detail models to work, you must of course have CaWE setup right ;) : http://www.ca3d-engine.de/wiki/doku.php ... we:install (the Mod Directory is very important). :up:
Best regards,
Carsten
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