Some development questions

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Balr14
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Some development questions

Post by Balr14 » 2004-10-16, 07:44

I've been looking for an engine to do a mod I've been planning for sometime. I'm sure you've heard that before, but I actually finish and release mods. Anyway, we have the mod working in Q3, but I don't like the way Q3 works or looks, plus it's kind of a dead game, so what's the point.

So, a few questions for you:

1. How many weapons can I have in total? (I need 56).

2. Can I change weapons with each map? (8 maps with 7 weapons each).

3. Can I have 4 teams of 4 players each?

4. I read in another topic you may do a Q3 map converter. Where does that stand? Could you do it for MOHAA?

Thank you for your time, hope to hear from you soon.
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Carsten
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Re: Some development questions

Post by Carsten » 2004-10-16, 10:09

Hello Balr14, and welcome to the Ca3DE forum! ;)
Balr14 wrote:1. How many weapons can I have in total? (I need 56).
No problem. 56 weapons means 56 entities, and I don't see anything that limits their number.
2. Can I change weapons with each map? (8 maps with 7 weapons each).
No, but you can have all 56 in each map (if desired), and in your case, just use a subset of 7 from 56 per map. That means the answer is actually YES. ;)
3. Can I have 4 teams of 4 players each?
I have not yet tried to create a team-based MOD myself, but I don't see principal problems here, either. It's just a matter of the MOD code. If you need help in this regard, just let us know.
4. I read in another topic you may do a Q3 map converter. Where does that stand? Could you do it for MOHAA?
Currently, John and I are working a lot on CaWE, the native Ca3DE World Editor. It will be able to import maps from HL1, HL2, Q3, and D3 when finished.
Until then, we use Hammer 3.5b from HL1 for Ca3DE map editing. An "extern" converter that I have written can convert Q3 maps into map files for Hammer. The "only" really bad property of this approach is that Hammer map files do not support curves / bezier patches, which currently get lost in the process. This can be worked around such that you at least do not loose the existing patches, but they cannnot be edited in Hammer. CaWE will solve all these problems.
If you'd like to, just send me your maps in a zip file per email. I'll convert them for you, and send them back. (Alternatively, I can also send you the converter, and you can do the conversion on your own.)
Best regards,
Carsten
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Thrawn
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Post by Thrawn » 2004-10-16, 11:55

Wohoo! Balr14 from Modtheater.com! Welcome!!

Concerning converting maps: Until there is the own map editor, CaWE, you have to use Hammer. With it, you can convert all maps from any Quake 3 based game by just loading the map file into it. Patches/Terrains will get lost atm and the texture data also, because Ca3DE uses PNG textures. Models logically do not work either, but all the brushes work perfect!

This engine has got much more potential than it seems to be!
Balr14
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Post by Balr14 » 2004-10-16, 17:28

Gee, I must be famous or something! :D

The last time I used Hammer, you couldn't manipulate brushes in the camera view. You had to use one of the 2D views. Is that still the case?
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Post by Thrawn » 2004-10-16, 18:11

I think so :(

That's because I personally wait for CaWE to come out - I hate it to change something on the map with Hammer and I only used it for texturing and placing enitys
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Shadow
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Post by Shadow » 2004-10-16, 19:37

i think you can in 3d view, you just have to switch back and forth between camera mode and edit mode...
nice to see another member
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Balr14
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Post by Balr14 » 2004-10-16, 22:43

Shadow wrote:i think you can in 3d view, you just have to switch back and forth between camera mode and edit mode...
nice to see another member
I never showed you my member! :lol:
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Carsten
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Post by Carsten » 2004-10-17, 00:50

Stormtrooper wrote:Patches/Terrains will get lost atm
Not quite: Patches can be kept (with a few tricks), but neither displayed nor edited in Hammer.
Q3 maps don't support terrains, so they cannot get lost, either. ;)
and the texture data also, because Ca3DE uses PNG textures.
The textures can be converted, too, although that is often a copyright problem. Ca3DE will even have a Material System with its next release, which helps with such ports even more (but a port is probably not what Balr14 was asking for in the first place!). :D
Models logically do not work either, but all the brushes work perfect!
Indeed, models are a little more problematic, they are in HL1 mdl format. Existing Q3 models can probably not be converted, although I'm thinking about support/importers for other model formats, like md5 etc.
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Carsten
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Post by Carsten » 2004-10-17, 00:53

Balr14 wrote:The last time I used Hammer, you couldn't manipulate brushes in the camera view. You had to use one of the 2D views. Is that still the case?
I think you can edit brushes in Hammer 3.5 beta directly in the 3D (camera) window now, namely when being in Vertex-Editing mode.
However, I never found that feature paticulary useful. Do you?
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Carsten
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Post by Shadow » 2004-10-17, 05:51

i dont wanna see your member... i lost my microscope... jk haha
yes that is what i meant carsten that u can do it in vertex mode, but i dont find it very usefull either. what i would really like is a way to export a model from a 3d modeling program like wings and then import it as a prefab into a world editor. cause i really dislike working in hammer, much prefer wings because of the ease of creating shapes
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Thrawn
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Post by Thrawn » 2004-10-17, 11:41

Carsten wrote:
Balr14 wrote:The last time I used Hammer, you couldn't manipulate brushes in the camera view. You had to use one of the 2D views. Is that still the case?
I think you can edit brushes in Hammer 3.5 beta directly in the 3D (camera) window now, namely when being in Vertex-Editing mode.
However, I never found that feature paticulary useful. Do you?
I really do I do 75% of my work in the camera view that's whyI hate Hammer so much!

*I hope to see editable brushes in the camera view of CaWE :roll: :wink:*
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Post by Shadow » 2004-10-17, 15:25

im with ya stormtrooper. i do all my modeling in wings and that doesnt even have a isometric views. its all 3d!!! but its free and still a very nice modeler
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Post by Carsten » 2004-10-17, 17:56

Mhhh. What I don't understand is: How do you make sure that the geometry that you model is "exact"?

Making brushes for HL1, HL2, D3, Ca3DE etc. mapping normally requires to align brushes and vertices well, and to model at least the big structural parts in a "clean" and careful manner, such that there are no gaps or overlaps etc. In my experience, this cannot well be achieved in the 3D view, but very well in the 2D views. Moreover, viewing in 3D but editing in 2D stresses the mappers spatial memory, but this also helps getting things mentally straight. ;)

Organic and irregular "detail" stuff is an entirely different matter. It may or may not be better modelled in the 3D view.

The other problem that I see with modelling in the 3D view is the fact that brushes are constrained to convex polyhedra. Editing in 3D makes it easy to violate this constraint, i.e. create invalid brushes...

But okay. First releases of CaWE will probably not contain 3D editing capability (too complicated GUI code, unless someone volunteers to code them), but I'll do my best for subsequent releases.
Best regards,
Carsten
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Post by Shadow » 2004-10-18, 05:50

with wings its not that hard at all. you can turn on snapping or just use numerical input to move the objects. creating invalid brushes is hardly a problem since its not that difficult to fix them. with wings you can also just push a button and it will allign the camera on an axis. thats whats great about it. there are NO menus. everything can be done with mouse and keyboard. insert a cube right click and the insert menu pops up. aim camera at the cube u select it and push a, then middle click to move camera. blah blah its just so easy
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Post by Shadow » 2004-10-18, 05:52

balr14 good to see another USA forum person (not member :lol: ) u even live close to me (minnesota). just thought i would say hi again lol
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