Setting up Cameras

[Xcom]

BTW.. do you by any chance have any "setting up cameras" tutorials?

 

How are these camera views controlled? I know there are entries for cameras in the git, but where do you actually use these, in the dialog itself or through scripts.

 

I found a command SetDialogPlaceableCamera() and been feeding it IDs from the GIT file in the test script... to see what it will do.

That didn't really work because the views were kind of outside the level itself.

[Darth333]

Here are our old camera threads:

http://www.lucasforums.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=126853

 

http://www.lucasforums.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=126459

 

I never had much success with this either: cameras would end up outside the level most of the time

 

For conversations, Meskell made an interesting suggestion here: http://www.lucasforums.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=131604

 

 

Edit tk102: Added the 'www' back to your last URL

[Xcom]

Ah yes. That sheds some light on the issue, so many thanks for posting these links.

 

Meskell has indeed interesting suggestion, but how would one determin position for such placeable (much less orientation). If I understood correctly, you need a placeable to actually look away from the action, so when you make it a speaker, the view will focus ON the action... or not? Anyway, the problem is that you cannot fly so that eliminates possibilty of using wherami band. And what about gravity? Doesn't it affect placeables? Even if spawn placeable in midair, wouldn't it fall down?

[tk102]

If I remember right, cchargin was suspended in mid-air at my birthday party. (You can just adjust the z coordinate, its units are in meters, positive=up.)

[Darth333]

Originally posted by tk102

If I remember right, cchargin was suspended in mid-air at my birthday party. (You can just adjust the z coordinate, its units are in meters, positive=up.)

In fact I used the same coordinates as my PC with the whereami cheat and I did not played with height....as for ...cchargin...he was placed in mid-air by default...

[Xcom]

Ah! It's working!!! Thanks guys.

 

Product of my experiment:

screenshot

 

I completely forgot that speaker's facing gets locked onto player in dialogs unless you disable it.

[Xcom]

Originally posted by Darth333

I never had much success with this either: cameras would end up outside the level most of the time

 

Ok, it was apparently because they have lost their x,y,z values.

 

I should have realized that from the start, had I read the threads you posted more carefully (but I didn't.. DOH!) or.. had I downloaded tk's camedit (but I didn't, because pcgamemods was fried at that time).

 

Anyways, after re-importing camerlist info from original git, SetPlaceableDialogCamera() works very nicely.

 

Here's a little script I used to loop through different views with 2 sec. interval. Script is fired from dialog, during a conversation with some NPC.

 

void main()
{
int iLastCameraIndex = 20;	// number of cameras in the GIT
int iNum;
AssignCommand(OBJECT_SELF, ActionPauseConversation());
for (iNum = 1; iNum <= iLastCameraIndex; iNum++)
{	AssignCommand(OBJECT_SELF, ActionDoCommand(SetDialogPlaceableCamera(iNum)));
	AssignCommand(OBJECT_SELF, ActionWait(2.0));
}
AssignCommand(OBJECT_SELF, ActionResumeConversation());
}

 

btw, thanks tk for yet another great util.

[tk102]

Alright Xcom! I'm so glad someone feels they have cameras under control. The memories of that frustration are not pleasant to relive. But here you are getting them to work, so it was worth it.

 

Xcom, could ask you write up explicitly what you've done so that we can add it to our tutorials?

 

Also were you able to call the camera viewpoints without scripts, just using dialogs? I assume you used the Speaker tags, but there are various Camera fields that I'm fuzzy on.

[CorSton]

yes, xcom, enlighten us!

[Xcom]

Originally posted by tk102

Xcom, could ask you write up explicitly what you've done so that we can add it to our tutorials?

 

I am not sure what you want me write. It looks like I haven't actually done anything.

 

I am experimenting with Ravager's bridge module since this is where my Battle Sim mod takes place. If you remember this level in actual game, this is where you enter and confront Nihilus and that happens in a cutscene which starts when you walk into the trigger.

 

Anyways, so far I found that placeable cameras DO work. I mean the ones that are defined in the original GIT file. The views can be changed. I did recognize the views from the game. The problem is that when you open the GIT in GFFEdit, a couple of nodes get deleted somehow. It's the problem you described in the other thread, tk.

 

I re-imported the camerlist from original git file into my modified git file (using your tool), and used the script above to cycle through the views. Like I said, it worked quite nicely. There are mostly view that focus on that perimeter on the bridge where Nihilus stands, some are top view and some are overlooking the catwalk.

 

Then I tried changing the views in the dialog itself. It also worked. You need to add CameraID field to the Entry and the value points to the camera index in the GIT file. IIRC, I sent you pm about this, tk, but you didn't include that in DLGEditor if I am not mistaken. CameraAngle should be 0 if you use CameraID, otherwise it doesn't seem to work. Actually, the CameraAngle is also interesting field. I think (not sure) it controls various "pre-defined" views around speaker. It isn't some real angle. But, again, I am not really sure about this.

 

Well, this is it, basically.

 

The main problem is that you can't actually create custom cameras yourself. Well, I am not sure because I haven't tried it yet, since GFFEdit seems to screw this up.

You can however re-use those cameras that are already in the level (and that's actually what I wanted).

[tk102]

Originally posted by Xcom

I am not sure what you want me write. It looks like I haven't actually done anything.

Ideally a "How To Change Camera Points of View During A Dialog" but you know, no pressure. There's enough info here that one of us could sum it up.

Anyways, so far I found that placeable cameras DO work. I mean the ones that are defined in the original GIT file. The views can be changed.

Just curious whether you used the editing functions in CamEdit to do the changing.

 

Then I tried changing the views in the dialog itself. It also worked. You need to add CameraID field to the Entry and the value points to the camera index in the GIT file. IIRC, I sent you pm about this, tk, but you didn't include that in DLGEditor if I am not mistaken.

Bling! Light bulb just went on. There are so many camera fields I didn't remember which one you meant and I don't think CameraID is present in all nodes so I overlooked it. (writes that one down.)

Actually, the CameraAngle is also interesting field. I think (not sure) it controls various "pre-defined" views around speaker. It isn't some real angle.

I believe you're correct. In fact Fred's Conversation Editor even has some descriptions associated with numbers for this field, but I never got around to adding those.

 

The main problem is that you can't actually create custom cameras yourself.

(makes a note for feature in CamEdit)

[Xcom]

Originally posted by tk102

Just curious whether you used the editing functions in CamEdit to do the changing.

 

Oh well.. hehe.. like an average software user, I haven't even noticed CamEdit had those functions (much less used them)

 

Good that you mention it.

[CorSton]

fantastic script xcom, I've cycled through the 25 cameras of the same level you used: if they can be numbered as we see em, it'll be easy to identify the cameras and set up in dialogs...

[CorSton]

 

...with KT module editor I've succesfully moved a camera and turned its point (field) of view...

 

 

sorry, the happiness of a

[Xcom]

Originally posted by CorSton

fantastic script xcom, I've cycled through the 25 cameras of the same level you used: if they can be numbered as we see em, it'll be easy to identify the cameras and set up in dialogs...

 

Well, they can be!

 

I've already modified whereami band for this purpose (and made a little dialog that displays the IDs).

 

You can have it if you want ( download ), but it will only work for The Sith Lords.

 

Just temporarily replace Darth's d3_location.ncs with this one. Other files don't conflict with it.

 

Unfortunately, there is no script command that actually tells how many cameras are there, so you need to get that from the git file. The dialog will just increment IDs indefinitely, so you need to know what the last ID is because everything beyond that is bogus views.

Oh yeah, the actual camera view is during entries (that's when you don't see your reply options).

 

Glad, you're also making progress.

[CorSton]

downloaded and tried, great work xcom, very useful... any chance to adapt it to kotor1?

 

a note: like the whereami armband, in the non-US version of the game(s) the texts don't show up. Sure, just add the strings for other languages, I know... just to let you know it

[Xcom]

Originally posted by CorSton

downloaded and tried, great work xcom, very useful... any chance to adapt it to kotor1?

 

You know, maybe it will work with Kotor, I don't know. I wrote that in a hurry, and didn't actually test it. Try it and tell me coz I don't have Kotor .. how should I say..."configured" for modding.

[CorSton]

no no, doesn't work on kotor1...

 

anyway: I have problems to set up cameras in dialogs. I use the conv editor built in KT, put the camera ID on the relate field, but in game the specific camera doesn't "fire"...

[Xcom]

I never use Kt's dlg editor, so I can't help you there. I heard it might not save all the data correctly.

Try using GFFEdit + tk102 DLGEditor.

[Xcom]

Originally posted by tk102

I believe you're correct. In fact Fred's Conversation Editor even has some descriptions associated with numbers for this field, but I never got around to adding those.

 

Hmm.. I didn't find it.

 

So, I have futher experimented with CameraAngle field. I think it indeed controls how a shot is being framed.

 

Value:

 

0 - seems to be default (I assumed it picks random view but in my several test runs it always showed what #2 is showing)

1 - focuses on the current speaker close-up

2 - focuses on the current speaker but is positioned behind the player (so the player's back is also visible)

3 - shows player and current speaker from the side.

4 - seems to be doing the same as #1

5 - this one shows player close-up regardless of who's currently speaking

 

6 - produces weirdness, and appears to be mostly used in combination with CameraID, so my previous observation was wrong.

 

7,8,9 - show close-ups of the respective speakers. I guess these are maybe invalid numbers.

[tk102]

Xcom pointed out:

Then I tried changing the views in the dialog itself. It also worked. You need to add CameraID field to the Entry and the value points to the camera index in the GIT file. IIRC, I sent you pm about this, tk, but you didn't include that in DLGEditor if I am not mistaken.

 

That oversight has been remedied. CameraID now available in DLGEditor v2.1.3.

[CorSton]

someone figured out how to set up the "moving" cameras we can see in some cutscenes? In the relate dialogs files there is an entry called "camera model", but I can't find the reference (something like "module_xy_cam") in any kotor package/archive/folder/bif...

[Darth333]

That reminds me that I wanted to check the script used for the scene on Dantoine when you back to enclave for second time...but I forgot to do it and I don,t have the game with me right now.

[CorSton]

download and look at this..

http://nwvault.ign.com/Files/scripts/data/1040162276106.shtml

 

the source code seems not fully compatible with kotor, but using the same concept we can get a similar result.

or someone skilled in scripting can try to restyle the source code...

[Xcom]

tk,

 

I need your help or anyone who knows.

 

I'm using your camedit tool to make new camera. Good news is that camera works.

 

Bad news (for me) is that I just can get the orientation right. According to the gff text dump there are four floats for orientation. Let's call them A, B, C, D for the sake of example. Now, comparing to other existing cameras B, C are always zeros, and only A and D are used, therefore I assumed they are X and Y (used for yaw). However, I was wrong. It's is not similar to what creatures have (x and y orientation). Any help?