Learning to build Doors - GtkRadiant 1.5.0

[lassev]

Did you try to close and restart BehavEd? It may require that to register the source files. If you still get the error messages after that, you either have a spelling error (or some other error) in the path definition in Prefs or BehavEd doesn't understand a folder path that long.

 

Well, those are the alternatives I see.

[StaffSaberist]

OK, when I re-loaded Behaved the Errors were gone, but when I clicked 'prefs' and OK, without changing anything, the errors were back. I am annoyed enough that what I will do now is delete BehavEd and download anew. That may fix it.

 

No .h files, but now I d/led and extracted to C:\Radiant Tools. That'll squelch any path length issues.

 

EDIT - It says I am missing the following files:

 

g_items.h

objectives.h

objectives.h

anims.h

bstate.h (AHA! That's a biggie!)

objectives.h

weapons.h

q3_interface.h

channels.h

events.h

dmstates.h

teams.h

hitlocs.h

q3_interface.h

 

Odd, I HAVE THESE. What the heck?

[riceplant]

If you have them, then you need to make sure the program can find them. Also, you probably didn't need to remove BehavEd before, as you said you clicked 'OK' to leave the prefs screen, and there is a bug in BehavEd that causes it to reset the path options every time you open the prefs screen. What you need to do is to point it at the files, and then remember to repeat this whenever you change the prefs. For this reason, I don't change them if I can avoid to.

[StaffSaberist]

Still, it didn't hurt to be able to see the file names it says I am missing. OK, I see changes in the script. But he still won't move. My script is as close to the one I d/led as I can get. To my great irritation, I cannot properly use the SET command, and this is causing the error, I believe. When I use the Set <E"Set_types">, <str> command, the only option I get for set is INCLUDE ERROR!!! and I can set the str to whatever I want, it makes no difference. >:-(

[lukeskywalker1]

For Script Path- your base/scripts folder

 

location of IBIZE.EXE - obviously, set it to IBIZE.EXE's path

 

For the command description - set it to behavEd.bhc's path

 

For the source files path just point it to the folder, no specific filename is needed their.

[StaffSaberist]

I know. I have it set to... WTF!?! I selected the sourceforbehavedanddevaheb folder, but it didn't stay as it was supposed to. Now, I have no errors when I click out of prefs, and... YEAH!!! IT WORKS! I HAVE A TON OF SET OPTIONS!!! w00t w00t w00t w00t w00t w00t w00t w00t w00t!

 

Sorry, I got carried away. *ahem* now, to get this blasted scripting done, once and for all!

 

My problem was that if I highlighted the source folder and clicked select, it wouldn't keep the source folder in the path. Now, it is fixed, and I can stop buying Tylenol by the bagsful.

 

EDIT - Still not working, but I figured out how to properly time waits. I have it fairly straitforward, but I accidentally destroyed some setting in Radiant. I have to re-download it. Oh well, the map is still there. I think I may know what's wrong, I'll have a look-see at it.

[lukeskywalker1]

Lol, awesome! Hah, no more notepad editing!

[StaffSaberist]

Lol, awesome! Hah, no more notepad editing!

 

You're telling me.

[wedge2211]

I accidentally destroyed some setting in Radiant. I have to re-download it.

You know, that's not always the correct answer to your problems...post up what your Radiant problem was, maybe we can help you fix that, too.

[StaffSaberist]

OK, radiant is up and running! My Jedi, however, is not.

 

http://img491.imageshack.us/my.php?image=screenshot155pk.jpg

[lukeskywalker1]

Hmmm... are you using an NPC_targetname for your jedi NPC?

[StaffSaberist]

I made an error so stupid, you wouldn't believe it.

 

1) When you have an NPC_targetname called "Scene_Jedi", it's better to target "Scene_Jedi" instead of "SceneJedi".

 

2) I also changed the Affect to lowercase (Scene_Jedi instead of SCENE_JEDI) just in case it is case-sensitive.

 

3) A clip from Radiant itself on scripting navgoals:

 

For example: if you give this waypoint a targetname of "console", make an NPC go to it in a script like so:

 

set ("navgoal", "console")

 

What I have now is this:

 

set ( /*@SET_TYPES*/ "SET_NAVGOAL", "Test1" );

 

Radiant didn't have that nifty tutorial box last time I installed Radiant. What I get for mixing versions, I suppose. Anyway, he won't move, and I think it's because my gut instinct was right all along: It is the other "set" command. Maybe. I'm going to try it out, what the heck, we've exausted every other error in the script!

 

EDIT I - Still no good!

 

EDIT II - I wanted to do something useful between posts, so I have resumed mapping. I want to resolve the following issues:

 

• The pillar supports didn't touch the ground. (Fixed!)
  
• The pillars jutted out from the supports. (Fixed!)
  
• I like the idea I have of destroyed doorframes, explaining why the three huge doors won't open, but some pieces were floating in mid-air. It also wasn't thick enough. (In progress)
  
• The small door the Jedi go through has a frame, but the sides of it hover.
  
• The map is still extremely dark; the _minlight key seemed to do nothing, even when set to 12.
  
• That statue is still far too small.
  
• The lights are still not clipped, so NPC's can walk through them.
  

 

So, basically, what I have in the first room is:

 

• An octagonal room for base architecthure.
  
• Double-pillars in front of doors and in a cross-shape in the middle of the room.
  
• Four doors: A medium sized one and three huge doors, all of them destroyed. This room was an antechamber, but earthquakes have blocked access to a large part of the Rift.
  
• Raised corners to prevent it from all being flat.
  
• For lighting, I have 12 wall-hanging crystal lamps and about a dozen crystal lamps on the floor.
  
• For interesting models, I have a rift_statue model. I will put more in if I can do so without cluttering the room.
  

 

I will also add more to the level when I am finished with the game, as I will show the Jedi running through parts of the Rift in an attempt to escape. You see, I have not been idle. I have much more to do, and then the scripting needs to be taken care of.

 

Speaking of scripting, my script is the same as the previous screenshot except:

 

1. The Affect is now targeting Scene_Jedi
   
2. My set commands are now of the <str> <str> variety, because that's what Radiant said to do. I did test out the level using the new Affect and the set commands I already had in place, but as usual, he did nothing. So, I took Radiant's advice. I am guessing that was a mistake.
   

[lukeskywalker1]

What type of waypoint are you using? Some don't work... Use just waypoint_navgoal. Follow my example closly. Edit it and add on to it, see if you can get luke to go to a fourth navgoal...

[StaffSaberist]

It worked! In that case, I have no idea what is causing the other one to fail... I'm going to look in Rad - I GOT IT!!! Woohoo! Here was the n00b problem:

 

I was using a regular targetname, t1, to spawn the Scene_Jedi. So, the same trigger_once that was attached to the scriptrunner was connected to Scene_Jedi. I have no idea why, but for some reason that kept the thing from working. Now, he is walking as normal. Though, now I have a goofy camera problem to fix. No biggie, as I can work the cams no problem. YES!! I'm sure we all know how much suffering I could have avoided had I never targeted the Scene_Jedi, I mean, I would have had the answer days ago. This is more than a little embarassing.

 

Having got that script done (god, that feels good) I am putting all energy into mapping the first level.

 

OK, I'm a little hesitant to produce a screenshot, but I'd like to know what I can do to help "wit' da lighting". I want to have a sort of dark atmosphere, considering where we are in the plot line (the dark side is winning at this point) and I do have a nice, soft, t3_rift fog. Though I would like that fog to be thicker, since it has yet to interfere with framerate. Anyway, there are some dark spots on the map and I was thinking it's a tad too dark. I want the light of the whole level raised, just a little, but _minlight seems to be ignored by the game.

 

Yeah, I kinda like the way the lighting turned out, but I want a small addition to the light of the level. Also, if you see any major issues with the texture, or the archi, let me know.

 

I've been having some sound issues. the sound plays all right, but I don't think you guys want to see this every time it loops:

 

WARNING: xxx.wav is not 22k format

 

So, I'm trying to find a way to convert the 44k .wav sound into a 22k .wav sound. It hasn't been easy.

 

Anyway, the screenie. The screen came out too dark, and I have adjusted the brightness as well as I can. Which is actually very close to what it is.

 

http://img140.imageshack.us/my.php?image=maplighting8su.jpg

 

I've run into another issue. Notice the crystal pillar on the left. The pillar is this very odd stripey metallic color, but it looks nothing like that in Radiant. It may just be my compilation method.

 

Also, a scripting question. shukrallah, in JO, it was easy to make a copy of the player: You created an NPC_Kyle. But I am having trouble doing the equivalent in JA. There is no NPC_player. And I would really like to be able to do this. It won't be the end of the world if I can't, but it would help.

 

I've scrapped the old cutscene. It was a way to learn how it works. Now, a step up: Having groups of NPC's follow nearby navgoals to allow for better tactics. It is going well at this point, but I haven't gotten into scripting it, yet. Boy, what a jumble of navgoals! I do have them all named, it will help...

[lukeskywalker1]

Ah, you must in MP mapping mode. Go to File->Project Settings and select Single Player Mapping mode... restart Radiant. NPC_Player will be in the NPC List.

 

WARNING: xxx.wav is not 22k format

 

Convert it to MP3 or something...

[StaffSaberist]

OK. Found NPC player. Prefs said I was in SP mode, but I selected it anyway, closed, reopened, and it was there.

 

Converting .wav files. I have a soundtrack of no less than 12 .wav files, and 7-8 of them ar various music files I may/may not use. All of it is from Kotor, because there is no JA theme which accurately depicts what I intend to do.

 

EDIT - Wonderful news - I managed to successfully replace the old script with a new one. It is a beautiful thing, really. It commands 13 NPC's: 6 Jedi, 6 Sith, and 1 NPC_player whom I modestly call "Master_Korr". It starts with the camera looking at the Sith and Stormies as they move into position. Then, it pans over to the Jedi as they prepare for the battle. Then, the camera pans over to the other side of the battle, showing both sides. This I cannot do with too many more Npc's.

 

Then, BS_cinematic is turned off. Since the two sides are 30 units apart... all hell breaks loose.

 

I say this becuase my saber staff didn't even get a word in edgewise. I couldn't do too much damage without accidentally killing luke, kyle or a jedi. I noticed the Jedi Npc's don't care if you saber kyle or luke, but if you kill a fellow jedi... they turn on you. But I learned a valuable lesson. Not so much about scripting this time as I did about gameplay. All I had to do was sit back and watch. Actually, it was all I could do. I will need to spread out the attacks just a bit. It'll also make for a more fast-paced, heart-pounding, exilarating I'd-better-watch-my-back kind of a level. Much better than I could have anticipated in the beginning of this project, anyway.

 

As I said before, this octagonal room is the only room this level. It won't work any other way. Too many Npc's going at it to even begin to build more of a level. It will be a levelset, it will have side-plots, which can award more knowledge into the Force, and it definitely WILL be kick-arse by the time I get done. The progress I have made is amazing, to me. Let me see if I have a screenshot of what this level originally looked like... no, I don't.

 

This level was originally a cube. Most of it was unlit, with neon colered exceptions. It had tons of odd ziggarauts and pillars to hide the fact it was a cube. It was, to put it in a word, crud. Now... now it looks like a level should. At least, it's getting closer to it. I still request a little help on lighting, it's a bit too dark, and I would like to know about that silvery crystal pillar. It just looks wrong.

[wedge2211]

Nice shot. Good job recreating the rift feel.

_minlight seems to be ignored by the game.

_minLight also requires a _color key, I believe. Format is "_color"/"R G B" in normalized units (ie, "1 1 1" is white). If that doesn't work, and you really want to increase overall lighting...a tiny bit of ambient light won't kill you.

[StaffSaberist]

Note to self: DO NOT SET AMBIENT HIGHER THAN THE ENTITY LIGHTS!

 

My eyes are burning. I set _minlight to 50 and it worked micely, cancelling out the darkest shadows without causing a full-bright level like I did with the ambient...

 

The ceiling needs shading, though. I don't intend to put too much archi on the ceiling (who looks at that all the time, anyway?) but it would help if I git some very dim lights and put them up there.

 

Well, maybe I do know who would.

 

I was tired of looking for a good JO level. It got to the point where if somebody said it was a good level, I'd have Kyle crouch down and look for all the Z-fighting, all the hovering brushes. I never found a perfect level.

 

He's still looking, I believe...

 

BTW, the problem was I was setting it far too low. No color key is required, though it may work. *shrug* I set )minlight to 25 and got what I wanted. No sense playing around with it until I hate what I see.

[lassev]

The ceiling needs shading, though. I don't intend to put too much archi on the ceiling (who looks at that all the time, anyway?) but it would help if I git some very dim lights and put them up there.

 

The ironic thing is that even excellent architecture may be ignored, but lack of architecture or poor architecture is always spotted... That's one of the cruel truths of mapping.

[riceplant]

I don't like using _minlight much, as it makes the shadows look a little washed out, I don't use it more than about 15, 50 sounds a lot too high, though I suppose you could use negative lights in anywhere you wanted to look really dark.

[StaffSaberist]

I turned it down to 25. I'll try a few settings at 15, or 20, or about 12, or something like that.

 

I still have this odd problem where those crystal pillars seen in the last screenshot are a stone type texture in Radiant, but come out silvery in the game. This is annoying me. What can cause this?

 

The ironic thing is that even excellent architecture may be ignored, but lack of architecture or poor architecture is always spotted... That's one of the cruel truths of mapping.

 

I know what you mean. http://www.massassi.net is the perfect example. Everything is critisized in some way, no matter how good it is. Some deserve bad reviews, and anyone who doesn't believe me can check out JK's Crush them all!!! map. It takes boxy to a new level. But others are good maps that have errors in ONE place, and they treat it like they are the worst mappers on earth. That's why I made d@mn good and sure my map looked good before I showed it to you.

 

I don't have just a blank ceiling. But I also don't have very much. I will try to think of something... but what can you put on a ceiling? Most ceilings are bare, and I have something at least.

 

Hmm. I have a scripting question, too. How can you make a saber activate, and a blaster fire? A shooting scene would offer me great opportunity for a new, better cutscene.

[riceplant]

The saber one is simple, just use the SET_SABER_ACTIVE (or something) on the Jedi. The blaster thing I think is also under set, but I can't remember what it's called. Try looking for a SET_WHATEVER before asking anything, as chances are that's what it'll be, and it saves time for you.

[StaffSaberist]

Well, I did look, and I didn't see it. Maybe I just missed it. I also missed the one that sets what saber you get. That is possible, I know that much.

 

OK, I'm comfy with _minlight at 15. I need to do the following before I can consider that level complete:

 

I need to solve the mystery of the silver crystals.

I need to re-do the scripts to spread out the fight.

I need to rotate a few crystal lamps so they face the statue.

Anything else that may come up.

 

So close, so very close, to the end of Level 1. Level 2 will be exploration of the actual Rift. I do intend to give the whole level a Rift "feel" as I have done so far.

 

BTW, what I was looking for was to have actual combat. It may be best to make them invincible during ordinary combat, and then turn off invincibility when the scene is over. OK, that'll work. I'll look around for the blaster one.

 

*thinks a minute*

 

Taspir III had a controlled saber battle where Jaden fights Alora; the anims are always the same. That'll take a long time to set up, so it probably isn't necessary. But it was a thought.

 

I hate destroying a perfectly good script, but it is necessary. I may as well, having new waits, canera angles, etc. *turns on action music* I'm off into Radiant!

[wedge2211]

You can try turning the crystal pillars into misc_model_statics. Give the _static the same keys and put it at the same origin as the misc_models. See what happens.

[StaffSaberist]

I'll do that... but tomorrow morning. It's 9:24 my time, and I like to get to bed early so I can map in the wee hours. It's quiet, no distractions, just me and my work.

 

I am drawing on paper the first plans for Part II. It probably will look nothing like what I am drawing in the end, but it helps get the thought process going.