.map exporter for DeleD released
by Dirk "dirkk" Krause · in Artist Corner · 10/03/2004 (4:55 am) · 20 replies
Hi,
just wanted to announce that a version 0.1 of the map exporter for DeleD is ready (see discussion here).
To obtain further information either visit the DeleD website or download the Test Environment including the plugin .
There are still some issues (including problems with complex models and prefabs, see readme for details). It seems that the output of the converter also imports into Quark, so this might be interesting for some of you, too.
So please test, have fun and send mail or post, how it works.
Regards,
Dirk
just wanted to announce that a version 0.1 of the map exporter for DeleD is ready (see discussion here).
To obtain further information either visit the DeleD website or download the Test Environment including the plugin .
There are still some issues (including problems with complex models and prefabs, see readme for details). It seems that the output of the converter also imports into Quark, so this might be interesting for some of you, too.
So please test, have fun and send mail or post, how it works.
Regards,
Dirk
#2
10/04/2004 (2:48 am)
Cool will check it out
#3
10/07/2004 (4:41 am)
Can't wait to try this one!...
#5
So why should I download Test Environment + Plugin? What is different from
just downloading Deled and the Plugin? I'm on SUPPPPPPERRRRR slow work
connection! :)
10/07/2004 (9:50 pm)
It's the same nathan...So why should I download Test Environment + Plugin? What is different from
just downloading Deled and the Plugin? I'm on SUPPPPPPERRRRR slow work
connection! :)
#6
10/07/2004 (10:39 pm)
You can download the plugin without the test environment from the DeleD homepage (under downloads).
#7
10/07/2004 (11:00 pm)
But what is the "Test Envirtonment"? What does it include?
#8
- map2dif
- torque.exe with an empty world loading a 'pre-placed' test.dif
- a batch file to automate the turn-around of creating an object and doing a test flight in Torque
and especially
- the already converted textures from the default texture pack that comes with DeleD.
The test environment is especially aimed at people who want a painless quick start into DeleD and Torque. Ýou need nothing more to have DeleD and Torque ready within a minute.
To use DeleD and Torque without it means preparing textures and their names in the .map file - actually the same things you have to do when setting up Quark, which takes some time, too. On the other hand, it's not complicated either. You choose.
10/07/2004 (11:17 pm)
It includes- map2dif
- torque.exe with an empty world loading a 'pre-placed' test.dif
- a batch file to automate the turn-around of creating an object and doing a test flight in Torque
and especially
- the already converted textures from the default texture pack that comes with DeleD.
The test environment is especially aimed at people who want a painless quick start into DeleD and Torque. Ýou need nothing more to have DeleD and Torque ready within a minute.
To use DeleD and Torque without it means preparing textures and their names in the .map file - actually the same things you have to do when setting up Quark, which takes some time, too. On the other hand, it's not complicated either. You choose.
#10
- most important: my development of the DeleD to .map pipeline will continue!
- Torquers wanting to create their levels right now can still use the last stable DeleD version 0.86 and the plugin (if you don't have it anymore, send me an email to obtain it)
- the last release of DeleD had some major improvements, most of them not important to TGE (like lightmapping)
- the plugin management changed, I will check it soon
- the DeleD team has still some issues with the current version and are working hard on it (I am not a member of the DeleD team)
My plan is to change the .map export plugin into a .dmf to .map converter, mainly because this way I can take this development to higher grounds, so to speak.
Please use this thread for remarks or questions or send me an email.
01/14/2005 (12:43 am)
Due to some questions and request I'd like to clarify:- most important: my development of the DeleD to .map pipeline will continue!
- Torquers wanting to create their levels right now can still use the last stable DeleD version 0.86 and the plugin (if you don't have it anymore, send me an email to obtain it)
- the last release of DeleD had some major improvements, most of them not important to TGE (like lightmapping)
- the plugin management changed, I will check it soon
- the DeleD team has still some issues with the current version and are working hard on it (I am not a member of the DeleD team)
My plan is to change the .map export plugin into a .dmf to .map converter, mainly because this way I can take this development to higher grounds, so to speak.
Please use this thread for remarks or questions or send me an email.
#11
01/14/2005 (12:48 am)
Why not make a straight to .dif exporter plugin for Deled?
#12
01/14/2005 (5:55 am)
I'd love to, but that would mean reverse engineering of map2dif, which doesn't make sense because the GG people are undertaking a major overhaul anyhow at this moment. 
#13
01/14/2005 (8:43 am)
With my DIF CartShop plugin i took the route of integrating directly with map2dif. I took the easy way and convert the CSM data into MAP using a MemFile which is then passed into the map2dif code without it knowing it's not coming from a file on disk. I changed *very* little of the original map2dif code to do all this. The initial merge with the new map2dif stuff will be tricky, but once that's over it should be easy to keep up.
#14
There were some other reasons why I decided against it.
- the various unhandled/not well documented error messages from map2dif would have become part of the exporter. This way I would have literally imported some trouble I didn't want.
- I like the notion to have a .map file in the file system that can be checked and changed.
- I found out that a batch file that calls map2dif and copies the file to the right position is even handier.
Everyone who checked out the test environment (see above) will confirm that creating and converting is a breeze with the batch file.
01/14/2005 (9:44 am)
@Tom: yes, I was thinking about that, too. It's good to know that you managed to acchieve this! I was thinking that this might be rather hard...There were some other reasons why I decided against it.
- the various unhandled/not well documented error messages from map2dif would have become part of the exporter. This way I would have literally imported some trouble I didn't want.
- I like the notion to have a .map file in the file system that can be checked and changed.
- I found out that a batch file that calls map2dif and copies the file to the right position is even handier.
Everyone who checked out the test environment (see above) will confirm that creating and converting is a breeze with the batch file.
#15
I looked at the error message mess as part of the problem with exporters that i wanted to address. By having it part of the plugin i could fix the not so obvious messages as needed (so far i'm waiting for feedback to change anything).
The worst problem with putting map2dif in the plugin is that map2dif loves to crash and release builds don't show any useful information. To solve this i submitted a small patch whichs make the assert manager overloadable (Ben said he'd look to adding this into HEAD). I then plugged in my own assert manager to throw exceptions instead of firing 'int 3's and i wrap all the map2dif code in a set of catch handlers. This gets me all the debug spew in release without crashes and with fully optimized code (great for complex lightmaps).
About having the .map is a nice thing as it's text editable, but you would have to keep the original DeleD file too. I don't think you'll be doing too much hand editing of the .map, so for our uses i found the map file pointless. Still i added a '.map export only' option as i need to see the .map when debugging at times.
When i first got back into Torque i went with a batch script to convert my .maps to DIFs, but i felt it was better for me and my artist to have a GUI interface. I still do have a plan for a command line version of our exporter so that we can directly convert CSM files to DIF files during an automated nightly build.
01/14/2005 (10:39 am)
@DirkI looked at the error message mess as part of the problem with exporters that i wanted to address. By having it part of the plugin i could fix the not so obvious messages as needed (so far i'm waiting for feedback to change anything).
The worst problem with putting map2dif in the plugin is that map2dif loves to crash and release builds don't show any useful information. To solve this i submitted a small patch whichs make the assert manager overloadable (Ben said he'd look to adding this into HEAD). I then plugged in my own assert manager to throw exceptions instead of firing 'int 3's and i wrap all the map2dif code in a set of catch handlers. This gets me all the debug spew in release without crashes and with fully optimized code (great for complex lightmaps).
About having the .map is a nice thing as it's text editable, but you would have to keep the original DeleD file too. I don't think you'll be doing too much hand editing of the .map, so for our uses i found the map file pointless. Still i added a '.map export only' option as i need to see the .map when debugging at times.
When i first got back into Torque i went with a batch script to convert my .maps to DIFs, but i felt it was better for me and my artist to have a GUI interface. I still do have a plan for a command line version of our exporter so that we can directly convert CSM files to DIF files during an automated nightly build.
#16
I remember you wanted to check for licensing issues: did you find out about the licensing issues by incorporating map2dif code into a tool?
01/14/2005 (10:53 am)
A nifty way to do it, that's for sure :-). Since there is a new map2dif on the way, I'll definitely have a second thought about this when it's here.I remember you wanted to check for licensing issues: did you find out about the licensing issues by incorporating map2dif code into a tool?
#17
01/14/2005 (11:03 am)
@Dirk - Yes i did work out the licensing issue. The GG folks are eager to get more/better art tools, so they are willing to work around licensing issues. You'll need to contact Josh Williams ( joshw at garagegames dot com ) and discuss your plans with them. You can't release their source code of course, but i didn't figure that was a big deal to keep the exporter plugin closed source if i maintained it.
#18
01/14/2005 (11:06 am)
Thanks, Tom, I'll do that.
#20
1) It's likely that I follow Tom's recommendation to incorporate the map2dif code, so that DIFs can be created directly. This may have to wait until the new map2dif is released.
2) The current plugin works fine for the people that I received feedback of; nevertheless I intend to update the plugin as soon as Jereon and his team consolidate the current version of DeleD.
and of course
3) people who want to use DeleD with Torque are welcome to send me a mail, and the will receive the version that works with the plugin.
01/26/2005 (2:19 pm)
@Fail66: well, it's three answers:1) It's likely that I follow Tom's recommendation to incorporate the map2dif code, so that DIFs can be created directly. This may have to wait until the new map2dif is released.
2) The current plugin works fine for the people that I received feedback of; nevertheless I intend to update the plugin as soon as Jereon and his team consolidate the current version of DeleD.
and of course
3) people who want to use DeleD with Torque are welcome to send me a mail, and the will receive the version that works with the plugin.
Torque Owner Josh Williams
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