Which Tools for What
by Steven Peterson · in Torque Game Engine · 06/07/2005 (12:52 pm) · 3 replies
I'm trying to get a handle on Torque and all the related tools but i'm not sure what specific purpose they all serve - it seems like there's lots of overlapping. Here's my understanding of it but i'm really not very sure at all.
Torque-GUI: the user interface
Torque-Terrain Editor: The outside over-world map including outdoors landscaping, object placement,
and control of the ambient enviroment
Torque-Show: ???
Torque-Shader: ???
Maya / 3D-Studio-Max: possibly charecter models and animations?
Quark / WorldCraft: "leveleditor" - ???
- How is this different from the terrain editor?
Gimp / Photoshop - image editors for heightmaps or textures
Hopefully someone can clear my confusion. I realize these are very newbie questions but I feel like I can't grasp a solid starting point for learning torque and EVERYTHING that goes with it.
thanks,
Torque-GUI: the user interface
Torque-Terrain Editor: The outside over-world map including outdoors landscaping, object placement,
and control of the ambient enviroment
Torque-Show: ???
Torque-Shader: ???
Maya / 3D-Studio-Max: possibly charecter models and animations?
Quark / WorldCraft: "leveleditor" - ???
- How is this different from the terrain editor?
Gimp / Photoshop - image editors for heightmaps or textures
Hopefully someone can clear my confusion. I realize these are very newbie questions but I feel like I can't grasp a solid starting point for learning torque and EVERYTHING that goes with it.
thanks,
#2
This is where you layout your levels using the terrain (which is generated from an image or manually), DIF interior files, DTS polymesh objects and lots of other level objects like plants, 3d sounds etc.
This is called a mission and is saved as a text gile which you can edit.
Torque GUI
The GUI editor is used to create the interface for your menus and HUD displays. You build these in the GUI editor using controls and graphics that you have drawn.
Torque Show
This is a small utility to look at your DTS objects and check they are working properly. You can check your animation etc. Buy Showtool pro from the main site for a professional version.
Torque Shader Engine
This is the next-gen version of torque that uses shader hardware to get much more advanced visual trickery from the latest graphics cards. You can use TGE now and transfer to TSE later if required. (Small editing tasks involved).
Maya, 3DS, Blender, Milkshape
These are 3d packages for creating poly mesh models like players, vehicles, objects etc. These are built in your 3d editor, skinned, animated and converted to the torque format DTS.
Quark, Worldcraft
Buildings require a different type of modelling from players and objects. One of the most expensive processes an engine does is calculations to decide whether something has hit something else. A poly soup model can have 3000 faces. That is a lot of checking to do so buildings use a different technology that makes collision easier and less resource intensive. This type of modelling needs an entirely different program because it is barely realted to normal modelling like 3DS Max.
The terrain editor is used to compose yourlevel from objects, not actually create the objects themselves.
Gimp, Photoshop, Paint Shop Pro
Used to create the bitmap graphics that are wrapped around the poly soup and DIF models.
06/07/2005 (1:09 pm)
Torque Mission/Terrain editorThis is where you layout your levels using the terrain (which is generated from an image or manually), DIF interior files, DTS polymesh objects and lots of other level objects like plants, 3d sounds etc.
This is called a mission and is saved as a text gile which you can edit.
Torque GUI
The GUI editor is used to create the interface for your menus and HUD displays. You build these in the GUI editor using controls and graphics that you have drawn.
Torque Show
This is a small utility to look at your DTS objects and check they are working properly. You can check your animation etc. Buy Showtool pro from the main site for a professional version.
Torque Shader Engine
This is the next-gen version of torque that uses shader hardware to get much more advanced visual trickery from the latest graphics cards. You can use TGE now and transfer to TSE later if required. (Small editing tasks involved).
Maya, 3DS, Blender, Milkshape
These are 3d packages for creating poly mesh models like players, vehicles, objects etc. These are built in your 3d editor, skinned, animated and converted to the torque format DTS.
Quark, Worldcraft
Buildings require a different type of modelling from players and objects. One of the most expensive processes an engine does is calculations to decide whether something has hit something else. A poly soup model can have 3000 faces. That is a lot of checking to do so buildings use a different technology that makes collision easier and less resource intensive. This type of modelling needs an entirely different program because it is barely realted to normal modelling like 3DS Max.
The terrain editor is used to compose yourlevel from objects, not actually create the objects themselves.
Gimp, Photoshop, Paint Shop Pro
Used to create the bitmap graphics that are wrapped around the poly soup and DIF models.
Torque Owner Kirby Webber
Maya / 3D Studio Max / Milkshape / Blender, etc. are all 3D modelling applications used to build complex meshes, like characters for use in your game.
QUARK / Hammer, etc. are "levl" or in Torque "interior" editors used to make buildings and such that can be placed within your levels.
~ Hope that helps.