Hi, new to this community, a few questions:
by Anonymous · in General Discussion · 01/28/2002 (9:01 pm) · 8 replies
#2
01/28/2002 (9:02 pm)
I orderd my SDK on disc too, still havent gotten it though....crossing my fingers!
#3
Part 1 in the beginning
1.-download the sdk files (the largest file is 12mb any modem can handle that! =) )
2.-Play around with the demo.
3.-Mess with the demo tools F11 and F10 activate the editors
4.-Use torquedemo -show and play with it.
5. Use torquedemo -dedicated and play with it as well.
Part 2 Is time to mess around!
1.- Copy your example directory to somewhere else and rename this dir to "testing" or something with that effect.
2.- Check the data files, you will realize that you can
open most data files with a text editor, (with the exception of models and textures) Dont mess with the text files. (not yet) unless you see something tempting
and inoffensive like changing a "text" tag =) run torquedemo.exe again to see what you have done.
3.- Check the textures, now open up the textures in photoshop and hack them to your heart content, change their colors. shapes, etc. just be careful to save them with the same name in the same location in the same format, also some PNG and TGA files, will have a alpha channel, (a mask) this will show up in photoshop. try not to mess with it.. Also keep try to keep their same dimensions.
As an exercise, try to identify where each texture is used, by reading their name, dir name and by modifying it and seing it in game. =)
As a final and cool exercise for this part, modify the background image of the gui for something you like =)
(anything you want)
4.- Now is time to mess with something more interesting.
Here's a nice thing, remember the changes you made on
the torque engine to the terrain and gui? well those
are GUI and MIS files. they can be edited in a text editor, so why dont you do just that? change the sizes, fonts, colors, ubications, etc.
You can even create a new MIS file by simply copying it and changing its name. and if you put it in the missions directory it will show up in the game, Cool!
Change in the mission file, the water texture, the intensity and position of the sun, how far can you see etc.
NOTE: When modifying mis files try to keep the same format the script uses, dont change 4.0000000 with 4 even though this may seem harmless the engine is probably expecting the zeroes so just keep the same format
4.- If you mess something REALLY bad, just make another clean copy of the example dir again and you are ready to start over. =)
Part 3 Now lets get the tools ready.
Note: this part is essentially for coders, if you are
not a coder and you work in a team (as an artist per example) you probably wont need this, skip to the next section
1.-Get tribal ide.
2.-Get winCVS
3.-Download the CVS code from the cvs server
4.-Compile it (not as easy as it sounds, go to the no escape site to check the correct options, NOTE: the newer version does not need the ASM compiler modifications, it will still run with them but they are not needed)
5.-Backup your engine, example directory and VC6 directory. (in case something goes bad)
6.-Go to the code snippets and try to fit the modifications into torque. start with script changes. And then when you feel up to the challenge, modify and recompile
7.-Read the scripts very carefully (I know there are hundreds of them, but with tribal ide you should be able to cut through them like a knife in butter!) and when the time comes read the C++ code very careful (some background will probably be needed, you will need basic C++, templates, stl and opengl, directx knowledge to START understanding the code, but eventually you will)
8.-You dont need to understand scripts fully at this time, you simply need to have an idea of how the script works.
Part 4, lets get Ready to work!
1.-Now is time to actually add content, you will need some tutorials, for this. Also make a backup of your data files, before going any further.
2.-Read (and follow if possible) the torque max tutorials, (the four of them, including the latest one) even if you dont use max this will give you strong knowledge of how torque models (and vehicles) work.
Make a simple shape and put it in the game. once you feel confident, try to change the main player. by saving a new player.dts on top of the current player file.(this is quite a bit tricky but worth the effort)
3.-Read the worldcraft tutorial and start cooking up a simple WALL (Stephen king once said, I made my books just like they made the chinese wall, brick by brick and thats exactly what you will do) put your wall in the game. Then when you feel more confident build a more complex and interesting structure and put it in the game too. (you can keep lots of dif files in the directory and choose if you use them or not in the mission file) build away! =) (note: remember that each building makes your lighting/loading slower, but also more worth it =))
4.- Let your imagination go, Make giant apples, walking noodles, giant kiwi tossing bats =) whatever you like it doesnt have to make sense, just put it in the game.
5.- For extra fun, change the terrain/sky textures, for what ever like your picture a garagegames logo, etc.
6.- Now.. go the opposite way, picture an image of what you like to see (a star wars set, a city, an ancient temple, an underwater scene etc) and use all the knowledge you have gathered to put this in the game. (including modifying the terrain and terrain/sky textures, dont use those garagegames gave you!) dont stop until it looks exactly like you imagined it.
Part 5 is showtime!
1.-Now is time to realize, what you have, you can change the code, put up new buildings, models, players, the kind of terrain, etc. NOW is time to put in paper, what exactly would you like to do with all of this, a FPS game, a RPG? a tribes like game with caveman? think on a game you have always like to play and pretend you are reviewing it, write it down. Scribble a few pictures of it as well.
2.-"Use the forums Luke!"
Probably you currently dont know how to make something work for your game well, thats why this is here, use the search option in garagegames look Resources or forums threads about that subject and if is not there, just Ask! with a bit of luck and patience you will get the answer you need, (hey you found this on the forums didnt you? ;) )
However remember what aristoteles (I believe) once said "The answer always lies within you, I just helped you find it" meaning: (with you knowledge) you probably already have an idea of what to do, you just need a push in the right direction to be confident about it. so just go ahead and Ask.
3.- And finally , try to give back a little of what has been given to you, a community doesnt work if everybody keeps their discoveries for themselves, share what you feel like sharing (Jhon carmack and Michael Abrash had been releasing their techniques and even their source codes to the public, since doom, and although this might mean they are lots of clones, their business model hasnt been really damaged by this at all, and it has improved the industry a lot), you dont have to, but you will feel better with yourself if you do.
I hope this long answer helps you making the torque learning curve a bit less steep.
btw, my team and I are putting new website this week for our project and we are putting up tutorials such as this,, so take a look, =) I will give you the address as soon as is up.
Have fun!
01/29/2002 (8:24 am)
Hehehe, Hi, is funny because I asked exactly the same questions when I got here. =) heres a short guide I just cooked up, based on my experience. enjoyPart 1 in the beginning
1.-download the sdk files (the largest file is 12mb any modem can handle that! =) )
2.-Play around with the demo.
3.-Mess with the demo tools F11 and F10 activate the editors
4.-Use torquedemo -show and play with it.
5. Use torquedemo -dedicated and play with it as well.
Part 2 Is time to mess around!
1.- Copy your example directory to somewhere else and rename this dir to "testing" or something with that effect.
2.- Check the data files, you will realize that you can
open most data files with a text editor, (with the exception of models and textures) Dont mess with the text files. (not yet) unless you see something tempting
and inoffensive like changing a "text" tag =) run torquedemo.exe again to see what you have done.
3.- Check the textures, now open up the textures in photoshop and hack them to your heart content, change their colors. shapes, etc. just be careful to save them with the same name in the same location in the same format, also some PNG and TGA files, will have a alpha channel, (a mask) this will show up in photoshop. try not to mess with it.. Also keep try to keep their same dimensions.
As an exercise, try to identify where each texture is used, by reading their name, dir name and by modifying it and seing it in game. =)
As a final and cool exercise for this part, modify the background image of the gui for something you like =)
(anything you want)
4.- Now is time to mess with something more interesting.
Here's a nice thing, remember the changes you made on
the torque engine to the terrain and gui? well those
are GUI and MIS files. they can be edited in a text editor, so why dont you do just that? change the sizes, fonts, colors, ubications, etc.
You can even create a new MIS file by simply copying it and changing its name. and if you put it in the missions directory it will show up in the game, Cool!
Change in the mission file, the water texture, the intensity and position of the sun, how far can you see etc.
NOTE: When modifying mis files try to keep the same format the script uses, dont change 4.0000000 with 4 even though this may seem harmless the engine is probably expecting the zeroes so just keep the same format
4.- If you mess something REALLY bad, just make another clean copy of the example dir again and you are ready to start over. =)
Part 3 Now lets get the tools ready.
Note: this part is essentially for coders, if you are
not a coder and you work in a team (as an artist per example) you probably wont need this, skip to the next section
1.-Get tribal ide.
2.-Get winCVS
3.-Download the CVS code from the cvs server
4.-Compile it (not as easy as it sounds, go to the no escape site to check the correct options, NOTE: the newer version does not need the ASM compiler modifications, it will still run with them but they are not needed)
5.-Backup your engine, example directory and VC6 directory. (in case something goes bad)
6.-Go to the code snippets and try to fit the modifications into torque. start with script changes. And then when you feel up to the challenge, modify and recompile
7.-Read the scripts very carefully (I know there are hundreds of them, but with tribal ide you should be able to cut through them like a knife in butter!) and when the time comes read the C++ code very careful (some background will probably be needed, you will need basic C++, templates, stl and opengl, directx knowledge to START understanding the code, but eventually you will)
8.-You dont need to understand scripts fully at this time, you simply need to have an idea of how the script works.
Part 4, lets get Ready to work!
1.-Now is time to actually add content, you will need some tutorials, for this. Also make a backup of your data files, before going any further.
2.-Read (and follow if possible) the torque max tutorials, (the four of them, including the latest one) even if you dont use max this will give you strong knowledge of how torque models (and vehicles) work.
Make a simple shape and put it in the game. once you feel confident, try to change the main player. by saving a new player.dts on top of the current player file.(this is quite a bit tricky but worth the effort)
3.-Read the worldcraft tutorial and start cooking up a simple WALL (Stephen king once said, I made my books just like they made the chinese wall, brick by brick and thats exactly what you will do) put your wall in the game. Then when you feel more confident build a more complex and interesting structure and put it in the game too. (you can keep lots of dif files in the directory and choose if you use them or not in the mission file) build away! =) (note: remember that each building makes your lighting/loading slower, but also more worth it =))
4.- Let your imagination go, Make giant apples, walking noodles, giant kiwi tossing bats =) whatever you like it doesnt have to make sense, just put it in the game.
5.- For extra fun, change the terrain/sky textures, for what ever like your picture a garagegames logo, etc.
6.- Now.. go the opposite way, picture an image of what you like to see (a star wars set, a city, an ancient temple, an underwater scene etc) and use all the knowledge you have gathered to put this in the game. (including modifying the terrain and terrain/sky textures, dont use those garagegames gave you!) dont stop until it looks exactly like you imagined it.
Part 5 is showtime!
1.-Now is time to realize, what you have, you can change the code, put up new buildings, models, players, the kind of terrain, etc. NOW is time to put in paper, what exactly would you like to do with all of this, a FPS game, a RPG? a tribes like game with caveman? think on a game you have always like to play and pretend you are reviewing it, write it down. Scribble a few pictures of it as well.
2.-"Use the forums Luke!"
Probably you currently dont know how to make something work for your game well, thats why this is here, use the search option in garagegames look Resources or forums threads about that subject and if is not there, just Ask! with a bit of luck and patience you will get the answer you need, (hey you found this on the forums didnt you? ;) )
However remember what aristoteles (I believe) once said "The answer always lies within you, I just helped you find it" meaning: (with you knowledge) you probably already have an idea of what to do, you just need a push in the right direction to be confident about it. so just go ahead and Ask.
3.- And finally , try to give back a little of what has been given to you, a community doesnt work if everybody keeps their discoveries for themselves, share what you feel like sharing (Jhon carmack and Michael Abrash had been releasing their techniques and even their source codes to the public, since doom, and although this might mean they are lots of clones, their business model hasnt been really damaged by this at all, and it has improved the industry a lot), you dont have to, but you will feel better with yourself if you do.
I hope this long answer helps you making the torque learning curve a bit less steep.
btw, my team and I are putting new website this week for our project and we are putting up tutorials such as this,, so take a look, =) I will give you the address as soon as is up.
Have fun!
#5
Hint hint Tim Gift...
Hype up the IRC and we'll be getting more people in there. It's bustling with activity (10-20 people) from about 11am pst to 3pm pst, but after that it's nearly dead.
So maybe you could make the IRC info a bit easier to get into, and possibly hype it a bit more. It's easier to get things done without having to deal with time-delay (like you do with forums)
So everyone, come use GG's IRC!
01/30/2002 (9:05 pm)
Oh, even more important... use the irc channel for GG :)Hint hint Tim Gift...
Hype up the IRC and we'll be getting more people in there. It's bustling with activity (10-20 people) from about 11am pst to 3pm pst, but after that it's nearly dead.
So maybe you could make the IRC info a bit easier to get into, and possibly hype it a bit more. It's easier to get things done without having to deal with time-delay (like you do with forums)
So everyone, come use GG's IRC!
#6
Phil.
01/31/2002 (5:01 am)
Anonymous.. I'm looking for modelling help. Email me at pc@team17.com to find out what.Phil.
#7
Your getting started post was very nice. We would like permission to modify it a little and include it as a getting started doc for the Torque. I tried your email, but it didn't work. Let me know.
Jeff Tunnell GG
01/31/2002 (3:19 pm)
Hey BurningRose,Your getting started post was very nice. We would like permission to modify it a little and include it as a getting started doc for the Torque. I tried your email, but it didn't work. Let me know.
Jeff Tunnell GG
Torque Owner Ace