Questions about Quark4Torque

#1 First, several things are happening along the PNG lines. The "official" version of QuArK now supports PNG. I am in the process of revising quark4torque AND getting the current Torque add-on into the official release of QuArK. But, in the meantime, the way I handle it is (if I want a PNG--for transparency) I make a jpg for the QuArK add-on and a PNG of the same image that will go in the interiors directory.

I guess I need to make a quick tut on adding textures to add-ons in QuArK; well, here's the quick run through:

1. Assuming your jpgs are in /base/textures/some_texture_folder, go to QuArK's Toolbox|Texture Browser pull-down menu

2. Select Folders|New Main Folder; a pop-up window will allow you three options--if this is the first time, select In a new add-on. You will be prompted for a name and directory; leave it in the default directory (which is quark4torque) and name the add-on [whatever].qrk.

3. Then at the bottom of the texture treeview you will see the "new folder". Highlight it (F2) and change the name to whatever is meaningful to you.

4. Leave the new folder highlighted and from the pull-down menu select Edit|Import files|Import (copy) files

5. That places those textures in the folder you created. For better file management you could have also created a new subfolder(s). You can do this anytime and move the textures around in the treeview. If you make changes such as this, you will be prompted to save the .qrk add-on when you exit QuArK.

6. You can have many add-ons--good idea for file management.

7. When you compile a map, the textures used on that map are extracted from /base/textures/whatever_folder and copied to /tmpQuArK/textures folder. Just copy these to your /data/interior/whatever folder. If you want a PNG instead of jpg, copy that instead of the jpg. (Don't have the same image in both formats in the same folder.)

8. Copy the compiled dif from /tmpQuArK/maps to /data/interior/whatever/maps folder.

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These textures should NOT be in a wad. If you look at the map file that came with quark4torque you will not the wad definition at the beginning. Wads are for WC.

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Custom entities:

First, are they compatible with map2dif?

If so, look in quark4torque/addons/Torque. You will see DataTorque.qrk. This is the current entity/map items specific to Torque. You can add your entities there so they will be added to QuArK's menus. If you need help with the syntax, let me know.

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Also, more info at my mirror of QuArK Infobase at:

holodeck.st.usm.edu/vrcomputing/vrc_t/

or

www.planetquake.com/quark/

#2 Ahh, the Import was what I was missing. Thanks :)

#3 Wow.. After nearly conquering(?) WC Hammer, I'm finding that QuArK has some potentially GREAT tools. I'm still struggling with the whole GUI, but hopefully I can make the transition.

How is this project coming along, Desmond?
Do you know if there is a simple way to make a better and more torque-specific GUI? (is anything ever simple?;))
Thanks for your hard work on this, too.

Eric

#4 I don't know exactly what you mean by Torque-specific gui? All the available entities for Torque are accessable from the Torque game settings in QuArK.

Also, PNG support has been added to QuArK but there are a couple fixes that still need to be made. And, Torque has been added to the latest "snapshot" so it will be available in the regular distribution channel:
www.planetquake.com/quark

I still need to fix the switches for compiling also--right now QuArK works best with the 220 mapversion (like WC). But I'm having trouble reading some other map formats into QuArK (like the Q1/2 formats). Support for the Q3 style map format was added a while back, but I haven't checked that out thoroughly either. Time, where does it go? :)

#5 I guess I was thinking of a simpler and intuitive GUI in general, instead of doing most work via menus.

I am really having trouble with changing to QuArK. :( I'm getting more comfortable with using it, but the two main problems I'm having are these:

1) How does one open a .map file into Torque, rather than its default to Quake?
2) I try to compile and get the following error every time:

Traceback (innermost last):
  File "C:\QUARK\quarkpy\mapquakemenu.py", line 229, in qmenuitem1click
    RebuildAndRun([(editor.fileobject, editor.Root, m.info)], editor,
  File "C:\QUARK\quarkpy\mapquakemenu.py", line 447, in RebuildAndRun
    newcmdline = string.replace(newcmdline, "%buildpgmsdir%", setup["BuildPgmsDi
r"])
TypeError: argument 3: expected read-only buffer, None found

A minor question: I can get the textures to show up in the perspective/oGL views, but they look washed-out and lower resolution. Any way to correct this?
Thanks :)

#6 Ok... I had recent beta snapshot, but they just put up a release candidate (to likely be finalized next week). Whatever those problems were are fixed. The map will stay in Torque when loading rather than switch to Quake mode, and I no longer get that console error, above (this could have been an installation/initial settings error). At any rate, it works. *phew*

Textures still look washed out--even in 3dOpenGL mode. It would be nice to be able to do WYSIWYG, like Worldcraft/Hammer but perhaps that will work itself out once I use it more.;)

BTW, can anyone point me to where I can download lgicons for Quark? =/ Can't find them on the website.

#7 I still don't understand what you mean exactly by Torque specific gui. QuArK is designed to work with a wide variety of map formats (unlike most map editors). If you can give me a sample of what you're thinking about, it may be possible ....

The latest files for QuArK are here:
holodeck.st.usm.edu/vrcomputing/toolkit/map_editors/quark4torque/quark63.shtml

This version fixes the map opening issue you had (see above).

#8 Thanks Desmond. :)

On the GUI, allow me to try to organize my thoughts. It just seems there should be easier ways to do alot of things. I keep getting frustrated with QuArK, though it's a more powerful app.

Would you know what a vislink error is in map2dif? Something about needing a node and it being coplaner. If you need more info, I'll be certain to get it (hoping you know it off the top of yer noggin.:))

#9 Well, with respect to features in QuArK, you should read the infobase at my site:
holodeck.st.usm.edu/vrcomputing/vrc_t/
or from:
www.planetquake.com/quark/
Lots of great info on all aspects of QuArK setup, editing, special tools, writing your own plug-ins, making add-ons, etc.

With respect to map2dif, I supplied the debug version on purpose so that the error messages would be displayed. These are most helpful to pinpoint exact problems in a map. It's one of my hopes to make these error messages a bit more readable for non-programmers. But, in the short term, if you can copy the message exactly, I can usually determine the root of the problem. In the error message window title, for example, there should be displayed the file and line number that forced the error Assert.

P.S. Feel free to send me the map or qkm :)

In terms of QuArK's gui look and feel, you have a lot of options to change how things look (background, etc). One of the best things for me is the right-mouse button pan and two-button quick zoom--makes moving around REAL fast compared to other editors.

#10 About the GUI, perhaps a WC-alike option? Just for those who don't transfer well? (ie: me...lol). Use the negative brush rather than carve, and so forth. I realize this is all there, but for myself: I generally do better learning a little at a time rather than alot of new.:)

I thought WC-alike would be good just because it has the basics right there.

#11 That's probably not going to happen. BTW, QuArK does have negative polys.

#12 Yeah.. that's what I meant for the button to default to--the neg. polys rather than the carve tool.

Desmond, I'm curious: do you know what the difference is between morian and map2dif? I mean, what--if anything--was updated with map2dif?

Also, if you don't mind, can the path tool be used in creating interiors? I have seen absolutely no info on it for Torque.

I'm slowly coming around to QuArK. Once properly configured it doesn't seem quite so foreboding. As I've said before it is more powerful, which of course makes it a bit more complicated to work with. But, we're getting there.;)

Do you still want me to send you the file with the vislink error?

#13 Yes, send the vislink error (but with all the info).

When talking about path tool, do you mean the path duplicator in the "Duplicators & Misc" section under QuArK's New Map Items section or the path entities under the Torque Entities? The only entities that can currently be used for Torque are under the Torque entities section--that's not to say the others can't be configured to work with Torque.

Parts of Morian are used in Map2dif. I'm not exactly sure, but I think Morian was/is the compile tool for Tribes2.

#14 Map2dif *appears* to be an updated morian. Yes, morian is the tribes2 program. I couldnt tell a major difference in the tools (my WC setup uses morian, wheras QuArK uses map2dif_debug).

The same vislink error comes up on either. On a side note a theory: Half-life creates vis zones by looking at physical boundaries such as walls, but also corners--such as if a hallway suddenly made a 90degree angle. Even though the hall continues, the zone stops there and starts with a new one. As I understood it, Portal entities were the only way to divide zones--perhaps map2dif does this too? Or it's some leftover junk code? Well, something to mull on--my troublesome model is a straight pipe that makes a 30 degree turn at a point. I'll email.

I believe the path tool is used by an entity but isn't one. In half-life they are used for such things as a monster's patrol route as well as the door/elevator/train entities.

I think it'd be nice to have for a railroad track set I need to make soon--if we can get it to work at all. Since it's spline-based and tracks can be curvy it just seems ideal. Though, a new entity might have to be created--and that wouldn't be ideal.;) lol