Dif's And Dts
by mb · in Torque Game Engine Advanced · 10/10/2007 (7:01 pm) · 12 replies
My friend is new to torque and wants to know if it's possible to create all the graphics in Lightwave. I didn't think you could but he was able to create a model in Lighwave then export as .dts then import as mesh into constructor and export as dif.
What are the pro's & con's of doing it like this. I thought he was going to have to create the difs in constructor... I never saw the import as mesh before.
What are the pro's & con's of doing it like this. I thought he was going to have to create the difs in constructor... I never saw the import as mesh before.
#2
I'll look up the poly soup. As for the importing dts you misunderstood what I was asking. First he made an object in lightwave and exported it as .dts. Then he was able to open the .dts file (using import as mesh) in Constructor and then export it as a .dif file. Then I made a materials.cs and then the .dif loaded into TGEA.
I was wondering if this has any drawbacks. For instance losing bsp culling and stuff like that.
10/11/2007 (7:05 am)
Thanks,I'll look up the poly soup. As for the importing dts you misunderstood what I was asking. First he made an object in lightwave and exported it as .dts. Then he was able to open the .dts file (using import as mesh) in Constructor and then export it as a .dif file. Then I made a materials.cs and then the .dif loaded into TGEA.
I was wondering if this has any drawbacks. For instance losing bsp culling and stuff like that.
#3
TGEA 1.0.3 only accepts constructor export to dif and this does not support portals -> no culling at all.
There are people using a modified map 2 dif. Sounds great. But as they use a not existant format number this only works localy if you try to access a server you will be dropped.
2. This has a few drawbacks, one is that the DTS ends up cut up. If he wants to create objects as DIF, I would suggest doing so straight in Constructor or Hammer 3.4, not in a modelling app. As modelling apps don't create objects that follow even the basic BSP / DIF rules and must be modified to do so.
10/11/2007 (7:44 am)
1. In TGEA 1.0.3 you don't have any BSP culling.TGEA 1.0.3 only accepts constructor export to dif and this does not support portals -> no culling at all.
There are people using a modified map 2 dif. Sounds great. But as they use a not existant format number this only works localy if you try to access a server you will be dropped.
2. This has a few drawbacks, one is that the DTS ends up cut up. If he wants to create objects as DIF, I would suggest doing so straight in Constructor or Hammer 3.4, not in a modelling app. As modelling apps don't create objects that follow even the basic BSP / DIF rules and must be modified to do so.
#4
I'm confused by this statement. We use TGEA 1.0.3 with DIFs made in QuArK.
10/11/2007 (8:21 am)
Quote:TGEA 1.0.3 only accepts constructor export to dif
I'm confused by this statement. We use TGEA 1.0.3 with DIFs made in QuArK.
#5
I'm having a hard time explaining why it's better. He doesn't want to take the time to learn a new program.
It seems every 3D artist I've worked with seems to beleive that they can just use one program as an end all solution. That would be nice if there was, but unfortunatly it doesn't work like that in game dev. They spend all this time experimenting on new methods that "might" work and they could be spending this time learning Constructor which "does" work. And I've found after they have wasted time experienmenting they become frustrated because nothing works (or doesn't work like they want) and they give up and quit. I could write a book on this...
10/11/2007 (10:28 am)
Thanks, thats's pretty much what I've been telling him. It's better to use constructor/hammer/quark for the dif's. I'm having a hard time explaining why it's better. He doesn't want to take the time to learn a new program.
It seems every 3D artist I've worked with seems to beleive that they can just use one program as an end all solution. That would be nice if there was, but unfortunatly it doesn't work like that in game dev. They spend all this time experimenting on new methods that "might" work and they could be spending this time learning Constructor which "does" work. And I've found after they have wasted time experienmenting they become frustrated because nothing works (or doesn't work like they want) and they give up and quit. I could write a book on this...
#6
then start a dedicated server with the DIFs. It will mention you an error with each DIF and remove it from the CRC check list. The Map2Dif tool is not using the same DIF version as the engine. The TGEA 1.0.3 DIF can only be exported from Constructor using the Export to DIF option and it is only this export that allows the integration of meshes into the DIF at the price of not working portaling.
If the dedicated does not come up with that errors, I would be happy to get the modified Map2Dif / M2D Plus that works :-)
We currently have a modified version that works locally by simply using a legacy file version and hope that the tools get fixed soon so that we don't have to do GGs job when we are ready for alpha.
mb: No new story ... thats how the world is. You could tell him that he must accept that a modelling app is great for DTS but that a modelling app is just incapable of creating BSP geometry due to the little fact that it does not enforce the rules to which BSP / DIF are bound.
Especially not the 256 faces per brush rule to which DIF is bound.
10/11/2007 (11:29 am)
Quote: Quote:
TGEA 1.0.3 only accepts constructor export to dif
I'm confused by this statement. We use TGEA 1.0.3 with DIFs made in QuArK.
then start a dedicated server with the DIFs. It will mention you an error with each DIF and remove it from the CRC check list. The Map2Dif tool is not using the same DIF version as the engine. The TGEA 1.0.3 DIF can only be exported from Constructor using the Export to DIF option and it is only this export that allows the integration of meshes into the DIF at the price of not working portaling.
If the dedicated does not come up with that errors, I would be happy to get the modified Map2Dif / M2D Plus that works :-)
We currently have a modified version that works locally by simply using a legacy file version and hope that the tools get fixed soon so that we don't have to do GGs job when we are ready for alpha.
mb: No new story ... thats how the world is. You could tell him that he must accept that a modelling app is great for DTS but that a modelling app is just incapable of creating BSP geometry due to the little fact that it does not enforce the rules to which BSP / DIF are bound.
Especially not the 256 faces per brush rule to which DIF is bound.
#7
Thanks for the explanation.
10/11/2007 (12:51 pm)
Yo yo yo... I was only asking a question. Obviously, the bug isn't affecting my work. Thanks for the explanation.
#8
10/12/2007 (6:52 am)
Thanks for the replies and the explainations. This will help me out a lot!
#9
10/12/2007 (9:07 am)
Map2Dif not working? i use it and i'v not had a problem? 
#11
10/12/2007 (7:15 pm)
If it's not supporting portals, that would explain the poor performance in the cities. 
#12
10/12/2007 (7:30 pm)
Portals wouldn't help much with exterior city areas. That's where you would want to implement LOD. Interiors of the buildings, however, would be optimized with portals. 
Torque Owner Bobby Leighton
Imagn' Games