Video, Camera, and... Action
by Ronnie · in Technical Issues · 10/31/2007 (10:35 am) · 22 replies
Hello everyone,
I was wondering about the following:
==========
(A) Video
==========
----------------------------------------------------------------------
1. How do I display a video clip upon request?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
For example:
Let's say I'm building some battle-related game,
and I'd like to display a "Mission Debriefing" prior
to each game level - which should include, say,
some pre-made video clip of a battle-field scene.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
2. How do I place a game object WITHIN a video clip?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
For example:
To continue the above, let's say that I want to place
tanks that are firing at each other, within that video clip.
==========
(B) Camera
==========
----------------------------------------------------------------------
1. How do I run a game on "Auto Pilot"?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
For example:
Let's say, that the gamer in my battle-related game
is a soldier who runs around in the battle field,
and the camera shows things from soldier's eyes --
I believe this is called FPS.
How can I have the game run on "Auto Pilot",
as a part of, say, a commercial, so that the soldier
is running around and doing things "on their own",
without any user intervention?
Of course, what is to be displayed on screen is
some battle field stuff that occurs as if in real-time,
through the eyes of that soldier - which means,
I guess, moving the camera forward by script?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
2. How do I switch points of view / camera angle(s)?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
For example:
Let's say, that I want to allow the gamer in my
battle-related game to view the battle field from
multiple angles, say, from the soldire's eyes, from
above, from a distance at the ground level, etc.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
3. How do I zoom in/out on an object?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
For example:
Let's say, that the soldier in my battle-related game
has seen something far away, and uses some
special equipment to take a closer look at it,
but with a gradual "zoom-in effect".
==========
(C) Car race
==========
----------------------------------------------------------------------
1. How can I "convince" a car object to stick to the road?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
For example:
Let's say I'm building a car-race game, in which
the gamer is a car driver. Now, let's also assume
that the road, at some point, is on a bridge over
a river.
How can I prevent the gamer's car (or any other
car, for that matter), to stay on the road without
being able to "jump off" the bridge?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
2. Two-way road
----------------------------------------------------------------------
For example:
Let's say, that the road(s) in my car-race game are
available for a 2-way traffic.
How can I define an "in-road boundary" for car objects
in each direction, so that they cannot collide?
Well,
That's it for now :-)
Thanks,
Ronnie
I was wondering about the following:
==========
(A) Video
==========
----------------------------------------------------------------------
1. How do I display a video clip upon request?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
For example:
Let's say I'm building some battle-related game,
and I'd like to display a "Mission Debriefing" prior
to each game level - which should include, say,
some pre-made video clip of a battle-field scene.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
2. How do I place a game object WITHIN a video clip?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
For example:
To continue the above, let's say that I want to place
tanks that are firing at each other, within that video clip.
==========
(B) Camera
==========
----------------------------------------------------------------------
1. How do I run a game on "Auto Pilot"?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
For example:
Let's say, that the gamer in my battle-related game
is a soldier who runs around in the battle field,
and the camera shows things from soldier's eyes --
I believe this is called FPS.
How can I have the game run on "Auto Pilot",
as a part of, say, a commercial, so that the soldier
is running around and doing things "on their own",
without any user intervention?
Of course, what is to be displayed on screen is
some battle field stuff that occurs as if in real-time,
through the eyes of that soldier - which means,
I guess, moving the camera forward by script?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
2. How do I switch points of view / camera angle(s)?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
For example:
Let's say, that I want to allow the gamer in my
battle-related game to view the battle field from
multiple angles, say, from the soldire's eyes, from
above, from a distance at the ground level, etc.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
3. How do I zoom in/out on an object?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
For example:
Let's say, that the soldier in my battle-related game
has seen something far away, and uses some
special equipment to take a closer look at it,
but with a gradual "zoom-in effect".
==========
(C) Car race
==========
----------------------------------------------------------------------
1. How can I "convince" a car object to stick to the road?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
For example:
Let's say I'm building a car-race game, in which
the gamer is a car driver. Now, let's also assume
that the road, at some point, is on a bridge over
a river.
How can I prevent the gamer's car (or any other
car, for that matter), to stay on the road without
being able to "jump off" the bridge?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
2. Two-way road
----------------------------------------------------------------------
For example:
Let's say, that the road(s) in my car-race game are
available for a 2-way traffic.
How can I define an "in-road boundary" for car objects
in each direction, so that they cannot collide?
Well,
That's it for now :-)
Thanks,
Ronnie
About the author
#2
Thank you David Blake
for the info.
However, as I have tried to look at
TDN for "Theora GUI control" (as referred to
from Google), it said:
"Sorry, only members who have purchased the following products may access this discussion".
Could you please refer me to a URL where
I would be able to read about this "Theora" thing?
Thanks in advance,
Good day,
Ronnie
10/31/2007 (11:09 am)
OK,Thank you David Blake
for the info.
However, as I have tried to look at
TDN for "Theora GUI control" (as referred to
from Google), it said:
"Sorry, only members who have purchased the following products may access this discussion".
Could you please refer me to a URL where
I would be able to read about this "Theora" thing?
Thanks in advance,
Good day,
Ronnie
#3
Before I forget:
Regarding my question from (A)-(1), that had to do
with placing game-based object(s), you've said
something like:
"...pre-render that information unless you modify the demo recording functionality".
1. Could you please expand on the "pre-render that information" part?
2. And, by "modify the demo recording functionality" did you mean that
it is an TGE's built-in functionality - that is covered by the source code?
Thanks again,
Ronnie
10/31/2007 (11:13 am)
OOPS,Before I forget:
Regarding my question from (A)-(1), that had to do
with placing game-based object(s), you've said
something like:
"...pre-render that information unless you modify the demo recording functionality".
1. Could you please expand on the "pre-render that information" part?
2. And, by "modify the demo recording functionality" did you mean that
it is an TGE's built-in functionality - that is covered by the source code?
Thanks again,
Ronnie
#4
That should be open to all. If not, it needs to be added to the list of things on TDN that should be in the open documentation.
Theora is a video format.
To render video, you need to have a video file. Think AVI's or MPEG's or YouTube videos, if you will. Once you have the file, you will need to convert it to Theora to use in TGE.
You can capture in-game footage with programs like Game Camera and FRAPS, edit it, and then export the video to something that you can convert to Theora. If you do not have much of a budget, I'd recommend FRAPS to record in-game footage and then you can use Microsoft Movie Maker or iMovie to edit the movie. Finally, you will have to convert it to Theora to use it on a GUI element (say a mission dossier).
The demo recording functionality basically begins taking note of actions that are taken in the engine and then redoes those actions once you play it. It is good if you are showing someone how to do something in a game but it not a robust solution for cinematics. I also do not know the state of it as I haven't ever used it, but have seen numerous topics on it.
I believe to modify the recording functionality, you would have to modify the source.
10/31/2007 (11:22 am)
GuiVideoThat should be open to all. If not, it needs to be added to the list of things on TDN that should be in the open documentation.
Theora is a video format.
To render video, you need to have a video file. Think AVI's or MPEG's or YouTube videos, if you will. Once you have the file, you will need to convert it to Theora to use in TGE.
You can capture in-game footage with programs like Game Camera and FRAPS, edit it, and then export the video to something that you can convert to Theora. If you do not have much of a budget, I'd recommend FRAPS to record in-game footage and then you can use Microsoft Movie Maker or iMovie to edit the movie. Finally, you will have to convert it to Theora to use it on a GUI element (say a mission dossier).
The demo recording functionality basically begins taking note of actions that are taken in the engine and then redoes those actions once you play it. It is good if you are showing someone how to do something in a game but it not a robust solution for cinematics. I also do not know the state of it as I haven't ever used it, but have seen numerous topics on it.
I believe to modify the recording functionality, you would have to modify the source.
#6
http://tdn.garagegames.com/wiki/GUI/Video
10/31/2007 (1:31 pm)
I just accessed it via that link. Here's the full URL:http://tdn.garagegames.com/wiki/GUI/Video
#7
No it isn't
@Ronnie
It is not going to be easy to place game objects over the video. There are many ways to accomplish this but the easiest method is to create the video in your modeling packing using the actual 3d models and have them do whatever you want. You just need to know how to use the modeling and animation packages which is a terrible amount of information and not something that I do myself (I'm a code monkey).
Alternately you will need to display the video (like they suggest above) and then add support (which you will have to code) to the engine (which you will have to buy) to be able to render objects on top of the video.
10/31/2007 (5:25 pm)
@NateckNo it isn't
@Ronnie
It is not going to be easy to place game objects over the video. There are many ways to accomplish this but the easiest method is to create the video in your modeling packing using the actual 3d models and have them do whatever you want. You just need to know how to use the modeling and animation packages which is a terrible amount of information and not something that I do myself (I'm a code monkey).
Alternately you will need to display the video (like they suggest above) and then add support (which you will have to code) to the engine (which you will have to buy) to be able to render objects on top of the video.
#8
I think I understand, for the most part.
To David Blake: the full link also required login.
To anybody :
If I were to make life eaier for myself,
do you think that maybe I should
only use a video clip that features
nothing but some landscape,
then use that video as a background
to my in-game object(s)?
In other words, maybe I should put
such a landscape-only video clip
in the Terrain Builder, so that
the video is only used as "ground"
(or background), or "sand", as another
example, in case my game takes place
in a desert -- and then it should be
simpler to maybe just have TGE
move "soldier" object(s) ONTO the
"sand" that is played in the background?
Puzzled,
Ronnie
11/01/2007 (11:30 am)
OK.I think I understand, for the most part.
To David Blake: the full link also required login.
To anybody :
If I were to make life eaier for myself,
do you think that maybe I should
only use a video clip that features
nothing but some landscape,
then use that video as a background
to my in-game object(s)?
In other words, maybe I should put
such a landscape-only video clip
in the Terrain Builder, so that
the video is only used as "ground"
(or background), or "sand", as another
example, in case my game takes place
in a desert -- and then it should be
simpler to maybe just have TGE
move "soldier" object(s) ONTO the
"sand" that is played in the background?
Puzzled,
Ronnie
#9
I placed a topic on the TDN forum about the link. I think it is one that should be open to all since it highlights things that anyone who downloads the demo should be able to do. The flag was probably missed when opening up the resources.
11/01/2007 (12:04 pm)
That would require a lot of coding and artistic finesse to make it even look decent. Why not use what's already built? What would units on video add to the gameplay?I placed a topic on the TDN forum about the link. I think it is one that should be open to all since it highlights things that anyone who downloads the demo should be able to do. The flag was probably missed when opening up the resources.
#10
11/01/2007 (4:24 pm)
So, once you logged into TDN it came up fine? I tested it with a secondary account without and SDK privileges and it worked fine once I had logged in. So make sure you're logged in and see if it will come up. The login is the same as your GG account.
#11
------------------------------
1. Login Required Error
------------------------------
David -- I've tried again both links above, namely
"GuiVideo" and "http://tdn.garagegames.com/wiki/GUI/Video",
but again there was no access.
------------------------------
2. More Video Options
------------------------------
I have some other ideas that may work regarding
placing game object(s) within (at least appear to be)
a video clip -- please share your insights:
2.1. Record in-game footage, then merge it with the original clip;
2.2. Use the Theroa player to play original clip on a certain area
on the screen (and to be exact, on a certain "corner" of
the in-game world), then have in-game object(s) walk over it;
2.3. Somehow convert a short segment from the original video clip
into a "terrain" or "backround JPEG" or whatever, then have it
incorporated into the game as if it were a built-in game object.
11/04/2007 (10:46 am)
Hi ------------------------------
1. Login Required Error
------------------------------
David -- I've tried again both links above, namely
"GuiVideo" and "http://tdn.garagegames.com/wiki/GUI/Video",
but again there was no access.
------------------------------
2. More Video Options
------------------------------
I have some other ideas that may work regarding
placing game object(s) within (at least appear to be)
a video clip -- please share your insights:
2.1. Record in-game footage, then merge it with the original clip;
2.2. Use the Theroa player to play original clip on a certain area
on the screen (and to be exact, on a certain "corner" of
the in-game world), then have in-game object(s) walk over it;
2.3. Somehow convert a short segment from the original video clip
into a "terrain" or "backround JPEG" or whatever, then have it
incorporated into the game as if it were a built-in game object.
#12
garagegames.com/mg/forums/result.thread.php?qt=63662
Theora rocks and is tiny....
11/05/2007 (6:17 am)
To convert your Video files to Ogg Theora. Go here and follow the links. There is also a link to the Theora resource. garagegames.com/mg/forums/result.thread.php?qt=63662
Theora rocks and is tiny....
#13
Did you login with your GarageGames account? I tested it with an account that I created and got in fine. I had to login, but I could access everything there once I was logged in. Try clicking the login link in the upper right corner.
What I am still unclear on is what this will provide you. You will have to have some very, very, very, very strong C++ knowledge of the engine, theora, video codec algorithms, and many other things to get something on the level of what you are talking about going. And I'm not sure what the application would be.
I mean, if you were creating a piece of compositing software like After Effects or Digital FX, I could see it a bit more. But such things require a large amount of post-process rendering, even on a render farm to synch frames and objects.
11/05/2007 (6:52 am)
@RonnieDid you login with your GarageGames account? I tested it with an account that I created and got in fine. I had to login, but I could access everything there once I was logged in. Try clicking the login link in the upper right corner.
What I am still unclear on is what this will provide you. You will have to have some very, very, very, very strong C++ knowledge of the engine, theora, video codec algorithms, and many other things to get something on the level of what you are talking about going. And I'm not sure what the application would be.
I mean, if you were creating a piece of compositing software like After Effects or Digital FX, I could see it a bit more. But such things require a large amount of post-process rendering, even on a render farm to synch frames and objects.
#14
Shon Gale : Thanks for the link. I'll look at it soon.
David Blake : regarding subsection (2.2.) above,
what I want to achieve is 2 for the price of 1,
even though it may require me to time things
correctly:
1. A ready-made world (a filmed one).
2. An ability to control its element(s),
even though the user won't know it.
So,
In your experience, do you think that
what I've suggested on (2.2.) may be
doable, maybe only with code sufficient
for playing speed ?
Which reminds me -- the Theora player:
1. Is it open source ?
2. Can I manipulate video-clip display
via script and/or C++ code ?
Thanks much
Ronnie
11/05/2007 (10:39 am)
Hi Shon Gale : Thanks for the link. I'll look at it soon.
David Blake : regarding subsection (2.2.) above,
what I want to achieve is 2 for the price of 1,
even though it may require me to time things
correctly:
1. A ready-made world (a filmed one).
2. An ability to control its element(s),
even though the user won't know it.
So,
In your experience, do you think that
what I've suggested on (2.2.) may be
doable, maybe only with code sufficient
for playing speed ?
Which reminds me -- the Theora player:
1. Is it open source ?
2. Can I manipulate video-clip display
via script and/or C++ code ?
Thanks much
Ronnie
#15
Theora is available under a BSD-style license. Its source is open and can be used in commercial products without releasing your source code. You should always check the licensing to make sure it is compatible with your project.
You would be doing a *LOT* of fancy C++ coding to do what you are conceptualizing. To work with compositing, you will have to read a *LOT* of whitepapers, and the image comparisons between static frames (those that already exist in a video stream) and dynamic frames (those composite images that you want to put into the scene) usually fall into the extreme math realm with few code examples (if any).
I think the question that you need to ask is:
1) do you have the necessary math skills to first read the required algorithms?
2) do you have the programming finesse and experience to translate those algorithms into usable, efficient code? (ie. can you know which corners to cut to provide a compositing step that eliminates minutes to hours of traditional rendering time and achieve a quality that is needed.
3) Do you have the math knowledge necessary to a) compare pieces of a traditional framed image to a 3D shape to translate and compress it to 2D coordinates and then recode the video file on the fly?
It is a *HUGE* undertaking. I'm not saying that it cannot be done. There are a number of PhD projects and post-doctoral engineering works out there that have been dealing with hella-frightening math algorithms in realtime code (though most often it is not for realtime applications). I just don't know if the end is woth the means to it. Video integration (or the appearance thereof, which would be infinitely easier but still heavy on the requirements) on the level that you seem to be talking doesn't seem to have a lot of practical gameplay functionality. Instead, it seems to be a wholly expensive (in terms of time and workload) that is attempting to bypass traditional filmic trends (ie. render a movie and show it in the GUI).
What you seem to be talking about is not a movie recording. Instead, it seems you are talking about a simulation. But you are mixing the two in ways that seem so horribly complex that I wonder if you are making a piece of software that you can license to the film industry to composite layers on the next summer blockbuster (a thin market to say the very least, and one which already has its proponents in the professional industry) or make a game.
11/05/2007 (11:36 am)
Film, by its technology, is a static world. It is dynamic in the sense of motion, but it is "set" in that each frame is ordered, (usually) compressed, and finite in its definition. What you seen to be attempting is creating a compositing package, which would take those static frames (in-motion or not), edit them, recompress them, and then recode them for viewing.Theora is available under a BSD-style license. Its source is open and can be used in commercial products without releasing your source code. You should always check the licensing to make sure it is compatible with your project.
You would be doing a *LOT* of fancy C++ coding to do what you are conceptualizing. To work with compositing, you will have to read a *LOT* of whitepapers, and the image comparisons between static frames (those that already exist in a video stream) and dynamic frames (those composite images that you want to put into the scene) usually fall into the extreme math realm with few code examples (if any).
I think the question that you need to ask is:
1) do you have the necessary math skills to first read the required algorithms?
2) do you have the programming finesse and experience to translate those algorithms into usable, efficient code? (ie. can you know which corners to cut to provide a compositing step that eliminates minutes to hours of traditional rendering time and achieve a quality that is needed.
3) Do you have the math knowledge necessary to a) compare pieces of a traditional framed image to a 3D shape to translate and compress it to 2D coordinates and then recode the video file on the fly?
It is a *HUGE* undertaking. I'm not saying that it cannot be done. There are a number of PhD projects and post-doctoral engineering works out there that have been dealing with hella-frightening math algorithms in realtime code (though most often it is not for realtime applications). I just don't know if the end is woth the means to it. Video integration (or the appearance thereof, which would be infinitely easier but still heavy on the requirements) on the level that you seem to be talking doesn't seem to have a lot of practical gameplay functionality. Instead, it seems to be a wholly expensive (in terms of time and workload) that is attempting to bypass traditional filmic trends (ie. render a movie and show it in the GUI).
What you seem to be talking about is not a movie recording. Instead, it seems you are talking about a simulation. But you are mixing the two in ways that seem so horribly complex that I wonder if you are making a piece of software that you can license to the film industry to composite layers on the next summer blockbuster (a thin market to say the very least, and one which already has its proponents in the professional industry) or make a game.
#16
I was mocking you not...
I'm not quite sure though,
why would I (or anyone) choose
the hard way, as you've outlined
above, if there should be a much,
much simpler way to do this thing?
For example, let's say I want
to make a battlefield briefing video clip
to be played occasionally, as a part
of a warzone-style game.
Now, my idea of doing this would be
NOT to go into heavy math-oriented
workload in order to integrate
in-game object(s) into single video
frame(s), one at a time - no no no;
Instead, I thought maybe I could use
this Theora (or any other) player
(or component), in order to have
the APPEARACNE of an in-game object,
say a tank, over an underlying layer
on the same on-screen area, at which
I would place the video-playing component
and have the video played.
Now, it could be my VB6 and other
RAD-style visual-programming experience,
but I mean, why in the world should it be
so difficult?
For example:
Take a simple VB6 form: you can
place a Picture Control on the from,
and then place a burron control on top
of it, so that at run-time, if you chose
to make both visible, the user would see
BOTH, in the sense of a button appearing
within the picture.
So what it takes in terms of a game is:
1. Can I use Theora / other video player,
with its script commands or source code,
to control the pace or speed of playing,
in the sense of how fast one
video frame is to appear after another?
2. Can I place the on-screen area in which
a video to be playing, on a wall of, say,
a building object, or need I display it
in a Windows Media Player style?
3. Can I use some sort of a World Editor
or another TGE/A tool, in order to
visually edit a scene (or a part of
a game world) where a video is
to be played - and place another,
in-game object ON TOP of that area?
4. Can I control an in-game object's behavior,
say, some looping animation sequence,
regardless of its location within my
game world?
Well,
I suppose that would be my way
of "going around" the problem
of having to integrate static object(s)
into static video frames.
Please, tell me if the above
is at all doable.
Thanks much,
Ronnie
11/14/2007 (9:45 am)
David,I was mocking you not...
I'm not quite sure though,
why would I (or anyone) choose
the hard way, as you've outlined
above, if there should be a much,
much simpler way to do this thing?
For example, let's say I want
to make a battlefield briefing video clip
to be played occasionally, as a part
of a warzone-style game.
Now, my idea of doing this would be
NOT to go into heavy math-oriented
workload in order to integrate
in-game object(s) into single video
frame(s), one at a time - no no no;
Instead, I thought maybe I could use
this Theora (or any other) player
(or component), in order to have
the APPEARACNE of an in-game object,
say a tank, over an underlying layer
on the same on-screen area, at which
I would place the video-playing component
and have the video played.
Now, it could be my VB6 and other
RAD-style visual-programming experience,
but I mean, why in the world should it be
so difficult?
For example:
Take a simple VB6 form: you can
place a Picture Control on the from,
and then place a burron control on top
of it, so that at run-time, if you chose
to make both visible, the user would see
BOTH, in the sense of a button appearing
within the picture.
So what it takes in terms of a game is:
1. Can I use Theora / other video player,
with its script commands or source code,
to control the pace or speed of playing,
in the sense of how fast one
video frame is to appear after another?
2. Can I place the on-screen area in which
a video to be playing, on a wall of, say,
a building object, or need I display it
in a Windows Media Player style?
3. Can I use some sort of a World Editor
or another TGE/A tool, in order to
visually edit a scene (or a part of
a game world) where a video is
to be played - and place another,
in-game object ON TOP of that area?
4. Can I control an in-game object's behavior,
say, some looping animation sequence,
regardless of its location within my
game world?
Well,
I suppose that would be my way
of "going around" the problem
of having to integrate static object(s)
into static video frames.
Please, tell me if the above
is at all doable.
Thanks much,
Ronnie
#17
The concept that you are outlining in VB6 is quick and easy as long as you do not have to skew the image of the button in realtime to reflect the video playing in the background (say to ensure proper perspective from frame to frame). If you do have to make such changes on the fly, it becomes a much stickier situation. It gets even stickier if you are doing these transformations on 3D objects in realtime and attempting to sync them to specific frames of the video. It would be *MUCH* easier to create the video segments, render them, and then simply play them back in-game. Of course, doing that means that you do not have "replay" functionality of what the user has done. But if you are explaining mission objectives and the like, there is no reason to not do it that way (unless the mission objectives are created on the fly along with the video scenarios). Then you work yourself into a content creation nightmare.
For the fine-grained control that you need, you will be making some significant source code changes. Neo Bindell released an excellent resource for seeking in theora videos. But you would have to extend it to the precise functionality you need.
Theora videos, by default, are GUI devices. There are topics on the private forums on getting them to play on walls of DIF's and on DTS objects for things like television screens and the like. But I do not know if the code has been ported to 1.5. It requires some source code changes to move beyond the usual GUI functionality.
11/14/2007 (1:21 pm)
I didn't think you were mocking me. I was just wondering why a traditional video interface wouldn't work.The concept that you are outlining in VB6 is quick and easy as long as you do not have to skew the image of the button in realtime to reflect the video playing in the background (say to ensure proper perspective from frame to frame). If you do have to make such changes on the fly, it becomes a much stickier situation. It gets even stickier if you are doing these transformations on 3D objects in realtime and attempting to sync them to specific frames of the video. It would be *MUCH* easier to create the video segments, render them, and then simply play them back in-game. Of course, doing that means that you do not have "replay" functionality of what the user has done. But if you are explaining mission objectives and the like, there is no reason to not do it that way (unless the mission objectives are created on the fly along with the video scenarios). Then you work yourself into a content creation nightmare.
Quote:1. Can I use Theora / other video player,
with its script commands or source code,
to control the pace or speed of playing,
in the sense of how fast one
video frame is to appear after another?
For the fine-grained control that you need, you will be making some significant source code changes. Neo Bindell released an excellent resource for seeking in theora videos. But you would have to extend it to the precise functionality you need.
Quote:2. Can I place the on-screen area in which
a video to be playing, on a wall of, say,
a building object, or need I display it
in a Windows Media Player style?
Theora videos, by default, are GUI devices. There are topics on the private forums on getting them to play on walls of DIF's and on DTS objects for things like television screens and the like. But I do not know if the code has been ported to 1.5. It requires some source code changes to move beyond the usual GUI functionality.
Quote:3. Can I use some sort of a World EditorYou would have to code such an editor from the ground up. I would recommend looking at Melv May's resources on scenegraphs to get a feeling for how the Torque rendering process works. Then the next step would be scouring the world editor source to figure out what functionality you need to add and extend. And then a lot of elbow grease and C++ code.
or another TGE/A tool, in order to
visually edit a scene (or a part of
a game world) where a video is
to be played - and place another,
in-game object ON TOP of that area?
Quote:4. Can I control an in-game object's behavior,It is a GUI object, and I believe it is dependent on being pop'd and push'd on the GUI stack. But I'm not sure if it continues independent of the GUI stack. It seems like that could cause some potential resource management problems if you have several of them that go unchecked.
say, some looping animation sequence,
regardless of its location within my
game world?
#18
First, thanks for the detailed reply and the resource references.
I suppose it would be best if I could simply play with their code
and do some in-game experiments, but I would have to buy either
TGE / TGEA first...
Specifically, for my question (3) above:
Basically what you're saying is that a
video clip - that is to be playing in a loop
on a wall of, say, a building object -
would have to be treated separately?
Or in other words, if I were to turn to VB6
again for reference:
Let's say I have an application that contains
multiple forms. Regardless of whatever graphics
or video clips or even sound that I want to play
as a part of a specific control - that resides on
a specific form - I still edit and code everything
from the VB IDE...
I mean - I don't have to use any other software
in order to process that video clip.
So what I'm wondering about, then, is
why wouldn't the World Editor suffice
to edit an in-game scene - while this
just happens to be what the World Editor
ALREADY does, anyways?
Can the World Editor treat various
in-game scenes - REGARDLESS of
a video clip is to be played within them?
I hope I'm not a nag,
I'm just trying to clarify
this thing...
Thanks much,
Ronnie
11/19/2007 (7:14 am)
Hi David,First, thanks for the detailed reply and the resource references.
I suppose it would be best if I could simply play with their code
and do some in-game experiments, but I would have to buy either
TGE / TGEA first...
Specifically, for my question (3) above:
Basically what you're saying is that a
video clip - that is to be playing in a loop
on a wall of, say, a building object -
would have to be treated separately?
Or in other words, if I were to turn to VB6
again for reference:
Let's say I have an application that contains
multiple forms. Regardless of whatever graphics
or video clips or even sound that I want to play
as a part of a specific control - that resides on
a specific form - I still edit and code everything
from the VB IDE...
I mean - I don't have to use any other software
in order to process that video clip.
So what I'm wondering about, then, is
why wouldn't the World Editor suffice
to edit an in-game scene - while this
just happens to be what the World Editor
ALREADY does, anyways?
Can the World Editor treat various
in-game scenes - REGARDLESS of
a video clip is to be played within them?
I hope I'm not a nag,
I'm just trying to clarify
this thing...
Thanks much,
Ronnie
#19
But I believe two or more movies would play on a schedule rather than according to which one was active. You would have to program the specific functionality of how you wanted the movies to work.
11/19/2007 (7:43 am)
You would have to expose control to the world editor for in-mission video objects. So, first you would have to get in-mission video objects working (again, there is a resource for changing the C++ code but I do not know if it has been updated to the current revision of the engine). Then, once working, you would have to provide the controls for those objects to the world editor as they are not available by default.But I believe two or more movies would play on a schedule rather than according to which one was active. You would have to program the specific functionality of how you wanted the movies to work.
#20
Got it (I think).
In other words,
that Theora Control / Player
that you've mentioned before
is only good for 2D-style playing?
As in, it cannot play a video clip
WITHIN an in-game scene?
Plus,
To experiment with all of the various
resource(s) that you have kindly referred
me to, I would have to have purchased
either TGE or TGEA, wouldn't I?
Thanks,
Ronnie
11/19/2007 (8:07 am)
Ok,Got it (I think).
In other words,
that Theora Control / Player
that you've mentioned before
is only good for 2D-style playing?
As in, it cannot play a video clip
WITHIN an in-game scene?
Plus,
To experiment with all of the various
resource(s) that you have kindly referred
me to, I would have to have purchased
either TGE or TGEA, wouldn't I?
Thanks,
Ronnie
Associate David Montgomery-Blake
David MontgomeryBlake
Use the Theora GUI control to add video to your project.
You would have to pre-render that information unless you modify the demo recording functionality and replay the demo upon request.
Look at the demo mission. You will find a number of camera paths to utilize as examples for setting up such sequences.
Mount the camera to various nodes to view it. Again, look at the demo mission.
Do a search of the resources. There are a number of ways to achieve this, but I don't know which one would apply best.
Place invisible models with collision boxes at the edge of the roadway.
The same way as the bridge. But that only ensures that they cannot physically make it into the other lane. It doesn't deal with AI for turning and such.