How do YOU get your geometry into difs?
by Ka Wang Wu · in Torque Game Engine Advanced · 11/28/2007 (7:30 am) · 18 replies
So I've been trying to get my difs to work properly.
First I used a re-compiled map2dif. It worked nicely except it produced these green lines:
www.garagegames.com/mg/forums/result.thread.php?qt=69565
So I went to try the legacy TGEA exporter in Constructor. It removed the green lines but it dropped my framerate by a significant amount and removed one of my portal zones (it reported 3 zones, as it should be. but viewing it with the render modes shows one of the portals gone). Oh.. and the lag didn't seem to have to do with the portal being missing... also most of the lighting got a lot darker. A funny thing with the framerate drop is that it only happens occasionally.. when I restart the application it doesn't do it.
Oh... and I'm not even going to try to mention the ways that didn't work. I could probably produce an academic paper on that, haha.
So my question to you guys is... how do YOU get your working difs into your projects?
First I used a re-compiled map2dif. It worked nicely except it produced these green lines:
www.garagegames.com/mg/forums/result.thread.php?qt=69565
So I went to try the legacy TGEA exporter in Constructor. It removed the green lines but it dropped my framerate by a significant amount and removed one of my portal zones (it reported 3 zones, as it should be. but viewing it with the render modes shows one of the portals gone). Oh.. and the lag didn't seem to have to do with the portal being missing... also most of the lighting got a lot darker. A funny thing with the framerate drop is that it only happens occasionally.. when I restart the application it doesn't do it.
Oh... and I'm not even going to try to mention the ways that didn't work. I could probably produce an academic paper on that, haha.
So my question to you guys is... how do YOU get your working difs into your projects?
#2
On average, I have found that based on my needs, I use radiant for the overall construction, constructor 1.03 for portal conversions and other exporting settings, and Legacy TGEA to dif exporter to export since as far as I know, it is the only one that will handle portals appropriately(for TGEA).
What do you mean the portal is "gone". The portal should be there regardless if its functioning or not. As far as a fluctuating framerate, check what other programs are running... you might be surprised at how specific programs in the background play havoc with torque(not necessarily consistently).
11/28/2007 (8:40 am)
"How do you get your geometry into difs?"On average, I have found that based on my needs, I use radiant for the overall construction, constructor 1.03 for portal conversions and other exporting settings, and Legacy TGEA to dif exporter to export since as far as I know, it is the only one that will handle portals appropriately(for TGEA).
What do you mean the portal is "gone". The portal should be there regardless if its functioning or not. As far as a fluctuating framerate, check what other programs are running... you might be surprised at how specific programs in the background play havoc with torque(not necessarily consistently).
#3
11/28/2007 (8:46 am)
Yeah, apparently the legacy TGEA does things differently from the map2dif. It found two holes that I fixed. However now it's just about me having too complex geometry that it can't handle. Not sure how to fix it without making it even more complex or worse looking though.
#4
What I mean with missing is that I placed a portal brush at the entrance but it isn't showing up with the render modes on. The other portal in the same building is showing up fine though.
For anyone that needs hints in case they find this thread later I'll write about how I fixed my problems.
Basically the roof was really complex and caused a lot of subdivision when exporter. So basically I dividied the roof into a complex and non-complex part. The non-complex part was still able to contain the whole building. The complex part I turned into detail brushes. Fixed!
Now I just got to figure out why this portal isn't exporting... it did export before. sigh.
11/28/2007 (9:16 am)
So, I managed to fix all the corrupted parts however the portal is still missing.What I mean with missing is that I placed a portal brush at the entrance but it isn't showing up with the render modes on. The other portal in the same building is showing up fine though.
For anyone that needs hints in case they find this thread later I'll write about how I fixed my problems.
Basically the roof was really complex and caused a lot of subdivision when exporter. So basically I dividied the roof into a complex and non-complex part. The non-complex part was still able to contain the whole building. The complex part I turned into detail brushes. Fixed!
Now I just got to figure out why this portal isn't exporting... it did export before. sigh.
#5
11/28/2007 (10:28 am)
Only map2difplus supports portaling. Neither regular map2dif nor the regular constructor export supports it
#6
Is there any map2dif_plus that fixes the lightmap issue? Mine has a lightmap issue that causes green lines to appear. It's the .exe I compiled that comes with the SDK.
11/28/2007 (10:31 am)
Marc: that's weird. the constructor one creates one portal for me but not the other.Is there any map2dif_plus that fixes the lightmap issue? Mine has a lightmap issue that causes green lines to appear. It's the .exe I compiled that comes with the SDK.
#7
If so then you might want to check out the bug board. Someone posted a fix to the lighting calculations on DIF when beeing scaled that caused green / pink artifacts
11/28/2007 (10:53 am)
Did you resize the DIF?If so then you might want to check out the bug board. Someone posted a fix to the lighting calculations on DIF when beeing scaled that caused green / pink artifacts
#8
11/28/2007 (12:56 pm)
Resize the dif? if you mean scale it then everything's (1, 1, 1)
#9
As I have not seen this issue yet (we do not make the walls thiner than the minimum grid size (16) in constructor as this caused collision issues and some other funny probs) ... sorry in that case I can not help you.
11/28/2007 (1:16 pm)
Ok ...As I have not seen this issue yet (we do not make the walls thiner than the minimum grid size (16) in constructor as this caused collision issues and some other funny probs) ... sorry in that case I can not help you.
#10
this is not true(at least as far as TGEA is concerned).
11/28/2007 (4:54 pm)
Quote:Only map2difplus supports portaling.
this is not true(at least as far as TGEA is concerned).
#11
We so far haven't succeeded to get portals work on a 100% ratio anyway (we use them similar to BSP portals ie for each room and the like)... So I am not sure if ANY of the TGEA tools actually is fully working.
11/29/2007 (12:27 am)
OK correct if you want the real current version, nothing supports portalling as the only export that is really TGEA 1.0.3 is the one from constructor export (not specific TGEA export) and that one does not support portals at allWe so far haven't succeeded to get portals work on a 100% ratio anyway (we use them similar to BSP portals ie for each room and the like)... So I am not sure if ANY of the TGEA tools actually is fully working.
#12
11/29/2007 (5:41 am)
No arguments there. With our current game, I average approx 40 portals a level (similar to how your using them), and at this point, I rarely have any issues getting them to work. But I agree, I have had to do some... weird things to get other errors to happen less frequently.
#13
from what posted it seems like portals are mainly meant for interior - exterior doors so perhaps an assumed to happen situation.
11/29/2007 (6:00 am)
Its not like all do not work. But in some cases they do not cleanly portal and it mainly happens when a room is enclosed with several portals and within a building, not at its border. With not cleanly portal I mean that neighboring rooms end in the same "room" according the debug mode coloring.from what posted it seems like portals are mainly meant for interior - exterior doors so perhaps an assumed to happen situation.
#14
http://files-upload.com/files/649007/Constructor.rar
There's two versions. One that exports the portals correctly with map2dif (19) but I get green lines. The other is one that I've been working on to remove the green lines but doesn't compile the portals correctly with any exporter. I hope I picked the right files now.. heh
11/29/2007 (7:26 am)
If anyone feels like having a look at it. The textures are not included to minimze file size... not sure if this file sharing service even works :phttp://files-upload.com/files/649007/Constructor.rar
There's two versions. One that exports the portals correctly with map2dif (19) but I get green lines. The other is one that I've been working on to remove the green lines but doesn't compile the portals correctly with any exporter. I hope I picked the right files now.. heh
#15
you started talking about DIFs. Is there any working tool (exporter) for exporting difs from 3ds max?
i tried several scripts for MaxScript which generate tools for exporting maps and then convert them with map2dif.exe but the exported data is corrupt. It can't be imported in TGEA (engine crashes). So if any of you know something WORKING please share it.
It will be very good if one day GarageGames make an official plug-in for 3ds max to make DIFs there. It is such agony to work with programs like constructor or 3d world studio, i have no words for QuArK(it is just horrible).
11/29/2007 (10:33 am)
By the way ..you started talking about DIFs. Is there any working tool (exporter) for exporting difs from 3ds max?
i tried several scripts for MaxScript which generate tools for exporting maps and then convert them with map2dif.exe but the exported data is corrupt. It can't be imported in TGEA (engine crashes). So if any of you know something WORKING please share it.
It will be very good if one day GarageGames make an official plug-in for 3ds max to make DIFs there. It is such agony to work with programs like constructor or 3d world studio, i have no words for QuArK(it is just horrible).
#16
There are a number of exporters for different programs, but the reality is that the artists will have to relearn to use their programs in a specific way, which is often more frustrating than learning a new program because it forces them to rethink every strength they seemed to have as a modeler.
The great thing about Constructor, 3DWS, Quark, Radiant, etc is that they are oriented specifically towards making CSG compliant geometry. Regardless of the interfaces, that CSG requirement is the thing that makes them feel clunky compared to their polysoup brethren.
11/29/2007 (10:45 am)
Part of the problem with using Max to create DIF's is that you will have to rethink how you create your models to be CSG compliant. Things like Game Level Builder will extrude surfaces in an attempt to make them valid CSG chunks of geometry, but you lose functionality. Little things like all texturing.There are a number of exporters for different programs, but the reality is that the artists will have to relearn to use their programs in a specific way, which is often more frustrating than learning a new program because it forces them to rethink every strength they seemed to have as a modeler.
The great thing about Constructor, 3DWS, Quark, Radiant, etc is that they are oriented specifically towards making CSG compliant geometry. Regardless of the interfaces, that CSG requirement is the thing that makes them feel clunky compared to their polysoup brethren.
#17
"Sorry. You can not download this file today. Download traffic for your country is empty."
Ill try again tommorow
LK
11/29/2007 (2:29 pm)
Sorry KA Wang Wu.. I tried to DL it to help you out, but when I tried, the site told me this:"Sorry. You can not download this file today. Download traffic for your country is empty."
Ill try again tommorow
LK
#18
I'm just too lazy to log onto it:
http://www.godisregn.com/files/Constructor.rar
Thanks for trying though, much appreciated.
11/29/2007 (6:36 pm)
Guess I should use my own webspace instead :)I'm just too lazy to log onto it:
http://www.godisregn.com/files/Constructor.rar
Thanks for trying though, much appreciated.
Torque Owner Ka Wang Wu
The darker light across the entire terrain is cause the portal is missing and since I have a light filter inside the building it'll affect everything. So I need to figure out how to get the portal back. It might also explain why relighting is taking way longer since it has to relight things outside too.