Particle Editor v1.12
by Eric Forhan · 09/10/2002 (11:00 am) · 48 comments
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vers. 1.11a 09/05/02 (closed release)
*Numerous bugs repaired--caps, misspells, etc.
*Rearranged GUI--all particle and emitter settings on proper pages
*Maxed-out and tested most settings ranges.
*Found out that SpinSpeed is never saved or loaded (even in T2 version).
+(Fixed in 1.12)
*Made defaults.cs always run so that defaultEmitterNode is accessible
v. 1.12 09/08/02 repaired spinSpeed. Now saves and loads properly
***
This update further extends the functionality of the particle editor. It allows for quite huge long-living particles, among other things. I believe I've found all the caps inconsistancies, so hopefully it will run on linux/mac versions. As said above, it now saves the spinSpeed, which actually has less to do with the speed of particles than one would expect (it is the spin of the emitter as a whole).
IMPORTANT: With the addition of spinSpeed, it breaks any backward compatibility with previous particle ed. versions.
The picture is from Trajectory, which would have been much longer in the making without the editor.
Kudos to Melv May w/his FxLight, which can be seen in some of the pictures. :-)
I think the particle engine is underrated, and we've only seen the beginning. Hopefully this is a good step toward an even better engine.
:)
KNOWN BUGS:
-Does not load saved particle datablocks upon startup.
-Particle #4 can not be edited
-Cannot permanently place emitters and save mission file
EDIT: 09/11/02 Fixed defaultparticles.cs to load the particle texture from the same directory as the .cs. It was causing TGE to crash while loading.
EDIT: 09/23/02 Changed Emitter Variance from 10 to 1000.
EDIT: 11/18/03 Added "KNOWN BUGS" section to description.
vers. 1.11a 09/05/02 (closed release)
*Numerous bugs repaired--caps, misspells, etc.
*Rearranged GUI--all particle and emitter settings on proper pages
*Maxed-out and tested most settings ranges.
*Found out that SpinSpeed is never saved or loaded (even in T2 version).
+(Fixed in 1.12)
*Made defaults.cs always run so that defaultEmitterNode is accessible
v. 1.12 09/08/02 repaired spinSpeed. Now saves and loads properly
***
This update further extends the functionality of the particle editor. It allows for quite huge long-living particles, among other things. I believe I've found all the caps inconsistancies, so hopefully it will run on linux/mac versions. As said above, it now saves the spinSpeed, which actually has less to do with the speed of particles than one would expect (it is the spin of the emitter as a whole).
IMPORTANT: With the addition of spinSpeed, it breaks any backward compatibility with previous particle ed. versions.
The picture is from Trajectory, which would have been much longer in the making without the editor.
Kudos to Melv May w/his FxLight, which can be seen in some of the pictures. :-)
I think the particle engine is underrated, and we've only seen the beginning. Hopefully this is a good step toward an even better engine.
:)
KNOWN BUGS:
-Does not load saved particle datablocks upon startup.
-Particle #4 can not be edited
-Cannot permanently place emitters and save mission file
EDIT: 09/11/02 Fixed defaultparticles.cs to load the particle texture from the same directory as the .cs. It was causing TGE to crash while loading.
EDIT: 09/23/02 Changed Emitter Variance from 10 to 1000.
EDIT: 11/18/03 Added "KNOWN BUGS" section to description.
About the author
#2
Try this:
In defaultparticles.cschange the textureName to
Hopefully, that'll fix it. Sorry for the trouble. :-)
EDIT: Repaired and updated in current version.
09/10/2002 (1:18 pm)
Argh.:)Try this:
In defaultparticles.cschange the textureName to
textureName = "./particletest";
Hopefully, that'll fix it. Sorry for the trouble. :-)
EDIT: Repaired and updated in current version.
#3
Thanx bud
09/10/2002 (10:51 pm)
nice i haven't tried it yet but i've been wishing that the particle editor from t2 by that mongo guy would be ported or remade for torque :PThanx bud
#5
09/11/2002 (4:40 am)
When I do "Create New Datablock" my Game crashes. Is there a manual of all functions, cause my english isnt the best.
#6
I take it that this is after you have used the different settings to make a new particle?
09/11/2002 (7:13 am)
HHmmm.. I can't get it to repeat that error. I take it that this is after you have used the different settings to make a new particle?
#7
09/11/2002 (7:15 am)
Yes, right.
#8
If so, you might also copy particletest.png to your particle textures directory (leave a copy w/the particle editor, though).
09/11/2002 (7:41 am)
Do you have your $path settings correct in particleeditor.cs? If so, you might also copy particletest.png to your particle textures directory (leave a copy w/the particle editor, though).
#9
09/11/2002 (8:06 am)
Ok it just wont save anything, every path is correct.
#10
As far as I know, it should be saving and loading properly. :)
09/11/2002 (9:37 am)
If your $path is correct, it should be saving seperate *.cs files there for each particle. In the base particleeditor dir, it should also be saving a file called saves.cs. It is this file that the editor reads from to load the "custom" emitters in the 'Load/Save' screen. As far as I know, it should be saving and loading properly. :)
#11
09/11/2002 (12:32 pm)
I can get it make a new emmiters, and it saves to it's own file, but I can't add it to the mission no matter what I do the datatblocks don't load when I restart torque.
#12
09/11/2002 (12:45 pm)
I'm still working on that part. I believe the problem lay in ParticleEditorStartup.cs where it is supposed to run all the files in the 'Saves' directory. Note that you would need to change 'Saves' to your proper directory. Anyway, this is where it should load all the saved files to make them permanent:function DefaultGame::activatePackages(%game)
{
%fileSpec = "./Saves/*.cs";
for ( %file = findFirstFile( %fileSpec ); %file !$= ""; %file = findNextFile( %fileSpec ) )
exec( %file );
Parent::activatePackages( %game );
}Any suggestions are very welcome.:)
#13
suggestions
- enter variables manually for all sliders (because sometimes you need to work on really small values or get them back to the "middle" ie gravity.
- dont bother skinning it or anything "fluffy"
09/15/2002 (3:22 am)
Its great!, I used to use the Mongo original in T2.suggestions
- enter variables manually for all sliders (because sometimes you need to work on really small values or get them back to the "middle" ie gravity.
- dont bother skinning it or anything "fluffy"
#14
09/23/2002 (8:40 pm)
Heya... everything sounds and looks great, and I have the code fully implemented into our code, except the team has removed the ctrl-o to bring up the key bindings window, so I have to add it by hand. So far, I haven't been able to figure out what I need to add to editor.bindings.cs to make this open... think someone could shed some light on that for me?
#15
09/23/2002 (10:07 pm)
Try this in config.cs:moveMap.bind(keyboard, "p", toggleParticleEditor);It will make 'P' the default.
#16
Secondly, here is the changes to get the export to datablock to work correctly.
I installed into fps/data/particleeditor and created a subdirectory /saves for my saved datablocks
I then set this:
Then in ParticleEditor::createDataBlock remove line 785 which looks like this
%filename = fileBase( %filename );
It will then export a file with the datablocks in it correctly.
:)
09/24/2002 (6:30 am)
Firstly Eric, great resource mate.Secondly, here is the changes to get the export to datablock to work correctly.
I installed into fps/data/particleeditor and created a subdirectory /saves for my saved datablocks
I then set this:
$PE::SaveFilePath = "fps/particleeditor/saves/";
Then in ParticleEditor::createDataBlock remove line 785 which looks like this
%filename = fileBase( %filename );
It will then export a file with the datablocks in it correctly.
:)
#17
I'm not having any trouble saving datablocks or in saves.cs. What does that do? Are others having that problem?
Eric
09/24/2002 (7:15 am)
Thanks Daniel...I'm not having any trouble saving datablocks or in saves.cs. What does that do? Are others having that problem?
Eric
#18
I was having some troubles and that seemed to fix it.
I have a question for you. I have made an emitter for a waterfall and it arcs outwards (like a waterfall ;) ). When I place this into a mission I cannot seem to rotate it about the z axis. Any ideas ahow this would be done? (rotation around x and y works though)
09/24/2002 (3:20 pm)
HmmI was having some troubles and that seemed to fix it.
I have a question for you. I have made an emitter for a waterfall and it arcs outwards (like a waterfall ;) ). When I place this into a mission I cannot seem to rotate it about the z axis. Any ideas ahow this would be done? (rotation around x and y works though)
#19
If you are trying to arc it upward before letting it come back down, then you would need to play with the constant accelleration, inverse velocity and velocity settings. Perhaps even get a little drag to move it slower.
I've tried making waterfalls and it's tough. You may be better off just making it in a series. First one is horizontal, but overlaps the second which is slanted, which overlaps the final, verticle, one. I'd even set the last particle of each as white or blueish white, but a zero transparency (200 200 255 0) so that the overspray of particles looks like an overspray of mist.
I haven't tried this, but I should think it'd look good.
Hope you post a picture when you get it finished!
Eric
09/24/2002 (3:43 pm)
Gravity would be my choice, if I understand you correctly.If you are trying to arc it upward before letting it come back down, then you would need to play with the constant accelleration, inverse velocity and velocity settings. Perhaps even get a little drag to move it slower.
I've tried making waterfalls and it's tough. You may be better off just making it in a series. First one is horizontal, but overlaps the second which is slanted, which overlaps the final, verticle, one. I'd even set the last particle of each as white or blueish white, but a zero transparency (200 200 255 0) so that the overspray of particles looks like an overspray of mist.
I haven't tried this, but I should think it'd look good.
Hope you post a picture when you get it finished!
Eric
#20
I want to be able to rotate it about the z axis so instead of pointing at a rotation of 90 degrees it could be at 120 degrees.
I have put a screenshot up on my site
www/liquid.nq.net/trakers/
09/24/2002 (3:47 pm)
Nah, I probably didnt explan myself well. The waterfall emitter itself looks great (at least I think it does) but its angle in the horizontal plane is incorrect.I want to be able to rotate it about the z axis so instead of pointing at a rotation of 90 degrees it could be at 120 degrees.
I have put a screenshot up on my site
www/liquid.nq.net/trakers/
Torque Owner Christian Weber
HydraGames