New constructor wish list
by Jaimi McEntire · in Constructor · 03/15/2008 (5:55 pm) · 88 replies
Here are some of the things that I am thinking about adding to Constructor. If anyone has any input on them (for example: "that would be great" or "that idea blows") please feel free to chime in. This is not a "bug fix" thread (bugs are highest priority right now), but an "added features" thread.
Here are the things I am thinking about adding/changing, in roughly the order that I am thinking about doing them:
1. Bezier curves. This wouldn't be too hard, since most of the groundwork has already been done (in the DTS feature). This would give you the ability to have Q3 like curves in your map. I'm estimating this would take 1-2 weeks to add. You would have the option to auto generate a set of collision meshes for the curve for it (either exact, or an approximation). You would be able to select the curve and edit it at any time.
2. "live" duplicators. These would be like the existing duplicators, but they would be editable after creation (you could add/remove brushes, rotate the individuals, etc)
3. Path Extruder - should make roads, etc, much easier to make.
Anything other new feature that you would like to see? Post a note! (no bugs, please - post those in the other thread).
Here are the things I am thinking about adding/changing, in roughly the order that I am thinking about doing them:
1. Bezier curves. This wouldn't be too hard, since most of the groundwork has already been done (in the DTS feature). This would give you the ability to have Q3 like curves in your map. I'm estimating this would take 1-2 weeks to add. You would have the option to auto generate a set of collision meshes for the curve for it (either exact, or an approximation). You would be able to select the curve and edit it at any time.
2. "live" duplicators. These would be like the existing duplicators, but they would be editable after creation (you could add/remove brushes, rotate the individuals, etc)
3. Path Extruder - should make roads, etc, much easier to make.
Anything other new feature that you would like to see? Post a note! (no bugs, please - post those in the other thread).
#62
knife function for faces. I could use this all day long, a good way to get really creative with one brush and countless textures without making a fancy brush or tons of angles.
05/19/2008 (2:21 pm)
*Add*...knife function for faces. I could use this all day long, a good way to get really creative with one brush and countless textures without making a fancy brush or tons of angles.
#63
The selection of brushes and verts to perform like faces. Currently you can select/deselect faces on the fly while holding shift and you cannot with brushes or verts...
05/21/2008 (8:04 am)
*Fix*The selection of brushes and verts to perform like faces. Currently you can select/deselect faces on the fly while holding shift and you cannot with brushes or verts...
#64
Personally I'd much rather constructor have these basic editor functions first, before you move on to fancier ways to edit geometry. :\
05/29/2008 (2:53 pm)
I've given it a bit of thought and maybe it'd be more convenient for people to be able to load their own game entity lists? Basically a list of datablock names, with the path to the shapes that are supposed to represent them in constructor. Maybe a category name that will result in a world editor-like creator tree?Personally I'd much rather constructor have these basic editor functions first, before you move on to fancier ways to edit geometry. :\
#65
05/29/2008 (3:40 pm)
I think it would be pretty cool if you could import terrain geometries, so you can model the interior perfectly to the terrain. It would also serve as a reference to size.
#66
Ability to texture cylindrically (is that a word?), as in pipes, etc
... it's very tuff to line things up on none-uniform geometry. For example, I'm making a circular hole dug into the ground and am trying to texture the sides of the dirt. A tool to texture cylinders would be very handy at this point.
Thanks!
06/06/2008 (8:53 am)
Jaimi ... thanks again for the hard work! I'm about to check out 1.05, but thought I'd add another much-needed feature to this list. Unless I'm missing it somewhere, it would be exceptional to have a basic texturing function that would be used all of the time for everyone... namely:Ability to texture cylindrically (is that a word?), as in pipes, etc
... it's very tuff to line things up on none-uniform geometry. For example, I'm making a circular hole dug into the ground and am trying to texture the sides of the dirt. A tool to texture cylinders would be very handy at this point.
Thanks!
#67
viewable zoom count dial for each window. this would help out allot when using the grid. as it is now you zoom but do not know where your grid was when you flip out to another window. It would help keep track of your zoom so you can pop right to the exact distance in another window with a glance.
...mmm..mmm.. clearing throat...ok.. I just noticed that it's there already. I'm glad it's not venomous!!!
...maybe have the option of changing the color of the zoom count to your liking for easier glancing...
07/04/2008 (10:38 am)
*add*viewable zoom count dial for each window. this would help out allot when using the grid. as it is now you zoom but do not know where your grid was when you flip out to another window. It would help keep track of your zoom so you can pop right to the exact distance in another window with a glance.
...mmm..mmm.. clearing throat...ok.. I just noticed that it's there already. I'm glad it's not venomous!!!
...maybe have the option of changing the color of the zoom count to your liking for easier glancing...
#68
Also an export to OBJ option... .lwo is so specific to modo & lightwave :(
Sweet!!!
C
02/10/2009 (6:24 am)
Can I throw in the requirement for more than one brush in a single 'Entity Class' ;) Have a thread going in the artists section about this.Also an export to OBJ option... .lwo is so specific to modo & lightwave :(
Sweet!!!
C
#69
As for the Bezier curves, now I am not exactly sure what they are nor what they do and therefore wouldn't be able to properly tell you if I find it useful or not which I most likely would if I knew but from your small description I can grasp a little what it would do and therefore I am totally for it! I say go for it, it's definitely not a waste if it proves to be useful to people even if it's not the majority!
The second idea doesn't seem as important as the other two yet I do think that while you're at it, you might as well! =)
Now the third idea, the path extrude for roads and such is a GREAT idea - if it's not too much maybe you could add a or a series of tools in order to aid one while modeling out caves.
I am completely for your ideas and if you decide to start working on them I wish you good luck!
02/12/2009 (6:28 am)
I don't know if it's too late to reply to this post but I figured it's worth a shot since I want to provide my own feedback on your ideas.As for the Bezier curves, now I am not exactly sure what they are nor what they do and therefore wouldn't be able to properly tell you if I find it useful or not which I most likely would if I knew but from your small description I can grasp a little what it would do and therefore I am totally for it! I say go for it, it's definitely not a waste if it proves to be useful to people even if it's not the majority!
The second idea doesn't seem as important as the other two yet I do think that while you're at it, you might as well! =)
Now the third idea, the path extrude for roads and such is a GREAT idea - if it's not too much maybe you could add a or a series of tools in order to aid one while modeling out caves.
I am completely for your ideas and if you decide to start working on them I wish you good luck!
#70
I'd say a vertex snap with a configurable threshold would be my absolute favorite pick for a new feature.
02/16/2009 (3:34 am)
I have to echo the vertex snap request. Aligning verts manually... even having planar scale to help... is driving me absolutely insane. When I don't do this alignment manually? I end up with a ton of bad seams. In NWN modding (and I'm sure elsewhere) we called them "sparkles" or "sparklies". Where a bad seam resulting from verts not snapped, would cause a "sparkly" line between faces.I'd say a vertex snap with a configurable threshold would be my absolute favorite pick for a new feature.
#71
But honestly, for now I'd be happy just to see the current version working on my Mac. Let's not talk about dessert before we've even finished dinner, shall we? :-)
Edit: Oh, and for what it's worth, please let me know if there's something I can do to help make that happen.
02/16/2009 (3:42 am)
New features are all well and good - I mean that sincerely, some of the stuff being discussed here would be frakkin awesome.But honestly, for now I'd be happy just to see the current version working on my Mac. Let's not talk about dessert before we've even finished dinner, shall we? :-)
Edit: Oh, and for what it's worth, please let me know if there's something I can do to help make that happen.
#72
Fixing the brush border issue with Map2Dif_Plus_TGEA is my only real want.
02/16/2009 (8:14 am)
Technically this is a thread from the dead, so I'm not so hopeful but ...Fixing the brush border issue with Map2Dif_Plus_TGEA is my only real want.
#73
This exists. Use the "snap to grid" (check the box in prefs) and you can set the grid size to whatever you want. You can also use "quantize". Press 1 and maybe B, and then CTRL-A. you will have all the verts in the scene selected. Then hit the quantize button. Sometimes the verts you want to be snapped together will not quantize to the same grid point, so you may have to go in manually and fix them using the above technique.
02/17/2009 (1:59 pm)
@ Jason Parker:This exists. Use the "snap to grid" (check the box in prefs) and you can set the grid size to whatever you want. You can also use "quantize". Press 1 and maybe B, and then CTRL-A. you will have all the verts in the scene selected. Then hit the quantize button. Sometimes the verts you want to be snapped together will not quantize to the same grid point, so you may have to go in manually and fix them using the above technique.
#74
Unfortunately, unless you're creating square boxes, and equilateral triangles, relying on snap to grid would require an insanely small grid size. I will give quantize a try, thanks.
02/18/2009 (5:37 am)
@ Jeff Gran:Unfortunately, unless you're creating square boxes, and equilateral triangles, relying on snap to grid would require an insanely small grid size. I will give quantize a try, thanks.
#75
03/31/2009 (7:21 pm)
I have two suggestions. 1.a layer system and 2.Have the space bar make the current view full screen. 
#76
04/29/2009 (12:17 pm)
Jaimi, is the update coming soon? Also- is the pie slices plugin done? If so, mind uploading?
#77
04/29/2009 (8:56 pm)
@Perishingflames - I apologize for being so slow on this, it gets pushed back behind everything else (My job, family, paying work, you know). I've got the pie slices plugin mostly done, but I haven't found the time yet to finish it up. I've finished all the source code changes to constructor itself that I planned to make (1.06), but I'm just waiting to find time to finish up the last plugin before I send it in. 
#78
Would add it myself, but the source is not with meh :/
05/02/2009 (5:17 am)
Would love to see dds files supported as textures, and I'm sure many others would aswell! Converting between dds and png to work with the constructor is a pain...Would add it myself, but the source is not with meh :/
#79
05/02/2009 (10:09 am)
Awesome, thanks for the update.
#80
Any chance this will be made more visible to the users than as a download buried in the TDN wiki? :)
Didn't realize there was a 1.0.5 version until I saw this thread talking about 1.06...
05/02/2009 (10:13 am)
Quote:I've finished all the source code changes to constructor itself that I planned to make (1.06), but I'm just waiting to find time to finish up the last plugin before I send it in.
Any chance this will be made more visible to the users than as a download buried in the TDN wiki? :)
Didn't realize there was a 1.0.5 version until I saw this thread talking about 1.06...
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