FPSC to T3D

#1 Wait.. FPSC has an export to DAE option?! How in the hell did I overlook that! I hope Reloaded keeps it, this is exciting news, I look forward to fallowing your progress.

#2 which tool u used for convertion?

#3 hey there

no FPSC has no export to dae function
however when u build your game it creates a zip archive, in that one there is a file called universe.dbo that one contains your level

now there are some tools like
UltimateUnwrap
and Fragmotion that are able to load up .dbo files

then u can convert em into whatever u want

here is a tutorial that shows howto
www.moddb.com/games/banned/tutorials/fps-creator-maps-to-3d-models

am usin Blender to get the level t3D
ready

the important part regarding scaling:
( spent some minitues to get the right scale - you need to scale your level down to this and to test it u should actiavte collision = Visible Mesh)

X= 0.035
Y= 0.035
Z= 0.035
this way u get the exact same size as u have in FPSC

in time i will write up something in the line of a guide howto
along with collision creation

However when u look at the link u can see that
it works - in the example unity

so why shouldnt it work in T3D right :)

#4 Looks like a very simple modular way of building levels, the advantage is, it is very fast and easy, but disadvantage is, all looks similar and lacks of complex shapes.
And since they did the work to create the system and the modules for you it is very fast in designing levels, but if you take some time and recreate the system for you in Torque, you will have something similar.
You could copy the style and the modules for Torque and build it into the engine, in the picture this looks something like 4x4meter modules, so you will have to create a 4x4 meter block in your modeling app, for each segment, wall, floor, ceiling and add a material, better a base material, so you can switch the skins later.
At the moment this system is not very proved and tested in Torque, but I think you can have something similar.

#5 well detail of levels just depends on its creator believe me
FPSC might look simple but when u throw in a couple custom meshes and some windows doors u get your building/ streets...

could that be done in T3D sure
but as u have encountered it yourself
T3D is not that perfect when it comes to allign models
snap to vertex (ye good luck with that)

am not sayin ppl should just go on take fpsc and do it this way
am just pointing out that there is another way to get what u want

i tried working with modular buildings/ problems start when u want to allign those - u just dont get what u tought u would
and u end up wasting time to allign model blocks

ofc there is the RoomBuilder Code that could be used to cut in throw in windows into your modular assets and ofc it could be expanded to act like FPSC segmentation building - but the license is the problem
and thats a bottleneck

In FPSC one can simply go ahead create a level - get it in T3D
and its what u expected it to be

However i will experiment a bit and show with what i came up

#6 JOlinar
I also used some of the FPSC models in the past and converted them so I could bring them into T3D. I will most definitely be following your progress on this as well. FPSC art assets would be a good start for any project. Some of the art is pretty good.
Also I seen that you were able to get GMK working with T3D MIT. Maybe you can explain how you did that inquiring minds would like to know?

#7 Did you export the entire level as a single DAE or multiples? You're going to run into big performance issues if the whole level is a single model.

#8 @Scott
by import into Blender the level is split into groups
one can simply split all that even further combine sections and so on
and regarding the performance = aslong as collisionmeshes are made
it shouldnt be a problem

and regarding GMK
its not even close to be usable
believe me if it where i would have shared it
currently its just a script skeleton that doesnt even function right.

Now to explain my idea further
*create basic to complex segments
*doors and windows
at the end
all i want with this is to quickly prototype level architecture
that doesnt eat up much memory

the doors and windows are goin to be used just to cut holes into segments
so when exported

i can simply add my interactable doors/windows (hopefully when gmk works one day)
and thats it

u get your interior/ exterior level
with enterable buildings/ sections and so on.

currently am in the segment creation process
i do plan to write up a pdf with some sample files
so that ppl can build over it (ofc u should have FPSC to be able to use it)

#9 If one big model is a performance issue and a lot of small ones also, what would be the best compromise for best performance?

#10 actually a big model is no performance issue

the issue starts if u want for example a whole city
but lets asume u would want just a couple of buildings on your level/map

create the backbone (exterior and interior walls + rooftop along with a underground section)
create a simple collisionmesh and you are done

the rest as in detail
is what you are goin to add
such as doors
interior objects = seats/ tables and so on
those tiny details are the performance hit
(and they are not supposed to be in your backbone model!)
now how would u make sure to not end up with performance issues
is with portal zones placed right
and ofc lod stages for your interior/exterior props

the result is what u would expect it to be

but now lets assume u would go for a city
something like the chinatown level but plz dont do it like chinatown

the way chinatown was constructed is
it already contains the interior props and thats lets put in
nice words
"nonsense"

u should go the same route but with a difference since its a openworld view
and that would be
in even more placed portal zones

this way your level can be tripple the size of chinatown with even less
performance impact.

#11 I think the concept behind the chinatown level was to have not too much objects, so they were grouped also the textures were grouped to save drawcalls.
The big disadvantage of this is, you cannot change much later in the ingame editor.