Compiling necessary for terrain/mission editor?
by Mitovo · in Torque Game Engine · 03/25/2004 (6:24 am) · 3 replies
Hello all,
I just recently purchased an indie license, downloaded and setup the CVS for Torque... I've been perusing the threads regarding compiling the tools, etc. and something occured to me.
At this point, I really want to get my feet wet with creating, importing and using content to setup playable game environments.. since that's really the part I intend to focus on in a development process anyway. I do intend to learn more about the API, the compiling process and so forth - just not yet. I kinda want to compartmentalize my learning process so I don't overwhelm and confuse myself with too much at once.
What I'm wondering is, do I *have* to compile the code in the CVS in order to use the mission editor/terrain editor, etc? The reason I ask this is because I downloaded the precompiled tools from the Torque website and read that those are the same tools you get when you compile the source. I may be incorrect in this though, which is why I'm asking.
Is there a specific "development version" of the Mission/Terrain editor that's compiled along with those tools that's used in actual development? Can I use the Torque engine demo build to function in this capacity, or does it have limited functionality? I hope I'm making sense here.. lol.
Thanks for any assistance!
Take care,
Mike
I just recently purchased an indie license, downloaded and setup the CVS for Torque... I've been perusing the threads regarding compiling the tools, etc. and something occured to me.
At this point, I really want to get my feet wet with creating, importing and using content to setup playable game environments.. since that's really the part I intend to focus on in a development process anyway. I do intend to learn more about the API, the compiling process and so forth - just not yet. I kinda want to compartmentalize my learning process so I don't overwhelm and confuse myself with too much at once.
What I'm wondering is, do I *have* to compile the code in the CVS in order to use the mission editor/terrain editor, etc? The reason I ask this is because I downloaded the precompiled tools from the Torque website and read that those are the same tools you get when you compile the source. I may be incorrect in this though, which is why I'm asking.
Is there a specific "development version" of the Mission/Terrain editor that's compiled along with those tools that's used in actual development? Can I use the Torque engine demo build to function in this capacity, or does it have limited functionality? I hope I'm making sense here.. lol.
Thanks for any assistance!
Take care,
Mike
About the author
#2
Thanks!
Okay, that's what I was guessing after seeing what the binary download for the tools was, but I wasn't sure. Great! So I can just jump in and start learning the editing/mission aspects, then move on to compiling and scripting when I'm ready.
So all I have to do is make sure I have the right resources in the right folders, add an argument to the Torque executable and I can actually play/preview a level, right?
Ahh.. that's another question, now that I've reminded myself. I think I remember reading they don't, but do scripts have to be compiled prior to using them, or are they compiled or interpreted real-time while in the engine/editor, etc?
Also, yeah.. I'm using/learning QuARK right now. It seems a bit unintuitive to me at the moment since I'm still new, but I can tell that it provides alot of flexibility in editing. Since I can't seem to find a working download link to a current version of Worldcraft, I can't try that for comparison. The ones I've tried seem to bring me to a "page not found" page on the Valve website...
On the modeling side, I'd really love to use Animation:Master, especially for more organic models, but there doesn't seem to be a viable conversion software for that - the one I tried results in models that have aot of "tears" in the resulting polymesh and are in .x format. I've seen people mention Wings3D in some of the threads.. Would that be a recommended editor?
Anyway.. thanks once again for the info!
Take care,
Mike
03/25/2004 (7:17 am)
JamesThanks!
Okay, that's what I was guessing after seeing what the binary download for the tools was, but I wasn't sure. Great! So I can just jump in and start learning the editing/mission aspects, then move on to compiling and scripting when I'm ready.
So all I have to do is make sure I have the right resources in the right folders, add an argument to the Torque executable and I can actually play/preview a level, right?
Ahh.. that's another question, now that I've reminded myself. I think I remember reading they don't, but do scripts have to be compiled prior to using them, or are they compiled or interpreted real-time while in the engine/editor, etc?
Also, yeah.. I'm using/learning QuARK right now. It seems a bit unintuitive to me at the moment since I'm still new, but I can tell that it provides alot of flexibility in editing. Since I can't seem to find a working download link to a current version of Worldcraft, I can't try that for comparison. The ones I've tried seem to bring me to a "page not found" page on the Valve website...
On the modeling side, I'd really love to use Animation:Master, especially for more organic models, but there doesn't seem to be a viable conversion software for that - the one I tried results in models that have aot of "tears" in the resulting polymesh and are in .x format. I've seen people mention Wings3D in some of the threads.. Would that be a recommended editor?
Anyway.. thanks once again for the info!
Take care,
Mike
#3
I have been able to place my model in game, though I am still having some problems with the textures (they are the wrong size at this time) so they are not exporting very well.
I have only built two models at this time. I have to start over on one for the QuRak building. :(
03/28/2004 (9:58 pm)
Wings3d I use, but it does not do animations. It can handel a few export options (I use the .OBJ) format and import into Milkshape from there I export to the .DTS format.I have been able to place my model in game, though I am still having some problems with the textures (they are the wrong size at this time) so they are not exporting very well.
I have only built two models at this time. I have to start over on one for the QuRak building. :(
Associate James Urquhart
The terrain and mission editor is included in torque. Just press F11 in-game to see it. There is no seperate version.
The precompiled tools package includes things such as the 3dsmax exporter, and map2dif program.
If you want to make new animated models, like players, you use a torque exporter for your particular modelling package (3dsmax, milkshape, lightwave, blender, truespace, maya, ...) to export to .dts.
If you want to make new interiors, aka buildings / structures, you need to use the "map2dif" program to convert quake style .map files (made in any quake map editor, e.g. quark into .dif files that you can place in the mission editor.