LOD Exporting trouble...
by Mitovo · in Torque Game Engine · 04/17/2004 (3:21 pm) · 7 replies
Hello...
I've run into a hiccup that I hope someone can help me out with..
I'm going through the documentation on how to create a model and export it to DTS using the plugin for Max (5).
I have gotten through everything in the "Simple Shape" tutorial perfectly, but I'm being caught up in one particular part.
www.garagegames.com/docs/torque/general/ch10s03.php
Steps 6 and 7 of the "Simple Shape with Levels of Detail" is where I think I'm going wrong and getting confused. The results I'm getting are not what they should be. I should see a fully detailed sphere in-engine with detail level "128" and 16 segments. What I'm seeing instead is detail level "2", with 4 segments. It never changes, no matter how close or far I am from it.
Here are the instructions for those steps:
Now I figured out that Un is abbreviated (whether intentionially or not, I don't know) for "Un-Link". So.. fine, I did that. I selected each Simpleshape64 and SimpleShape2 in the schematic view and unlinked them, which set them off on their own.
Where I *think* things go wrong is in step 7. I selected "Base01" in the schematic view, and then click on "Register Details" in the exporter interface - which takes focus away from the schematic view.
When I export the shape, it's showing up as only the lowest detail version (SimpleShape2), with 4 segments and doesn't change.
I thought maybe the naming was off and that's what was messing things up. Earlier in the tutorial, you're told to name the object SimpleShape 64... However, in step 6 above, it's referred to as Simpleshape64 - with no space between the name and the 64. Could that be a problem? Is there supposed to be a space, no space.. or does it matter?
Anyone else figure this out?
Thanks!
Mike
I've run into a hiccup that I hope someone can help me out with..
I'm going through the documentation on how to create a model and export it to DTS using the plugin for Max (5).
I have gotten through everything in the "Simple Shape" tutorial perfectly, but I'm being caught up in one particular part.
www.garagegames.com/docs/torque/general/ch10s03.php
Steps 6 and 7 of the "Simple Shape with Levels of Detail" is where I think I'm going wrong and getting confused. The results I'm getting are not what they should be. I should see a fully detailed sphere in-engine with detail level "128" and 16 segments. What I'm seeing instead is detail level "2", with 4 segments. It never changes, no matter how close or far I am from it.
Here are the instructions for those steps:
Quote:
6. Un SimpleShape64 and SimpleShape2 from Start01.
7. Select Base01, and press the "register details" button. It will automatically create your detail markers.
Now I figured out that Un is abbreviated (whether intentionially or not, I don't know) for "Un-Link". So.. fine, I did that. I selected each Simpleshape64 and SimpleShape2 in the schematic view and unlinked them, which set them off on their own.
Where I *think* things go wrong is in step 7. I selected "Base01" in the schematic view, and then click on "Register Details" in the exporter interface - which takes focus away from the schematic view.
When I export the shape, it's showing up as only the lowest detail version (SimpleShape2), with 4 segments and doesn't change.
I thought maybe the naming was off and that's what was messing things up. Earlier in the tutorial, you're told to name the object SimpleShape 64... However, in step 6 above, it's referred to as Simpleshape64 - with no space between the name and the 64. Could that be a problem? Is there supposed to be a space, no space.. or does it matter?
Anyone else figure this out?
Thanks!
Mike
About the author
#2
Okay... well, I was 100% positive that I'd tried it without the space in the object names. I wasn't 100% on whether I'd tried it with the space... So I went ahead and did it again.
Same result.
As for the "show" tool... it sounds dumb, but I have no clue how to access that. I've done a search of the hard-drive for it and have tried running Torque with -show as a command-line parameter and had no success. I did a search on this site, in forums, resources and docs and couldn't find any instructions on how to use it... I could swear I'd seen them before, but now that I actually wanted to use it, of course, they "vanished"...
So.. there ya go...
Not sure if this means anything, but I also noticed that my schematic view is considerably "busier" than the one in the screenshot in those instructions. Whatever is causing the difference, it's not stopping me from just exporting an object without the LODs... but with the LODs, I'm having no success.
In the tutorial screenshot, there's only:
"Base01" -|
"Start01" "detail2" -|
"SimpleShape2"
Copy and paste the following URL to check out a screenshot of what I'm getting (this is prior to renaming the sphere to 128 and creating the two clones):
http://www.geocities.com/wsimike/MaxSchem.jpg
This is pretty odd..
Thanks again!
Mike
04/17/2004 (6:54 pm)
Hello..Okay... well, I was 100% positive that I'd tried it without the space in the object names. I wasn't 100% on whether I'd tried it with the space... So I went ahead and did it again.
Same result.
As for the "show" tool... it sounds dumb, but I have no clue how to access that. I've done a search of the hard-drive for it and have tried running Torque with -show as a command-line parameter and had no success. I did a search on this site, in forums, resources and docs and couldn't find any instructions on how to use it... I could swear I'd seen them before, but now that I actually wanted to use it, of course, they "vanished"...
So.. there ya go...
Not sure if this means anything, but I also noticed that my schematic view is considerably "busier" than the one in the screenshot in those instructions. Whatever is causing the difference, it's not stopping me from just exporting an object without the LODs... but with the LODs, I'm having no success.
In the tutorial screenshot, there's only:
"Base01" -|
"Start01" "detail2" -|
"SimpleShape2"
Copy and paste the following URL to check out a screenshot of what I'm getting (this is prior to renaming the sphere to 128 and creating the two clones):
http://www.geocities.com/wsimike/MaxSchem.jpg
This is pretty odd..
Thanks again!
Mike
#3
Running the debug binary should also work.
I'm not a max guy, so someone else is going to have to look at that.
But I can say this: read the max2dts docs at least twice, VERY CLOSELY. Read EVERY LINE. I can't count how many times I've had Joe or somebody else come and look at exporter problems like these, only to find that it was because the person with the problems wasn't following the instructions in the docs. Not saying that you aren't, just, please :), take a second or third or fourth look and be absolutely sure that you understand and are following all the instructions before we move any further in the trouble shooting process.
04/17/2004 (7:18 pm)
I was able to get the show to... er... show up by opening a command prompt, going to my Torque directory, and typing: torqueDemo -show
Running the debug binary should also work.
I'm not a max guy, so someone else is going to have to look at that.
But I can say this: read the max2dts docs at least twice, VERY CLOSELY. Read EVERY LINE. I can't count how many times I've had Joe or somebody else come and look at exporter problems like these, only to find that it was because the person with the problems wasn't following the instructions in the docs. Not saying that you aren't, just, please :), take a second or third or fourth look and be absolutely sure that you understand and are following all the instructions before we move any further in the trouble shooting process.
#4
That's odd.. I tried doing that and it won't work.. Hmmm..
As for double/triple/quadruple checking the docs.. Okeedoke.. Will do :-)
I'll let you know what I come up with..
Thanks again..
Mike
04/17/2004 (8:42 pm)
Hey Ben..That's odd.. I tried doing that and it won't work.. Hmmm..
As for double/triple/quadruple checking the docs.. Okeedoke.. Will do :-)
I'll let you know what I come up with..
Thanks again..
Mike
#5
04/17/2004 (9:35 pm)
Do you get an error when you try it? Have you compiled Torque?
#6
I finally got the "show" to work, only it seems like it only works with one of the executables... the TorqueDemo one you spoke of. Every other one gave me a Windows error and closed.
My Torque folder had become quite the mess, so I uninstalled and reinstalled everything, re-downloaded the CVS, etc. so I could get a handle on it and organize things a bit better. So, I probably have to compile another copy. Does the compiled version have the "-show" function enabled?
Thanks..
Mike
04/18/2004 (7:05 am)
Okay..I finally got the "show" to work, only it seems like it only works with one of the executables... the TorqueDemo one you spoke of. Every other one gave me a Windows error and closed.
My Torque folder had become quite the mess, so I uninstalled and reinstalled everything, re-downloaded the CVS, etc. so I could get a handle on it and organize things a bit better. So, I probably have to compile another copy. Does the compiled version have the "-show" function enabled?
Thanks..
Mike
#7
04/18/2004 (8:24 am)
The version compiled from the source does, yes. 
Associate Kyle Carter
Also, have you tried manually forcing a detail in the showtool? Is only one detail making it out or are the sizes just hosed?