Game Development Community

Map2Dif and TGEA

by Scott Doerrfeld · in Torque Game Engine Advanced · 02/18/2008 (11:18 am) · 7 replies

I am noticing that I can't export nearly ANY map to TGEA dif. When running map2dif plus (for TGEA), the program crashes almost right away. This goes for almost any map I've tried --- heck, even the samples scenes that come with Constructor are crashing!!! This seems like it would be a serious setback for anyone trying to use TGEA. All my maps compile for TGE without any errors.

What are the limitations for maps with TGEA (compared to TGE)? Is there an extra step needed? What are other people's experiences with generating difs for TGEA?

#1
02/18/2008 (11:37 am)
Scott - are you unable to use the internal TGEA export in constructor?
#2
02/18/2008 (12:24 pm)
OK - tried a few different options here on the same map file...some of which worked!!!

In Constructor:
Export As DIF...dif compiled and worked in TGEA
Export As Legacy TGEA DIF...dif compiled and worked in TGEA
Export->Torque Game Engine Advanced (map2difplus TGEA)...crashed on export

Outside of Constructor:
Used map2dif_plus_tse command line...crashed on export while 'Creating surfaces'

According to this little experiment, the internal exporter in Constructor seems to be working fine. However, map2dif_plus_tse seems pretty buggy --- whether invoked through Constructor or not.
#3
02/18/2008 (12:52 pm)
Is there a reason you want to use the external exporters? There are a lot of bug fixes in the internal exporters. Be sure to get 1.04 if you haven't already, too.
#4
02/18/2008 (1:09 pm)
I've been away from Constructor for a while, so wasn't aware of the improvements on the internal exporters. Also my maps weren't originally built in Constructor so I was trying to go directly from map->dif without having to load them into Constructor. I've always used map2dif_plus in the past (for TGE)...was surprised to find that map2dif_plus_tse has so many problems --- especially given the option to use it in Constructor.
#5
08/21/2008 (6:21 pm)
I'm getting a similar problem as Scott with the external map2dif_plus_tse.exe crashing while Creating Surfaces.

All my DIFs are created in QuArK with portals and LODs, it seems to be the more complicated DIFs that are crashing and only on LOD-0 the other LODs export ok.

Any suggestions?
Is there a way to run my quark models through constructor?
Are there known issues with QuArK and map2dif_plus_tse.exe?
#6
08/21/2008 (7:39 pm)
Ok I *think* I've solved this...

The problem occurs when you have a detailed brush that touches another brush, other than the brush it is attached to.

My DIF model (townhouse) had cornices in all the rooms that were a detailed brush attached to the ceiling. They also touched against the walls. Once I made them normal brushes map2dif_plus_tse.exe worked and exported fine.
#7
08/22/2008 (6:15 am)
Just to point out that TGEA1.7.1 has a new map2dif_plus_tgea.exe under engine/tools.