Beta Documentation Feedback

#21 Typos:
1. World Editor->Introduction->Tips: bullet point 5/sentence 1
"Do not forget to optimize. Remember, -you- ?+some+? specific World Editor objects are more adequate than others."

2. World Editor->Adding 3D Models->Introduction: paragraph 1/sentence 3
"Currently Torque 3D support+s+ three model formats: DTS, COLLADA, and DIF."

3. World Editor->Adding Terrain->Add Existing Terrain File: paragraph 3/sentence 2
"You should be looking +at+ (+for+?) *.ter files, which is a proprietary Torque 3D format that contains terrain data."

4. World Editor->Adding Terrain->Terrain Textures->Importing a Heightmap: paragraph 1/sentence 4
"This will save time and allow you +to+ learn the World Editor functionality first."

Optional Suggestions:
1. World Editor->Addiing 3D Models->Adding A DIF(Interior): bottom section
"interiorFile - Name and path to the .dif file
SFXProfile - SFXEnvironment -
showTerrainInside - Allow the rendering of terrain inside the interior
smoothLighting - Legacy lighting that allows softer lighting on the object."
Explaination for...? (Where am I looking in the World Editor, and why?) Is this to be expanded later?

2. The tutorial teaches how to add objects. For completeness, isn't there a need to tell readers how to also delete objects?

For example, the tutorial on adding terrains suggests to readers to delete any blocking objects in the Setup. Also, later in the tutorial, it states to "Delete this sample terrain before proceeding" (last paragraph of Create Blank Terrain).

Of course there is an assumption that the reader can figure this out based on basic computer skills, but having taught beginner classes in various subjects, I find the inclusion of certain no-brainer details such as this might be important to others. Not everyone is a previous TGE/TGEA user. A one sentence instruction is all that is needed.

3. In the Conclusion of Adding Terrain, maybe provide links to the docs for Terrain Editor and Terrain Painter tools?

4. World Editor->Creating a Skybox->Skybox Properties:
TODO: "walk through its properties" :P

edit 2009-04-24 (09:54 PST):
More typos:
5. World Editor->Creating a Sun->Standard Lighting: paragraph 2/sentence 3
"If you want a realistic " incomplete sentence

#22 Suggestion :

Could "Table of content" font size be increased just a little bit ?, you really have to focus on the text, over longer time it can be quite straining on the eye's.

On 28" 1920x1200 monitor its very small, just increase by 1 or 2.

#23 +1 on the previous post. Also it'd probably look better to just keep the font size the same for every nested depth...
And while on that tree, it seems there's a problem with the body margin/padding because the table of content "logo" is slightly on the right which causes the horizontal scrollbar to appear...
Oh btw nice job for the picture enlarge function, it looks good ;-)

#24 Couple of things =D
1. im loving the documents so far, how complete is the documentation? or simply put what have you documented so far (bar the world editor)? =]

on a slightly different note,
2. in *most* of your screenshots you show images of the FPS kit. Are these kits going to be released when the T3D engine comes out? and are they going to be available for pre-order?

3. I am unfamiliar with the Torque engines, so if someone could explain this. http://docs.garagegames.com/t3d/official/content/documentation/Beginner%20Guide/Getting%20Started/DirectoryOverview.html#HeaderLink3

in the project overview, refering to the "Game" -> "Scripts" folder , when we release the game will all these scripts be accesible by the end users? (if so, that seems silly having net code/gameplay scripts etc visible). i had a look through all the documentation up there atm. You lot mention the .tso/.dso format... i hope their is documentation in the pipelines for that as i am keen on knowing more about it...


4. As a suggestion to the Directory Overview page, i think it would be nice if you made a sub-section showing the directory tree of a "released" project. showing all the folders the end user would see, and what is included in them.

(i am a first time Torque user, so dont slay the noob =])

#25 I must say, the new folder structure for T3D is waaay better. nice.
The documentation so far seems up to "standard", concise, clear. well done Michael, looking real good, youv'e done your homework. a gold star on your forehead. Kolhakavod.

#26 in SDK Tour, for at least three times you say

To get a better idea of how a Torque 3D project is structure

It should be is structured

i find this in the demos, genre kits and templates folder structure description

#27 Really nice docs, and I'm liking what I'm seeing of T3D editors :)

#28 loving it to, would like to get my hands on it tho ^.^

#29 Are the present pages now considered final? For example the preciptation shouldn't go more deep in detail about the possible options in precipitation properties tab and what they do?

#30 @All - Much thanks for the corrections. I'll make sure to fix every single one of those grammar issues in the next push (today)

@Novack - I am considering the option to allow documentation printing. It's a lot easier to do with this "top to bottom" format. I could write a simple app links each article and prints one at a time. I'll let you know if I decide to do so.

Could you explain your second inquiry a little better? If you are asking if there will be more prep docs before you get into the actual editing, then the answer is yes. The Getting Started section docs also have a Toolbox guide, Project Generator guide, setting up your first project, and what that project contains.


D.L. - Hmmm...good point about the deletion of objects. I was waiting for the devs to finalize the shortcut keys for the editors, so I can say something like "select the object and press the delete key (or cmd+backspace on a Mac)". I'll try not to skip simple things like that.

As far as providing links to the other editors, that might be an issue. If I place the Terrain tools as the next guides after adding TerrainBlock, it will break up the flow of adding objects. I'll try it both ways to see how it flows.


@Bo & Michael Putters - The offline version of the docs have larger and bolder fonts. I'll that format online and you can let me know if you like it better.


@Aldavidson - There is quite a bit of content that has been finished. What I put online was kind of a "smoke test." I wanted to make sure the docs were online, the search worked, the formatting remained the same, the javascripts work, and that I could get it into your hands.

Here is my road map for documentation:

- Fix listed bugs and grammatical errors (beta 1)
- Push the rest of the World Editor documentation (beta 1)
- Push the rest of the Getting Started section (beta 1)
- Push the Scripting section (beta 2)
- Push the engine section (beta 2)
- Push the artist section (beta 2 or 3 if there is one)
- Push the primers (post-release)
- Wash, rinse, repeat above with new content and fixes (post-release)

The documentation will received updates for a long time after the release. As far as the FPS Genre Kit goes, that is the demo beta testers will probably be using. The final release will be using templates created via Toolbox and the World Editor, so I will change the docs to reflect that.

"When we release the game will all these scripts be accessible by the end users?" That will be up to you. The engine can generate the DSO files for you, so you do not have to include the raw scripts. The game will still run.

@andrea - Hahaha...absolutely not. I have already received e-mails from the devs regarding what is outdated. Specific to the precipitation doc, that is something my intern wrote. I wanted it posted as I received it to see what you all thought of it. He could use the feedback.

#31 @Micheal

I think you misread my post. I am saying that it does not show up in the Table of Contents, not that it's not there.

#32 @Neill - Yeah, there are going to be a few times during the beta where you stumble across that. I actually have the full documentation set up right now, with placeholder pages. These pages are pretty much blank, so I just delete them when I do a doc push. If I do a full build without doing that, the entire TOC list is populated.

#33 On a completely unrelated note...

<===Sexy avatar pics are working! w00t!

#34

Quote:On a completely unrelated note...

<===Sexy avatar pics are working! w00t!

Haha. A preview for Saturday's live feed!

... and booooo Red Sox! =)

#35 World Editor > Interface > Manipulators

Quote: The engine utilizes the right-handed (or positive) Cartesian coordinate system, where Z is up (top), X is in (front), and Y is side (left).

Isn't X side and Y in?
I mean I guess it's really depending on the angle and all but GENERALLY x is the side vector and y would be forward vector for a non-transformed viewpoint.

#36 @Bryan - I'll double check, but the information I have read on other sites depict X as in, and Y as side.

#37 World Editor > Adding a Water Plane > Introduction

Quote:
Like a WaterBlock, the WaterPlane object can add a lot to your level's environment. However, the WaterBlock is an infinite body of water with an adjustable height. The moment you add this object to your scene, everything below the height of the WaterBlock will be submerged similarly to a WaterBlock. Everything above will be reflected.

Should be

Quote:
Like a WaterBlock, the WaterPlane object can add a lot to your level's environment. However, the WaterPlane is an infinite body of water with an adjustable height. The moment you add this object to your scene, everything below the height of the WaterPlane will be submerged similarly to a WaterBlock. Everything above will be reflected.

(replaced a few blocks with planes)

#38 In regards to X,Y above, in 3DS Max 9, X is side(to the right) and Y is in (forward) in the front view. In TGEA Front view (XZ), X is side(to the left) and Y is back (towards the camera).

It's the same right-handed coordinate system for both. It just depends on which view you consider "front". Max's "Front" is TGEA's "Back" view. The way the docs are written, it would be correct if looking at it from the Left view (YZ) in TGEA.


Image courtesy of Wikipedia

#39 I think I'll put in a small blurb saying that what is front or side depends on your camera location, as it is really relative.

Alright everyone. I'm going to do a small push to get the fixes up and running before I get the rest of the content up. I want to make sure the javascripts and first corrections are good to go. I'll post a list once it is live.

#40 OK. Just updated the documentation. I think addressed most issues prior to the 04/24/2009 (1:26 pm) post about the coordinate system.

- Added two missing images (azimuth and crater lake)
- Fixed grammatical errors
- Changed TOC font and size
- Linked missing images
- Updated search index db
- Removed broken files

After this test is done, I'll be pushing more docs. The server will reflect the changes in about 30-40 minutes. So check the page after that time has lapsed.

Keep the feedback comin'