118 replies to this topic

[Pixel]

You must be able to do it with an upgrade for a elevator/ramp... As far as i know the four ages mod is/has done this... Take a look at that mod.

[The Desert Fox]

I'll try to do so, but just from looking at other buildings with upgrades, they have an upgrade bone on the actual model, and the placement of this bone doesn't change. So it would still be on one side or the other, not dynamic. But I'll take a look and see what they have done.

[The Desert Fox]

Ok, i've taken a preliminary look at their code, and the way they do it is with two models. They have a right side ramp and a left side ramp. So what you do is build the regular wall itself, and then the user can either upgrade a right wall ramp or a left wall ramp. That's really easy to do if I want to. Thanks for the tip.

Edited by The Desert Fox, 26 April 2007 - 04:43 AM.

[Nazgûl]

I'm really glad to see (!) that two really talanted modelers have found this thread I'm impressed TDF - you are really skilled! Imagine walls like that for all six factions... damn! *dreaming*

[The Desert Fox]

well, once all the coding bugs have been worked out, everything else is simply modelling. We copy the codes from already working walls and apply them to different factions with different models.

[Sûlherokhh]

... here is a small update. Got the gate in game and *almost* fully functional. You can upgrade to it, it opens and closes, people can walk under it. However, people won't walk on top of it yet. The problem is that gates are different from walls as you have to have multiple geometries. But here's a pic.
...

Great work, DesertFox, that's awesome!

...
Oh, and I know the skin is a slightly different color, but firstly, i'm not a great skinner, and secondly, I want to get everything actually working before I worry about aesthetics.

That is the right way, at least if you are interested in results. But the beautifying process is of course very satisfying.

... well, once all the coding bugs have been worked out, everything else is simply modelling. We copy the codes from already working walls and apply them to different factions with different models.

Quite the opposite of what i usually do, lol. Once the modelbugs have been worked out, the rest is simply coding, hehe!

I am impressed.

[Pixel]

Current Version of Mapped Mordor Walls/Gate/WallHub:


The Wall ingame:

Edited by FlameGuard, 26 April 2007 - 09:18 AM.

[Sûlherokhh]

Yippeee!

[IthronAiwendil]

Is this someting anyone can download? I would be happy to use those awesome walls in my mod

[Nazgûl]

Great progress Flame!

[NumenoreanRapper]

can i just download the walls on their own for mordor and gondor new walls those gondor walls look great

[Nazgûl]

You should read the topic from start...

[General Otmin]

Everything's looking amazing

[Nazgûl]

Yes, I highly admire TDF and FlameGuard for beeing able to work with such things. I spent like 12 hours now trying to learn 3D... I tried Gmax, RenX, 3DStudioMax... but I don't understand anything at all :( I can for the life of me not grasp how anyone can learn this by her/himself... :/

And I still don't understand why NO program can just; "Import > Rotate > Export" and keep the texture. Is that cause it W3D format? Shouldn't it be just that easy really? It seems so complicated having to "mount"/map the texture to the model again - and sort of work in blind? I could never get the texture to show in 3dstudiomax at all... *sighs*. I wanna learn...
When looking in W3Dwiever they look stunning, but it's probably impossible to map that precicely so every detail ends up in the right place, without EA's own tools. Why can't they make it easier for us modders? *mumbles*

[Bart]

@ flameguard: I hope you will submit those to the site when they are done good work

[Nertea]

And I still don't understand why NO program can just; "Import > Rotate > Export" and keep the texture. Is that cause it W3D format? Shouldn't it be just that easy really? It seems so complicated having to "mount"/map the texture to the model again - and sort of work in blind? I could never get the texture to show in 3dstudiomax at all... *sighs*. I wanna learn...
When looking in W3Dwiever they look stunning, but it's probably impossible to map that precicely so every detail ends up in the right place, without EA's own tools. Why can't they make it easier for us modders? *mumbles*

My theory... ok, you know they added normal maps for BFME2? Well, that would have involved some changes to the format's header, hence our w3d importers (mostly written for generals and renegade) have extra data to deal with, offsetting the mapping data and therefore screwing up the import. Theory is supported by the fact that you can import models without normal maps (units) just fine.

Also mapping as well as EA is simple enough. Their mapping really really sucks in the first place. duuur map sword to face durrrrrr

[Nazgûl]

Also mapping as well as EA is simple enough. Their mapping really really sucks in the first place. duuur map sword to face durrrrrr

Hehe well I was refering to the Dol Guldur walls in particular since they contains LOADS of detail that the other walls don't, such as bolts, rust and various overlapping metal parts... without having them in the exact right place the texture on the model looks a bit weird when zoomed in...

But, they way FlameGuard got it set up is still heaven compared to having to use Isengard Walls for Mordor, even if they're not exactly like the un-rotaded original ones...

My idea with that statement above is that... in these days when we have programs for everything and what not, it's really strange that someone can't just get a 3D program - any - to import these items without the texture mapping being lost. We can walk on the moon, but we can't import and work with W3D easily.


EDIT: Hey... what do you know... 1000 posts for me, right here

Edited by Nazgûl, 06 May 2007 - 09:32 PM.

[JEV3]

Actually Cahik and I were looking into the raw data of the W3D code, I noticed a few small changes, but I also noticed that similar animations have patterns for another 64 slots than the BFME1 code does... It may be a larger and more dynamic header for the BFME2-style anims... Unfortunately, if it is true that the header for BFME2 is so varied, then it will be impossible to make a w3d importer... I think Cahik was planning on looking into it himself, but he had other business this past weekend..

[Nazgûl]

I see... (not really, lol). But it sounds interesting =)
Allthough, is Cahik ever un-occupied? Like most vereran modders in here I guess he's always as busy as a bee, like the rest of them =)

[Azrapse]

Ok, i've taken a preliminary look at their code, and the way they do it is with two models. They have a right side ramp and a left side ramp. So what you do is build the regular wall itself, and then the user can either upgrade a right wall ramp or a left wall ramp. That's really easy to do if I want to. Thanks for the tip.

I don't know if this comes too late but, you could try adding a "Build Elevator" upgrade that adds two small buildplots, each in opposite sides of the wall. Then the user can click the desired buildplot and build an elevator in that side.

| |							| |									 | |
| | ---Elevator Upgrade--->   O| |O ---build on right buildplot---->  O| |^
| |							| |									 | |

| | = Wall segment
O = Elevator buildplot
^ = Elevator

With this approach you could have walls with two elevators in the same wall segment.

Edited by Azrapse, 09 May 2007 - 04:25 PM.