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Egozi44

More mod questions

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Hi there again :3

 

 

I have more questions for my mod in WrathED

 

 

1. How do I add house color to new unit? (add new C&C4 unit and have no clue how to add one)

 

2. How do I skin building? I already skin units and MCVs in KW but when it come to some buildings they either don't work or brake animations

 

I tried to change the GDI's bunker skin (the foxhole of the rifleman squad) and succeed but when the foxhole get really damage it's "roof" disappear (make it look like empty foxhole with guns xD)

 

The other building I tried was the MARV Hub factory thing, I changed the GDI icon to ST icon and it only showed it in the building animation, what I missed?

 

3. How can I add a situation where single inf unit (not squad) will spawn something I want on certain status that I made upon death (like commando or engineer)

Ravendark said to do a createobjectdie module or something like that.. never done it so I don't sure what to do xD

 

 

 

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1. cnc4 and ra3 use color channels (blue to outline and red to highlight) in the specular map for house colors, tw and kw uses those for scrin and nod shaders aswell, but gdi shaders use a 4th texturefor a housecolor map, its basicly a grey scale of the diffuse with a hide/reveal layer untop of it then saved with a alpha channel enabled. so basicly you need to add a 4th housecolor texture to any converted unit that uses the object gdi shader. then if you dont have 3dsmax you need to manually add the coding to the correct unit model.w3x files(you can open them like any xml file)

 

an example from the predator tank

 

 

<FXShader ShaderName="ObjectsGDI.fx" TechniqueIndex="0">
            <Constants>
                <Texture Name="DiffuseTexture">
                    <Value>GUPredatorTank</Value>
                </Texture>
                <Texture Name="NormalMap">
                    <Value>GUPredatorTank_NRM</Value>
                </Texture>
                <Texture Name="SpecMap">
                    <Value>GUPredatorTank_SPM</Value>
                </Texture>
                
              /**  Below is the housecolor setting, you would need to add this to the cnc4's unit w3x coding, <value> is the name of the 4th housecolor texture
                    file you need to create **/

                <Texture Name="RecolorTexture">
                    <Value>HC_GUPredatorTank</Value>
                </Texture>


                <Float Name="EnvMult">
                    <Value>1.000000</Value>
                </Float>
                <Bool Name="AlphaTestEnable">
                    <Value>false</Value>
                </Bool>
            </Constants>
        </FXShader>
 

 

 

2. could depend on a number of factors, you might have to provide more details on your work flow.

 

3. look at the juggernaught how it spawns its husks.

or for example the genericbuildingdestruction from most gdi buildings in tw that spawn infantry on death.

 

 

<CreateObjectDie
        id="ModuleTag_CreateOccupiedDie"
        CreationList="OCL_GenericGDIBuildingDestruction" >        
        <DieMuxData
            DeathTypes="ALL"
            DeathTypesForbidden="DETONATED SUICIDED"
        />
        <UpgradeForbidden>Upgrade_NoSpawnUponDestruction</UpgradeForbidden>
    </CreateObjectDie>
 
Edited by Ravendark

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1. Ok... I don't 100% sure I understood what you said but I think I may got the picture in my past experience when I look on units textures , I've notice that most units have normal skin, damaged skin, red skin, and some have blue-like skin (mostly GDI's) Is this what you meant? I also look on some inf skin and some have white skin with black "lines" on the area of the of house color and I recall that unit without it skin will be completely painted with the army house color instead (happened to me when I just touched the Zone trooper house color.. and gave up on it),

and then all that left is to edit some files with the coordinate (which I have no clue how to make), I think that the unit already come with file that have these coordinates though

 

So assuming what I said was right, How do I make these skins? I don't sure I can make them in the same color without ruin anything around, Also the unit I'm using is C&C4 Nod Cyborg Commando and it seem like it already came with it's SPM skin but it not red

 

how do I manually add it to the xml? I never done it before and have no clue~

 

Edit I found this in it's SKN

 

		<FXShader ShaderName="ObjectsNOD_KW.fx">
			<Constants>
				<Texture Name="DiffuseTexture">
					<Value>NUS_CommandoA</Value>
				</Texture>
				<Texture Name="SpecMap">
					<Value>NUS_CommandoA_SPM</Value>
				</Texture>
				<Int Name="HouseColorUnitType">
					<Value>0</Value>
				</Int>
				<Float Name="EnvMult">
					<Value>1.000000</Value>
				</Float>
			</Constants>
		</FXShader>

 

It only part of it ofc, but if the file is ready then what is missing?

 

 

2. Well I don't sure I have the edited xmls of my skin test anymore but what I generally was trying to do was the exact same thing I done with any unit and inf I changed so far

 

add normal skin, damaged skin, really damaged skin to any ModelConditionState in the xml aside from the default (depend on the ModelConditionState ofc) add USER_+number to any condition yes

 

added <RandomModelCondition id="Random_Model" Conditions="USER_+same number as the condition yes"/> to the behavior

 

 

made sure to add the skins to the game ofc

 

and I even tried to add the skins to the animation... nothing really worked, in the marv hub case the changes only showed up during the "building appearance" animation (the animation that the building does when you place it on the battle field... I think it called unpack animation?) and then it just moved back to default animation, no matter what condition the building was as

 

and in the foxhole case the skin work but when the building was damaged the foxhole roof just disappeared

 

I don't sure what I done wrong over there... I also notice that the marv hub destruction animation acted a bit weird after I added the new skins

 

 

3. I didn't meant how to make units to spawn something upon death, I meant how to make unit spawn something upon certain status + death

Thanks to your help in my last thread I added new status to the ObjectStatus xml that spawn viscroids and it worked, I put it on any squad and add the status to only tibirum related weapons, so that if squad will die Only from tibirium weapons (include tibirium crystals) they will spawn viscroids, However just as you said in the other thread commandos and engineers as non-squad units need to be edited differently ... and that where I stuck since I don't sure what to add there

Edited by Egozi44

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1. more or less yes:

 

Objectsgdi shaders uses 4 texture files:

roughly used as:

 

Diffuse for the actual skin and details

Normal(blue), for height mapping

Specular(red darkish) for gloss and glow effects: The red channel is used for gloss, the green channel for reflection, the blue channel is used for accentuation and glow effect.

Housecolor uses a alpha channel to hide/show certain arreas of the texture, achieved by using a visibility layer...white hides black shows(or was it viceversa) the underlying texture.

The game uses the specular maps blue channel in combination with the housecolor map to give the housecolors a glowing effect on units.

 

nod shaders dont use a housecolor texture, they use a overlaying texture with a animating effect to give the housecolors ingame a pulsing effect. Nod uses the specular maps blue channel to draw the housecolor sections.

 

So to draw housecolor regions in gdi shaders, draw them using a greyscale of the difuse texture with a reveal/hide layer and save it as a filetype with a 1bit alpha channel...dxt3 or so i believe will work...dont remember by default would have to actually look at the export formats in photoshop itself.

 

for nod you draw the housecolor sections in the specular map but in the bluechannel.

 

2. no idea, could be a number of things, bad xml coding maybe forgot some parts or defined others wrong, maybe you broke some of the channel data on the textures itself when you latered them, maybe something whent wrong with exporting or you didnt define the texture files in a matching xml file so it cant find the textures etc etc.

 

 

3.

 

However just as you said in the other thread commandos and engineers as non-squad units need to be edited differently ... and that where I stuck since I don't sure what to add there

kindof depends on what you want to do with a squad or unit....but the createdie thing works the same for either...either way you usualy add it to the squadmember anyawy and not to the squad placeholder.

Also if you want to spawn something on weapondamage you might want to look at the corruptor visceroid weapon.

Edited by Ravendark

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Sorry for the delay

 

 

1. I think I got the general idea but I need at least a video or tutorial to understand what to do, is there any chances that you can take a look on the Cyborg commando files from Zocom7's C4_Art_Sound_Pack and see if all the files are in working order so I could know if it issue with the XML ? (don't sure I took the files from there though, but either way the credit belong to Zocom7 for the files)

 

A friend of mine trying to make the HC but I don't know if he succeed so far

 

 

2.

I will pm you the files, could you take a look and see if something is broken? I used WED 1.08 for them though because 1.07 give them without sounds and broken other stuff

(say what you want on 1.08, but so far 1.08 work most of the times for me while 1.07 actually break stuff for me, so I use 1.07 xmls only if 1.08 give me issues... which rarely happened, the only thing that I was need to get used to was to get xml with less lines, and with left to right letter order, rather then up to down)

 

I deleted the marv hub's xml though so I didn't include it xD

 

 

 

 

3. the corruptor spawn in KW was blocked completely So I already made alternative way to spawn visceroid with with any weapon that have the status I made

 

I don't sure how the "createdie" thing looks like (think I know what you talking about, but just in case) can you give me example ?

 

I need something that let single squad member/unit to have OCL upon death + the requested status I made, so if he dies without the status.. he will just die without do the OCL

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1. This looks like a job for Super...Zocom....man..woman? If he made the art pack he can answer that question about wether the files are ok or not. but i am guessing texture files are texture files...the problem will be more along the lines of how the TW shaders try to use them...remember that TT shaders are different then TW shaders.

 

2. don't see anything out of the ordenary with your pillbox or the hubs texture files....they both have a simple alpha channel wich is basecly full white (meaning full transparency, nothing gets hidden) you could try to remove the alpha channel in PS or so and export it as a file type without alphachannel like dxt1 or rgb if you are using the dds plugin or such.

 

3. have a look at the juggernaughts husk spawn coding.

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1. Iirc that was one of the last things Apoc released, dunno if even publicly.

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1. I have a friend that may help me make house color, we see how it goes from here

 

 

2.so wait the issue is with the alpha channels?

 

 

3. I tried a few stuff, they all failed, do you have any idea what I can try?

 

 

 

4. Any chance that you can remind me how to chance or add stance to unit? I forgot and the info was in the old c&c forum when it was alive..

 

 

5. I made a unit that suppose to attack any unit it see, the issue is that after I add a filter for it weapon it will only attack and will move if a unit in really near it, when I take the filter off it just ignore most units and attack tibirum crystal... (lol) What can I do to filter it moves and range so it won't just attack units that in 0 range from it? Thanks

Edited by Egozi44

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2. more like how they are read by the engine i reckon. Could be also be a error with how or where you defined the new texture skin for the bunker....if it the engine doesnt find the texture you are referencing it will (more often then not) display the object pink or purple like, sometimes it can also show it fully transparent (depending on the shader used). Honostly i would just trash everything you did involving the foxhole/digin building. start over....extract the foxhole xml coding with 1.07 not 1.08 and work from there...basicly you are just replacing a texture file...there isnt much that should/could go wrong with that.

 

4. KW has a default agressive only stance called: AgressiveOnly

 

 

<StanceTemplate
        id="AggressiveOnly">
        <StanceDefinition
            Type="AGGRESSIVE"
            AttributeModifier="" />
    </StanceTemplate>
 

you should be able to use that if you want a unit to attack anything automaticly.

 

you could add the following to the unit coding in its behavior section:

 

 

<StancesBehavior
                id="agressive_stance01"
                StanceTemplate="AggressiveOnly" />
 

attack range is determined by 2 things (this is disregarding special ai logic or things like leash range for drones/slaves )

 

basicly weapon ranges (min and max ranges) and vision range. A unit could have unlimited weapon range but a vision range of 1 and it would need to move into close range to attack. if a unt has larger vision range that weapon range it will move towards the unit inthill it is within weapon range (depending on its active stance and or ai/turretai settings).

 

regarding the ai sections, make sure you have AutoAcquireEnemiesWhenIdle="YES" set else it mostlikely wont attack on its own.

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2. I already tried it with 1.07 and had the same result and there's was no any pink or purple things on there, just invisible roof once the building is realty damage , Also I already said what I think on 1.07 >.>, 1.08 is better imo even if it extract way less lines it at least 90% of the times don't break anything~

 

3. I assume you don't know how I can make such command that will use PARACHUTING2 ObjectStatus for single unit? I had idea in mind but don't think it will be possible....

 

4. Thanks I will try it

 

Just for reminder, can you write how to make new stance? I may want to do it again and I forgot how to do it (the info about Cultist and mastermind stance was deleted along with the official C&C forum)

Edited by Egozi44

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Ok I total lost here

 

I tried to edit the unit and the weapon over 50 times yet the unit always act as if it don't have vision, even though it have 450 vision....

 

 

what I doing wrong?

 

 

here the filter I added to the weapon (the weapon need really close range)

 

<SpecialObjectFilter Exclude="TIBERIUM_FIELD CIVILIAN_BUILDING TIBERIUM" Rule="ALL">
<ExcludeThing>TiberiumCrystal</ExcludeThing>
<ExcludeThing>TiberiumCrystalBlue</ExcludeThing>
<ExcludeThing>TiberiumFieldRedZone</ExcludeThing>
</SpecialObjectFilter>

 

If I change ALL to any it move even more around

 

Here the vision

 

<VisionInfo
VisionRange="450"
ShroudClearingRange="500" />

 

Here what I added under

</Behavior

 

<AI>
<WanderAIUpdate id="0x12FA48BA" AILuaEventsList="NODAvatarFunctions" Selectable="True" AttackAll="True"
WanderDistance="80" AutoAcquireEnemiesWhenIdle="YES">
<UnitAITargetChooserData
TargetingCompareList="DefaultTargetingCompareList"
CanAutoAcquireNonAutoAcquirable="True" />
</WanderAIUpdate>
</AI>

 

And the stance in the behavior is

 

<StancesBehavior
id="ModuleTag_Stance"
StanceTemplate="AggressiveOnly" />

 

I also made a weapon that will attack the unit upon spawn with special AttributeModifier_Hallucinate that will last the entire game so it will move (without it the unit don't move at all)

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post the weapon code, also wander ai...urgh... its a remanent from bfme iirc..it was used for sheep and all kinds of critters never for a actuall (ranged) combat unit iirc. it could be the wanderai coding is broken or incompatible with a ranged unit....there was a post like this on the old cnc forum, some bloke tried the same visceroid thing but gave up eventually.

 

but anyways, post the weapon coding.

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Wander AI works, at least if its a somewhat small range. The system in BFME was to have a sort of burrow which spawns creeps that wander around it. I have one of these with a Tiberium Fiend in TW which works flawlessly.

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As Lauren said the Wander AI seem to work (till I filter the weapon and it made the unit stop most of the times)

 

Here the Weapon (credit for zocom7, I just edited the original a bit)

 

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<AssetDeclaration xmlns="uri:ea.com:eala:asset">
<WeaponTemplate
		id="WildMelee"
		Name="WildMelee" 
		AttackRange="12.0"
		MeleeWeapon="true">
		<FiringDuration
			MinSeconds="1.2s"
			MaxSeconds="1.2s" />
		<Nuggets>
			<DamageNugget
				Damage="300.0"
				Radius="1.0"
				DamageType="MAGIC"
				DamageFXType="ALIEN_BUZZER"
				DeathType="NORMAL" >
<SpecialObjectFilter Exclude="TIBERIUM_FIELD CIVILIAN_BUILDING TIBERIUM" Rule="ANY">
<ExcludeThing>TiberiumCrystal</ExcludeThing>
<ExcludeThing>TiberiumCrystalBlue</ExcludeThing>
</SpecialObjectFilter>
</DamageNugget>
		</Nuggets>		
	</WeaponTemplate>
</AssetDeclaration>

 

 

Also I would really appreciate if you could answer my questions in post #11 ; )

 

 

 

P.S any chance that someone can tell me if there's a way to extract sounds from C&C4 and how to do it? The unit I use is one of the rare C&C4 units that don't have sounds around the net (not even in zocom7 art and sound pack)

 

Thanks

Edited by Egozi44

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try adding this to your weapon

 

ChaseWeapon="true"
CanFireWhileMoving="true"

 

Also I would really appreciate if you could answer my questions in post #11 ; )

 

what I doing wrong?

thats the only question in post 11:

 

and the answer to that is something!

 

but incase you actually meant post 10 (wich actually has more question in, where as post 10 feels more like a existential crisis/meaning of life post :o )

 

2. I already tried it with 1.07 and had the same result and there's was no any pink or purple things on there, just invisible roof once the building is realty damage , Also I already said what I think on 1.07 >.>, 1.08 is better imo even if it extract way less lines it at least 90% of the times don't break anything~

 

3. I assume you don't know how I can make such command that will use PARACHUTING2 ObjectStatus for single unit? I had idea in mind but don't think it will be possible....

 

4. Thanks I will try it

 

Just for reminder, can you write how to make new stance? I may want to do it again and I forgot how to do it (the info about Cultist and mastermind stance was deleted along with the official C&C forum)

2. this is not a question, just a statement i don't particular agree with.

 

3. yes, no, maybe? you could be more clear on what you actually want, also it feels the first part is a rethoric question where you doubt my awesome(ish) coding powers! woe is you! the latter part is just you givin up before you start...wich brings us back to "what i doing wrong" : Giving up before you start!

 

4. Another statement, but its a polite one filled with postitive attiude about trying things! so thumbs up!

- the actuall question: can i write things? Ofc not, i am not Megumi with awesome codewriting skills!...i just copy paste stuff and then changed sertain parts (the bigger part of valor modding)

 

Like this:

 

 

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<AssetDeclaration xmlns="uri:ea.com:eala:asset">

<StanceTemplate id="hulk_smash">
        <StanceDefinition Type="AGGRESSIVE" />
      
    </StanceTemplate>

</AssetDeclaration>
 

and in the unit

 

<StancesBehavior
                id="Moduletag_scaryface"
                StanceTemplate="hulk_smash" />

 

 

But i feel we should get back to your meaning of life question : What i doing wrong?

 

i could probably solve that, but i will have to charge you for the therapy session!


 

ps:

 

I have one of these with a Tiberium Fiend in TW which works flawlessly.

Normal women just keep cats :o

Edited by Ravendark

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I'm not against being unserious from times to times

 

But I really need your help so could you please answer me seriously about my quesions ;) ? (and you was right it was post 10 not 11 xD)

 

Also tried the ChaseWeapon and CanFireWhileMoving... didn't work -.- what else you suggesting ?

(BTW here video if you wondered how it look like)

 

Edited by Egozi44

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Have you tried LeechRangeWeapon?

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But I really need your help so could you please answer me seriously about my quesions ;) ? (and you was right it was post 10 not 11 xD)

Even with all the joking arround i answered your questions:

 

2. Not a question

3. make command parachuting2: be more specific...is it a single button that triggers a upgrade? is it a toggle? are you creating a new status bit or do you want use a existing one....certain model and status bits have in engine coding to them that makes them behave or react different(see Kindofs), creating a new one has limited usablity. Be more specific on what you try to achieve.

4. i posted the code you wanted in the previous post.

 

Also post you units coding, preferably not in a single line. you can leave out anything involving model and animation, im more interesting in the enginering paramaters (from name to costs and kindofs etc) and your behavior and AI sections.

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Have you tried LeechRangeWeapon?

 

Nope, will try it next

 

 

 

Even with all the joking arround i answered your questions:

 

2. Not a question

3. make command parachuting2: be more specific...is it a single button that triggers a upgrade? is it a toggle? are you creating a new status bit or do you want use a existing one....certain model and status bits have in engine coding to them that makes them behave or react different(see Kindofs), creating a new one has limited usablity. Be more specific on what you try to achieve.

4. i posted the code you wanted in the previous post.

 

Also post you units coding, preferably not in a single line. you can leave out anything involving model and animation, im more interesting in the enginering paramaters (from name to costs and kindofs etc) and your behavior and AI sections.

 

Well yea but you left some of them unanswered ;0

 

 

In 2. I generally meant if I need to change texture again, like save it in dx3 or 1 and if there will be any different?

 

3. I will be more specific (just note... it was your idea from other thread so I thought you got what I was talking about :3 )

I made all squads in the game aside from scrin to do two things upon death if a certain Status are met,

 

A. I made it so the All squads in the game could transform into cyborgs in you use redemption on them, if it enemy then nothing happen, if it ally then he will get the cyborgs (and it required parachuting status)

 

B. If Any squad in the game die from tibirum weapon he will spawn viscroid (like it transform to it) in order to do that I added new status to the ObjectStatus note which I named as parachuting2 and add that status to any tibrium weapon And add to squad death a new ocl that will required that status, so each squad have 2 status it need in order to spawn either Viscroid or Cyborg, if non of the status are met upon death they just die normally

 

There's no upgrade, and no button (at least on the unit's abilities, since redemption is a support power)

 

What I trying to do now is to add these ocl and requeststatus to a single inf (like commando and engineers) but since they aren't squads I don't know what to add, I tried to add the Juggernaut's spawn thing and added a status, it didn't work

and adding new type of death may not work because I don't know how to add it to the weapons...

 

If there's anything you didn't understood or need more info let me know

 

 

4. Yea but in the old C&C forum it was different and longer, you explain it more deeply iirc

 

 

5. I will send you the xml and of the object, If you will add anything or delete anything let me know what because a friend of mine is work to improve that unit and added more effects and abilities, If I will replace xmls I will want to know what been changed in the old one~

Edited by Egozi44

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2. saving textures is basicly simplified into 2 things:

does it have revealed/hidden section or tranparancy section wich get saved into a alpha channel? save it with ARGB(alpha channel) settings...you can use dxt1 or other type of similar settings (check madins tutorial on moddb if you ar really interested in texture format settings)

does it not have any tranparancy? save it as a rgb(no alpha) setting.

 

3. squads are placeholders...you dont give them any kind of death effects tbh, you set those to the squad members themselfs.

 

the easiest would be to use the coruptors weapon code to spawn viseroids and use the createobjectsdie module to spawn cyborgs....

 

for the cyborgs:

 

in the unit

<CreateObjectDie
                id="ModuleTag_CreateObjectDie"
                CreationList="OCL_cyborg">
                <DieMuxData
                    DeathTypes="ALL" />    
            </CreateObjectDie>   
 

createobjectsdie module can use

 

<xs:element name="UpgradeRequired" type="UpgradeTemplateRef" minOccurs="0" maxOccurs="unbounded" />
<xs:element name="UpgradeForbidden" type="UpgradeTemplateRef" minOccurs="0" maxOccurs="unbounded" />

 

so you can add a upgrade that enables the cyborg spawning if you like too.

 

<UpgradeRequired>Upgrade_RiseOftheMachines</UpgradeRequired>
 

from here you can use a simple upgrade system, or tie that upgrade to a veterancy lvl, create a aoe specialpower that triggers the upgrade(look at the cloaking field power from nod on how to do that.) etc.

 

4. cant remember.

Edited by Ravendark

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2. Thanks I will give it a go

 

3. That what I added to the squads and it work like a charm

 

<OnDeathBehavior RequiredStatus="PARACHUTING">
<OCL>OCL_RedemptionSpawn</OCL>
</OnDeathBehavior>

 

<OnDeathBehavior RequiredStatus="PARACHUTING2">
<OCL>DieOCLV</OCL>
</OnDeathBehavior>

 

The problem is that it in the "HordeContain" which I can't add to normal unit which isn't a placeholder

 

And I think I said it before but EA completely blocked the corruptors weapon method in KW so I need to use other way

 

I didn't really mess deeply with the upgrade system, Unless I see xml with example I don't think I will know what to do, I don't really fan of this method either, You sure there's no other way to add status request death to single unit?

 

 

BTW did you take a look at the xmls?

 

 

I tried the LeechRangeWeapon, didn't worked : (

Edited by Egozi44

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2. saving textures is basicly simplified into 2 things:

does it have revealed/hidden section or tranparancy section wich get saved into a alpha channel? save it with ARGB(alpha channel) settings...you can use dxt1 or other type of similar settings (check madins tutorial on moddb if you ar really interested in texture format settings)

does it not have any tranparancy? save it as a rgb(no alpha) setting.

I don't know this tutorial but from what you're writing it sounds a bit crappy. The compiler will convert your textures into DXTn anyway, and if nothing set it will probably default to DXT5, so you should just export them in the DXTn format directly.

DXT color compression is always the same.

DXT1 has 1 bit alpha per pixel.

DXT3 has 4 bit alpha per pixel. (for sharp edges in the alpha)

DXT5 has 8 bit interpolated alpha per pixel. (for smooth gradients in the alpha)

 

DXT1 is 64 bit (8 byte) per 4x4 pixels, and the smallest.

DXT3 and 5 are 128 bit (16 byte) per 4x4 pixels.

Edited by Lauren

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that is just me explaining it crappy, the tutorial is rather nicely written itself imo:

 

http://www.moddb.com/games/cc-tiberium-wars/tutorials/finding-out-what-dds-formats-do-for-your-textures

 

also you can force the format , by adding something like this to the texture xml OutputFormat="A8R8G8B8".

 

but my point being through all this:

 

if he gets invisilble parts its probably:

 

1. missing reference(part of the mesh) or compiling error related to the gameobject in question

2. the texture is showing fully transparent wich could have to do with whats in the textures alpha channel

Edited by Ravendark

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3. That what I added to the squads and it work like a charm

 

<OnDeathBehavior RequiredStatus="PARACHUTING">

<OCL>OCL_RedemptionSpawn</OCL>

</OnDeathBehavior>

 

<OnDeathBehavior RequiredStatus="PARACHUTING2">

<OCL>DieOCLV</OCL>

</OnDeathBehavior>

 

The problem is that it in the "HordeContain" which I can't add to normal unit which isn't a placeholder

OnDeathBehavior seems to be new to KW and was probably designed for that particular use.

 

for single units use the objectscreatedie module like i showed above.

 

 

I didn't really mess deeply with the upgrade system, Unless I see xml with example I don't think I will know what to do, I don't really fan of this method either, You sure there's no other way to add status request death to single unit?

 

 

BTW did you take a look at the xmls?

Just have a look how existing upgrades are done, you want to trigger them from a aoe special power (have a look at the stealth SP from nod).

Do you want the infantry to start with the cyborg thing avaible or get it from a upgrade or special power (think that is how KW did it?), from the start you could do it with some little lua code (have a look at the snipers lua coding how it gets the spotter object status, you can do the same but with the parachuting status i think) i explained the upgrade and specialpower thing above allready.

 

yes i did look and didnt see anything abnormal atfirst glance, again post them/attach them publicly to your post if you want someone else to have a look, i might have missed something.

Edited by Ravendark

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that is just me explaining it crappy, the tutorial is rather nicely written itself imo:

 

http://www.moddb.com/games/cc-tiberium-wars/tutorials/finding-out-what-dds-formats-do-for-your-textures

Reading the tutorial in the first part he states a few times something like

There are no significant improvements with DXT3 or DXT5, you might has well use DXT1 for specular maps if you do not mind the compression issues

This gives the reader the idea that you would expect DXT3/5 to compress colors better than DXT1 while he fails to understand that they all use the same compression, he even fails to understand, or at least express, that the compression used in DXTn isn't just reducing the size to 5:6:5.

What he also doesn't understand is a reason why it's 5:6:5 and not 6:5:5 nor 5:5:6 nor 5:5:5 (what he used in his examples) the human eye can distinguish shades of green the best of all colors, thus a bit more is given (5:5:5 would waste 1 bit anyway). This is a huge difference and his 5 bit picture is not representative of the actual result of 5:6:5. The resulting image also varies a lot depending on which method is used to fill the last 2 or 3 bits.

It doesn't help that you cannot view his pictures in full size because his account is set to private but keep in mind: in the previews one already cannot really see much difference, now remember the object is even smaller in the game itself.

He does not know what DXTn actually does, thus in his conclusion he still thinks DXT5 compresses color slightly better while it's the same exact compression. He also states that there isn't a point to using DXT3 over DXT5 while there certainly is, as stated in my explanation above.

 

All in all he fails to understand what he is talking about, even from an artists perspective as 5:6:5 cannot be compared to 5:5:5 (yes self taught artists often miss the thing about how the human eye works, but learning about perception is one of the most important things).

The point of a compression format is to have big textures, which can be read in real time, with relative small file sizes. He mentions the tga format and says it's superior, but he doesn't know how that works either. Targa is nice, it's lossless, but the problem with targa is it's a runlength encoded compression, thus if you've got lots of pixels of the same color in one horizontal line it works incredibly well, but as soon as you start to have a more natural image the size explodes. In the worst case, where each pixel has a different color than the one in front of it it's even slightly bigger than uncompressed. As graphics evolve to be more and more realistic the textures are becoming more and more natural and less favorable for tga's rle.

 

My final judgement:

Nicely written lecture, but with no basis it's sadly just a waste of time, especially as it gives you the wrong ideas how stuff works. Sorry.

 

The article is from 2013, I hope he learned a bit more in the meantime and if not and reads this post takes it as constructive criticism and not an attack or anything!

also you can force the format , by adding something like this to the texture xml OutputFormat="A8R8G8B8".

I know you can force the format, but I just cannot recommend using uncompressed but instead just increase the texture size (size of a 16x16 uncompressed block is 512 bits, with dxt it's 128, so you can have a 32x32 that takes up the same space which means you can get more details and less artifacts for the same size).

I can only recommend using uncompressed formats for the UI, nothing else.

 

One note: regardless of compression diagonal lines are always a problem, because of rasterization and resulting aliasing, esp if you zoom in more. As an artist one should try to have all edges aligned to be either horizontal or vertical if possile, this will reduce issues 100%, if completely horizontal/vertical, even if fully zoomed in.

Most games do not support the dxt normal map thingy as it's mostly just a pain in the butt for negligible results.

Edited by Lauren

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