vehicle lights? / tuts on making new units?

[barnEbiss]

would it be possible to implement lights for vehicles?

Also has anyone done a step by step tut on making a new model and getting ingame? for modelers a tut on making a model is not needed, but one on how to set the model up for getting it into the game and making it so it loads would be very helpful.

[elio]

i haven't written a tutorial yet because things will change

beware, at the moment warzone's not very artist-friendly

but there's a way..

first check out http://wiki.wz2100.net/PIE_models and http://wiki.wz2100.net/PIE_format to know what the model-format can...
for the polygon count (i don't trust grim's recommendation..) i wouldn't go too high for things which appear very often in the game. but for base structures you can go high..

in the source code (/data/base) or in warzone.wz:
models are placed in structs, components, features,effects, ...
textures are placed in texpages

now there are some converters available in the source, in order to use them you need to compile them (again, not very artist-friendly)
they're placed in /tools/conversion and /tools/3ds2pie and /tools/blender

i use blender, export it as .obj or .3ds and convert it using obj2pie or 3ds2pie and then edit the 'TEXTURE' directive. then i place it in the game.

the future:
a new model format http://wiki.wz2100.net/WZM_format and (hopefully) some of the ideas from viewtopic.php?f=6&t=2156
there is a plan to create an application called WarzoneStudio where you can edit everything (from stats, to interface, to models) so life will be better then

[barnEbiss]

Having a tool set for modding WZ would make making new content much better. also I have read over the forums and seen about the poly limit on models and how making it so the engine could use higher poly models could be done but has anyone ever really tried to change it so it can take higher poly models?


I downloaded WZ a few weeks back and was playing it over Christmas and it brought back many memories of playing the demo of the game a few years back. I really want to see this game to keep going and expand with a growing community like how the quake games that have their source code out keep expanding and changing and growing.

I worked on a RTS mod for the unreal UT engine and UT2004 I hope this game keep getting easier to work with and develop.

I was thinking of swapping in a bunch of low poly unit meshes I made for a new faction mod.

Also I have a question about the terrain I saw the new smooth terrain thread that is being done and was wondering if anyone here has seen the very large outdoor maps that have been done with the UT99 engine by a guy that has found a way of doing massive real looking maps in the UT99 maps that are smooth and look like they come from Terregen we might be able to use his method in WZ to allow for really nice big outdoor looking maps. I would have to read his thread again on the other forum and look how the terrain is handled in WZ but it might be doable.

[manaze]

I remember ut99. That was the first engine i ever made maps for, it was really easy to manipulate.

A new faction would be nice, I suggest taking the NEXUS mod and the SCAVENGER mod and combining them, that would be the best mod in history.

[elio]

I remember ut99. That was the first engine i ever made maps for, it was really easy to manipulate.
A new faction would be nice, I suggest taking the NEXUS mod and the SCAVENGER mod and combining them, that would be the best mod in history.

game mechanics cannot handle factions, a hq is a hq

Also I have a question about the terrain I saw the new smooth terrain thread that is being done and was wondering if anyone here has seen the very large outdoor maps that have been done with the UT99 engine by a guy that has found a way of doing massive real looking maps in the UT99 maps that are smooth and look like they come from Terregen we might be able to use his method in WZ to allow for really nice big outdoor looking maps. I would have to read his thread again on the other forum and look how the terrain is handled in WZ but it might be doable.

would be nice if you could tell a bit more about it somewhere else in the forums
this topic is getting quite off-topic now..

[barnEbiss]

ok to go back to my orginal question how hard would it be to add onto the current engine support for adding lights on to vehicles and buildings?

[Per]

ok to go back to my orginal question how hard would it be to add onto the current engine support for adding lights on to vehicles and buildings?

How do other game engines implement vehicle lights? If you answer that question, I may be able to answer how hard it would be to add to Warzone's.

[Thyranim]

Example: Earth 2150
you can manually activate and deactivate the vehicle-lights.
Effecting speed at night (can't see anything without lights at night, so driving more slowly, but can also harder be seen).

[Alpha93]

But the question was:"How do other game engines implement vehicle lights?"

[Thyranim]

what do you want to know?
the code that is used? dunno ...

[fisk0]

But the question was:"How do other game engines implement vehicle lights?"

other game engines? I suppose most of them use a lightmap centered on the unit with one or two 'cones of light' extending in front of the unit to make it look like it's got headlights pointed forwards. I haven't seen too many RTS games using vehicle lights, the only one that comes to mind right now is Emperor: Battle for Dune.

Of course, a lightmap might not work exactly as in real life if the units travel through rough terrain (a stone or hill in front of the unit wouldn't cast a shadow/block the lightbeam), but realistic calculated lightrays would probably slow down most computers when there are too many units on screen.

[Freakyman]

i thought the engine warzone 2100 is cannot support a point of origin lights only point of impact or point of direction were supported or am i mistaken and also to the scavanger and nexus faction mod IF u do combine them make it pre tech and after tech which i think is what they are doing with it now NOT quite sure though.

[Buginator]

would it be possible to implement lights for vehicles?

Also has anyone done a step by step tut on making a new model and getting ingame? for modelers a tut on making a model is not needed, but one on how to set the model up for getting it into the game and making it so it loads would be very helpful.

Sure, it is possible, but it is going to kill the FPS for most people.

[Mysteryem]

What about an option in the options menu that you can switch on?

[Deus Siddis]

quote="barnEbiss"would it be possible to implement lights for vehicles?/quote

Sure, it is possible, but it is going to kill the FPS for most people.

[cough]vertexcoloring[/cough] . . . [cough]warzonehasuseditfromdayonetofakelocalarealighting[/cough] . . .

Hghm, excuse me, I must really be coming down with something.