advanced-mapping questions

[kr1egsgott]

Hi,

I have some mapping questions I couldn't find an adequate answer for dummies for

-> How to make use of blendmaps? / "Texture-brush-painting"
-> How to add grass?
-> How to make use of all the textures/models available in RE?
-> How to change the colour of textures?
-> How to change the size of textures?
-> How to rotate textures?
-> Can I create a grunt that is not jumping?

Now punish me for not knowing

PS: I would love it if the answers that may follow here would appear in the wiki some time in the near future

[qreeves]

-> How to make use of blendmaps? / "Texture-brush-painting" (for dummies)

Select some geometry with the texture you want to paint on and use /vlayer N (where N is the texture you want to paint with, you can find this number through the F2 menu, eg; /vlayer 32), then press P until it says "merge", then just point and click to paint. More info: http://sauerbraten.org/docs/editref.html#texture_blending

-> How to add grass? (for dummies)

Select some geometry with the texture you want to add grass to and use /setgrass S (where S is the name of the grass texture, eg; /setgrass "luckystrike/grass_lucky_green.png").

-> How to make use of all the textures available in RE? (for dummies)

If they aren't already loaded, it is as simple as /exec textures.cfg - to cull any unused textures in a map type /texturecull

-> How to change the colour of textures? (for dummies)

Select some geometry with the texture you want to colour to and use /vcolor R G B (where R G and B are hue values between 0.0 and 1.0, eg; /vcolor 0 0.9 0.5)

-> How to change the size of textures? (for dummies)

Select some geometry with the texture you want to change the size of and use /vscale N (where N is the scale you want to set 0.5 = half size, 1.0 = normal, 2.0 = double size, etc).

-> How to rotate textures? (for dummies)

Select some geometry with the texture you want to rotate and type /vrotate N (where N- 1 = 90 degrees, 2 = 180 degrees, 3 = 270 degrees, 4+ = flipped version of the aforementioned rotations).

-> Can I create a grunt that is not jumping? (for dummies)

Not currently, create a ticket on the bug tracker and I will get around to adding a flag for it though

[LuckyStrike-Rx]

To make the grunt not always jumping, I make only waypoint on the ground, but that means Bots won't jump either. Can be solution for a fun campaign map, not on official ones.

There's alot a cool hidden feature that is teammates grunt and turret. Do do it you have to link actor with affinity (flag), select both and press L, the grunt will help the player that own the flag (it may be quite fun in dtf cause you grow your army by capping flags).
I would like that the actor get the color of the team however, It is not really enjoyable if you can't recognize your teammates.

I splited the turret model mesh in that purpose, so you can have 2 material, I'm about to do the same for the grunt.

[qreeves]

I splited the turret model mesh in that purpose, so you can have 2 material, I'm about to do the same for the grunt.

Ooooh, yay

[kr1egsgott]

Wow thx!
But... (oh yeah this word...)
I still didn't get the blendmapping to work. I first have to select a blend-brush, haven't I? How do i neet to enter the path?

And how to add grass only to certain locations?

Btw: I would like to add this information to the "official" wiki with images and stuff.
What are the requirements to write articles there?

[LuckyStrike-Rx]

Ok, done, I just commit the splited grunt.
I have set the 2nd material to 0 for the moment, as material 2 was giving a random color (quite ugly)
I suppose the best is to let the default texture on material 2 if no team is assigned.

It also looks better in campaign when just the armor is colored.

Turret had to be 4 mesh, as it was done with 2 different texture file.

I still didn't get the blendmapping to work. I first have to select a blend-brush, haven't I? How do i neet to enter the path?

You just have to select the 2 texture to blend, to do it, you have to select the primary texture (select a face in the editor) then assign it a second texture (type /vlayer 'the number of the texture you want to blend' in the console)
Then press P to enter texture blend mode
Or edit the yourmap.cfg and add texlayer 'number of the 2nd texture to blend with' under the texture you want to blend

For grass, it put grass everywhere the texture is used, you can merge it with blend map however.

[kr1egsgott]

Ok got it, thx.
What's the way with brushes?

[Ulukai]

Different brushes have different blending effects. They vary in size, shape and depth. A soft brush only paints a weak 2nd layer, a hard brush is a lot stronger and a solid brush will paint over the 1st layer completely. Once you're in the blendmapping mode, select other brushes with the scroll wheel. Right-clicking rotates the brush.

I don't know if there is a way to paint in a flowing motion. I always have used the point-and-click method.

Post your progress or some screenshots in the map showcase thread when you feel ready for it. Don't forget that there is also a general thread to ask mapping related questions. A lot of what you asked here is covered there already.

Good luck with the map!

[kr1egsgott]

Thx, once the time has come I'll keep you up.

Some more questions:
-> Anyone knows a way to smooth heighmaps?
-> And how about aiclip for making grunts not jump?

and now... BLENDMAAAPS muhahah:
-> blendmaps didn't work horizontally as I have expected, the brush gets "sustained".
-> Blendmaps with Grass didnt work as I have expected, there 2 cases now:
--> when I blend "dirt-texture" over "grass-texture", the grass wont go away.
--> when I blend "grass-texture" over "dirt-texture", no grass would be added.

[qreeves]

-> Anyone knows a way to smooth heighmaps?

Use a smaller grid size, or go over the area again (quite often you will get different results pushing/pulling in different spots); I often fly over my terrain post-heightmapping and use Q+scroll to manually adjust certain sharp/obtrusive angles.

-> And how about aiclip for making grunts not jump?

The "aiclip" material only defines areas where AI should not travel (and due to the way materials are arranged we can't just add more on a whim).

-> blendmaps didn't work horizontally as I have expected, the brush gets "sustained".

Nope, and they never will. Blendmaps are actually just a 2D texture pasted over the level, thus you can't have different layers of blendmaps on different levels of the map.

-> Blendmaps with Grass didnt work as I have expected, there 2 cases now:
--> when I blend "dirt-texture" over "grass-texture", the grass wont go away.
--> when I blend "grass-texture" over "dirt-texture", no grass would be added.

You need to recalculate the lighting for blendmaps to go into effect fully (/calclight).

[sireus]

-> Anyone knows a way to smooth heighmaps?

Hold J and scroll until you find the "smooth" brushes, then apply them to terrain by either scrolling (as usual) or by pressing H.
@qreeves: any idea why holding H doesn't work like it does in Sauer?

-> And how about aiclip for making grunts not jump?

Maybe if you put aiclip right over their heads? I didn't try it, but maybe they'll bump right into it and it will look like they aren't jumping.

[kr1egsgott]

Thx sireus!


My dear friends, in the name of laggzor! What is... this? :

[TheLastProject]

That looks like a flag, my friend.

A flag is a piece of fabric with a distinctive design that is usually rectangular and used as a symbol, as a signaling device, or decoration.[1] The term flag is also used to refer to the graphic design employed by a flag, or to its depiction in another medium.

The first flags were used to assist military coordination on battlefields, and flags have since evolved into a general tool for rudimentary signalling and identification, especially in environments where communication is similarly challenging (such as the maritime environment where semaphore is used). National flags are potent patriotic symbols with varied wide-ranging interpretations, often including strong military associations due to their original and ongoing military uses. Flags are also used in messaging, advertising, or for other decorative purposes. The study of flags is known as vexillology, from the Latin vexillum meaning flag or banner.

[kr1egsgott]

LOL

dude it's a waterfall

Why does this waterfall overlap my wonderful gras althought it's like 1km behind the gras?

[kr1egsgott]

Furthermore: anyone knows a way to enlarge a map into a certain direction?
Or at least an easy way to move all the geometry together with the entities and so on?

[LuckyStrike-Rx]

Lol, Gl
1 enlarge map,
2 select all the map, move geometry with U
3 Select all, then make /entselect insel. then move them

I hate to have to do that
The best is to make a guide on texture to move entities correctly

[qreeves]

select entire map .. /entselect insel .. /editcut .. /mapenlarge .. select new spot .. /editpaste