[Material Editor : Texture choose ?]

My model is "tree.gmf"

On model viewer it refrences :tree_RetopoGroup1_Default_color.mat

so i renamed tree.mat to tree_RetopoGroup1_Default_color.mat.

 

But no way in model viwer the texture do'nt appear

 

And in model editor, there is no way to import the texture , it is limited to shaders and some shadow and other stuff !

It only display name of textures from engine directories it seems ?

 

Well i'll retry later !

(But possibility to create new materials on the fly, choose any textures from nowhere, all that in one tool only would really be the must, i speak

as more artist oriented workflow and less programmer)

[Better Workflow and World Editor :]

I've begin using the engine, and when you begin some good bunch of things are weak , so here is some wishes :

 

- Import models in the in the World editor directly (Tool converter automatically launched depending on choosen extension to import)

Unity 3D engine for example launches a batch to convert a blender model behind the scene, you just have to import it in the World Editor !

- Choose and edit material in the World editor

- Choose textures for an object (diffuse, normal map etc ... in a panel in the world editor)

- Righ click context menus in the World Editor !

For example you can access all properties of an object and edit it , just by right clicking on it , in the 3D view or in a panel that list all available objects.

 

There are just improvements to make the engine lot more 3D artist oriented by briging up the Workflow in accessing all things of an object directly from

the World Editor !

[Material Editor : Texture choose ?]

Well again with material editor !

I choosen a model (.gmf) in the viewer it said the surface material have a name like a texture.

So i copied a file (.mat) and give the same name as the model (.gmf) , but the Model viewer always reference another non exsting material name ?

 

I tried to modify the material file with material editor, but no way to choose the texture i want !

The material editor only references textures of engine installation !

So i do'nt know what to do ?

 

I hope better Workflow for next version of the engine instead of using lot of different tools each time ?

[Physic system ?]

Thanks guys !

I'll use simple Raycasting and collision detection between models so Newton commands are not needed !

It means that we use simple commands, but behind it's the physic engine Newton that manages all that is running ?

 

I've seen some move functions for entities, i think it don't uses physic engine for moving entities ? something similar to AddForce ?

Or is it used behind the black box ?

[How to import gmf to level in Editor ?]

Thanks !

 

For now what is lacking is ability to specify texture and shader directly in World Editor instead of using model Viewer , than material editor !

 

Even more i don't have succeded to make a new material with the texture for my tree in the material editor

(Perhaps LeadWorks 3 ?)

 

The icon to import a new texture was locked ? and the list only contained textures form the editor ?

 

Is there a way to simply attach a texture and shader to a model ? an easy way ?

I've seen Lua commands also to do that !

[Physic system ?]

Well i am beginner and little confused !

 

I see Newton Dll on the installation directory , and when watching collision commands i see some functions dealing with Flags and numbers instead of Physics commands ?

So my question is what do i have to use to for example detect collision detection between models and raycasting ?

Or when should we use the simple system and when should we invoke Newton physic functions (throught some C++ Binding ?) ?

[How to import gmf to level in Editor ?]

Thanks Rick !

 

In fact it was named Trr as an existing model, i renamed it myTree and it was OK !

 

It is possible to personnalize some prject by having only some models from folder A ?

Than another project that would take only models from folder B ?

Caus it seems that the editor shows all ressources from default directories of installation ?

[How to import gmf to level in Editor ?]

Well i have now some GMF models , and i wanted to import them in the desert map example in the editor !

I created new folder under existing ones of the project , but no ways they don't appear !

 

And if i right click in the right panels displyaing all objects in the scene, i do'nt see any propertie or option to import new models or make a reference to a new folder

I didn't find something in editor documentation, perhaps it's explained in very first steps ?

 

Even by copying my gmf models to some directory like "Proaps", my model don't appear in the right panel ?

[Blender ?]

Thanks guys !

 

It worked for cueb and other model.

I just saved in FBX format fomr Blender 2.58a.

Then by dragging the model on the ".exe" it maked the gmf file that i could view on the viewer !

 

What is lacking is lot more options in the model viwer like assign textures !

But let's keep that for future roadmap !

[What tool for C++ :]

Thanks a lot Roland !

I should have tried this tool before.

I installed and used LeadWerks Builder , and choosen C++, it generated the project, i build it, just after the Build, it runned fine !

[Blender ?]

Just tried Blender 2.58a !

The previous model failed !

I've just made a simple cube , and exported to FBx and Collada from Blender : No way to import and view under The Model Viewer

So where is the bug ??

[Heat haze and water]

Perhaps you could use a shader on the fire effects polygon, and another shader on water effects simply ?

I don't understand the problem well in fact !

[Entities management :]

Thanks guys !

I choose C++, so i plan to call some function like FindChild, but instead FindAllChilds !

Or perhaps use a file describing all name entities in a level than call the GetChild, and when found instantiate in an Array or Hashmap

this class for this entitie.

Each instance class will have it's own parameters going on : Life, mana, States AI etc ...

 

For C# , does it cover actually all engine stuff in latest version in the majority like 90% compared to C++ that covers all functions ?

Perhaps i could try tonight C# instead of C++ and CodeBlocks why not ?

[Number of dynamic lighst in level :]

In fact i was asking myself if welding dungeon parts within a modeler like BLender could bring some benefits like Removing unecessary vertex on welding faces.

And in terms of file loading ; a file with lot of vertex is lot more light weight than a file containing data for a big image file for example !

 

for example , if it is caves indoor, instead of making separate 3D tiles, you can make all tunnels and sort of rooms in a basic form on your modeler, and then just apply a texture on all the mesh.After that you can put big wall rocks modelsn that you duplicate , in lot of places to make all unique, wit no exactly same corridors or rooms.It's a way to avoid borring repetitive visuals.

 

I'll try to make some base level to work with within this week end , and i'll test on another PC that is not bad, but ot today PC, to see how will the level run.

Even with minimum specs needed , i target the more PC configurations possible with the engine

That's why i talk so much about optimisations.

[Advanced Terrain]

I don't think more tahn 10 textures passes is really needed ?

You can use chuncks of terrain perhaps , each chunck having is own set of textures !

Like lava terrain chunk with a texture that is common to neighbour jungle terrain chunck to make the transition.

Even big commercial games don't uses so much textures number per terrain (perhaps i'm wrong and tere are some examples !)

 

I think for terrain the next needed thing could be good would be normal map and/or specular map !

[Number of dynamic lighst in level :]

Thanks guys !

I'll take care of what type of light to use, but i think all will be dynamic as i want shadows when monsters will be near one.

 

For the level i said one mesh, combined with Z Draw maximum distance if we can modify it at initialisation , i think it can be good ?

Caus yes, lot of separated meshes make lot of draw calls also !

Perhaps i'll use dungeon 3D tiles ? and i'll write a simple management system as display only meshes that are in the Cube area where the player is !

[Entities management :]

I'm very new to the engine , and i'm asking very basic questions that i really need for future devs !

For example i've made a level in the editor with terrain , assets and entities like different NPCs in a village.

 

My question is how to attach some actions and AI to the entities specifically ?

For example i have some simple AI and dialog code in a Class1 for NPC 1 , and i had another class 2 for NPC 2.

How can i specify in the editor for NPC 1 to use Class 1 and NPC 2 class 2 ?

It is possible to do that in the editor by specifying C++ code for a selected NPC ? Or do i have to use scripting in Lua in the editor for that ?

 

I know there is another solution , by coding directly a main loop in C++ that loads the world , but after that how to do in the program to call a class and method 1 for NPC 1 and a class 2 for NPC 2 ?

And it is possible to to get entities Ids and Names that are in the loaded level to attach classes ?

[What tool for C++ :]

Thanks roland !

I'll retry tonight the setup at home.

[Blender ?]

Thanks guys !

 

In fact i use Blender for years in terms of modeling, rigging and animating.

So i'll retry perhaps with a later version of BLender , perhaps it's the problem actually !

I really hope to not have to buy Unwrap 3D ! (i've already baught the engine an the World editor).

[Blender ?]

Failed !

 

 

 

But the model imports well un Unwrap 3D Trial version

 

I'll try Collada converter perhaps before thinking in Unwrap 3D !

 

Does Anyone have successfully exported an animated model from Blender to the engine (with or without Unwrap 3D) ??

[Blender ?]

In fact i use 3D coat, or the combo Sculptris/Zbrush 4 !

So my workflow would transform in :

3D COat -> Blender -> dae -> UU3D -> gmf -> LE.

 

Why Blender dae or Fbx can't be directly read by the engine or engine tools ?

It is becoming a painfull workflow , and i don't plan buying Unwrap 3D for now !

 

We should request Blender or better FBX/Collada support for LeadWerks 3 ?

 

Really workflow is the basic in game making, i tested Unity, it just import and transform in the fly Blender Files taht it transforms to FBX internally if i remeber well ? Why having a really superb game engine if you struggle each time to import your models and loose time ?

 

3D engine format is always an important feature, and lot fo time lot of struggle !

Well i'll have to expriment other ways and we'll see how it will ends !

[Blender ?]

Well i've made some textured object, than exported it form Blender to FBX and Collada, but no way to view it under the model viewer

I tried the converter from Collada to FBX or Obj to Collada, it exports well, but no way to view the model in the model viewer !

So finally what is the best tools supported from people exprience for LeadWerks engine ?

 

I just hope more compatibilty in the future for Blender, it would be great., specially in indie market where people will not spend incredible amount of money in a 3DS MAX version !

[What tool for C++ :]

Thanks Metatron !

 

All is lot more clear now.

 

It will be to me to put in hard work and try to follow it as shrap as i can !

[What tool for C++ :]

Thanks a lot Metatron.

 

I followed CodeBlocks tutorial, but i have also erros ; i'm really really bad at all things related to environments setup !

 

CodeBlocks setup

 

Even i didn't understood the "distro" directory ? CodeBlocks proposes me Debug and Release directories ?

Same thing for .Dll , the tutorial say to put them on Data directory ? but how to reference this data directory from CodeBlocks ?

 

 

 

Well i think within 2 weeks after repeating , tryning things , perhaps i'll manage to make it work in C++ !

[What tool for C++ :]

I've installed Visual Studio C++ 2010 !

 

But i've seen it is written oon the product : For evaluation purpose only !

So my question, it is limited in time , and can we sell a commercial game using it ?

 

I konow there is other solutions like CodeBlocks !

 

i have also problems running this example

 

tutorial

 

1>------ Build started: Project: test4, Configuration: Release Win32 ------

1> main.cpp

1>MSVCRT.lib(crtexew.obj) : error LNK2001: unresolved external symbol _WinMain@16

1>E:\LeadWerks Projects\test4\Release\test4.exe : fatal error LNK1120: 1 unresolved externals

========== Build: 0 succeeded, 1 failed, 0 up-to-date, 0 skipped ==========

 

I think i will try now Dev C++ !