Tremulous Forum
Media => Mapping Center => Topic started by: CATAHA on November 26, 2010, 04:22:28 am
-
May be its a dumb question, but I and our coder still need answer. (Also im not sure about place for this topic, i hope my choice of forum section is correct).
On one stage of InstaGib mod development we maked new footstep sounds for different surface types. Currently in Trem we have only surfaceparm metalsteps flag for 'metal' sound. We decide expand ingame atmosphere with new surface types and added rock,grass,snow,mud,etc surfaces in game code. We like result, maps seems more natural this way (try last ver. of baeza port or last ver. of icetrap on our instagib server if you wanna look for live example). Now we thinking about release this code (and .pk3 with necessary sound files) as patch to lakitu server.
So thats question: Are mapmakers too lazy for add few more lines in they shader files and -custinfoparams flag to compile string or not? Because if no one interested in improving his maps this way, then we wont release such patch and gonna leave it for our own servers and maps maked for our servers.
P.S. Ye, this feature gonna work only on servers with patch, all other just gonna ignore it and use your map standart way.
P.P.S. My english poor and ugly, so thats simple example of extending your map with different surfacetypes:
zero step. Copy .pk3 file with extended surfaceparm flags into ur tremulous /base/ directory. You need to do it only once. (.pk3 size 504bytes)
1. Insert in your .shader files surfaceparm lines where you need it
// example snow shader:
textures/ig_icetrap_b2/snow-phong
{
q3map_shadeangle 155
// next line means that surface with this shader emitting 'snow' type footsteps and small snowflake clouds when you land on this surface
surfaceparm surf_snow
qer_editorimage textures/ig_icetrap_b2/snow.tga
{
map $lightmap
rgbGen identity
}
{
map textures/ig_icetrap_b2/snow.tga
blendFunc filter
}
}2. compile your map with -custinfoparms flag during 1st -BSP phase.
-
sounds like a good idea to me personally....
-
Ye we also think its good idea and we're using it in our servers/maps. But question 'are mappers too lazy for a bit more work with shaders for they maps?' or something. =D
-
It's one line.
We make maps.
We're not the lazy.
-
So i can count on you as on mapmaker's ambassador? =)
Its a joke. I have patience and i'll w8 for other mapmakers answers. Just curious how many of them will implement such features... when they know that such side of they maps will be revealed on few servers. Its not hard or something, but i know how hard force urself make rarely used features. =D
P.S. I wish 1.2 have such feature, i talked about it before. We created it in two days. One (even half) for code and one for sounds search. I hope devs gonna make such thing (or, at least, ask our coder Odissey about its source code >.<) Such tiny details make any game a Game from capital letter.
-
If you were to code it I'd add it, though I think it's a big waste of time.
Main reason being I don't play with max volume and so I barely hear footsteps (Except the ones on metal), and I believe that is also the reason why it was added to the code in the first place.
There's also the fact that in most maps the only surfaces people can walk on are; Concrete, Metal and Earth (Concrete and Earth are pretty similar anyway so them having the same sound is fine by me).
However if you were to extend it to allow Level Designer/'Mapper' to choose their own sound effects, as well as, custom bullet marks/particle effects for different surface types, then I'd be far more interested. (In fact I've been hoping 1.2 would have different bullet mark for metal surfaces)
Edit:
Actually while your at it, would be great if entering/exiting water had a particle effect, and footstep marks on certain surface types (Eg Sand, Snow, Mud)
-
However if you were to extend it to allow Level Designer/'Mapper' to choose their own sound effects, as well as, custom bullet marks/particle effects for different surface types, then I'd be far more interested. (In fact I've been hoping 1.2 would have different bullet mark for metal surfaces)
I think possibility to add own effects for surfaces isnt eazy. AFAIK Q3 engine have bit surfaceparm flags, so we just adjusted range to support other surface types. Im not sure that .bsp format can handle direct select of sound effects.
Custom bullet marks is our next step. Our coder right now on business trip, we'll pay attention on this after he came back. Anyway for different bullet marks you need to separate different types of surface (metal, glass,etc)
Edit:
Actually while your at it, would be great if entering/exiting water had a particle effect, and footstep marks on certain surface types (Eg Sand, Snow, Mud)
Same as above. List of different surface types expanded, so such effects can be added to code. Right now we have only effect on snow. Cant say about water w/o coder opinion. I think its different case than surface types.
-
However if you were to extend it to allow Level Designer/'Mapper' to choose their own sound effects, as well as, custom bullet marks/particle effects for different surface types, then I'd be far more interested. (In fact I've been hoping 1.2 would have different bullet mark for metal surfaces)
I think possibility to add own effects for surfaces isnt eazy. AFAIK Q3 engine have bit surfaceparm flags, so we just adjusted range to support other surface types. Im not sure that .bsp format can handle direct select of sound effects.
Custom bullet marks is our next step. Our coder right now on business trip, we'll pay attention on this after he came back. Anyway for different bullet marks you need to separate different types of surface (metal, glass,etc)
It most certainly would! ... On unpure servers. Or if we allowed custom surface types.
Excellent idea, CATAHA. :D
-
This sounds great for map ambience, especially particle effects on certain materials (like sparks on metal when bullets hit, may cause awesome fps drop on that time).
Indeed! Tell us if you can make this happen...
It's one line.
We make maps.
We're not the lazy.
I am lazy >.<
-
Indeed! Tell us if you can make this happen...
Well, our coder busy on work. So if community not need this right now we gonna hold it for some time. Still need a bit more work with sound (right now we have no BS footsteps). Anyway we gonna develop new server version and this upgrage gonna be part of it. I think we will release it anyway. =}