blender ase map

(Flippy) #21

Looking good :slight_smile:
And 400 FPS is not too shabby either ^^

So you are making the entire map out of models? Wouldn’t it be easier to do just the complex structures in models and the hallways etc just brushes?

(RayBan) #22

blender does use seams for easily defining a cut area on a uv, what im
referring to though is that radiant will automaticly uv a face according to
the texture size, but with the mesh you have to uv it manually and it takes
more time.

the idea im trying is to make an entire map with models, its just a test to see
how well it works out and how difficult also.

at 1st i wanted to redo my terrain in the rtbr map i was constructing to
an ase, but then i got sidetracked with the idea to make the entire map out
of ase’s, or models in general.

the rtbr map ( http://www.splashdamage.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=15031&highlight=rtbr )
is not defunct, as i am merging it with this map, and its not a base race
map now so to speak, but it is a ctf style map still… just more occult oriented.

(sodsm live) #23

i hate to pry but what version of goofo’s exporter are you using? i’m just wondering cuz with 2.4x_270107 blender(2.42a) crashes right before writing the ase. 237_100705 actually writes the ase but it’s incomplete.

the best result(read: works somewhat) i’ve achieved is by using Bob Holcomb’s MD3 exporter. it seems to work but the problem is it always turns out completely black. the shader is correct, it has to be something with the ase file.

i’m using the suse 10.2 2.42a version of blender because i can’t seem to get any other blender versions to find python.

(RayBan) #24

im using the same version you have of goofo’s exporter, and blender 2.43
all seems to work ok, maybe different systems?

winxp, amd64 3200+ and it runs fine on my machine, but…
i do have my python setup properly ( im guessing ) since it never mentions
any problems about not finding it.
python version 2.4.4

(sodsm live) #25

i think suse’s blender is just broken as wavefront’s obj exporter crashes blender and that comes with the package. i’m starting to get tired of suse going non-standard with stuff that’s supposed to be extremely portable(python, java, etc.)

looks like i’m in the market for a new distro after 4 years.

thanks for the help RayBan.

(kat) #26

iirc Goofos told me that the current version of the script doesn’t use Python except for the modules that are installed with Blender.

@ sodsm : redownload the file to make sure it’s ok, I have had reports in the past about problems associated with a broken zip file due to incomplete download.

re : the topic in question… I have to say it’s about time other people started to seriously look at Blender for level design work as it’s now more than capable as an application, I’ve been using it for years like this and in all honesty, never had and real problems with it.

Be careful using auto clipping, you should really just use that for large objects; a terrain mesh is fine AC’d, everything else just player or weapons clip. Using AC on everything will break the compiler and throw out MAX_MAP_ errors.

(sodsm live) #27

kat,

the export script is complete and operational - installed blender in a win2k virtualbox machine, tested right as rain. so either the script was written in a way to break portability outside windows machines or it’s as i suspect and suse broke blender when they compiled it with python 2.5.

regardless, i’ll be modelling in linux and then dump the .blend file off on windows to export(at least until i fix the problem or find a distro that actually tests its custom builds).

(kat) #28

2.5? I wonder if that’s what’s broken it. I know that Blender 2.4x were basically built around Python 2.4.x so I can imagine that’s had an effect on Blender/the ase script. At least you’re able to get the files onto a working machine and installation though so that’s good. Any other problems just let me know.

(RayBan) #29

i will be using clip brushes for quite a few area’s of the mesh, i have run into
problems before with autoclip on some finer models and found a wierd clipped
area in a different room, and invisible wall area… turns out it was the
autoclip as the problem. but i will be careful where i clip this map.

just a minor update on this map, i just finshed off my upper modular hallway,
and by being modular it can just be duplicated and moved around to extend
and create corners. i used blender to make the stained glass window textures
( blender’s pretty handy for a lot of things im noticing… :slight_smile: )

but since im to lazy at the moment to start parting out and exporting ase’s
i’ll show a blender render of the hall system…

should look pretty close once its in et… although… probably not all the fancy
anti-aliasing…

(Kic) #30

I am wonder How you are good in using Blender.
I learned ( Now 11 month ) mapping , modeling - gmax, 3ds max, Milkshape ( have no problems with this ) . Blender seems for me a lot of complicated 3D software - a lot of functions and buttons and unusual UI, but powerfull like 3ds max maybe better. I am lazy to learn this complicated software ( it needs a lot of time to learn it )

(Shaderman) #31

You have to get used to the layout which is a very fast progress IMO. Once you undertood the idea behind it, you’ll see that it’s much simplier than you first thought and maybe you’ll love some of the great ideas behind this “strange” UI.

I am lazy to learn this complicated software ( it needs a lot of time to learn it )

That depends on what you want to do. You’ll be able to create simple meshes very fast if you watch some of those numberless video tutorials like Neal Hirsig’s tutorials. If you want to create game models for Q3/D3/Q4, I suggest you visit kat’s site and read some of his great tutorials.

(Kic) #32

Thanks shaderman, only what i need to know is How to cut edges , chamfer modifier , optimizing model, welding vertices , making groups, mirrors, collapsing , attach, detach and some modifiers . It s ok I find some free time and will go through basic tutorials for Blender Whitch links on them are included in Blender help . ( The majority I always learning by yourself , no need help )

(sodsm live) #33

i built a 243 version of blender for suse 10.2 using python 2.5. scripts work great and i even found a quake 3 map exporter script! <-- it’s not the greatest but i’m sure there could be a use for it somehow.

to sum up:

built latest blender for suse - works excellent
built 3/19/07 update of gtkradiant 1.5 - works excellent

i just may be able to get some mapping done now.

(RayBan) #34

ive heard blender has a steep learning curve, and im coming from where
you are now, since i started with milkshape and it took me a while to get
used to blender. and i would usually stop using blender because i found it
easier to work in milkshape. now its the other way around… i can’t live
without blender now that im used to it, and something thats so easy to do
in blender is near impossible to do in milkshape. but its good to use a
variety of modeling programs. doing the uv’s in blender is ok… but it has
some annoying things about it that are much easier in a very old program
called lith unwrap. when i need something unwrapped in proper flat way, i will
export from blender to an obj, unwrap in lith then import it back into
blender.

there are quite a few blender video tutorials, if i can find the links again i
will post them.

and now a minor update ( took me a while to layout the uv’s for the flooring, thanks to lith unwrap it cut down on the time. )

redid the spawn room, i was off on the units for et…

im going to post a small test map of the idea i have planned in a few days
with some random layout just to guage ppl’s thoughts on the gameplay.

but at this point, im starting to feel quite comfortable making the entire
map in blender… its starting to feel natural.

(Flippy) #35

Looks great…!

But i would like to run around in the map… just to see how it feels… meaning… is the autoclip doing it’s job, does it feel the same as normal brushes?

(RayBan) #36

well, i will be removing the autoclip on most of everything to go with
regular clip brushes, but tell ya what… let me pack this test map together
right now, and i’ll post it somewhere so you can see what it ‘feels like’ but
there’s no difference in the feeling as if it were made in brushes…

just give me an hour or probably less to add a few windows ( they have
a cool effect i want to show… ) and i’ll upload it to rapidshare or something…

(kat) #37

You can cylinder and planar unwrap quite easily, planar is just as easy as selecting face and then selecting unwrap based on viewport; you can box unwrap but that does fullon planar mapping like brushwork and tends to make very messy UVWs.

For those intersted in getting to grips with Blender there’s a list of very good intro tutorials here (needs real Player)

(RayBan) #38

@kat

i still cant get blender to unwrap proper like lith, or maybe im missing
something… my older blender ( before 2.43 ) had more options on unwrapping…
maybe im missing some scripts. i’ll have to check.

blender test map
http://rapidshare.com/files/22618712/blender_test1.pk3.html

just devmap blender_test1

(Flippy) #39

Thanks :slight_smile:

It does indeed feel the same :smiley: and looks very good…

The window is great! But the light falling in stops a bit suddenly… if you know what i mean.
You should either make it go all the way to the wall or make it falloff (get less bright/visible over distance) a bit more… But deffo looks great!

(RayBan) #40

thanks flippy, proper lighting is the last thing i will do on it, it needs more
work in places, some more uv’s ajusted and some more meshes added
for detail. once the entire map is complete, then i will run through all the
lighting for effect.