Mobile Flak88 (Demo map)

[No1_sonuk]

It’s just that, from your description, it seems over-complicated to me. I guess I’d have to see your models themselves to understand what your talking about.

[MadJack]

@no1_sonuk, I’m making a demo map and I’ll include both ways but as it is, and afaik none of those two will work right now because I can’t seem to be able to convert the .ase into .md3 with texturing with NPherno’s. That’s why I’m looking for that q3data thing…

[No1_sonuk]

Can’t you do it in Gmax or 3DSMax?.

[MadJack]

I guess I could if I had one of these

I’m trying to find a converter though lots of them converters either support one of both formats, I have to find one that can import ase and export md3… Not so easy lol

[chavo_one]

Is it me or the model2 can’t be used with a .ase? I tried what Steel Rat proposed in another thread and nothing was displayed of the .ase though it did with a md3…

I was wondering about this when you started talking about moving ase models. You can’t use ase models for anything dynamic as they get compiled into the map geometry. As you now know, only md3 models can be used dynamically.

If I remember correctly q3data comes bundled with the Quake3 install of radiant. That’s how I found my copy. Unfortunately, I have never been able to use it correctly in converting my ase models into md3s. And there is no ase importer for GMax.

[MadJack]

I don’t have the URL handy but there’s a mention of having q3data with radiant in an updated version on qeradiant.com so I’ll just go there right after I’m done reading the threads. If I can find it, I’ll make it available on my site.

[chavo_one]

The GTKRadiant installer will only install a copy of q3data on your computer if you have an installation of Quake3.

[MadJack]

Duh! mumbles**grumbles Like only Q3 maps needed that stuff… some more grumbling and mumbling

[MadJack]

@ chavo_one, it seems that it doesn’t matter if Q3 is installed or not. Radiant 1.4 will make a Q3 dir and install q3data there anyway along with a bunch of stuff.

Though I found out that my .ase models are too complicated for q3data. I get Too many GEOMOBJECTs error…

Anyway, I posted a request in the q3map2 forum and ydnar gave me the key.

So… Yes, we CAN dynamically move .ase stuff Here’s how. Can’t be dumber than that :rolleyes:

Make that script_mover stuff, put the model (ase). Give a the appropriate angles to the ase model and add a target key/value to it. Select that script_mover, give targetname the same value you gave to the ase’s target value and that’s it… A dynamically moving ase model!

Have fun!

[chavo_one]

Good news!

[MadJack]

Well… some bad news. Unless there’s some utility to “make” tags on ase, it seems we’re screwed… I’m trying to insert something like that by having imported an md3 into max 6 and exporting it as ase but so far I haven’t succeeded…

If I get some results I’ll post it here.

sigh

[MadJack]

Use multiple tags in the model.
You need 3 models: the base, the rotating gun mount, the elevating gun
On the base you have “tag_azimuth” at the azimuth rotation point.
On the mount you have “tag_azimuth” at the azimuth rotation point, AND “tag_elevation” at the gun elevation point. This model is exported with the azimuth tag at 0,0,0.
On the Gun you have “tag_elevation”, exported with tag elevation at the 0,0,0 point.

Since I got everything worked out as far as moving stuff with faceangles, I started working on attachtotag stuff…

Got a big bad surprise. When using attachtotag, you can’t detach it. It stays attached the whole map. So I’ll have to go your way. That’s not the bad news… The bad news is that as I posted above here, there’s no way to easily put “tags” into .ase files AND I’m pretty sure simply renaming the .ase to .md3 won’t work with md3totag utils.

So that’s where I am… Ideas and comments are welcome!

EDIT: Forgot to add why I was writing to you in the first place :banghead:

The other problem I have is I don’t even know how I could add a tag in Max 6, n00b is not even at the point where I am on that subject. So if you can give me a hand with that, it’d be very appreciated.

[No1_sonuk]

The MD3 plugin for max has an “add new tag button”.

[MadJack]

@ No1_sonuk, yeah I know… Still the same problem. I can’t import .ASE I did find a plugin to do just that but the darm thing gives me an error when it tries to load. Sounds like it was a debug compiled. Since I don’t have MSVS it barfs…

This is getting stupid.

[MadJack]

Thanks no1_sonuk, I’ll do that later (The Milkshape proggie and the Tut)…

I finally made it work and placed the texturing by hand using NPherno’s program… Now I’m trying to get the damn facing of the parts together. It seems those script_movers just face where ever direction they want once they’ve spawned. It doesn’t matter how I put them in radiant or that I use faceangles in the script after or before they’re attached they won’t face the same direction as the models do. One pair of script_mover and model are both facing the same direction but are facing the wrong direction, another pair have different facing direction and the last pair are good but it’s the base…

Help ?

[No1_sonuk]

What you should do is load the models in and don’t rotate them.
Then make the mover around them.
Then rotate the movers to the proper angle in the “spawn” section of their scripts.

[MadJack]

That’s what I did. I read chavo_one’s post having that kind of problems a long time ago… Anyway I think the problem is not there. I think my models are not facing the right direction so I’ll have a look in Max and see if that’s the problem. IIRC, they should be facing 0/360 Est or whatever… I’ll just compare the way it’s facing in radiant and max and make it so it appears in the proper direction.

[MadJack]

Jahaa!

Did you guys know that learning is a bitch?

Well… I’m spanking brand new at modeling though anyone could hardly call it that… Now, just for your information, when you insert a tag_* in an md3, make sure that thing is FACING the SAME direction your MODEL IS! That’s what has given me pains in the last 3 hours… sigh

The tag thingie in Max is a tiny triangle. The way it’s pointing to should point to the right or East or whatever you call it or in the same direction the “front” of your model points to. I know that Q3 stuff is usually pointing on the right. You’ll do whatever you want in the end

Ok now so where is my demo map?

Here’s where I am. I’ve got 3 pars of the mobile_flak88 attached together. The cannon swivels and the cannon goes up/down while it follow the turret’s heading. Pretty damn neat if you ask me

Anyway… What I’m planning to do right now is to convert the feet in md3, add some tags to the base to attach those feet and so they can be brought up and down too. After that, if I’m not dead, I’ll make that thing move around and maybe have it shoot using a shooter_mortar. I don’t know if that’s possible yet but I’ll probably look into it later.

Also I plan on releasing all that in a demo map later… Much later. Let’s make it work first

Thanks to all those that replied, help is always very much appreciated

[No1_sonuk]

Here’s where I am. I’ve got 3 pars of the mobile_flak88 attached together. The cannon swivels and the cannon goes up/down while it follow the turret’s heading. Pretty damn neat if you ask me

That’s what I was trying to say.

BTW, don’t forget to add a tag at the gun’s muzzle for effects.

[MadJack]

I never said it wasn’t a good way… I did succeed in making it swivel before and make the cannon go up/down. Anyway, let’s move on

Now, as a modeller, you might have an idea about my next problem. I decided to go with only one leg and use a second instance of it to use for the othe side. Thing is, if I rotate the script_mover it’s messed up so I’m wondering if there’s a way to do it or if I should make another model instead. The model is not really big (KB wise) but as you probably know, the smaller it is, the better for deployment.

Thoughts?