Tools!

Post everything from general questions, to modding questions, to map WIPs to releases. (SWBF1 only)

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eddie
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Tools!

Post by eddie »

"We wanted to let everyone know that the team has been putting together tools for the community. We hope to have something available before the holiday. The current plan is to include tools to allow the following:

Editor to create all the worlds
Tools to create all sides including NPCs
Basic Sample maps for reference
File structure template for creating new levels
Tutorial for making Mods
Compile tools
Softimage XSI Exporter Add on
Debug exe

Barring any problems, we hope to be able to include all this to the community. Do note though, due to the complexity of tools in general, these are considered Beta and not supported.

Lastly, thanks again for the continuing feedback & discussions here on the boards. We definitely include the community's opinion when deciding on changes for the game and we hope to make Star Wars Battlefront as strong as possible for the future

The Star Wars Battlefront Team "

Now, the universe will never be the same...


Official link:

http://forums.lucasarts.com/forum.jspa? ... 31&start=0
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Post by eddie »

He he, good job for all of at pandemic. Thanx for all your support so far. Wil you be contact person for the future?
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Post by Rends »

First,
thanks for the coming tools.
But i have still the question if the XSI plugin is for the Version 4 only? Or will we get a working version from Softimage for free?
vindictive

Post by vindictive »

wwooOOOOOOTTTTTT! :D
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Post by Rends »

Another question about the creating procedure.
Does it work like this ( simplified):
->Making 3Dmodels with XSI and export them with the Pandemic plugin into the .msh format.
->Next run the Editor and import the 3dmodels. Now give them some properties if needed (moving doors for example) and place them on the (also imported ) landscape.
->Now with the editor we will do all work to get life on the map.Wich means Spawnpoints, AI moving paths,cover locations,lights and fog,environment Sounds ect...
->Next run the debugger and last export it as mapname.lvl file.
->Once done we need to create/edit the smaller files addme.script,mission.lvl, core.lvl

Would we also be able to create the sound.lvl and the movie,lvl files?

Will there be also a Documentation about all Properties?

Rends

PS: And i only have started with Questions yet... ;-) More to come,hehe
Riley75

Post by Riley75 »

Wow, great news! :) Definitely looking forward to seeing what all the tools will include, and how they work.

In a strange way it's also a bit of a downer, because I was in the midst of building some tools of my own. :o But who knows, maybe there'll still be a place for some of what I've been doing, heh.
luck3y

Post by luck3y »

Fred,

As part of this release do you guys plan to release lua related scripting tools and docs?
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Post by eddie »

Just remeber all good days back in 2004. Oct someting, long time ago, didn't know how to move spawn point or nothin', and now, almost after 60 days from those days, it seems like so far away... I will miss discovery moments like "back in hex days we had to spend hours bla bla and you kinds these days have everyting on your plate and you still complain...".

But who cares, tools we be out soon!!!

I had to do this, to get it out of my system he he
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Post by guru »

Hee hee! This will indeed make our past mods just a discovery tool and I for one am ready for full conversion, entirly new maps and with the smart minds on this site/forums Im just too excited to see what all can be created! Get everyone together and lets make the first offical addon , hehe!
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Post by Rends »

Riley and eddi,
hey your days arn´t over yet ;-)
Maybe you are needed to write some small tools for the extra stuff needed for the maps (core.lvl...addme.script etc...)
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Post by Rends »

Thanks for the Info.
Will there be any documentation about the properties?
And what about shadows.Are shadows simple untextured 3d models included in the msh file?
I hope you will release some sample properties corresponding .option and ODF files.

Do you have a email adress from Softimage so we can contact them. there are dozens of email adresses on their website and i´m not sure wich would be the correct one to choose. And anyone up here who want to contact Softimage? Well you know that i´m not a native english speaker/writer .
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Post by Rends »

I asked Softimage for a special XSI Battlefront version on their board.

So modders i hope you will support me and reply to my post there at:
http://forum.softimage.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=2864

Rends
vindictive

Post by vindictive »

Fred,
Do you basically subtract a space, place terrain, actors, static meshes and spawn points then build (burn) like Unreal editor?

Vinny
HowardBusch

Post by HowardBusch »

If they need some testers to test the tools I am sure we will all volunteer.
vindictive

Post by vindictive »

Cool, thank you.
I think at this time it's better to wait and see instead of bombarding you with speculations of questions.

Zeroeditor, uummm...
Any place we can see Zeroeditor?

Vinny
vindictive

Post by vindictive »

Battlezone II editor

Thank you
nitro

Post by nitro »

So it's more like battlecraft ? like u can choose what kind of terrain and where them to spawn etc. ?
nitro

Post by nitro »

and do you think we could edit the program so it could be easier to work with , or will the program have a pretty hard code to add stuff in it ?
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Post by Rends »

Some more question:

- will lifts work? so players can use them. there won´t be the need that players control them. It would be enough if the lift goes up and down frequently.
- is it possible to create moving objects. I´m think of all those speeders and taxis we saw at Coruscant in the movie?
- What about missions at different daytimes. I think it would be cool to fight at day and night on some maps even exsisting ones. Would we need to pack a complete map together again this time only with different light settings or is it possible to make a small file size map just with the light changes and refer all the other stuff to an exsisting map?
- will we be able to limit the numbers of specific characters? I mean that only 4 or so jettrooper for example could spawn at the same time on a map. well if it´s hardcoded in the gameengine could it be adressed in the next patch?
- Is it possible to spawn iside of a moving spawnpoint? I´m thinking here about bigger spaceships(spawnpoint) with fighters onboard.
- Would it be possible to spawn inside a vehicle. I´m thinking about spacecombats and if you spawn as pilot you will just sit in a fighter in space once you spawn.
- Can we have mission goals? I mean think about the endor mission. It would be cool once the shildbunker is destroyed the imperial tickets would be set to zero or at least it should have a major reduce of tickets. this would be very interesting for some attacking-defence missions.
- Is it possible to have more than one different NPC on a map? At the moments there are all the same jawas,tusken ect... I think about crowded cities with different characters. The don´t need to make something importand like the tuskens or the Gamorreans but they should run on the map or seeking for cover if under attack.
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Post by Rends »

ok,
let´s clear what you mean with Dome models. On geonosis there is lot of traffic in the dome/sky. What are these models? Flat 2D Models circling around the sky or are they 3D models. If 3D could they also be not only in the dome but also between the skyscrapers? Those models only need to simulate the traffic we saw in the movie. All the vehicles flew straight in line from on end to the other crisscross in the sky and between the skyscrapers. that´s what i would like to see in a Coruscant map. So if you fly a fighter you could pass these models. If it´s not possibe i guess i can have the dome models above in the sky and also below because the dome is a sphere right? Well this wouldn´t simulate the traffic between the skyscrapers i would like to have but to the models above and below me (as player) would do it too.

One more question about the usage of the fusioncutter. In game they can build turrets etc.. would it be able to "destroy" things too? I´m thinking about the opening sequence in EpisodeIV where the Imperials enteres the TantiveIV. In the movie they cutted the door and then it falls down on the floor. So could a Fusioncutter do the same? It must be funny for imperials to cut a door with the fusioncutter and then enter the ship. On the other side it would be cool if the Rebels could Repair damage doors, hehe.

Back to the spaceships question. If it´s not possible to spawn inside moving objects then bigger starships like a Destroyer need to be part of the "terrain" so players and AI can spawn in let´s say a Hangar. Can we script AI behavior that the pilots jump into the parking fighters and take off and other AI units man the guns. I would like it if we can prevent AI to run to the open Hangar doors into enemy direction and fnaly fall into the sky and die.

And last question for the moment. Do you create the Landscape in XSI or is it created in the MapEditor?If i´m right iI remember you mentioned that Terrain heights are changable in the Map Editor. If so how did you make it that Buildings ect... fit exactly on the Landscape? I just wonder...
If not and the terrain can be imported from XSI into the Mapeditor will i be able to create the whole Map in XSI (Landscape, buildings and other objects) and export it as one single file? this would make it easier then importing every single building into the Mapeditor and move them to the correct location there.
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