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diff --git a/doc/models.html b/doc/models.html new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d339ee3 --- /dev/null +++ b/doc/models.html @@ -0,0 +1,243 @@ +<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/html4/loose.dtd"> +<html lang="en"> +<head> + <meta HTTP-EQUIV="Content-Type" CONTENT="text/html; charset=UTF-8"> + <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="style.css"> + <TITLE>The Osirion Project - Creating models</TITLE> +</head> +<body> +<H1> + The Osirion Project - Creating models +</H1> +<p> + The engine supports loading of Quake 2 .map files with custom osirion + entities. While it might look like a weird choice for a file format + it has been a well-considered pragmatic choice. +<p> + First of all, creating commercial grade graphics has never been + my goal. Polished high-quality models demand a lot of time, + skill and effort. +<p> + The same goes for 3D modelling packages like Blender or 3D Studio Max. + They are capable of producing awesome results, but the learning curve + is quite steep and the number of available 3D artists is rather limited. +<p> + GtkRadiant on the other hand has been my personal tool for some time + now. An experienced mapper can create a LEGO-style model in a matter + of hours and without having the usual technical difficulties of creating + a map for a shoot'em'up. +<p> + Creating game content is usually a chicken-and-egg in a small game + project. I hope to solve this by choosing a widely available and + easy to master format. +<p> + The rest of this document contains information specific to creating + models for The Osirion Project. Even if you can handle GtkRadiant, + it is still worth a read. +<h2> + Content +</h2> +<p> +<ul> + <li><a href="#gtkradiant">Creating models with GtkRadiant</a> + <li><a href="#brushes_and_sizes">Brushes and sizes</a> + <li><a href="#caulk">Caulk</a> + <li><a href="#clip">Clip</a> + <li><a href="#detail_brushes">Detail brushes</a> + <li><a href="#textures">Textures</a> + <li><a href="#surface_flags">Surface flags</a> + <li><a href="#lights">Lights</a> + <li><a href="#flares">Flares</a> + <li><a href="#engines">Engines</a> + <li><a href="#other_entities">Other entities</a> +</ul> + +<h2 id="gtkradiant"> + Creating models with GtkRadiant +</h2> +<p> + All the models for the game were created with GtkRadiant 1.5.0, + in theory any editor capable of exporting Quake 2 .map files could + be used. Support for files for GtkRadiant 1.5.0 are included in the + data distribution. Refer to the file INSTALL on where to find them + and how to install them. No map compiler is necessary, the engine + reads the .map files directly. +<p> + If you are using a linux-based operating system, you can also use + the GtkRadiant distribution from <a href="http://ingar.satgnu.net/gtkradiant">http://ingar.satgnu.net/gtkradiant</a>. + Note that it does not include the Osirion support files by default. +<p> + This document will not explain how to use the editor. Consult google + for numerous tutorials on this subject. Any basic brush-creating + techniques for any Quake-engine based game can be used. +<p> + The main difference with other games is that you are not creating + a map for a 3d-shoot'em'up but, obviously, an object that has to be + loaded into a space game. +<p> + Because there is no map compile involved, and the engine is fundamentally + different, some points should be take under consideration. + +<h2 id="brushes_and_sizes"> + Brushes and sizes +</h2> +<p> + The engine supports brushes only. Patches will be ignored. A large number + of complex brushes is supported, but I advise not to go below grid size 1. + As with any engine it is still possible to create brushwork that gets + messed up. +<p> + When the model is loaded, the bounding box is calculated. The model will + be automaticly centered around the center of the geometry. All visible faces + will be converted to triangles. At the moment the practical triangle count + limit for a model is between 20,000 and 30,000 brushes. The engine is + capable of handling a lot more, but think about the fact that a large station + might be placed in a system filled with player ships and other objects. +<p> + The limits of map coordinates are placed on +/-16384 map units. Placing + brushes outside these bounds will have unpredictable results. The map + will be scaled down to make 1024 map units correspond to 1 game unit. +<p> + The front of a model points along the positive X-axis, the positive + Z-axis is up, the positive Y-axis is left. In GtkRadiant, the nose of + the spacesip or the front of a spacestation should point to the right. + +<h2 id="caulk"> + Caulk +</h2> +<p> + Any brush face that has the <i>common/caulk</i> texture will be ignored on load. + +<h2 id="clip"> + Clip +</h2> +<p> + Any brush face that has the <i>common/clip</i> texture will be ignored on load. + Clip is reserved for future use. + +<h2 id="detail_brushes"> + Detail brushes +</h2> +<p> + As with other engines, Osirion supports the use of detail brushes, but + with a twist: detail brushes will only be rendered if the model + is within detail range, close enough to the camera. When it is further away, + only structural brushes will be rendered. The actual detail range on the + size of the model. +<p> + This means that any object that could only been seen from close by + should be made from detail brushes. +<p> + This has one improtant implication: if you show the structural brushes + only (with the CTRL+D filter in Gtkradiant) there should be no obvious + gaps of caulk that were previously hidden behind detail brushes. + +<h2 id="textures"> + Textures +</h2> +<p> + The engine does not support model textures. Any real texturing information + is ignored. +<p> + The textures in the directory <i>/textures/colors</i> can be used by + the editor. The engine translates these textures into RGB colors + when the model is loaded. Unknown textures will be colored hot pink. +<p> + You can also use two special textures from the <i>/textures/common</i> + directory: as explained above, faces with the <i>common/caulk</i> texture + will be ignored on load. The <i>common/clip</i> texture is reserved for + future use. At the moment they will be ignored as well. +<p> + At the time of writing, texture names are hardcoded + in <i>src/model/mapfile.cc</i>. + +<h2 id="surface_flags"> + Surface flags +</h2> +<p> + The only supported surface flag is light. This will render + the brush face fullbright and can be used to create light-emiting objects + or windows. The light flag does not work in conjunction with + the <i>common/entity</i> shader. + +<h2 id="lights"> + Lights +</h2> +<p> + Unlike quake, <i>light</i> entities are not used to add lighting information + to the level but to add point lights to a model. Adding a light will + render a light flare texture in the corresponding location. +<p> + The flare value indicates what texture will be used to draw the light. + The flare value is translated to a texture name, <i>bitmaps/fx/flare??</i>. + The default flare textures is <i>flare00</i>. +<p> + The light value is used to determine the size of the flare. The engine + default is 100, resulting in rather large flares. +<p> + The default color is white, but the color can be set through radiant's + color menu (K key). If the entity option (spawnflag 2) is set, the + color value will be ignored and the light will be rendered with the + color of the entity it is attached to. +<p> + The strobe option (spawnflag 1) will create a blinking light. A number + of options can be set to manipulate the flashing behaviour. By default + a strobe light will be half a second on, half a second off. +<p> + The frequency value changes the number of flashes per second. +<p> + The offset value changes the moment the light will be on. Offset is + measured in seconds. +<p> + The time value sets the fraction of the time the light will be on. + The default is 0.5. +<p> + Lights will only be rendered if the model is withint detail range. +<p> + I also came across this usefull information:<br> + <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Starboard">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Starboard</a> +<p> + In short, the green light should be on the right side, the red light + on the left side. + +<h2 id="flares"> + Flares +</h2> +<p> + The default light entity creates omnidirectional lights. To create + a directional flare, use the <i>target_flare</i> entity. Values for a + <i>target_flare</i> are the same as those for a default light, with one + small diference: the size of the flare is set through the radius + value. The default flare radius is 100. Rotate the entity or set the + angle value to point the flare in a different direction. +<p> + <i>target_flare</i> entities can only be rotated in the XY-plane. + +<h2 id="engines"> + Engines +</h2> +<p> + Add a <i>target_engine</i> entity to add an engine exhaust to a ship model. + An engine exhaust always points to the rear (negative X-axis). +<p> + An engine is rendered as a pulsating light flare. The size of the flare + can be set through the radius value. The default engine radius is 100. +<p> + A <i>target_engine</i> entity will only be rendered if the model is within detail range. + +<h2 id="other_entities"> + Other entities +</h2> +<p> + <i>target_cockpit</i>, <i>target_turret</i> and <i>target_cannon</i> are reserved but have not yet been implemented. +<p> + <i>target_cockpit</i> will be used to indicate where the cockpit of a vessel is located + and will be used to place the camera in cockpit mode. +<p> + <i>target_cannon</i> will create an attachment point for a cannon. Cannons are forward + shooting guns. +<p> + <i>target_turret</i> will create an attachment point for turrets. Turrets point upwards or downwards. + +</body> +</html> |