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<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/html4/loose.dtd">
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<TITLE>The Osirion Project - Creating models</TITLE>
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<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 depends 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 textured models. Every brush face is drawn
using a single color and any real texturing information is ignored.
<p>
The color 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>
The fixed set of colors is rather limited, more colors can be added by
using the <i>common/entity_*</i> family of textures. The actual in-game
color information for these faces will be provided by the engine.
<p>
The special texture <i>common/entity</i> represents an object's primary color.
In-game the faces with this texture will be drawn in the color that the entite has
provided as the object's primary color. For example, for player-controled ships will
have their owner's color as primary color.
<p>
Similar, the texture <i>common/entity_second</i> represents on object's secondary
color. <i>common/entity_third</i> will be a mix of the primary and secondary color.
Each of these textures also has a <i>_dark</i> variant.
<p>
You can also use two other special textures: as explained above,
faces with the <i>common/caulk</i> texture will be ignored on load.
<p>
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/map.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.
<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 within 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>
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