Plan for Vincent BILLET
by Vincent BILLET · 09/13/2005 (9:30 am) · 21 comments
You can download HTC beta 1 demo HERE.
This .plan is a continuation of my previous .plan.
So, now, you have the demo. Extract zip file.
Launch TSE.exe. This screen will appear :
You can launch the mission, to see the sample mission. You can also click on Huge Terrain creator button. The HTC's main menu will appear.
To create a new map, simply click on new map.
Start simply with a Tiny or small map. Remember this : Hex size x Number of hex = Height Field size.
2 Labels tells you more about your current settings. For example if you create a small (4x4) map with 256 in HexSize, you will have a 1024x1024 Height Field. Scale factor is the space in meter between 2 dots of the height field. So you can have a terrain between 2048 and 4096 meters side. Click apply to view your terrain size when you have finished to adjust your terrain parameters. Click OK.
Draw your terrain on the hexmap. It's very easy, click terrain types (4 in this demo, 37 in full version) on the left, and click on hexmap to place them. Close the window.
Go to Generate.
Click Generate RAW and JPG (This may take a while, depending your terrain complexity, fractals used, and terrain size).
Click Generate CHU and TQT. when it's done check console to see if you can decrase depth. (Warning if you decrease depth too much, it may crash). Eventually recreate CHU and TQT with lower depth.
If avg verts/chunk is greater than 500-600 do not decrease depth, it may crash (depending on your terrain).
You can change LightFactor if you want (Light factor is slope of light. default : one meter for one meter (45 degree))
You can also readjust Hex size and scale factor.
To play directly in HTC with your terrain, leave "mixed" into terrain fileName (mission file call mixed.chu and mixed.tqt).
Your terrain creation is now complete, you can play with it (start mission).
This beta demo will not allow you to adjust heightfields, textures. It will not allow you to create mission files. moreover this demo is limited to 4 terrain types against 37 in full version.
Feel free to contact me for more informations, or post messages or pictures in this forum.
This .plan is a continuation of my previous .plan.
So, now, you have the demo. Extract zip file.
Launch TSE.exe. This screen will appear :
You can launch the mission, to see the sample mission. You can also click on Huge Terrain creator button. The HTC's main menu will appear.
To create a new map, simply click on new map.
Start simply with a Tiny or small map. Remember this : Hex size x Number of hex = Height Field size.
2 Labels tells you more about your current settings. For example if you create a small (4x4) map with 256 in HexSize, you will have a 1024x1024 Height Field. Scale factor is the space in meter between 2 dots of the height field. So you can have a terrain between 2048 and 4096 meters side. Click apply to view your terrain size when you have finished to adjust your terrain parameters. Click OK.
Draw your terrain on the hexmap. It's very easy, click terrain types (4 in this demo, 37 in full version) on the left, and click on hexmap to place them. Close the window.
Go to Generate.
Click Generate RAW and JPG (This may take a while, depending your terrain complexity, fractals used, and terrain size).
Click Generate CHU and TQT. when it's done check console to see if you can decrase depth. (Warning if you decrease depth too much, it may crash). Eventually recreate CHU and TQT with lower depth.
If avg verts/chunk is greater than 500-600 do not decrease depth, it may crash (depending on your terrain).
You can change LightFactor if you want (Light factor is slope of light. default : one meter for one meter (45 degree))
You can also readjust Hex size and scale factor.
To play directly in HTC with your terrain, leave "mixed" into terrain fileName (mission file call mixed.chu and mixed.tqt).
Your terrain creation is now complete, you can play with it (start mission).
This beta demo will not allow you to adjust heightfields, textures. It will not allow you to create mission files. moreover this demo is limited to 4 terrain types against 37 in full version.
Feel free to contact me for more informations, or post messages or pictures in this forum.
About the author
#2
I first got a "failed to open main.cs" error when running tse.exe as it was extracted from the zip file. If I move main.cs to the same folder as tse.exe, the error goes away, but the program simply fails to run then (my work machine may not be capable of running TSE, not sure), but something may be amiss in the .zip
The terrain in the background of those images - is that the terrain that's generated from the tiles shown in the Map Window?
09/13/2005 (9:48 am)
This looks cool, but I have a problem. It may be that my work machine with its crappy embedded graphics chip can't run TSE, so if it's that just ignore me :)I first got a "failed to open main.cs" error when running tse.exe as it was extracted from the zip file. If I move main.cs to the same folder as tse.exe, the error goes away, but the program simply fails to run then (my work machine may not be capable of running TSE, not sure), but something may be amiss in the .zip
The terrain in the background of those images - is that the terrain that's generated from the tiles shown in the Map Window?
#3
09/13/2005 (9:50 am)
Nice job, I'll give it a try later!
#4
Like Rodney says, main.cs is missing in zipfile :(. move your main.cs in the same folder than TSE, and put $defaultgame="HTC"; in main.cs
You also need to put common and editor directories in the same level than HTC (to avoid crash).
End Notice
@Rodney : Yes, the background image was generated by HTC with the hexmap shown in the Map window.
09/13/2005 (9:58 am)
IMPORTANT NoticeLike Rodney says, main.cs is missing in zipfile :(. move your main.cs in the same folder than TSE, and put $defaultgame="HTC"; in main.cs
You also need to put common and editor directories in the same level than HTC (to avoid crash).
End Notice
@Rodney : Yes, the background image was generated by HTC with the hexmap shown in the Map window.
#5
I'll give it a try on my home PC tonight - work machine just won't run TSE :)
How do you do the transitions between different tile heights? Looks like you have it nailed pretty well from the pictures.
09/13/2005 (10:30 am)
Nice!I'll give it a try on my home PC tonight - work machine just won't run TSE :)
How do you do the transitions between different tile heights? Looks like you have it nailed pretty well from the pictures.
#6
Last lines in the console.log are:
09/13/2005 (11:52 am)
I get the same problem... I put the HTC folder and the .exe in my example folder and it's just not running. (I added htc to main.cs)Last lines in the console.log are:
--------- Initializing: Torque Creator --------- Loading compiled script creator/editor/editor.cs. Loading compiled script creator/editor/particleEditor.cs. Loading compiled script creator/scripts/scriptDoc.cs. Loading compiled script creator/ui/creatorProfiles.cs.
#7
09/13/2005 (12:02 pm)
Joseph, You also need to put common and editor directories in the same level than HTC (to avoid crash).
#8
It should work, I tested it on 3 computers.
09/13/2005 (12:12 pm)
Try to put it in another directory than example directory. Copy your Common and editor (not creator) directories, and your main.cs.It should work, I tested it on 3 computers.
#9
09/13/2005 (1:05 pm)
I'll definitely have to check this out when I get home! Looks awesome Vincent!
#11
09/13/2005 (2:12 pm)
This looks really cool and all, but the terrain doesn't seem to have the same quality as ones made in say Terragen or L3DT. I think it's just the shadowing that makes it seem of low quality.
#12
I envision being able to take a hex map editor (like some of the old ad&d ones) that auto generate a map based on a seed and having just a few more tiles (for roads, etc). This is definatly a very interesting project. You could generate pretty much the whole world.
09/13/2005 (5:25 pm)
This is really neat.I envision being able to take a hex map editor (like some of the old ad&d ones) that auto generate a map based on a seed and having just a few more tiles (for roads, etc). This is definatly a very interesting project. You could generate pretty much the whole world.
#13
09/13/2005 (5:34 pm)
Does somebody have a mirror? THe download keeps breaking around 6-8 megs
#14
09/13/2005 (5:54 pm)
same thing is happening here, it starts off ok then slows right down then breaks. Hope Vincent can fix this, I've been bugging out the past week waiting for a demo of this project.
#15
09/13/2005 (7:56 pm)
I got through the whole download (the new one) but the .zip is corrupt :(
#16
09/13/2005 (8:02 pm)
Just happened to me too. This is too cool to just sit there and tell me I can't open it....
#18
09/14/2005 (1:59 pm)
I've updated download link and zip file. It works now.. Sorry for the inconveniance..
#19
09/14/2005 (5:42 pm)
All I have to say after playing with it is: "very cool"
#20
If you haven't thought of it already, the ability to create "custom" hexes that can each have unique parameters would make this something you could sell here on GarageGames.
Very well done.
09/23/2005 (6:46 am)
Vincent this interface is really brilliant.If you haven't thought of it already, the ability to create "custom" hexes that can each have unique parameters would make this something you could sell here on GarageGames.
Very well done.
Torque Owner Vashner