World Editor and Torque question

#1 Quark ism used to make the interiors (ie buildings) but apparently it is possable to use max to create buildings with some limitations i dont have much info on it because i dont use max (or do any real modeling work)

#2 You can use Max to make interiors. You could also use GameSpace. Both have plugins for it (Max is free, MAX2DIF but GameSpace is something like $20).

#3 Ok, to build buildings in Max is a task. There are a few ways of doing it. You need special exporters which you probably have to buy. Now, quark is to build intriors, and the world editor is to build world. However, there is a 2nd option, you can buy a license to cartography shop. ( http://cartographyshop.thegamecreators.com) Now, yes cartography shop is around 70$ but its worth every single dime!

#4 Isn't the TGE a seamless interior/exterior engine?...

I guess I'm confused because I see buildings or even items in them simply nothing more than models. (unless there is some hidden collision dependency here I don't know about?)

I don't see any advantages to using Cartographyshop....

#5 Troy:

There are 2 kinds of models in Torque.

DTS shapes and DIFs.

DTS are for complex polygon models (e.g. players) and is created in Max, Lightwave, Milkshape, Blender etc. They have their collision mesh separate from the model itself, so its possible to make highly concave/convex models without collision problems.

DIF files are "interiors". Shapes where the model itself is a collision mesh. Exmaples are bases, tunnels, roads, platforms where it matters that collision is precisely the same as the model itself. This means less advanced models, but high precision collision. These are made in CSG programs like Quark, Cartography Shop etc.

The world editor in TGE is used to then place these models + terrain into the engine, rotate, scale etc.etc.

Hope that helps

#6 I'll start examining the differences then more closely. I've got a dozen more questions now, but this certainly explains things more.

Thanks Thomas!

#7 Does someone out there have a list of all the editors available?

#8 Alex Swanson has a DIF exporter matrix, I think.

#9 Http://alexswanson.com/torque/dts/
http://alexswanson.com/torque/dif/

Those are what Bens talking about btw (I had them bookmarked)

#10 Cool, that helps a lot.

Thanks!

#11 There are also some issue with lighting a DTS built interior model and lighting a quark interior model, the latter offering more flexibility and ease.

#12 I am using the Tribes 2 build 25034 map editor and I find that I recieve an UE error every time I try to place an interior. Any help, patched, or external editors that might do the job better? I still love this game and have some ideas fro some really nice BALANCED maps.

#13 This is the Torque forum, not the Tribes 2 forum. If you had to ask this, you should have just posted it once, in its own thread, rather than hijacking a bunch of other threads.

#14 Has anyone here used Blender to make interiors/static meshes for Torque? I'm curious if you could make an entire level in Blender, and then export out part of what's made as a DIF, and other things(tables, trees, etc...) as static meshes objects.

#15 Either quark or worldcraft, both are the best for interiors. easy to build, perfect collisions, excellent integration (and low framerate). documentation says clear that dts (meshes from 3d modeling software) is good for characters, weapons vehicles and such. while dif (interiors) are to me made in the 2 programs mentioned above. period.

#16 AFAIK, there isn't a map exporter for Blender.

#17 As far as I know, blender does not support this type of "all-in-one" level creation. In fact, I don't think it really supports outputting MAP files. Just DTS.

#18 Hmm, i came across a max exporter that would allow cartography shop to import max files and then you could use them in torque with the pipeline program. but i lost the link to that exporter for max/importer for cartography shop, did anyone come across it?

#19 Its on the cartography shop page, under downloads somewhere, it allows ya to import .max files as prefabs (http://cartographyshop.thegamecreators.com)

The new cartography shop may have it built in.

#20 For the love of smoked monkeys, get it from leadwerks.com - thats the devlopers site, and I'm sure his profit margin is much better if you buy from him. Indies need love.