I need some serious help here...
by Matt Rains · in Torque Game Engine · 12/24/2004 (3:10 pm) · 12 replies
I've written menus, i have a server using TGE running on my linux machine acepting connections, my client on windows talkes to it no problem. I have MySQL integrated on the server, all these things were very simple to setup. I have login screens etc etc...
But now i what i want to do on my client is have a 3D GUI for my character creation. Basically I want to start by only rendering a skybox, and go from there... I can't seem to figure out if i only need to script or if I will have to change some code. And were to even begin.
I hope I've been clear on what im trying to do here...
If not:
1.) Click a button.
2.) Render ONLY a skybox.
3.) Render some models(NO TERRAIN).
4.) Render a GUI over that. (Which is the least of my worries, I think I've got that but any help is appreciated.
Also can I do all of the above without ther server scripts?
I know that I can do the GUIs and they work great, the Canvas is very simple to work with. But damn it to hell if I cant figure out how to render simple 3d objects.
But now i what i want to do on my client is have a 3D GUI for my character creation. Basically I want to start by only rendering a skybox, and go from there... I can't seem to figure out if i only need to script or if I will have to change some code. And were to even begin.
I hope I've been clear on what im trying to do here...
If not:
1.) Click a button.
2.) Render ONLY a skybox.
3.) Render some models(NO TERRAIN).
4.) Render a GUI over that. (Which is the least of my worries, I think I've got that but any help is appreciated.
Also can I do all of the above without ther server scripts?
I know that I can do the GUIs and they work great, the Canvas is very simple to work with. But damn it to hell if I cant figure out how to render simple 3d objects.
#2
Open the GUI editor and create a new control. (GuiTSCtrl)
That's what I was doing, but it escaped me on how to add the skybox. And I know if I can start adding simple things I will catch on.
And I will try to find some existing control resources in the mean time.
Like all the documentation says, it is a mammoth code base. So for me to know right where to hop in is insaine. Thanks for the response I'm sure I will have tons more questions as the time goes on.
12/24/2004 (5:30 pm)
Yeah, that's exactly right. I can look into it... and that's where I had started actually... I was wondering then, can I do something like the following.Open the GUI editor and create a new control. (GuiTSCtrl)
That's what I was doing, but it escaped me on how to add the skybox. And I know if I can start adding simple things I will catch on.
And I will try to find some existing control resources in the mean time.
Like all the documentation says, it is a mammoth code base. So for me to know right where to hop in is insaine. Thanks for the response I'm sure I will have tons more questions as the time goes on.
#3
This is one of those things that's easy once you understand it, but that are really nasty to write out instructions for - there are just a lot of assumptions going into it. It _is_ soluble, though, and there are a lot of ways to do it. (Many of them are even right! ;)
12/24/2004 (7:07 pm)
Objects tend to register themselves in the scenegraph. If all you need is a character selection screen, and you don't need to be "in a mission" when you're doing it, you might consider just having a special "character selection mission" that gets loaded and does everything... That way you don't have to rewrite a lot of assumptions in the code that there are only two scenegraphs (client and server).This is one of those things that's easy once you understand it, but that are really nasty to write out instructions for - there are just a lot of assumptions going into it. It _is_ soluble, though, and there are a lot of ways to do it. (Many of them are even right! ;)
#4
I guess what I'm saying is these are not answers but observations of what I already stated my problem is.
For a mission do I need to start a server? local and then have a local connection is this the only way it can be done?
Maybe you have a link or something that would help me answer my questions...
12/24/2004 (7:52 pm)
Right... that's what I'm thinking here a character selection mission... that's exactly it. Your absolutely right I do need to understand it more. Especially when I've worked with other engines written my own and they are all different in implementation.I guess what I'm saying is these are not answers but observations of what I already stated my problem is.
For a mission do I need to start a server? local and then have a local connection is this the only way it can be done?
Maybe you have a link or something that would help me answer my questions...
#5
Yes, loading the mission locally is probably the best bet. This is not all that hard, you just have to jigger around the scripts a bit. I've done it twice, once a year or two ago and once more recently, both times it took me about a day of mucking about to pull off.
12/24/2004 (9:06 pm)
I wish I did... :)Yes, loading the mission locally is probably the best bet. This is not all that hard, you just have to jigger around the scripts a bit. I've done it twice, once a year or two ago and once more recently, both times it took me about a day of mucking about to pull off.
#6
12/24/2004 (10:31 pm)
You can look at the GuiObjectViewer resource (search for GuiObject in the resource section), it doesn't load the skybox, bt it can easily display your model and mounts all the weapons on it, perhaps you can start from there.
#7
I'll keep looking it will work eventually...
12/25/2004 (4:03 pm)
Thanks for all the responses... this is really a great comunity!I'll keep looking it will work eventually...
#8
12/25/2004 (8:55 pm)
That's the spirit! :)
#9
12/25/2004 (10:02 pm)
You could check out the show tool that comes with the engine for a little bit of an example with a GUI and an area that displays models, etc on the fly.
#10
It seems for the show tool there are special classes used, I was just unaware of where the change took place.
But your right I should look there for the client only setup...
12/25/2004 (11:33 pm)
Thanks yeah i have used it... I've created characters looked at them with show. Even tested animations and such.It seems for the show tool there are special classes used, I was just unaware of where the change took place.
But your right I should look there for the client only setup...
#11
12/28/2004 (6:58 am)
I may be mistaken, but you might be able to create a mission, delete the terrain, throw in a skybox (maybe some fog to clean up the look some)... then throw in some sort of dts with just a collision mesh, place the player on that and throw a camera in front of it, maybe spinning around the player...
#12
I now however do see what a nice code base it is. Thanks for the responses...
I did actually end up using a mission file to store my scene position and such, and with a few modifications I can use networkobjects without a connection. So it all worked out in the end.
12/30/2004 (7:24 am)
I ended up getting what I needed working... I wanted it to be client side cause the server needed not know about player position and such in a selection screen. There are a few things I still need to workout, but everything I was trying to accomplish works now... I just needed to spend some more time with the engine.I now however do see what a nice code base it is. Thanks for the responses...
I did actually end up using a mission file to store my scene position and such, and with a few modifications I can use networkobjects without a connection. So it all worked out in the end.
Associate Ben Garney