Generating placement scripts through an application

#1 There isn't any application out there that does that (at least I don't know it and/or it isn't public yet :-), but, yes, it is possible to do that. You basically need an application that writes a .mis file. It basically holds all properties that you can set with the world editor in Torque.

If an application creates these .mis files, you can place your dts and dif objects 'automatically'.

#2 Do I have to put everything in an mis file or can I only add the objects

#3 I assume that you are trying to utilize your city generation tool. Then in general you would create one big .mis file anticipating that every building is one single .dif file.

#4 Also read this thread on a similar issue.

#5 Thanks

#6 But I cannot access the thread. May be its for SDK owners

#7 And yes you are right. I am trying to utilize the city generation technology.

#8 In this thread I made a point of buildings influencing each other in terms of light and shadows. Quoting me: 'different DIFs can shade each other, but they cannot throw light at each other.' So if your buildings should illuminate each other, they have to be part of one .dif.

So you have basically three possibilities:

a) the whole city is one big dif (including ground). This would give a small .mis file (just on dif to include, but one huge .dif file which you don't want.

b) every building and the ground is one .dif each. As said, they throw shadows on each other but won't illuminate each other, which is propably sufficient. Esp. every building can have several level of details (LOD) which should be efficient for Torque. This would give a big .mis file (every building is an InteriorInstance and several smaller .difs.

c) Even more efficient than b) would be if you have several identical buildings because this minimizes the number of .difs and is thus more memory efficient. Size of .mis stays the same.

#9 Do you know if an mis can have only objects. No players, triggers etc

#10 Mission don't ever load players, and they don't need triggers.

#11 So it is possible to have a mission with only objects

#12 Yes. just look into an existing one.

#13 /begin rant
And for pete's sake if you are going to develop a tool for Torque, why not drop the cash and at least become an SDK owner, if you are going to make a profit from GG's hard work and/or the work of the community it only seems right to at least support the product.
/end rant

#14 A mission file is just a list of instantiated script objects. Nothing stopping you from dropping player objects and triggers in. You will have to set the control object to the newly created player elsewhere b/c the mission is loaded before any clients connect.

Basically if you can do new Blah() {}; with a script object you can include it in a mission file.

#15 Okay if I create such a tool. That is an application that generates .mif files without using any torque code will this be a voilation of the licsense agreement.

Though I should post this query in some other forum category but at the moment I think I should post it in a live thread for reference.

#16 I'm not saying you're violating the letter of any license so don't get me wrong, I just believe that a tool or app based on Torque or supporting Torque, should be made by community members i.e. SDK Owners, that is really more in keeping with the spirit that the GarageGames community runs with.

Let me put this another way, and don't get me wrong this is ONLY my opinion, however I would NEVER buy a torque tool from someone who wasn't at least a TGE indie licensee.