Constructor

#1 I don't think Constructor is released yet. But maybe someone's using beta or alpha version?

#2 Constructor has been out a couple weeks.

It is also free.

I've got everything working now except I have something wrong with textures. I had those working until I fixed entities and then the textures stopped working. I'm aiming for getting a resource on it tonight if I can make textures work.

#3 Hmmm, I didn't realize this(that Constructor was out). Good luck getting it to work. Is there a forum for it yet?

Just downloaded it! It looks nice. Added a primitive(square), exported it as a dif without texture. Added .dif to interiors folder. But, you are right, it won't load(in MBG)

Any ideas? How did you get the .difs to load Lance?

#4 You need to export as a map file first. Then use the marbleblast map2dif program to convert that to .dif


For entities you'll need to add in all of them under the manage entities area and add their properties (I got this info from the .qrk file).

As for textures, I don't quite have that working consistently yet. I had one set up working but apparently did something wrong.


Also, make sure that when you make a texture album that you don't have a space in the name of it. (ie. "MarbleBlast" instead of "Marble Blast").

When adding textures to a texture album, they need to be copied from the same drive that constructor is installed on. For me this meant copying the textures from the D to C drive then adding them to the texture album.

A few things are a tad strange and if you're good at quark you may not replace it just yet. If we can get good instructions on setting it up though it should work quite well for new users.

#5 I have an idea for you. In the file menu there is the Export... option from choose Edit Export Configuration. Can you add the Map2Dif configuration so you don't have to run Map2Dif separately?

I'm on a Mac, so I don't know if this Map2Dif is available for Mac.

Good luck with your textures and thanks for info.

#6 Yes, that's where it would be added in and I'll have it in there as soon as I get it all working. Right now I just have a little batch file that runs map2dif then copies it over to the custom directory so I can start it up and test.

Getting it down to one button will be handy though.

#7 On the other forums, there is a whole board dedicated to it.

#8 Dedicated to constructor? or to using Marble Blast in constructor?

Building maps and difs for up to date uses of Torque is easy with Constructor, just open it up and start drawing.

If there is any information about how to create for Marble Blast with Constructor I'd appreciate a link to it.

#9 Dedicated to constructor, not constructor related to mbg. The forums are at www.marbleblast.proboards78.com

#10 Torque Constructor System Requirements
MAC OS X (10.2 / 10.3 / 10.4)
G4, G5 or Intel Mac
512 MB RAM (1 GB Recommended)
OpenGL Compatible 3D Graphics Accelerator

My Computer
MAC OS X (10.3.9)
Processor: 1.8 GHz PowerPC G5
Memory: 256 MG DDR SDRAM

I'm concerned about the 512 MB RAM needed for it to work compared to the "256 MG DDR SDRAM" I have. Does this mean it won't be able to run it if I download it? The other requirements seem to be okay.

#11 GT_koops,

You can probably run it with 256 but rendering will 'dog gone' slow. (edit)I would thing the processing power would be more important here.

solo.

#12 So...how slow are we talking about? Should I just not bother? It sounds like the best way for me right now to finally make custom platforms and the like.

#13 I would say with a G5 you are in pretty good shape! The memory is useful if you want to have a decent history queue(undo/redo options), but it would help in rendering as well. I would say 'give it a try' you have nothing to lose.

Only thing is, Constructor won't export to a .dif format(version) that MBG game recognizes. So you still have to have it converted with map2dif.exe from Windows(PC). Some of the forum members will convert it for you it you send it to them. You export(SAVE) as a map then send it to someone with a PC to convert. Constructor frees you from having to the hard work(design) on a PC. It's a great tool for free!

Good luck.

#14 Ok, I'll try it when I have the chance, but asking other people to convert sounds like an obnoxious thing to do to people. So there isn't a Mac program in the works that can possibly do that instead?

#15 You can send it to me if you want. It would only take 30 seconds to do and send back.

#16 Thanks, even though I haven't made anything (or downloaded it for that matter) yet. But I have been down that road before, asking other people to do stuff for me online. Before it was marquees, then it was anigifs. Asking people online for them and they made it. Pretty soon I found out that my computer was already able to do them whether it was html or Adobe Imageready and I had become a real whiz at them both since then. I felt the same way before hearing that I can finally make "true custom levels" and such with the Constructor in the newsletter yesterday. At least it is one step forward, right? That's why I'm hoping that someday soon I will discover that there is already a free Mac program that will do the same job as map2dif.exe, under our noses the entire time.

#17 Send it to anyone who has quark or Marbleblast Map2dif

Namely...

Matan (most reliable)
Phil (also reliable)
Jase (not very reliable)
Me
Pablo
Jeff

and a few more.

Also, welcome back Koopa and Lance! I see you're oldies.

#18 I've got a post in Constructor forum now asking anyone for information on map2dif converter for Mac. It'll probably run from the command line, but I have knowledge on how to make a really nice GUI (Aqua) interface from shell applications. In fact, a lot of the applications Apple has now are just the Aqua interface of these UNIX programs.

Ideally, though, we would export from Constructor using this 'old school' map2dif.

Yes, 'one step closer'. Constructor is really a breakthrough for Mac users. Even the way it stands.

~Solo

#19 Yes, I registered a long time ago. ^_^ Didn't really post as much as I do at other places. I have a couple or so "finished" custom levels and countless more still being made. I sent I believe at least 2 completes to one of you guys to upload on the site, but it got delayed or stopped in being put up (I believe the reason that was used was Marble Blast Ultra, which I don't mind at all) I know I have two more finished since then.

Currently I am at a bit of a problem. I try to make these huge levels with lots of decoration and detail, work on them for hours, but I always reach this point in the design when I move the camera in a certain spot or when I test and the marble goes too fast, these gray shapeglitches suddenly flicker on my screen for a few seconds and what happens most of the time is that Marbleblast Gold suddenly exits out. I think its because I add too many things, and I fix it temporary by cutting back the visible distance variables, but soon it catches up once I add more. On top of that, cutting the visibility too much can make it look horrible and hard to play. I have played huge custom levels that people have made before, so is there any way that my problem can be fixed? Or should I just not put alot in?

Edit: And thanks for the help Solo, nice to see a fellow Mac user. It seemed that all the good programs and such suddenly appeared once I switched.

#20 BTW, I'm a mac user too.