Constructor Questions

#1 1. This is a pretty big topic.
2. Portals determine viewability for faster rendering. It allows the engine to determine what to cull efficiently.
3. map2dif, map2dif_plus, etc are for converting .map files to .dif files. They compile the information into a bsp structure that is parsed by the engine. You can use the direct-to-dif features in Constructor rather than dealing with them. They can be very handy for tweaking specifics, however.
4. I don't think I've ever used the export view.
5. I haven't made one. I would assume that you make a structure and then save the .csx and then add it to the prefabs, but I'm not sure.
6. Most likely because it is applying the same brush-breaking to the hollow brush as it is to other faces.
7. No. It can load DTS models, but it is not for creating DTS shapes. You can, however, export LWO's for Lightwave and then use the DTS exporter if you so choose.
8. DTS is Dynamic Three-Space, a format for animated and static model shapes. These are basically detail shapes. Polysoup applications such as Max, Maya, Blender, and Lightwave that people use to create all manny of organic shapes are prime candidates to export DTS models from.

#2 Mind elaborating on question 1?
Thanks for your awnsers by the way.

#3 Lighting docs

By playing with the lighting profiles in dynamic and mapped mode, you should get a good feel for the lighting system.

#4 Last question 3 Questions:
1) What is a mesh
2) How would I make a mesh
3) Is it better to use torque lights or constructor lights

And thank you so very much for awnsering my questions. Its really helping me reach my goal of a game designer. xD

#5 1. a mesh is a collection of vertices, edges, and faces to create a shape. For our purposes, it is a DTS object.
2. In a supported 3D application such as Max, Maya, Lightwave, XSI, Blender, GameSpace, Milkshape, etc...
3. As I understand it, Constructor lights help you see what you're working on quickly and easily. The torque lights (and I may be wrong here) are the lightmaps in-engine. A combination of lightmaps and dynamic lights can make your level look great. And you can test the values of the dynamic lights on the fly in Constructor. Constructor lighting allows you to change your lights to work with another engine like Quake 3.

#6 Thanks alot. This has been helpful. Very helpful.

#7 The Constructor lights are entities that will only export from Constructor with the "Export as DIF..." and "Export as Legacy DIF.." options. Map2dif will not recognize them as valid entities. They are, however, a little easier to use than the older Torque lighting entities.

The Torque lighting entities are exportable both straight from Constructor ("Export as DIF" etc.) and will export through map2dif.

#8 Hey matt take a look at my forum post in feed back (super mega lag) It says 13 posts but most of them are constructor log. Need help on that.

#9 I have no idea what is causing that... =(

#10 Damn. This is really pissing me off. Cause now its extending to the TGE demo 1.5.2. The lag in there is just kinda annoying not as bad as constructor. I dont know what to do. Only thing I know works (and its a temp fix) is to uninstall and reinstall. Works well from there. Thanks for trying to help matt.