Noob question
by Steve D · in Constructor · 11/14/2007 (4:13 pm) · 9 replies
I posted something similar earlier today in another forum and the response that I received is leading me to ask this question.
My goal is to make a party based RPG like baulders gate, dungeon siege, etc where the camera is looking from more or less top to down and you control the AI players with mouse clicks. With that being said, based on my limited experience with Torque, I have been spending time thinking up ways as to how would I work with it when the ai players enter a structure. Keep in mind this will *not* be a FPS but from a top down view.
Would it be possible with constructor to make a building with transparent layers? So let's take a 3 story building, the ai players enter on the first floor but since my camera will be above the building I will need a way to see through the roof, 3rd floor and 2nd floor.
Would it be better to create a building separately floor by floor and code it so each piece gets added on or taken off depending on which floor they are on?
Or create different versions of the building and swap it out based on what floor they are?
Or another idea I have is like the game Silent Storm where the player scrolls the mouse wheel up or down and this adds or subtracts a layer in a building.
Before I invest the time to learn Constructor I would greatly appreciate any info anyone can give me so I know if this is doable and even if I'm heading in the right direction.
My goal is to make a party based RPG like baulders gate, dungeon siege, etc where the camera is looking from more or less top to down and you control the AI players with mouse clicks. With that being said, based on my limited experience with Torque, I have been spending time thinking up ways as to how would I work with it when the ai players enter a structure. Keep in mind this will *not* be a FPS but from a top down view.
Would it be possible with constructor to make a building with transparent layers? So let's take a 3 story building, the ai players enter on the first floor but since my camera will be above the building I will need a way to see through the roof, 3rd floor and 2nd floor.
Would it be better to create a building separately floor by floor and code it so each piece gets added on or taken off depending on which floor they are on?
Or create different versions of the building and swap it out based on what floor they are?
Or another idea I have is like the game Silent Storm where the player scrolls the mouse wheel up or down and this adds or subtracts a layer in a building.
Before I invest the time to learn Constructor I would greatly appreciate any info anyone can give me so I know if this is doable and even if I'm heading in the right direction.
#2
11/15/2007 (9:08 am)
Hi David, so if I understand you correctly, for a 3 story building I would in essence have to create 3 separate 1 floor buildings without a roof? So when the aiplayers entered the first floor, there wouldn't be a roof so the camera can see in. When they walked up the stairs and enter a trigger zone I could then make the second level appear in the game which once again won't have any roof so the camera can see in? 
#3
11/15/2007 (9:13 am)
You could also create a roof (for when they are outside the building). And then in each section that needs to reveal the other, you would create a trigger. You would have to manage exactly how the visibility was set up for each level of the building.
#4
11/15/2007 (9:52 am)
Ok I get what you're saying. Now that I am thinking about it maybe it wouldn't exactly have to be "real time" which I think would make coding easier. An example would be they could move to the bottom of the stairs, the trigger activates and the second story appears and they are "transported" to the top of the stairs which will be the entrance of the second floor. I think this approach would be a lot easier then trying to make the second story appear and have them walk up the stairs dynamically at the same time. But I suppose the trigger could always be placed at the top of the stairs. Decisions decisions! Thanks for the brain storming!
#5
11/19/2007 (10:30 am)
Hey guys, another noob question. When you guys want to make a building, do you try and sketch or document the building you want on paper or do you just start up constructor and start making it?
#6
11/19/2007 (10:36 am)
I usually use a reference image for the basic architecture. I do this when modeling in Lightwave/Modo as well as in C'tor.
#7
11/22/2007 (8:54 am)
I usually draw a rough draft of the layout. It's really good to sort things out before starting or you might run into problems later. If you want to make it look like something "real" you should use reference images or even visit similar places.
#8
I'm really confused how lighting works in Constructor. I made a simple cube, hallowed it out, didn't put any lights in it, exported and in torque the inside of the cube it was pretty well lit, keeping in mind I didn't make any portals or openings. Shouldn't the inside of the cube be pitch black? I then put a light in it, made it red, after a constructor re-light in dynamic view the box is for the most part black with the red light shining. I bring it over to TGE, re-light the scene, and I see the red light but it's pretty obvious the rest of the box still has natural light I'm assuming from the sun. I also added a portal and still got the same result with my light and sunlight lighting up the inside of the box.
I just spent several hours doing different things but the results are the same, I still get what appears to be natural sunlight inside a box with no openings. Can anyone help me understand this?
11/27/2007 (12:04 pm)
I'm sorry for turning this thread into my personal "ask anything" thread but here it goes -I'm really confused how lighting works in Constructor. I made a simple cube, hallowed it out, didn't put any lights in it, exported and in torque the inside of the cube it was pretty well lit, keeping in mind I didn't make any portals or openings. Shouldn't the inside of the cube be pitch black? I then put a light in it, made it red, after a constructor re-light in dynamic view the box is for the most part black with the red light shining. I bring it over to TGE, re-light the scene, and I see the red light but it's pretty obvious the rest of the box still has natural light I'm assuming from the sun. I also added a portal and still got the same result with my light and sunlight lighting up the inside of the box.
I just spent several hours doing different things but the results are the same, I still get what appears to be natural sunlight inside a box with no openings. Can anyone help me understand this?
Associate David Montgomery-Blake
David MontgomeryBlake