Builder and compiler SDK

PipiPipi Join Date: 2009-12-09 Member: 69550Members
in NS2 General Discussion
I'm not really good with all that stuff, i'm more the artist type and I was trying to figure out how this stuff works.

I'd like to import models in the prop library, if anyone knows more than me on that.. and that surely is anyone haha!
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  • Draco_2kDraco_2k Evil Genius Join Date: 2009-12-09 Member: 69546Members
    It's not possible yet.

    I think there will be an export plugin for Max/Maya/Collada, and maybe a converter program. What we have now is the builder, which is like a batch converter, but it's not fully functional or documented yet. Pre-alpha and all.
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  • ArkArk Join Date: 2009-08-15 Member: 68489Members
    We shoudn't need a exporter if the builder converts collada into .model files. Has anyone tested the builder yet?
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  • PipiPipi Join Date: 2009-12-09 Member: 69550Members
    Yeah they said they would release something for Collada which is a good overall format.

    I could see the files there: CompileModel.exe and ColladaMax.dle
    I thought that was it.. but couldn't figure how it worked because when you run the executable it's a dos shell and does pratically nothing
    and since my knownledge stops about there I thought maybe somebody did something with that in another way.

    I'm supposing that the builder is to rebuild the editor program, if anyone wants to add or fix something in it.. (?)

    Anyhow.. I still have time to work on my own props before I start adding them to my levels.
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  • noncomposmentisnoncomposmentis Join Date: 2004-11-13 Member: 32773Members
    <a href="http://www.unknownworlds.com/ns2/news/2009/2/unknown_worlds_videocast_8_tools" target="_blank">Here's</a> a video on the viewer (which we don't have yet) and the builder.

    The file builder_setup.xml has settings on the utility, but I don't understand the parameters. It looks like you either have to edit the rules to match your configuration, or restructure your files to their configuration, which looks like, for materials, {src_dir}\materialsrc\{{*\}?*}.psd. src_dir is specified in the file and the special characters in front of the psd are regular expressions designed to match any filename (as far as I understand).
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  • Draco_2kDraco_2k Evil Genius Join Date: 2009-12-09 Member: 69546Members
    edited December 2009
    To the best of my understanding, what the builder does is take all files you're working on (models, materials, sounds, levels) from a specific folder, converts them to the game's format and puts them in the game directory.

    So what's going on is: you have a source folder where you put whatever you're working on in whatever format you like, run the app, it converts everything to acceptable format and puts it in the game directory, so now it's all accessible from both game and editor. So basically you'll have two folders: one with whatever you're working on, and one what's currently in-game. Want to synchronise the two, run the app.

    An ingenious thing to do, really.

    PS: If I remember correctly, they'll also have a model/material viewer which works in real-time in that regard, which is also kick-ass.
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  • DawormDaworm Join Date: 2009-06-22 Member: 67900Members
    The builder app is meant to be able to convert models made for Half-life over yes?
    Anyone tested that for ###### and giggles ?
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  • BiglinesBiglines Join Date: 2003-12-07 Member: 24094Members, Constellation
    <!--quoteo(post=1743608:date=Dec 12 2009, 03:45 PM:name=Daworm)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Daworm @ Dec 12 2009, 03:45 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1743608"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->The builder app is meant to be able to convert models made for Half-life over yes?
    Anyone tested that for ###### and giggles ?<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
    don't think so, you can convert other texture formats but decompiling models made for halflife is buggy at best in general, unworkable for a real game. Also seeing as halflife didn't have stuff like normal maps, specular maps etc, I'd hardly wanna see halflife models imported in NS2
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  • DawormDaworm Join Date: 2009-06-22 Member: 67900Members
    <!--quoteo(post=1743794:date=Dec 15 2009, 05:41 AM:name=Biglines)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Biglines @ Dec 15 2009, 05:41 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1743794"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->don't think so, you can convert other texture formats but decompiling models made for halflife is buggy at best in general, unworkable for a real game. Also seeing as halflife didn't have stuff like normal maps, specular maps etc, I'd hardly wanna see halflife models imported in NS2<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
    There's a video they talk about this and they have the original NS models imported into ns2 in one of their vids...
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  • noisymonknoisymonk Join Date: 2009-09-04 Member: 68694Members
    They would have the original 'raw' model files (ie, skulk.max) though, and wouldn't need to decompile an actual HL model file - this would make it a very quick and easy thing to do.
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  • blitz_krieg001blitz_krieg001 Join Date: 2009-11-03 Member: 69237Members
    They would have the source for the original NS models, so most likely they were imported into NS2 from their source (eg. 3dmax or whatever) rather than trying to import the HL models. At least i would hope that was the case, it would make more sense.
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