Q3ct4

[AEon]

OK, if you want, pack it all in a .pk3 ... and I'll take a look at things.

[Pat Howard]

Whoa, why are you trying to over-write id Software shaders?

You can't actually edit the id Software shaders because they are write protected, but you can paste one into your own shader file and add the "surfacelight x" line, where x is the amount of light you want to emit.

Sorry I just tried to catch up on this convo. quickly so I might be missing something, but it looks like you just need to make your own unique shader. Put it in q3ct4.shader and call it textures/q3ct4/q3ct4water or something.

[cityy]

***UPDATE - BETA 0.1***

Link: http://cityy.explicits.de/uploads/maps/q3ct4_b01.zip

[lvlshot]http://img340.imageshack.us/img340/1822/q3ct4.jpg[/lvlshot]

Feedback:

- general thoughts about texturing attempts
- help with the water shader please :/

@ Pat:

Your feedback came just a second too late :S

You mean that I should just copy the water textures, rename them and then adjust my shader? I thought you were not allowed to redistribute IDs textures!?

[AEon]

Hmm... what pat means is... you make a copy of the shader code id created, then give the shader a new name, and then edit it in the way you need.

Though re-distributing the id textures is not that "good", it can be done if you actually *need* to change those textures. Note though in your case, you would *not* change the paths to the original textures, since you like them as they are, you only change the shader that calls them.

For example the original id shader:

Code: Select all

textures/liquids/clear_ripple1_q3dm1
{
      qer_editorimage textures/liquids/pool3d_3.tga
...
      {
         map textures/liquids/pool3d_5.tga
...
      }
...
}

would become something like this:

Code: Select all

textures/q3ct4/water
{
      qer_editorimage textures/liquids/pool3d_3.tga
      q3map_surfacelight 600
      q3map_lightimage textures/q3ct4/watercolor.tga
...
      {
         map textures/liquids/pool3d_5.tga
...
      }
...
}

Rename shader, plus add code you want, *keeping* the editor image and the water texture image paths the way they are, since the need not be changed.

Since the id textures are part of Q3A you would *not* redistribute them, you could place the
watercolor.tga texture in the map .pk3 though, if you want. Note that you need not. This texture is used by q3map2 only during the light compile, once the .bsp file is compiled, Q3A no longer needs it in-game. watercolor.tga is an "editing file" if you like, only needed to create the .bsp file.

[AEon]

I had not looked into the pk3 file, but what I wrote in the last post and what Pat said is valid: You have to rename the shader, and also correct (replace) the water texture names in your map (in-editor) to use *your* renamed shader.

• Rename
  • textures/liquids/clear_ripple1_q3dm1
  in your q3ct4.shader to
  • textures/q3ct4/water
  for example.

Update: Also rename the

• textures/tab_decal/tab_decal_cracks_c

to

• textures/q3ct4/tab_decal_cracks_c

to fix that crack shader. Presently the game loads only the image, thus the black texture on the central arena's floor.

[AEon]

I know you are experimenting here, but I'm not much of a fan of an all-out gray map.

[cityy]

Ok, I fixed the shader names - the water still doesn't send out light.

GTKradiant 1.5 has the option to display shader info for a texture (open texture manager select your texture and then click "view/shader info" in the menu bar). This info says that the water texture is "using" the "scripts/liquids.shader" - any ideas?

About the texturing: I started with red/orange concrete textures but it looked horrible - this may be caused by my uber awesome skills with GIMP

[AEon]

You have to replace the old id water textures/shader names in your map. You can quickly test this... select any water face texture, then hit the S-key (Surface Inspector), there you can see how the water is named.

Save your current version, use a new version for the following replace step.

To replace the old water textures with the new, use the Textures menu, Find / Replace, this works very well under v1.4. Click in the Find box, then select the old water texture, the name should appear there, then copy/paste the new water shader name from your shader file into the Replace box. Uncheck the first two check boxes (only keep the "live updates..."), then hit Apply, and then OK. Now your map should be using the new water shader.

[cityy]

[lvlshot]http://img41.imageshack.us/img41/2371/shot0001wh.jpg[/lvlshot]

I am seeing the light

Thanks for your effort - again learned some things (:

[cityy]

What theme are you trying to do? What style of architecture are the textures suppose to work with? Why post this in general screenshots when you have a thread dedicated to your map already! If you really want to understand how textures work then I highly recommend you start with creating something with a ID texture set first before trying something brand new. There are alot of lessons to be learn't from using an existing set.
For example: see how the horzontial/vertical lines in the textures are mostly on the editor grid so that they can work across brush/patch edges. See how the overall texture colour palette works together and do not look like a cranky steve disco collection. Work out how to solve large wall surfaces with texture detail, get use to a grid scale (16/32 trims, 128 blocks etc) Understand texture scaling across edges (0.35 scale across 45 degree surfaces) and texture alignment rotation tricks (27/45/63 angles).
My point being, if you spend time understanding how an existing texture set works, you will be in a a lot better position to understand how to create your own texture set next.

Quoting from the screenshot thread - tbh, I have no idea why I posted the shots there

This is gonna be urban styled - with some old industry elements... I hope I can realize it.
I am not creating all the textures for the map by myself - most of the textures are evil7/8, tabun's decals which I forgott to mention in the readme (I believe) - sorry for that gonna fix it with the next update :S - and your tech texture set. I am currently just messing arround with the usage of textures..

[lvlshot]http://img52.imageshack.us/img52/8133/shot0003q.jpg[/lvlshot]

[AEon]

Hmm... I have probably suggested that in a lot of maps - since I like to up the "happiness level" - but a blue sky may make the map less dreary. Or as an alternative, in keeping with the greenish lighting, use a detailed skybox by Hipshot (one of them was green).

The "real" textures really make the map interesting... hard to believe this used to be a AEcell textured orange map.

[cityy]

[lvlshot]http://img191.imageshack.us/img191/6945/shot0004t.jpg[/lvlshot]

Just tried to add a custom skybox - as you see... it's dark. All the skybox textures are in "textures/q3ct4".

Shader:

Code: Select all

textures/q3ct4/ame_emerald
{
	qer_editorimage textures/q3ct4/emeraldfog_ft.tga
	surfaceparm noimpact
	surfaceparm nolightmap
	q3map_sun 0.8 1.0 0.9 75 270 35
	q3map_surfacelight 50
	skyparms textures/q3ct4/emeraldfog - -
}

Had this problem with every skybox I wanted to add. Any ideas? :/

[Hipshot]

Are you sure you have none conflicting shader names or, that you have actually the shader in the list...

[AEon]

cityy,
it might help to release another beta, then someone, or I will take a look at your shader, naming etc... and try a test compile... this way it should be possible to fix things.

[Hipshot]

You are missing a surfaceparm sky...

[cityy]

[lvlshot]http://img13.imageshack.us/img13/8059/shot0005v.jpg[/lvlshot]

Hmm.. stupid mistake. Sorry for wasting your time - even though it wasn't much

[Hipshot]

This looks a bit strange...

[AEon]

Good find Hipshot... I compared the shader with my own, and noted the missing parameter.

cityy
The green sky may not be as "fitting" as I had thought... but since you have a working skybox shader now, you can experiment with other skybox textures, if you like.

Tip: To test other skyboxes you only need to change the name in the shader, or rename the sky textures, that way you can quickly try 10-20 of them (no recompiles). Did that for AEdm7. Alas quite a few skyboxes may "look" good when previewing the textures, in-game they may then turn out to be less suitable.

[cityy]

I just used this green skybox for testing since I already had it in my baseq3.
Nice tip AEon! Thanks (:

I would like to use a dark skybox - maybe even a night skybox. Maybe you guys can recommend one?
I am currently browsing the skybox collection uploaded at lvlworld - are there other sources for skyboxes?

Edit:

Currently using Hipshot's "grimm" skybox.

[lvlshot]http://img51.imageshack.us/img51/1408/shot0006lo.jpg[/lvlshot]

[AEon]

Recently was looking for more skybox textures, did not really find any... since some of the classic sites seem to be down, e.g. Mighty Pete's. From the lvlworld skybox collection these might be interesting - concerning a dark/night skybox:

• hip_grimm
• hw_entropic
• mp_boulder
• mp_bromene

Though for an Italian setting a more bright/sunny skybox would be the more usual choice.

Update: Concerning grimm, thinking alike

[cityy]

[lvlshot]http://img684.imageshack.us/img684/5559/shot0010s.jpg[/lvlshot]

[lvlshot]http://img683.imageshack.us/img683/7238/shot0009k.jpg[/lvlshot]

Still quite dark - started to experiment with a jump pad texture..

[Pat Howard]

Just out of curiosity, why did you give up on your initial Italy theme? This new one looks a little bland I think. I'm sure you could get a solid Italian vibe going if you spent some time working on textures and researching it.

[cityy]

@ Pat: Hmm, I had no special reason.. I guess it was mood depending

[lvlshot]http://img515.imageshack.us/img515/3043/64086612.jpg[/lvlshot]

My results from messing arround with Hipshot's shader - I hope it's ok if I use it further on?

Btw: Corrected a name spelling mistake from an earlier post - sorry for that one

[AEon]

Though the JP effect looks interesting, and fits the light the JP emits... it does look something out of Tron (or AEneon), and not really something that fits the more realistic rest of the map, IMO.

Alas, I can't come up with a better idea, but fan-driven JPs - used a lot lately - would fit the theme better, maybe.

[cityy]

Well, JPs aren't that realistic anyway and I had no real idea what todo with them.. IMO they fresh it up a bit

[lvlshot]http://img191.imageshack.us/img191/7004/shot0017z.jpg[/lvlshot]

Added item spawn "marks" - again worked with Hipshot's Shader from SolarAE.