Drac~Test

Creating new content for Trespasser!

Moderators: TresCom Support Team, TresCom Board Managers, TresCom Developers

User avatar
Draconisaurus
T-Rex Killer
T-Rex Killer
Posts: 14048
Joined: Mon Dec 06, 2004 5:21 pm
Antispam: No
Location: Isla Sorna
Contact:

Re: Drac~Test

Post by Draconisaurus »

A note on one of my discoveries while creating the Cape Gun. I had listed on my adjenda to test the use of "bool Enable = true/false" during the manipulation and setup of CMagnets. It appears in use inside retail Trespasser to halt the motion of doors, such as those at the entrance to the Main Harbor. If it has use to -free- the motion of doors in the original game, I can't recall where such examples are, but I set to test its use for such in Drac~Test with the ammunition crate hinges. I learned from this test and discussing the source code with machf, that "bool Enable = true" actually destroys CMagnets connected to the target, and spawns a new one which is automatically placed at the same location as the target's pivot. (I had thought it was strange that the AT targets a physical object and not a CMagnet entity.) If this newly created CMagnet (I wonder what the engine considers to be its name?) is made to have free orientation, the results are, as you may well imagine, rather deplorable.
AfricanCapeGun01.jpg
AfricanCapeGun01.jpg (518.59 KiB) Viewed 4611 times
As such, so far I see no superior use for using the Enable function in an action, beyond homage. Cases where the designer may wish to create a scenario where the door might be both locked and unlocked during the course of game events, lends itself far better to the employment of Freezing or Unfreezing the door or hinged object in question. I never did test the "Query" value, but I am now less inclined to investigate. Sometime in the future perhaps, when I am less upset at the whitnessed obsurdity.
User avatar
machf
T-Rex Killer
T-Rex Killer
Posts: 12368
Joined: Thu Apr 24, 2003 11:20 pm
Location: Lima, Peru
Contact:

Re: Drac~Test

Post by machf »

As I told you (but apparently you skipped that line), look at the "bool Merge = true" and "bool Delta = true" options...
Visit The Carnivores Saga - a forum devoted to modding Action Forms' Carnivores, Carnivores 2 and Carnivores: Ice Age games
Tres WIP: updated T-Script Reference and File Formats documents
Sound name listings for the Demo (build 117), Retail (build 116), Beta 103, Beta 99, Beta 97, Beta 96, Build 55, PC Gamer Alpha (build 32) and E3 1998 Alpha (build 22) TPA files
User avatar
Draconisaurus
T-Rex Killer
T-Rex Killer
Posts: 14048
Joined: Mon Dec 06, 2004 5:21 pm
Antispam: No
Location: Isla Sorna
Contact:

Re: Drac~Test

Post by Draconisaurus »

Sigh. That can be saved for a future investigation. Different tests await my next attention.
User avatar
TheIdiot
T-Rex
T-Rex
Posts: 4345
Joined: Thu Feb 20, 2014 9:13 pm
Location: Canada, eh?

Re: Drac~Test

Post by TheIdiot »

Magnets, my worst enemy...it seems no matter how hard I try to avoid deleting things, at some point at least one instance of a magnet will fail. Definitely agree that magnets should be left alone for the Frozen option instead.

Have you tried testing WaterEntity objects yet? Haven't fiddled around with those in a while but they might be worth investigating. I remember you using them in one of your Mayan temple levels to make viscous, black liquid and am curious what else might be doable with them?
User avatar
machf
T-Rex Killer
T-Rex Killer
Posts: 12368
Joined: Thu Apr 24, 2003 11:20 pm
Location: Lima, Peru
Contact:

Re: Drac~Test

Post by machf »

Quicksilver would be an interesting option...
Visit The Carnivores Saga - a forum devoted to modding Action Forms' Carnivores, Carnivores 2 and Carnivores: Ice Age games
Tres WIP: updated T-Script Reference and File Formats documents
Sound name listings for the Demo (build 117), Retail (build 116), Beta 103, Beta 99, Beta 97, Beta 96, Build 55, PC Gamer Alpha (build 32) and E3 1998 Alpha (build 22) TPA files
User avatar
TheIdiot
T-Rex
T-Rex
Posts: 4345
Joined: Thu Feb 20, 2014 9:13 pm
Location: Canada, eh?

Re: Drac~Test

Post by TheIdiot »

machf wrote:Quicksilver would be an interesting option...
Maybe some sort of implementation of a thermometer even, just as a test? I wonder if WaterEntities are capable of being moveable somehow? Do ASA animations work on water?
User avatar
Draconisaurus
T-Rex Killer
T-Rex Killer
Posts: 14048
Joined: Mon Dec 06, 2004 5:21 pm
Antispam: No
Location: Isla Sorna
Contact:

Re: Drac~Test

Post by Draconisaurus »

I'm not on my laptop today, but Drac~Test does have some of this already. I can share later. The alteration of its surface appearance has turned to be quite tricky.
User avatar
tatu
-=TresCom Website Manager=-
-=TresCom Website Manager=-
Posts: 5088
Joined: Fri Jun 24, 2005 9:40 pm
Antispam: No
Location: Sweden
Contact:

Re: Drac~Test

Post by tatu »

TheIdiot wrote:
machf wrote:Quicksilver would be an interesting option...
Maybe some sort of implementation of a thermometer even, just as a test? I wonder if WaterEntities are capable of being moveable somehow? Do ASA animations work on water?
You can teleport water (PV). And I believe TC~Isle has movable water inside the ship that rises?
Active project: Trespasser: Isla Sorna
Status:
BE-PH1: Released
PH2-IT: Pre-released
PL-SUM: In production

"...there used to be more benches, but InGen's workers removed them during the evacuation in the name of framerate."
User avatar
Draconisaurus
T-Rex Killer
T-Rex Killer
Posts: 14048
Joined: Mon Dec 06, 2004 5:21 pm
Antispam: No
Location: Isla Sorna
Contact:

Re: Drac~Test

Post by Draconisaurus »

Tatu is correct in both cases. I did find that, unfortunately, it does seem that CWaterDisturbance cannot be teleported, though. This is not cool since might be nice to be able to turn ripple sources on and off. ...Huh, one might teleport a small invisible cube into the water, which would float and cause ripples, and teleport it away if desired. Nice!

Here is a video showing the current state of water testing:

User avatar
machf
T-Rex Killer
T-Rex Killer
Posts: 12368
Joined: Thu Apr 24, 2003 11:20 pm
Location: Lima, Peru
Contact:

Re: Drac~Test

Post by machf »

Did you try having a water disturbance object whidh doesn't do anything so that you can "activate" it at a later time?
Visit The Carnivores Saga - a forum devoted to modding Action Forms' Carnivores, Carnivores 2 and Carnivores: Ice Age games
Tres WIP: updated T-Script Reference and File Formats documents
Sound name listings for the Demo (build 117), Retail (build 116), Beta 103, Beta 99, Beta 97, Beta 96, Build 55, PC Gamer Alpha (build 32) and E3 1998 Alpha (build 22) TPA files
User avatar
Draconisaurus
T-Rex Killer
T-Rex Killer
Posts: 14048
Joined: Mon Dec 06, 2004 5:21 pm
Antispam: No
Location: Isla Sorna
Contact:

Re: Drac~Test

Post by Draconisaurus »

Hmmmm... The first X you see in the video is where a trigger with that AT is located. It didn't work during testing, I plan to test it again later.
User avatar
Draconisaurus
T-Rex Killer
T-Rex Killer
Posts: 14048
Joined: Mon Dec 06, 2004 5:21 pm
Antispam: No
Location: Isla Sorna
Contact:

Re: Drac~Test

Post by Draconisaurus »

Alrighty, I have been at work in Drac~Test again, doing my usual experiments. The other day I put in a Doug Henderson mural to spruce up Zone 1 (environment tests). Still sad I didn't get to create the Embryonics Admin murals I had planned. Then Tatu and I investigated one of the Mystery Model desks, the one seen with the Rex shack:
rexhouse.jpg
rexhouse.jpg (38.97 KiB) Viewed 4312 times
It has some rather interesting notes. The main model's name is "Pdeskdrawers", no -00 indicator. I recall very few retail models with this variation. Then the drawers themselves - "PFile-01" through "PFile-04". Besides no -00 instance, there are *two different shapes* of the drawers within these. I believe this model to be an example of very early Trespasser, before the asset conventions were fully in place. The shack might be with it in that sense.

Finishing that up, I created physics, then imported the desk into the level... I had entered Hardware Mode to demonstrate the AlphaChannel planes previously, because transparency in Software Mode is a little harder to examine. But when I went to visit the new desk, I noticed that, AHHH!, there were AlphaChannel planes beyond the 16th!
Drac~Test_MoreAlphaDesk01.jpg
Drac~Test_MoreAlphaDesk01.jpg (586.54 KiB) Viewed 4312 times
For whatever reason they do not show up in Hardware. :sick: Maybe, when the game was being prepared for the hardware they hadn't originally designed the engine for, they found only 16 channels to be necessary. As you can see, there are new colors... Very interesting! I was already done for the night and so I haven't investigated these things further, but it means there are at least 21 total AlphaChannels. :statue:
User avatar
tatu
-=TresCom Website Manager=-
-=TresCom Website Manager=-
Posts: 5088
Joined: Fri Jun 24, 2005 9:40 pm
Antispam: No
Location: Sweden
Contact:

Re: Drac~Test

Post by tatu »

LMAO. On my monitor when scrolling down or up, those alpha objects flashes in the image.

And nice find :D
Active project: Trespasser: Isla Sorna
Status:
BE-PH1: Released
PH2-IT: Pre-released
PL-SUM: In production

"...there used to be more benches, but InGen's workers removed them during the evacuation in the name of framerate."
User avatar
Draconisaurus
T-Rex Killer
T-Rex Killer
Posts: 14048
Joined: Mon Dec 06, 2004 5:21 pm
Antispam: No
Location: Isla Sorna
Contact:

Re: Drac~Test

Post by Draconisaurus »

Alright everyone, Happy Holidays from Draconisaurus! My gift to TresCom this year is the latest and final version of "Drac~Test", where a number of investigations were made about the disposition of the Trespasser technology. There are 5 zones to explore, in various amounts of development. Hopefully some useful things may be found. I'm releasing this now since it is still technically the eve of the holiday and that is when the occasion is celebrated in Europe. Have a great holiday and hopefully many can spend time with friends & family even if only on video.

https://app.box.com/s/dw4sfw4dr03c3uih669b4uef1rm245x3

Image
Drac~Test_Release01.png
Drac~Test_Release01.png (205.98 KiB) Viewed 4029 times
User avatar
machf
T-Rex Killer
T-Rex Killer
Posts: 12368
Joined: Thu Apr 24, 2003 11:20 pm
Location: Lima, Peru
Contact:

Re: Drac~Test

Post by machf »

All right, let's see how this one goes...
Merry Christmas!
Visit The Carnivores Saga - a forum devoted to modding Action Forms' Carnivores, Carnivores 2 and Carnivores: Ice Age games
Tres WIP: updated T-Script Reference and File Formats documents
Sound name listings for the Demo (build 117), Retail (build 116), Beta 103, Beta 99, Beta 97, Beta 96, Build 55, PC Gamer Alpha (build 32) and E3 1998 Alpha (build 22) TPA files
Post Reply