TresCom Forums

But why must all chunks be unique?

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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

I'm assuming he wants to translate the hi-res terrain texture directly to the Trespasser landscape.

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Current Project: Cloning Facility | My Release Thread

It's just a practice to see how it looks and runs. I'm trying ways to add shadows to the landscape. It only makes sense for small maps though, like the games built in demo level. I'm thinking about hd'ing that level. I'm not sure i'm allowed to release that though. Cause its copyrighted. Maybe I should just make my own demo level? I'll see.

I dread the idea of applying 1024 textures to a tessellated sheet. That would take forever. But 64 textures for a demo level? That's doable.

Why wouldn't you be allowed? You are fine with any retail/demo level and release them. We have plenty of those releases. One of the first ever releases I believe was a night version of the demo level. I'd say go for it.

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Active project: Trespasser: Isla Sorna - Working on PH2-IT (and experimental BE-IT).

"...there used to be more benches, but InGen's workers removed them during the evacuation in the name of framerate."

Well I guess I mean the test level. The one built into the retail game. I don't think I can release a copy of that. But if it only works with the retail then maybe it might be alright.
"TestScene-130"

I wanna redo the textures and bake all the lighting. I was playing it earlier and noticed how they baked shadows onto some of the trees.

I hope someday someone will release a transform and lighting version of trespasser. With full shadows. You never know, could happen. And full 4k support hehe

If I was a good programmer I'd give it a try but I'm not heh. I do what I can, but I'm limited to level design.

Everyone seems to try to make a entire new version of the game and ignore all the already created content. If they would just modify the source to allow new features(while supporting the current game/level format) we in the community could take full advantage of it. Now I do appreciate all the work done on CE and such but I'm just dreaming of the possibilities. The more I'm learning about the game engine and how it handles levels the more I'm convinced it has many possibilities with the proper optimization(new code even). The way it handles textures on the terrain is nice, it just needs nice lighting in my opinion. The possibility of high res texture support on the landscape and lighting would be so nice. They could even release it on good old games or something and make some money. But we know how licensing and copyrights work nowadays on old software... oh well.

No, you are fine doing that. You are fine with releasing any modified retail level.



It is more difficult that you think. It would still be easier to just write a new source from scratch.

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Active project: Trespasser: Isla Sorna - Working on PH2-IT (and experimental BE-IT).

"...there used to be more benches, but InGen's workers removed them during the evacuation in the name of framerate."

Test render. I used the textures from Limahuli.



I gotta figure out how to rename the level and make it playable as an external map. GeomAdd won't do it...

Tweaking it a bit. I'm not completely happy with it but I'll continue working on it. Especially the dirt and the shadows. I'm leaving for a week tomorrow but when I get back home I'll continue working on it. I hope the map comes out looking cool. Would be a nice addition to the community. I can't wait to see it with the shadows from the level objects(crates, etc.) in game. See the blend of the baked terrain shadows and the dynamic object shadows. I'm gonna change the rendered angle to closely match the pre-exising light angle in the retail map.



For anyone that wants to try adding it to the map while I'm gone here is a low res copy.

I wonder how it will look in-game. Looks pretty good in the render.

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Active project: Trespasser: Isla Sorna - Working on PH2-IT (and experimental BE-IT).

"...there used to be more benches, but InGen's workers removed them during the evacuation in the name of framerate."

So, you want the shadows to be part of the terrain texture? Why not just make a generic "shadow" terrain texture and place it all over the map where it's needed?

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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

I'll look into that machf.

I'm thinking about just making a 1 sided model and placing it high above the terrain. A 1 sided model isn't visible from below and casts shadows. You just move it around till it matches up with the terrain. That would give it hard shadows. I'll get back to this project when I get home.

I'd prefer to avoid using baked textures because they are blurry up close. And I like the texture layer system in Tresspasser anyway.

Edit: I'm gonna generate an image like this and turn it into a 1 sided model. Then place it above the level to generate shadows. I bet this is the best way. I'll generate one that matches the current lighting in the level. I hope this works.


Edit: I checked, I can move models around in GUIApp and see how the shadows cast onto the landscape. This will make it really easy to get the model lined up.
As you provably know TresEd doesn't render shadows on newer pc's. Technically TresEd can but I gotta disable my external gpu and use an internal one. In my case a Intel gpu. I would also assume an old external gpu would work. But I don't know how old it would have to be. Most people wouldn't care about this though. Its a directx driver issue I believe. Aything above 9 or something, idk.

This trick also works for ut2004 unrealed with the lag issue. Modern gpu's are no good for old game engines sometimes.
So if you miss making ut2k4 maps try this trick. Sometimes unrealed will sit there for a full minute waiting to select items or allow you to right click and edit it. A VERY annoying bug. No one has found a proper fix for it.

A thought occurs to me. I can use a masked texture to project shadows.

I do look forward to see how this turn out, even if it is a lot of work.

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Active project: Trespasser: Isla Sorna - Working on PH2-IT (and experimental BE-IT).

"...there used to be more benches, but InGen's workers removed them during the evacuation in the name of framerate."

I'll be back to my PC to marrow. I'll try to get this to work.

Here is the results so far. My shadows are definitely not aligned right. I'll check into that. What I mean is my render doesn't line up with the terrain properly in all areas. It looks weird here. I'll do another render to make it align better. But this is an idea of what I am trying to accomplish. I used a 1200 poly model and placed it above the landscape. See what you think.



Edit: I'm unsure if they will ever align properly the way I'm doing them. I believe as the terrain drops in elevation the shadows align differently. So I can at least separate the model into separate portions and align them individually.
I'm making a new test map to test out using masked bitmaps instead of models. I want to see how that works.