FEATURE INFO Modding models for blocks

Discussion in 'FAQ & Feedback' started by Pantera, Dec 17, 2020.

  1. Kassonnade

    Kassonnade Rear Admiral

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    @oshadow : did you see the questions we asked you in the previous posts ?
     
    #101
  2. Taelyn

    Taelyn Guest

    I think he answered the question already in his last post. I will investigate this and consult with Hummel what to do.
     
    #102
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  3. ravien_ff

    ravien_ff Rear Admiral

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    Ah yeah I don't think that works. I think whatever sounds are played will be set to the in game sound volume.
     
    #103
  4. Kassonnade

    Kassonnade Rear Admiral

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    Sure it works. In the config files, take this line :

    Volume: 6500, type: float, display: true, formatter: Liter

    Just change the volume to what you want, then set the "formatter" to "Decibels"... :eek:
     
    #104
  5. Kassonnade

    Kassonnade Rear Admiral

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    We need more deco blocks that can be picked up by players, like food/ dishes on tables, tools on benches, piles of crap on floors, papers and books on shelves, PDAs and communication devices lying around, etc.

    That would make the game come alive a bit more I think, instead of having all shiny new furniture everywhere and clean floors, empty shelves, etc. When picked up all these items could give a little amount of something, materials or ingredients.

    I know modders want to make badass weapons and the ultimate constructor/ hangar door, but that's just more of the same. When I look at screenshots it always makes me think of catalog pictures where the employees cleaned the place for eventual sale. Locations, rooms, warehouses, these all look too clean and unused.

    Just random thoughts. Making a cool gun is easy, but the challenge becomes real when trying to make nice looking props and objects of everyday life ( imagin the kind of kitchenware the Zirax have to use...) while keeping everything low-poly.

    The main problem I see, apart from the design requirements, is the fact that blocks take a full space, and anything on top of a table would take the upper space, or be floating in the air if the block below is not 2m high (CV/BA table/ desk).

    So... how do we put food on tables and books on shelves, so that players can pick these up without multi-tooling the whole block/ table/ desk/ shelf ?
     
    #105
  6. ravien_ff

    ravien_ff Rear Admiral

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    Make a block with an offset model so the block itself is placed above the table, but the model shows up on the table. Limitation of course is that the room would have to be 2 blocks high so you can place the tabletop deco, and that it would only work if all the tables are the same height.
     
    #106
  7. Kassonnade

    Kassonnade Rear Admiral

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    Yes, I thought about an offset, but then players would have to aim away from the object to pick it up (to aim at the collider far above or beside it). While it's a possible workaround for 1 block + 1 "deco"prop, it takes double space, so less stuff overall in a room. For a tablet/ PDA on a desk, a player would have to aim above his head (2m) to see the "pick up" prompt.

    These would need to be on a different collision layer from the regular blocks, or have a collision scheme similar to decals.

    In fact what would solve this problem would be simply to be able to put invisible triggers anywhere, that don't interfere with geometry. These could also be used to trigger scenario events, without being dependant on objects that players can mess up with (ref. POI admin core discussion). Players now have to rely on flaky positioning/ distances or "motion sensors" to trigger events, and they're unreliable (can be destroyed).
     
    #107
    Last edited: Apr 16, 2021
  8. ravien_ff

    ravien_ff Rear Admiral

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    You can move the collider on a block so it's outside of its block space... I think. Not the best solution, of course, but should be possible in theory. But with all of this, probably better to just add a new block type that is a table with a PDA on it that you can interact with.
     
    #108
  9. Kassonnade

    Kassonnade Rear Admiral

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    Yes, we can put a collider anywhere if we want to, even several meters from an object, but not in another block's space, even if this block has no collider : the game will not allow space sharing like that. I tried with multiple objects in one block's space. We can put several colliders in 1 "unoccupied" block space, no problem, as long as no block owns this space's coordinates (the green/ red bounding box when placing a block).

    So the problem is that actual furniture already has a collider in its own space, which prevents any other collider in there. I don't want to duplicate all furniture just to have one version with a PDA on top, one version with food, one version with tools, etc. That would eat a lot of blocks slots for nothing.

    One solution could be to use the same system as plants, that use different models (before/ after pickup) under one ID/ slot, but that still means all models have to be recreated this way...
     
    #109
  10. <Darth Sidious>

    <Darth Sidious> Lieutenant

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    well, if the developers will be allowed to mix small and large blocks inside one building ... then it will be easy to do) theoretically - it is not difficult
     
    #110
  11. ravien_ff

    ravien_ff Rear Admiral

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    Plants use different IDs too. Each stage of crop growth is a different block.
     
    #111
  12. Kassonnade

    Kassonnade Rear Admiral

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    Oh... you're right, it's the "child CropsGrown" that spawns the previous stage. Damn. Anyways it still requires to make duplicates, so not a solution.

    It's the same problem : we can't put a small block inside another block's occupied space, all blocks need one position, and I guess there can be no duplicates. There is no such thing as a half-block space for CV/BA blocks, when we specify "SizeInBlocks". If this was possible then we could put a SV generator on a CV table already.

    I tried all kinds of tricks to get 2 versions/ models of an object to show up when triggered, with no success. Any suggestion is welcomed, I did not try with all blocks and items... Being stuck making static models for a game, in 2021, is a bit underwhelming, knowing what's possible to do with a simple on/off state...
     
    #112
    Last edited: Apr 17, 2021
  13. LoneRanger

    LoneRanger Ensign

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    How about, for example, a Table as a Container with say 4 slots whose content is displayed on the Table? (of course would only be able to accept Items intended to be "stored" on the Table)
    LR
     
    #113
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  14. <Darth Sidious>

    <Darth Sidious> Lieutenant

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    upload_2021-4-18_11-42-18.png

    please) give me the scripts, I want to add these wonderful turrets))
     
    #114
  15. Taelyn

    Taelyn Guest

    Hi Modders,

    It has to come to our attention that there are some players who use a tool to give them self access to our files
    to see how certain models are setup.

    This is not accepted and breaking our ToS (Term of Service). (you can read the ToS if you click on the link in my signature)

    Were looking into it how to deal with those players.
     
    #115
  16. ravien_ff

    ravien_ff Rear Admiral

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    That isn't cool at all. Use the tools the devs have given us.

    People, don't hack the game.
     
    #116
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  17. Mofa

    Mofa Guest

    Hi Taelyn,
    is there a way to make the self-made blocks also texturable? If so it would be interesting what you have to set in Unity?

    then there is the issue of Dropmeshfile. if I have created an item you can not pick it up in the game.
    Is there possibly also a tip what you have to set in Unity?
     
    #117
    Last edited by a moderator: Jun 8, 2021
  18. Taelyn

    Taelyn Guest

    Is explained in the main post

    How to make your Blocks colorable ? :
    1. Put the shader file from this location:
    BlockModelsAndSuitPropsModding\Assets\BlockModels\AlienFlora\Models beside your model file (e.g. .fbx)
    2. Choose the Shader in the Inspector: EmpShader/Example Block Colored
    3. Set as Color Mask a white image. White = colorable
    4. Build
    5. Set in your BlocksConfig.ecf: theIsColorable: true for your custom block


    You need our scripts for this. Those are not released to the Public.
    So cant be done

    You have to use the DropBox that we made as DropMesh then you can pick it up from a box.
    Thats the only way for Players

    DropMeshfile: Entities/Misc/BagSmallPrefab
     
    #118
  19. Mofa

    Mofa Guest

    Thx for your answer but i mean texturable not colarable. With the color is ok but the texture i mean in the pistol
     
    #119
  20. Mofa

    Mofa Guest

    Other point. I build new stoneblock . but i can generate this in a new playfield . the engine cant read the assets bundle . can we have this feature?
     
    #120

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