Spark Editor - Tutorials - Advanced Techniques *reworking it*
...i will release these tutorials, when they are all finished...
Advanced Techniques:
1. Layers: Techniques are a time saver working on video
1.1. Layer - Notice: select all (CTRL+A) selects always everything indepently from the layer-display-options.
1.1. Layer - Options:
main: + (create empty layer), garbage (delete selected (=blue) layers), Cursor (activate layer-objects in perspective), layer lock (only selected layers (=blue) are ingame selectable)
list: Eye (show), mark (add to/remove from layer), select - ALL (shift first to last), select - DIFFERENT (CTRL + multiple), Eye/Mark + ALL Layers (shift first to last + click on Eye / Mark)
1.1. Layer - Management - 1. Select object only: Layer "object" & selected, layer lock: on
1.1. Layer - Management - 2. Display object only:
1.2. Techniques - 1. select - 1. untextured object: using perspective / Front / Side Views to select faces, edges, vertices faster
1.2. Techniques - 1. select - 2. textured object: Welded geometry, Layer "Texture": add "Teture Replacement Tool" + select faces" + click on this texture in welded group
1.2. Techniques - 2. distance - 1. navigation: click on "location layer" + cursor (to activate in perspective) + zoom to selected elements
1.2. Techniques - 2. distance - 2. moving objects: Layer "All": dont display, Layer "Place A": display, Layer "Place B": display, movement-snap
1.2. Techniques - 3. garbage (deleting unnecessary vertices, edges): Layer "All": faces, props, lights, entities + dont display, then delete garbage
1.2. Techniques - Conclusion: use "1.2.1. select - 1. untextured object" to select faces faster for texturing, use "1.2.1. select - 2. textured object" to select (or change) textures faster
2. Texture - Alignment - Rotation: Technique is a time saver working on video
2.0. Without this technique: each texture with a face, which is not on a "rotation-snap"-angle has to be aligned manually
2.1. Technique - Basic Idea: 1. activate texture lock, 2. rotate geometry to horizontal to floor/ceiling (if not already), 3. create 3D ("unflat") geometry (if its flat), 4. apply texture with 0°, 90° 5. do (3.) & (2.) backwards
2.2. Technique - Examples - Flat, 3D, Complex (Geometry)
2.2. Technique - Examples - Summit
3. Texture - Alignment - Fitting (on NOT planar faces): Technique introduces something, what was impossible before working on video
3.0. Without this technique: if one single texture should FIT on more faces and these faces are not on the same plane, you have to carefully change the scale & shift each face until it fits perfectly, this is nearly impossible (on many faces)
3.1. Technique - on faces with equal size: 1. texture lock: on, 2. recreate the faces on a plane with the same scale to each other, 3. apply the texture ("treat as one"), 4. movement-snap
3.2. Technique - on faces with unequal size (worst case): -same as above - BUT: for each face with different size 2.1. "fit" on old face, 2.2. "apply" on new face, 2.3 texture lock: off, 2.4. new face - scale to "texture border"
4. Lightning - Making edges smooth: Technique is a time saver working on video
4.0. Without this technique: you click on each [horizontal] edge manually - this takes a lot of time
4.1. Layer - getting a clean working environment: to be able to select only "our" object in a front/side perspective - Layer "All": dont show, Layer "Object": show
4.2. View: Front / Side - Make edges smooth [horizontal / vertical]: horizontal: select all horizontal edges suddenly in fron/side perspective + hit smooth-key, vertical: select all edges + hit smooth-key + now do the "horizontal-way"
Personal Notes:
Advanced Techniques:
1. Layers: Techniques are a time saver working on video
1.1. Layer - Notice: select all (CTRL+A) selects always everything indepently from the layer-display-options.
1.1. Layer - Options:
main: + (create empty layer), garbage (delete selected (=blue) layers), Cursor (activate layer-objects in perspective), layer lock (only selected layers (=blue) are ingame selectable)
list: Eye (show), mark (add to/remove from layer), select - ALL (shift first to last), select - DIFFERENT (CTRL + multiple), Eye/Mark + ALL Layers (shift first to last + click on Eye / Mark)
1.1. Layer - Management - 1. Select object only: Layer "object" & selected, layer lock: on
1.1. Layer - Management - 2. Display object only:
1.2. Techniques - 1. select - 1. untextured object: using perspective / Front / Side Views to select faces, edges, vertices faster
1.2. Techniques - 1. select - 2. textured object: Welded geometry, Layer "Texture": add "Teture Replacement Tool" + select faces" + click on this texture in welded group
1.2. Techniques - 2. distance - 1. navigation: click on "location layer" + cursor (to activate in perspective) + zoom to selected elements
1.2. Techniques - 2. distance - 2. moving objects: Layer "All": dont display, Layer "Place A": display, Layer "Place B": display, movement-snap
1.2. Techniques - 3. garbage (deleting unnecessary vertices, edges): Layer "All": faces, props, lights, entities + dont display, then delete garbage
1.2. Techniques - Conclusion: use "1.2.1. select - 1. untextured object" to select faces faster for texturing, use "1.2.1. select - 2. textured object" to select (or change) textures faster
2. Texture - Alignment - Rotation: Technique is a time saver working on video
2.0. Without this technique: each texture with a face, which is not on a "rotation-snap"-angle has to be aligned manually
2.1. Technique - Basic Idea: 1. activate texture lock, 2. rotate geometry to horizontal to floor/ceiling (if not already), 3. create 3D ("unflat") geometry (if its flat), 4. apply texture with 0°, 90° 5. do (3.) & (2.) backwards
2.2. Technique - Examples - Flat, 3D, Complex (Geometry)
2.2. Technique - Examples - Summit
3. Texture - Alignment - Fitting (on NOT planar faces): Technique introduces something, what was impossible before working on video
3.0. Without this technique: if one single texture should FIT on more faces and these faces are not on the same plane, you have to carefully change the scale & shift each face until it fits perfectly, this is nearly impossible (on many faces)
3.1. Technique - on faces with equal size: 1. texture lock: on, 2. recreate the faces on a plane with the same scale to each other, 3. apply the texture ("treat as one"), 4. movement-snap
3.2. Technique - on faces with unequal size (worst case): -same as above - BUT: for each face with different size 2.1. "fit" on old face, 2.2. "apply" on new face, 2.3 texture lock: off, 2.4. new face - scale to "texture border"
4. Lightning - Making edges smooth: Technique is a time saver working on video
4.0. Without this technique: you click on each [horizontal] edge manually - this takes a lot of time
4.1. Layer - getting a clean working environment: to be able to select only "our" object in a front/side perspective - Layer "All": dont show, Layer "Object": show
4.2. View: Front / Side - Make edges smooth [horizontal / vertical]: horizontal: select all horizontal edges suddenly in fron/side perspective + hit smooth-key, vertical: select all edges + hit smooth-key + now do the "horizontal-way"
Personal Notes:
-Selection Helper == Texture Replacement:
--Selection Helper + search == texture replacement tool + selected target faces
--Selection Helper - get Filename with Eye Dropper: Texture Replacement Tool -> Eye Dropper -> texture_title + copy
--both select ALWAYS all these texture_title texture, no matter of selected objects, layer-display-options
--how to select all same textures on object only ?
---1. select all same textures: texture replacement tool + Eye dropper + selected target faces
---2. new layer: "selected texture" + add + layer lock + activate/select (=blue) this layer
--- DO THIS with DEV-textures - only display DEV-Layer + layer lock = easier to texture things
-Select All:
--(CTRL+A) == Groups: dbl click in white area
---(CTRL+A): select ALWAYS everything
---GROUPS-ALL: select ALWAYS everything, but only whats selected on the select-options
-Select vertical only or horizontal ONLY (View: Front / Side):
--to be sure to select these only, activate "vertices", if you accidently selected the "other" lines you see the vertices flashing up / being selected
-Layer:
-- select all layers: Shift first to last == shift first + hold mouse and move downwards
-- select everything NOT on a layer (depends on select-options): Layer-list -> select NO layer (means nothing blue) + click on cursor
-- 2 Layers: Layer A&B, Layer B (Notice: Layer All + Layer Object)
--- show A only: impossible - possible with workaround: delete Layer A&B + Layer B: dont show
--- show A only: recreate Layer A&B fast - dbl click "layer list" white area -> select ALL not on a layer: add to new empty Layer A&B
--- show B only: possible - Layer A&B dont display, Layer B display
--- show A and B: possible - Layer A&B display, Layer B doesnt matter
-- what about "2 layers" for current work + "other layers" situation ?
--- need to check...
-Create Face on backside Fast:
-- select frontside + copy + insert + flip-side
--Check if faulty selection:
--- open scale tool and see "dimension"
-if you want to delete only a part of a welded group - you only need to delete ONLY the faces:
-- because: 1. Layer - 1.2. Techniques - 3. garbage (the unnecessary vertices, edges can be deleted easily when you dont display all faces, props, entites, lights)
-Paint tool - Bug:
--what: sometimes you change the scaling and nothing happens
--solution: enter a value of 0
-Welded Groups with Subwelded Groups:
-- only possible on geometry not fitting exactly together:
-- draw an edge between the 2 groups and weld them
-- get 2 supgroups: delete the edge
-Model Flipping:
-- Flipping: easy way - select prop + open scale + click on arrows -> switch between: 1, 0, -1 to flip it
-- Rotate: select tool -> Angles: 45, 90 degree
-- Scale:
--- quadrat: scale 1 side with scale tool + select tool -> scale: search for 2 almost equal number & get them equal
--- length on 1 side without back to 90 degree+scale+back-to-fine-rotation
--Selection Helper + search == texture replacement tool + selected target faces
--Selection Helper - get Filename with Eye Dropper: Texture Replacement Tool -> Eye Dropper -> texture_title + copy
--both select ALWAYS all these texture_title texture, no matter of selected objects, layer-display-options
--how to select all same textures on object only ?
---1. select all same textures: texture replacement tool + Eye dropper + selected target faces
---2. new layer: "selected texture" + add + layer lock + activate/select (=blue) this layer
--- DO THIS with DEV-textures - only display DEV-Layer + layer lock = easier to texture things
-Select All:
--(CTRL+A) == Groups: dbl click in white area
---(CTRL+A): select ALWAYS everything
---GROUPS-ALL: select ALWAYS everything, but only whats selected on the select-options
-Select vertical only or horizontal ONLY (View: Front / Side):
--to be sure to select these only, activate "vertices", if you accidently selected the "other" lines you see the vertices flashing up / being selected
-Layer:
-- select all layers: Shift first to last == shift first + hold mouse and move downwards
-- select everything NOT on a layer (depends on select-options): Layer-list -> select NO layer (means nothing blue) + click on cursor
-- 2 Layers: Layer A&B, Layer B (Notice: Layer All + Layer Object)
--- show A only: impossible - possible with workaround: delete Layer A&B + Layer B: dont show
--- show A only: recreate Layer A&B fast - dbl click "layer list" white area -> select ALL not on a layer: add to new empty Layer A&B
--- show B only: possible - Layer A&B dont display, Layer B display
--- show A and B: possible - Layer A&B display, Layer B doesnt matter
-- what about "2 layers" for current work + "other layers" situation ?
--- need to check...
-Create Face on backside Fast:
-- select frontside + copy + insert + flip-side
--Check if faulty selection:
--- open scale tool and see "dimension"
-if you want to delete only a part of a welded group - you only need to delete ONLY the faces:
-- because: 1. Layer - 1.2. Techniques - 3. garbage (the unnecessary vertices, edges can be deleted easily when you dont display all faces, props, entites, lights)
-Paint tool - Bug:
--what: sometimes you change the scaling and nothing happens
--solution: enter a value of 0
-Welded Groups with Subwelded Groups:
-- only possible on geometry not fitting exactly together:
-- draw an edge between the 2 groups and weld them
-- get 2 supgroups: delete the edge
-Model Flipping:
-- Flipping: easy way - select prop + open scale + click on arrows -> switch between: 1, 0, -1 to flip it
-- Rotate: select tool -> Angles: 45, 90 degree
-- Scale:
--- quadrat: scale 1 side with scale tool + select tool -> scale: search for 2 almost equal number & get them equal
--- length on 1 side without back to 90 degree+scale+back-to-fine-rotation
Comments
#1 is a great trick. I never thought about opening up a second instance of editor.
i use it a lot as a clean working environment / empty layer mechanic (without using real layers).
i have a large map and its really slow, so its a big performance improvement for me this way.
if i am working on a special part i cut the working part and paste it on second instance of the editor.
when i am done, i cut & paste it back again, much faster for me.
i could close the first instance of the editor each time,
but i didnt encounter any performance decrease on the second instance,
if the first instance is in the background doing nothing.
I do similar, but I don't go as far as running a second instance of the editor. I just maintain a workshop file that I open & paste into whenever I have notable changes to make to a section. I also use it for general experimentation and iteration.
Question: How can I see the effect of smooth edges in the editor?
If "Show Edges" is enabled, you will see... white lines: not smooth, green lines: smooth
If "Textured Lit" is enabled, you will see smooth lightning transitions on horizontal "green lines".
Example: (left & right image is the same - only edges are not shown / shown)
Sorry, but i dont really understand what your saying.
If i make a room and the editor is bugged at this time i have to restart... this is faster and i copy something with texture lock enabled. I dont get it.
Ok, i will redo the videos with voice. Tried to avoid this
Select the edge, then, select the top vertex. Then, with the move tool activated, click and drag on the VERTEX (NOT the move gizmo, NOT the edge, the VERTEX) and drag it over to one of the vertices of the thing you're trying to match. It'll snap to it.
I think I'll do my 4th tutorial on this...
EDIT: Also, I think the default for non-smooth lines is black, not white... or maybe I'm just going crazy.
BIG Thank YOU!
btw: the non-smooth color could be black (by default), its set to white on my config.
EDIT: i just tried this on models... and i encountered something else i didnt knew.
a) if you move the model by holding the gizmo its moving trough everything
b) if you move the model by holding the model (= dont click / hold on gizmo) its moving on geometry (not going through)
Also, reworking the keybinds speeds up the workflow a LOT. I use it similar to commanding now. A = Select tool, W = Line tool, S = Extrude, E = Rectangle tool, F = Scale Tool, Shift + D = Rotate tool, Shift + E = Create face, Shift + Q = Flip Face, and, last but not least, Spacebar = Delete.
1 question, maybe a bit stupid BUT
when you use WASD keys for the tool selection, how do you navigate in 3d perspective ?
Ok, stupid question solved
I know that feel^^