New Launch Pad ?
WorthyRival
Black Armor Division Join Date: 2006-11-07 Member: 58470Members, Constellation, Reinforced - Supporter, Reinforced - Silver, Reinforced - Gold, Reinforced - Diamond, Reinforced - Shadow, WC 2013 - Shadow
Black Armor Division Join Date: 2006-11-07 Member: 58470Members, Constellation, Reinforced - Supporter, Reinforced - Silver, Reinforced - Gold, Reinforced - Diamond, Reinforced - Shadow, WC 2013 - Shadow
in Mapping
Can someone write a comprehensive tutorial on how to use the new launch pad for mapping ?
I'm trying to update a map but the new launch pad seems bloated. I'm lost in all the new folders and where the files belong.
How do I link it to my old workshop listing ? or do I have to create a new workshop listing ?
Where to save your .level files ?
What the difference is between the output and source folders are ?
Would really appreciate it.
Comments
The output folder of your mod directory prepresents to the \Steam\SteamApps\common\Natural Selection 2\ns2\ directory and its subfolders.
The source directory contains the files that you work with and are automatically taken, converted and/or copied by the builder application into the output directory.
When you publish a mod, you basically publish your output folder (think of it as copying the output folder and then renaming it to the Steam mod-id)
When you activate a mod, the files in the subfolders of the mod directory are treated as if they were in the corresponding folders under \Steam\SteamApps\common\Natural Selection 2\ns2\
So idealy the .level you are working with is in the source/mapsrc/ folder. Your textures/materials are in the source/materialsrc folder. etc.
I order to use any of the stuff (materials, models, sounds) in the editor however they have to be in the output subfolders. Files in the source subfolders are basically invisible from the applications.
Builder automagically takes (or SHOULD take) the stuff you put into the source subfolders and put them into the corresponding outout subfolders.
Currently I try to avoid builder all together and manually put my files directly into the output subfolders. For example I save my texture maps directly into DDS, so I don't need it for that.
The builder lacks currently seems to have some bugs(?) and lacks features.
1.) If you have PNG files in your materialsrc folder, it can't convert them. But instead of ignoring them, it copies them into the output/materialsrc folder, which seems kinda... dumb?
2.) It copies the .level file to output/maps but it doesn't create the minimap or heightmap for you, you still have to do this by hand/script..
At last from the perspective of a mapper the builder just doesn't seem to actually do anything for you.
I have yet to work with custom sounds and models, so I'm not sure if this is the part where the builder actually helps.
All that said I have to add that the general distinction between source files and output/release files is a good practice.
Hope that made some sense...
(PS: I'm looking for someone that can take an existing (animated) game model, move it around into a specific pose and then export it as a static model. please PM if you can spare the time)
As for the model. I've worked in the cinematic editor when manipulating models to produce cinematics. Not sure about static models.