additional TE_* types in defs.c ??

[dayfive]

recently i was getting back into the art of making QUAKE1 mods... it had been my dream for some years to create a total conversion using the Quake engine, but I never got around to it... well now it's 10 years later and I haven't grown one bit tired of the game!

i was poking around editing some QuakeC source to realize my ambition of making a Megaman X themed total conversion, when I got to thinking -

is there any way to extend the mechanism for TE_ types in defs.c?

Lines like this are what I mean

Code: Select all

float	TE_SPIKE	= 0;
float	TE_SUPERSPIKE	= 1;
float	TE_GUNSHOT	= 2;
float	TE_EXPLOSION	= 3;
float	TE_TAREXPLOSION	= 4;
float	TE_LIGHTNING1	= 5;
float	TE_LIGHTNING2	= 6;
float	TE_WIZSPIKE	= 7;
float	TE_KNIGHTSPIKE	= 8;
float	TE_LIGHTNING3	= 9;
float	TE_LAVASPLASH	= 10;
float	TE_TELEPORT	= 11;

or other things that are "referenced in C code". I have the source code for various engines, including tyr-quake Linux, darkplaces Linux/OSX, and Axel Wefers' GLQuake on OSX but I can't find any reference to these types of variables!

the idea is to make a completely new set of types without overwriting the existing Quake engine parameters, but I'm not sure if that's possible!

Here's what I've been working on so far, just messing around

http://harbl.humblefool.net/megamanx-quake.zip

here's a couple pics of the arm model in darkplaces

map fiendspike
r_fullbright 1


map fiendspike
r_fullbright 0


any help appreciated[/code]

[FrikaC]

What kind of help are you looking for exactly, excepting the title of the thread I didn't really see a question.

New temporary entities are indeed possible, and quite a few new ones are added in Darkplaces (see & add dpextensions.qc). You will obviously need to alter the engine to add or change whatever you need.

If you're asking why the two screenshots look so different from one another, it is because the Quake engine gets model lighting from the lightmap on the floor. There is no floor and thus it is considered full-dark.

[dayfive]

What kind of help are you looking for exactly, excepting the title of the thread I didn't really see a question.

New temporary entities are indeed possible, and quite a few new ones are added in Darkplaces (see & add dpextensions.qc). You will obviously need to alter the engine to add or change whatever you need.

If you're asking why the two screenshots look so different from one another, it is because the Quake engine gets model lighting from the lightmap on the floor. There is no floor and thus it is considered full-dark.

sorry, yes I was asking about temporary entities.

the purpose of the screenshot is to show what I have so far, in addition to offering a pak file with some altered QC and some maps.

basically what I would like to do is create a total conversion that has a new set of temporary entity types (in addition to several other types) so that i wouldn't have to write over (use) the quake 1 originals.

the question was indeed about temporary entities and the like.

how might one alter the engine (darkplaces or tyr-quake or other) to add these types of additional types?

[Spike]

there's a certain ammount that you can do yourself with imaginative use of the particle builtin. Alternativly, you can do some pretty amazing things with sprites if you're cunning enough (see some of cheepy's stuff). The downsides of these methods is that it either looks pants, or totally annihiliates any posability of internet play.

FTE and DarkPlaces both support customisable particle systems (though I admit I don't know much about DP's).
These particle systems allow you to customise existing effects so they suit your mod better. Alternativly they may (at least FTE does) allow you to register your own particle effect types, or just override specific uses of the particle builtin. This would allow you to make someone else support/maintain the engine for you, which is a _HUGE_ time saver.

If you wish to go for an existing engine with a lot of custom effects already, telejano probably has the most. And 90% are so increadibly specific to something that you'll never find a use for them. Darkplaces has several additional particle effects also. FTE had a customisable particle system earlier in it's development, so there are less additional specific tempentities (having said that, most of DP's are supported, they just don't have effects defined yet).
Plus it might help to use an engine with skyboxes.


Anyway, now that I've failed to get you to use an engine that someone else is responsible for, CL_ParseTEnt in cl_tent.c would be a good place to start looking. As well as in protocol.h for the defs (though that's less interesting).

[Entar]

Pertaining to what Spike said, yes, the dpextensions are exactly what you're looking for (I think?). For scriptable particle systems, Vr2 has one too.

[Sajt]

Darkplaces has scriptable particles too Not sure how flexible it is, but it dang sure covers the basics

[xaGe]

..damn got excited for a second there... Heard Megaman and automatically my mind jumped to thoughts of sidescrolling sprite goodness! ..I do very much love your idea! I just always saw it in quake as a side-scroller kind of like TAoV, but maybe with sprites instead of models...

[RenegadeC]

..damn got excited for a second there... Heard Megaman and automatically my mind jumped to thoughts of sidescrolling sprite goodness! ..I do very much love your idea! I just always saw it in quake as a side-scroller kind of like TAoV, but maybe with sprites instead of models...

Sprites look horrid, I've tried it already - it's better to stick to models as they don't look awkward when doing angle changing and zooming. Let's also not forget that models are setup in a more efficient way that they're easier to work with in Quake.

It could be done in sprites, I had a little mod with the Knight/Player sprite from Wizards and Warriors running around on a 2D Plane (long dead); it was hard to define a proper camera distance in order for the sprite to appear 'proper'; it's a lot of work.

[dayfive]

..damn got excited for a second there... Heard Megaman and automatically my mind jumped to thoughts of sidescrolling sprite goodness! ..I do very much love your idea! I just always saw it in quake as a side-scroller kind of like TAoV, but maybe with sprites instead of models...

i've actually been modelling it off of targetQ mod (side scrolling but still uses the .mdl's)

it would be much easier if someone had the source code for this mod (targetQ) to share so i don't have to reinvent the wheel!

[dayfive]

..damn got excited for a second there... Heard Megaman and automatically my mind jumped to thoughts of sidescrolling sprite goodness! ..I do very much love your idea! I just always saw it in quake as a side-scroller kind of like TAoV, but maybe with sprites instead of models...

i've actually been modelling it off of targetQ mod (side scrolling but still uses the .mdl's)

it would be much easier if someone had the source code for this mod (targetQ) to share so i don't have to reinvent the wheel!

also if anyone is unfamiliar with targetQ, i put the -game dir up on teh harblnet

http://harbl.humblefool.net/targetQ.zip

unzip, put in quake folder, run ./quake -game targetQ, the usual, etc etc

so if anyone knows of the source code for this mod plz share!! or even techniques based on looking at and playing it would be helpful too

[dayfive]

a few things i was wondering about,

1) how might you make the disappearing/reappearing brushes like in targetQ?? those were intrinsic to both the megaman x and original series!

2) how might it be possible to change the player skin based on what weapon is being carried, the idea is of course to have a different color associated with each respective weapon

i'd prefer not to use scriptable particle generation as i'm aiming for cross platform compatibility as well as assuming the player will not be using any particular engine - compatibility with the original quake engine (DOS) from id software is a must! if the particle generation can be done in QuakeC however, this would be preferred.

i take it you can't add any additional temporary entities by only using the progs.dat? even so i bet with a bit of clever manipulation of the existing types, it should be possible

[RenegadeC]

The Target Quake source code makes me vomit, I had it but I don't anymore. It's unreadable, messy, poorly organized, and I'm surprised it even worked.

If you want a 2D side scroller, I highly recommend working off of "2DCam" a simple mod I released during an old QExpo; someone here possibly has the source code to it since I lost the mod on Circa1984; if you can't find it, you can base it off my 2D Side-Scroller CastleVania mod (probably a better option anyways). Just ask for it and I'll give you it.

[Entar]

If anybody has that 2Dcam source, I'd like to take a look at it

[leileilol]

http://mancubus.net/~cheapy/lostmods/ren

[RenegadeC]

Thanks leilei. Time to get my mods I losted from Circa1984 and keep 'em in the bowls of my D drive