EQG Zone Importer

[Zaela_S]

Originally Posted by Pectabyte

The zone importer crashes for me every time I try to convert an s3d to eqg.
I've tried running the program as administrator but it still crashes.
Anyone else having this problem?

I may have overstated how easy it would be!

The conversion feature is not complete. I found where highpass is crashing it but some things are unclear -- seems like the first texture reference in each mesh is invalid, but necessary to line everything up correctly. Stuff around the top of the zone and all water surfaces aren't getting textured as a result (although some of that might be related to animated textures -- which I'm not sure how to do for EQG zones yet, although I think it's possible). Will need to take a closer look at all that.

[Packet]

KLS pointed something out to me yesterday which should be noted for server admins intending on incorporating custom zones into their servers. You will need .map files if you intend on having line of sight + other things such as proper npc pathing.

[4:08 PM] <KLS> the problem was you named the terrain file
[4:08 PM] <KLS> nexus
[4:08 PM] <KLS> instead of TER_nexus
[4:08 PM] <KLS> but im adding a fix atm

KLS is going to fix this with azone2 however, if you have an older build - this is why it might fail for you.


Zaela, any ideas on how one might add global lighting to a zone manually while you're working out light placement. Anything that I import does not seem to respond to sky light.

[Zaela_S]

I guess it needs the vertex colors to have any lighting at all. Not sure how much influence they have on how things'll actually look. If you just want to try whatever for now: create a binary file, set the first 4 bytes to "EQGP", next 4 bytes is an integer equal to the number of vertices in your zone TER (should be on the info screen in the tool), then that many 4 byte integers filled with... let's say 0xFFFFFFFF, I think that should be pure white. It's 8 bit ARGB or RGBA or something like that. Then give it the same name as the TER file, except with .lit as the extension, and import it into the EQG.

My internet died a couple days ago (problem's with the wires underground, joy) so I'm not sure when I'll be able to update again.

[Zaela_S]

Well phone connection can handle a painfully slow upload now and then I guess.

Originally Posted by Zaela_S

I found where highpass is crashing it but some things are unclear -- seems like the first texture reference in each mesh is invalid, but necessary to line everything up correctly. Stuff around the top of the zone and all water surfaces aren't getting textured as a result (although some of that might be related to animated textures -- which I'm not sure how to do for EQG zones yet, although I think it's possible). Will need to take a closer look at all that.

I put up a fix for this. The animated textures aren't animated yet, but they show a texture at least.

Weirdness turned out to be an inconsistency in a structure depending on whether textures were animated or not, which wasn't noticed in the WLD bible. Solves the mystery of where the timing information comes from, though.

I can't actually get in game to verify it works since I didn't have the foresight to make a fully local test server. But it looks mostly right in the viewer, so it should show up fine (unless the hardcoding is really really specific, I guess). Although, what I thought was bugged textures towards the top of the zone seems to actually be a zone ceiling (to prevent climbing?). The converter doesn't handle transparencies yet, so the zone will probably seem to have a white or black shell for a sky unless you mess with it a bit ;p

[Packet]

I'll try that out. Btw, I heard you mention you're messing with EQ character models. That true?

[Zaela_S]

Originally Posted by Packet

I'll try that out. Btw, I heard you mention you're messing with EQ character models. That true?

Yeah, working on an EQG animated model importer. Will handle Mob models as well as weapons (animated or non) and static things.

The GUI and viewer are basically done, just need to decide on an animated mesh format (was thinking COLLADA but that seems more annoying than it's worth, might go with B3D) and write the import routines... and decide on some standards for how to set things up (whether different animations should be imported from wholly separate files, etc). Also want to let the user select particle emission points in the tool and have it show where that is in the viewer in real time, but that was proving more difficult than expected -- we'll see.

[Packet]

If there is anything I can help you with, let me know. I can provide rigged characters & animations as samples to provide with your tool. If you want...

[Zaela_S]

A rigged model with an animation for me to test with would be helpful. Been burned out a bit lately, haven't accomplished much. The prospect of having to both figure out a format and how to make animations in blender (I have a skeleton hooked up to a cube at least... I think) is just daunting enough to hold me back ;p Need both to test either.

[knowom]

I'm curious if people would be interested in a zone like this if I could design one relatively well in Blender. It would be a little different and not 100% accurate, but generally rather familiar for example I'd knock out a few walls to create pathways to the different mirrored world layouts.

I'd also use the left and right water inlets as a shipping routes pathway to connect the left half to right half among other things. Could also easily knock out 2-4 walls in the middle undecided. In terms of porting druid rings and wizard spires outside the dungeons would probably make a lot of sense.

[IMG][/IMG]

[Packet]

Originally Posted by knowom

I'm curious if people would be interested in a zone like this if I could design one relatively well in Blender.

Good luck.

Originally Posted by Zaela_S

A rigged model with an animation for me to test with would be helpful. Been burned out a bit lately, haven't accomplished much. The prospect of having to both figure out a format and how to make animations in blender (I have a skeleton hooked up to a cube at least... I think) is just daunting enough to hold me back ;p Need both to test either.

Preferred format? I have a few bipedal models that have some rigs and basic animations. It seems like (from my observation of OpenZone & Anim8or conversion) that there are specific sequence names per animation in the set. For instance, the idle animation/sequence would be:

standing_c_100_p01

death animation would be: death_n_100_d05

Without the standing_c_100_p01 sequence, the model comes in as a regular human. I'm not sure if this helps as I don't understand the logic behind the OZ conversion. But I do understand being burned out. My projects typically wear in on me as well which is why I am taking my time with this one. One piece at a time, a little a day... otherwise, I'd become distracted by the nearest shiny object.

[knowom]

Originally Posted by Packet

Good luck.

Thanks think I've got a good planned method on how to go about it in mind starting with a 2D layout basically using square tile faces and subdividing. I'll try to add dimension by extruding and such later and other details, but gotta start someplace. Doesn't look like much yet, but chipping away at the layout slowly. Fairly time consuming carefully counting the tiles to try to ensure they are accurate as they can be at least initially may deviate a bit later so it's not just a carbon copy in 3D. Anyway I'm starting off by removing the water terrain initially. Then I'll try to get the base terrain layout down a bit roughly. I gotta chip away at it in stages otherwise it would just end up being a sloppy mess.

Sneak peak at what I've got started doesn't look like much, but counting those tiles is a real pita, but it's starting to take shape a bit so I'm pretty happy with results thus far.

[rhyotte]

Cool beans

[Packet]

Originally Posted by knowom

but counting those tiles is a real pita, but it's starting to take shape a bit so I'm pretty

Whenever you're ready to texture that, let me know. I can show you some UV mapping techniques that will make things a lot easier for you.

[Zaela_S]

Originally Posted by Packet

Preferred format?

Erm, anything that blender can import I guess ;p

Originally Posted by Packet

It seems like (from my observation of OpenZone & Anim8or conversion) that there are specific sequence names per animation in the set. For instance, the idle animation/sequence would be:

standing_c_100_p01

death animation would be: death_n_100_d05

For S3D models, it's actually just the last bit that identifies the animation: one letter for the "category," and then two digits for the number. The rest I assume is specific to how OpenZone does things.

EQG models use a slightly clearer system with 4 letters and 1 number. Some are pretty obvious like idle, walk, turn, swim; some understandable but odd like nrun (n?), jmpu (jump up), jmpa (jump forward), crmp ("crumple" to death); others seem like the just picked out some random letters like slpr, gcst (both attack animations ?). Easy enough to figure most of them out by watching the animations of pre-existing models at least, and there's probably a big list in the client or graphics dll that has them all lined up to their in-game id numbers.

[knowom]

Originally Posted by Packet

Whenever you're ready to texture that, let me know. I can show you some UV mapping techniques that will make things a lot easier for you.

Yeah defiantly will do once I get to that point. Not trying to rush it I want to get it looking as a right as I possibly can.

Another update btw just finished up with the last bit of water. I also cleaned up the boarder is it starting to look a bit more familiar?


Don't mind the extra stuffs in the background that's mostly just there in case I accidentally screw something up. Here's a peak at how the mountain terrain is beginning to take shape very #Minecraft reminiscent for time being. I just want to get the general layout structure across initially. After that I can work toward beveling, smoothing, fracturing, and contorting it to give it character.



Another screenshot on how it's starting to look. It's defiantly getting closer in feel. I'm pretty glad I decided to give this a try time consuming, but feels worth the time investment. A new yet old yet different type of nostalgia than we've been accustomed to in EQemu. Populating it with spawns will be interesting to say the least. It'll be kind of fun just experimenting with that I think.


New screenshot I'd estimate about 2/5's of this stage of development for the mountain terrain is done with. The sections are defiantly beginning to look more and more familiar.