KF Mod Version 3 - progress

[N3Cr0]

 I want their lights to work and make it so they can 'raise' 'aim' --- the 3 fire mode problem - code beyond my ability to fix.

In that case better forget about the light - it's not really important.
Maybe I will learn how to write code for UT - at least I got some ideas how to implement that flashlight, but atm I'm not able to write the code...

[Snipe34]

Lights not so important, true.  Not sure how it would work anyways.  Alt and choose either aim or light would be really irritating.  Alternate light keybind would be best idea.  Probably later patch.

Ye BP aim is useless and I rarely use it either.  Modified now as I said somewhere else...

----------------- mainly for mappers ----------------------
New Meshes for V3.  I made nearly 9megs =about 35meg of textures, not including new weapons and vehicles.  Although only about 9 meg, my meshes are probably less than 1/4 the polys of the average old KF mesh.  They purposely added more polys to each mesh because it helps light a mesh.  I discovered sometimes that works, sometimes not, so I went for less polys.  My HappyHour sky mesh is 99 polys, the old KF sky mesh is about 600 polys.  Can you notice any difference in the skybox visual?

But with many faces, or not so many - a mesh will still sometimes be totally dark.  To fix that, change the meshes' Display > AmbientGlow to probably 10 or something and the mesh will be lit more brightly.  Also in Display > ScaleGlow also works, but a rebuild is needed to see the difference.

Low poly meshes reduce lag so I went for low.  My 9meg of meshes is equal to old KF's 14 meg of meshes.  I'm not criticizing old KF's methods.  I made a choice.  But atm I'm having problems with a house wall face, 2 polys which won't light.  I can't use AmbientGlow because the rest of the house will go bright too.  Workaround: either add more polys to the house mesh or use bsp for the problem wall.  I'll use bsp over the dark mesh wall because bsp nearly always lights properly.  But I'll probably use flat plane bsp and then click 1 sided.  But I will add the plane bsp using SpecialBrush: Semi-Solid.  That'll result in less than 5 faces rather than adding 50 or 60 faces all over the house... (which may not work anyway).  And the street of the house has 7 houses... 
I should make a tutorial about lighting, and more about collision too with some pics ^^
--------------------------------

Anyway dudes V3 is coming slowly slowly but it's coming and it's looking awesome.

[Hicks]

My HappyHour sky mesh is 99 polys, the old KF sky mesh is about 600 polys.  Can you notice any difference in the skybox visual?

No visual difference for me. Also, HappyHour is pretty optimized - it wasn't cause slow down on my previous laptop.

Well, this is another great news Ehh, can't wait for v3 release... last thing i was waiting so hard is a Dead Space 2

[Snipe34]

My HappyHour sky mesh is 99 polys, the old KF sky mesh is about 600 polys.  Can you notice any difference in the skybox visual?

No visual difference for me. Also, HappyHour is pretty optimized - it wasn't cause slow down on my previous laptop.

Well, this is another great news Ehh, can't wait for v3 release... last thing i was waiting so hard is a Dead Space 2

Right there with you 'can't wait'!!

So yeah a tut on optimize - i don't think you need that - although i never looked in your maps properly except I used them for experiments.

hf in Arabia!

[N3Cr0]

...about the 3 firingmodes thing:
I just have taken a look in the actor class section of the UnrealEd. I confess this game is very complex - maybe too complex for me, but after searching a long while I finally found something interesting.
What I want is to give Snipe some inspiration...

Well, just let me tell about my idea:
Let's say for the first we make a simple flashlight, maybe based on the pistol script located in
Actor/InventoryAttachment/WeaponAttachment/xWeaponattachment/KFWeaponAttachment/SingleAttachment

Maybe the flashlight code will look like this:

Code: [Select]

class SingleAttachment extends KFFlashlightAttachment;

var Actor TacShine;
var  Effects TacShineCorona;
var bool bBeamEnabled;

// Prevents tracers from spawning if player is using the flashlight function
simulated event ThirdPersonEffects()
{
if( Flashlightswitch==1 )
return;
Super.ThirdPersonEffects();
}

simulated function Destroyed()
{
if ( TacShineCorona != None )
TacShineCorona.Destroy();
if ( TacShine != None )
TacShine.Destroy();
Super.Destroyed();
}

simulated function UpdateTacBeam( float Dist )
{
local vector Sc;

if( !bBeamEnabled )
{
ChangeIdleToSecondary();
if (TacShine == none )
{
TacShine = Spawn(Class'Single'.Default.TacShineClass,Owner,,,);
AttachToBone(TacShine,'FlashBone3P');
TacShine.RemoteRole = ROLE_None;
}
else TacShine.bHidden = False;
if (TacShineCorona == none )
{
TacShineCorona = Spawn(class 'KFTacLightCorona',Owner,,,);
AttachToBone(TacShineCorona,'FlashBone3P');
TacShineCorona.RemoteRole = ROLE_None;
}
TacShineCorona.bHidden = False;
bBeamEnabled = True;
}
Sc = TacShine.DrawScale3D;
Sc.Y = FClamp(Dist/90.f,0.02,1.f);
if( TacShine.DrawScale3D!=Sc )
TacShine.SetDrawScale3D(Sc);
}

simulated function TacBeamGone()
{
if( bBeamEnabled )
{
ChangeIdleToPrimary();
if (TacShine!=none )
TacShine.bHidden = True;
if (TacShineCorona!=none )
TacShineCorona.bHidden = True;
bBeamEnabled = False;
}
}



You also have to add a flashlight script where you attach this script to (it should have a function/variable called "Flashlightswitch").
And you have to find a way to bind that flashlight to a button on the keyboard.
The Flashlight must not be scripted like a weapon - It should work whenever you press your light key.

[...this should be enough for the beta version of firingmode 3 ...]

If you have done all this I MAYBE have an idea for the next step - but to explain this step in short: you should find a way to make this flashlight case-sensitive, which means you can only turn it on if you have changed to a weapon which ALLOWS a flashlight




...I hope I could help you a little bit

[Snipe34]

...about the 3 firingmodes thing:
I just have taken a look in the actor class section of the UnrealEd. I confess this game is very complex - maybe too complex for me, but after searching a long while I finally found something interesting.
What I want is to give Snipe some inspiration...

Well, just let me tell about my idea:
Let's say for the first we make a simple flashlight, maybe based on the pistol script located in
Actor/InventoryAttachment/WeaponAttachment/xWeaponattachment/KFWeaponAttachment/SingleAttachment

Maybe the flashlight code will look like this:

Code: [Select]

class SingleAttachment extends KFFlashlightAttachment;

var Actor TacShine;
var  Effects TacShineCorona;
var bool bBeamEnabled;

// Prevents tracers from spawning if player is using the flashlight function
simulated event ThirdPersonEffects()
{
if( Flashlightswitch==1 )
return;
Super.ThirdPersonEffects();
}

simulated function Destroyed()
{
if ( TacShineCorona != None )
TacShineCorona.Destroy();
if ( TacShine != None )
TacShine.Destroy();
Super.Destroyed();
}

simulated function UpdateTacBeam( float Dist )
{
local vector Sc;

if( !bBeamEnabled )
{
ChangeIdleToSecondary();
if (TacShine == none )
{
TacShine = Spawn(Class'Single'.Default.TacShineClass,Owner,,,);
AttachToBone(TacShine,'FlashBone3P');
TacShine.RemoteRole = ROLE_None;
}
else TacShine.bHidden = False;
if (TacShineCorona == none )
{
TacShineCorona = Spawn(class 'KFTacLightCorona',Owner,,,);
AttachToBone(TacShineCorona,'FlashBone3P');
TacShineCorona.RemoteRole = ROLE_None;
}
TacShineCorona.bHidden = False;
bBeamEnabled = True;
}
Sc = TacShine.DrawScale3D;
Sc.Y = FClamp(Dist/90.f,0.02,1.f);
if( TacShine.DrawScale3D!=Sc )
TacShine.SetDrawScale3D(Sc);
}

simulated function TacBeamGone()
{
if( bBeamEnabled )
{
ChangeIdleToPrimary();
if (TacShine!=none )
TacShine.bHidden = True;
if (TacShineCorona!=none )
TacShineCorona.bHidden = True;
bBeamEnabled = False;
}
}



You also have to add a flashlight script where you attach this script to (it should have a function/variable called "Flashlightswitch").
And you have to find a way to bind that flashlight to a button on the keyboard.
The Flashlight must not be scripted like a weapon - It should work whenever you press your light key.

[...this should be enough for the beta version of firingmode 3 ...]

If you have done all this I MAYBE have an idea for the next step - but to explain this step in short: you should find a way to make this flashlight case-sensitive, which means you can only turn it on if you have changed to a weapon which ALLOWS a flashlight

...I hope I could help you a little bit

Your offer is much appreciated.
I solved the Pinzgauer mounted mgs problem using your approach - intuitive, copy/pasting code to code.  Luck made it work and also some experience of code.   Your approach is similar to mine and I agree I think add a Var is the beginning of that solution.

If you want to help I suggest you change some UT/KF code on some object or weapon, compile it with UCC.  Then see how UT reacts to your changes.  In that way you learn how UT reacts, and add knowledge to your intuitive approach.

Thanks to Epic UT, you don't have to learn to write code.  Only first understand basically code framework.  From there extend the nearest object or item to what you want, make changes in the extension to get exactly what you want.  I looked at Runescape code, even twi code to get some clues, but I still have none.  For 3 modes, I don't know where to start.

A separate button, a var linking to the keyboard, and so a separate piece of code.  Ic what you're saying, but idk how to write that.  The way light on code is written, it's a firemode: instead of shooting bullets it turns on the light.  And raise is similar - another firemode - doesn't shoot, just raises the gun.  UT code was written for 2 firemodes only.   So extend won't work. New stuff has to be written.

Hamada can do that.... Saturday night and I haven't heard from him yet xd

[Snipe34]

still nothing... testing in july... never said which july - never said which weekend...  no mrs C code, no respawn code, no zombie code.

My fault...  i never should have told hamada, relax, take it easy, don't rush, everything's cool XD

Edit:
after that rant... i think he's working on it but he doesn't tell me... i was delayed because... i can't do this because... I don't know. I wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait... i get pissed.

[Vanico]

Sounds great!





(Do not release it now, do not release it now, do not release it now, back home please, back home please, back home please oh shit v3v3v3v3v3v3v3 OMG)

[N3Cr0]

If you want to help I suggest you change some UT/KF code on some object or weapon, compile it with UCC.  Then see how UT reacts to your changes.  In that way you learn how UT reacts, and add knowledge to your intuitive approach.

The UT code drives me mad :/
I also tried to work around the broken welder display if you play the game under Linux - I wanted to copy the welder display script into the script for the HUD. Well, finding the necessary lines was easy, but I don't know how to port it to the HUD script -.-
I have absolutely no idea what to write in a script :/

[Snipe34]

If you want to help I suggest you change some UT/KF code on some object or weapon, compile it with UCC.  Then see how UT reacts to your changes.  In that way you learn how UT reacts, and add knowledge to your intuitive approach.

The UT code drives me mad :/
I also tried to work around the broken welder display if you play the game under Linux - I wanted to copy the welder display script into the script for the HUD. Well, finding the necessary lines was easy, but I don't know how to port it to the HUD script -.-
I have absolutely no idea what to write in a script :/

Number plates on vehicles uses similar script - similar problem.  In V3 there are CCTV cameras and Unix Linux users will have the same problem with them.  Problem is the Scripted Textures Unix that doesn't understand.

As I say, making something similar to a current weapon, or similar to some script is quite easy, just extend and modify.  But something new needs coding knowledge or luck with copy/paste...

Try getting knowledge by experimenting extending and rebuilding with UCC, see how UT reacts.  You may find an answer.

[Snipe34]

No progress or maybe some, depends on your pov.

Y'all keep asking about V3, Raj and me are as much in the dark as everyone.

Appreciate everyone's got rl: school work; commitments.  Hamada only answers emails occasionally, but most of the stuff I ask him, he ignores.  So my unanswered reply emails to him get ruder and ruder.  Best I leave him be.  Besides that I asked Strel0k on XFire if Hamada was unwell or something, so silence, then he goes AFK.  Also Hamada silence then AFK when I tried him on Steam.  I thought maybe it was his gf or something. I've made many excuses for their rudeness and ignorance, now I'm sick to fuck with them.

I don't want to wait another 2 years, 3 years 4 or whatever.  It'll be quicker if I learn the mf code and finish V3 that way.

[Hicks]

I believe, you can do this, Snipe
It seems Hamada tired with v3 and maybe that's because he ignore email... anyway, as i understand, most v3 stuff is finished, right? And these problems with 3rd firemode\flashlight can wait next patch i think... how many times we really need use flashlight, huh? There is not so much maps, that really dark. So, i think maybe finish most imporant parts of v3 and release it, but other things such as flashlight can wait.

[dakoslug]

Yeah you really can  .
Hicks is really right, some stuff can wait.

[Snipe34]

Agree with you both about flashlight can wait.  Stuff that's too hard, I'll leave until later.  Like you say, get V3 finished!

I've already made quite a few changes, like bp, law and fixed chainsaw.  KFS Shop seems to be working ok, except the list is blue and nearly invisible.  Not all guns are listed, but blunderbuss listed 3 times.  Dunno about the molotov...  Player respawns, most important - have to check what happens, and how progress thru a storymap works.  That's the priority.

So I'm checking stuff  fixing as I go. I'll keep you updated.

[Vanico]

I have a question:
Do we have to replace the trader in EVERY map now?