Exploding Tanks not disappearing!

[GI Morpheus]

tlTrude,

I'm sorry, I'm a noob and don't understand where I would put that code. Where is the code for the "backwheel" function that you mentioned? I can see where I should "rem" the code for the rotation
"tcmod rotate 5 0 20", but I don't think you mean for me to change the code in one of my system pak files, cause that will only work for my system. Do I make a copy of the file, make changes, then include it as part of my map pak file (say as User_map.pk3)? It would seem to me that it would overwrite the system file when my map is run. It would seem to be the right thing to do, but what would happen if the user played another map? Would my file still be there, or does the game reload the system files before each new map?

I really wish there was a tutorial on making changes to these files. That's something that would be really helpful. You guys talk about shader and tik files as if they were common knowledge. There are plenty of tutorials on making brushes, and the like, and just generally getting around MOH Radient, but I haven't seem anyone create a basic scripting tutorial. One that explains the functions of an scr or tik file, or when I should use one over another, or how to make changes to these files and incorporate them into your own maps. The only real scripting tutorial I saw (on this site for example) was /tutorials/dm_scripting.php
and that was for scripting for a DM map, which didn't really explain to a noob what was going on. There was a code comment that said to "read the tut". Is there a basic tutorial on scripting that came in the MOHTools program that I am missing?

Each tutorial basically ends with "got a problem, ask in the forum", but answers don't seem to help a noob out very much. They seem to be code fragments at best, with no context or referance. It's very frustraiting for beginners. Sorry for the rant, it just seems that it should be much easier to accomplish these more basic things.

[tltrude]

It could be that you are not asking the right question. Your question should probable be, "Can someone please make me a panzer tank with stopped wheels?".

If you ask, "How is it done?" you will only get pointed in the right direction (for problems with no tutorials). However, the best forum responce is give to pepole that try hard, but still fail. I wish there was a magic editor/scripting manual that could solve every problem, but Mohradient is not supported by EA Games and we are basically on our own.

Mohaa uses the Quake3 game engine and Q3raident is fairly well documented here: http://www.qeradiant.com/manual/ .

Check to see if there is a static/vehicle version of the tank you want to use.

[tltrude]

I managed to make a tiger tank body with stopped wheels. The files are in this zip: http://pages.sbcglobal.net/tltrude/Temp ... ertank.zip

It is named tomtigertank.

[Butch]

why dont you just type in the script:

$tank loopanim wheels_stop

[tltrude]

"Wheels stop" is not one of the animations for the tiger tank. There is a static tiger tank, but the .skd/.skc/.tik files has missing textures and the shaders have lighting errors.

The tigertank_d.tik tank has animated smoke and fire, so it can't really be used for an explodersmashed--smokes even when hidden. I worked around that by spawning the destroyed tank after the exploder one blows up.

[GI Morpheus]

Tom,

Your the BEST! I just never wanted to be one of those guys that asks everyone else to do the hard parts, or "how do you do this?", with the response being "Read the friggin manual!". With that being said, and at the risk of receiving the "Read the manual" response, let me ask... How do I implement the custom shader and tik file that you gave me. Is it something simple like "key|value=tik|tomtigertank.tik"? Or is there a tutorial/instructions on creating and using a custom tik or shader? Using your example (and the response I hope you will give), I should be able to do the same thing to the panzers.

As an aside, I love the bot map that you did with Small Sumo and JV. I live in the boonies now, and lost my DSL. Can't even get cable. Tried satallite (stinks). My son and I were going through withdraw until I came upon JV's Bots. We played the hell out of "OpCenter" and "Lakeside". Now we have a new map!!! I treasure each one! As far as I'm concerned JV is a friggin Genius! That's the reason that I got into making my own maps to begin with. In the hopes that I could create some bot maps to play. I really appreciate you sticking with me on this topic, and being consistant with your help!

[GI Morpheus]

OK Tom, Thanks to the files you gave me for an example I was able to make a new TIK file. I was actually looking to blow up a King Tiger as an objective. I looked in the pak0.pk3 file and found the "models/vehicles/kingtank.tik", I also found the shader file in pak6.pk3 "scripts/ktigertank.shader". The original shader had some "_norotate" routines. So I made a new TIK using the "_norotate" routines and the tiger has stopped dead in its tracks!

The only thing I don't understand is where does the TIK file call the particular shader file "scripts/ktigertank.shader"? I see a referrance to "path models/vehicles/ktigertank", but nowhere does it actually call the shader file in the "scripts" directory. In other words, If I actually want to use a different shader file, how would I point to it in the TIK file?

[tltrude]

That shader file (ktigertank.shader) has more than one shader in it. There are shaders for wheels, treads, and other parts of the tank. Some of them rotate and some don't. So, let's pick one and see if it is in the Tik file.

Code: Select all

ktreadrims
{
	qer_editorimage textures/models/vehicles/ktigertank/treadrim.tga
	{
		map textures/models/vehicles/ktigertank/treadrim.tga
		rgbGen lightingGrid
	}
}

TIKI
setup
{
scale 0.52 // Set default scale to 16/30.5 since world is in 16 units per foot and model is in cm's
path models/vehicles/ktigertank
skelmodel kingtank.skd
surface tank1 shader ktank
surface tank2 shader ktank
surface tank3 shader ktank
surface treadwheel shader ktreadwheel
surface twheel_in shader ktwheel_in
surface treadwheel_b shader ktreadwheel
surface back_wheel shader kback_wheel
surface frontwheel shader kfrontwheel
surface treads shader ktreads
surface treadrims shader ktreadrims
surface smallwheel shader ksmallwheel
surface innerwheel shader kinnerwheel
surface tankcull shader ktankcull


path models/vehicles/ktigertank
skelmodel kingsmgun.skd
surface mg shader tankmg
surface ropes shader ktank


}


As you can see, it is in there. The tik file is telling the game to use shader "ktreadrims" for "surface treadrims" on the model. It does not matter what the main shader file is named, because all the files found in scripts folders are checked for the "ktreadrims" shader.

If you make a new tik file with different shaders, then you are defining a new tank and the tik file has to be named something new. Then in your map you would use the new tank model. If you are not making a new shader, then that file will not have to be in you final pk3, but the new tik file does.


hope that helps

Ps: There is a static king tiger tank already that may work. static/vehicle_ktigertank.tik

[GI Morpheus]

Tom,

That is as I surmised. In programming terms, I'm calling a subroutine in an include file. I just didn't see where it was "including" that particular shader file, but you answered my question by letting me know that everything in the scripts directory is being included at compile time. All I have to do is make sure that my subroutine (shader) has a unique label, and the compiler will find it. I really appreciate your helping me to see this problem through to the end.