Duck and Cover

Hello, gentlemen.

I've been playing FO:T for about a year now but never realy got into any community events for it until recently. About a month ago I started fiddling around with the FO:T Editor and eventually began construction of my first true map (Did several "test" maps and tutorials first). My plan is to re-create a good-sized section of Raccoon City (of Resident Evil fame) using in-game maps, screens, and my own creative mind as reference.

I've already completed most of the RPD Station as well as a little of the city surrounding it. My goal is to include much of the city seen in Resident Evil 3 as well. I've also completed entities for a number of "Zombie" enemies that range from normal zombies to cop zombies to even firemen zombies. Other monsters and even human enemies are planned. The story of the map will be original with only references to the RE series as well as some of the same main characters as NPC's that can join your party. Weapons are being made much more powerful (and heavy) with much scarcer ammo than in the FO series. Doing so I hope to re-create some more of the RE atmosphere in a FO mod.

So far I've pretty much self-taught myself how to do all the level and entity creation I need (read: crash-course guess-and-check), but I have little to no knowledge of scripting. I was wondering if there was a document or web-resourse that contains all of the FO:T scripting language? I know of the tutorials links and those DO give helpful scripting lessons but I was just curious to see if there was some source of ALL the scripting language key-words.

That just about covers it for now. Depending on how my freetime gets handled will determine A) how quickly I can finish this thing and how quickly I can release some demo screenshots.

Finally, I have pretty much everything that's going to happen in the level figured out and designed already. This is really not an "I need ideas topic" but rather more of an "I need scripting help and support" topic. I'd also like to know how popular a FO:T / Resident Evil mix would fare in the FO community. Who knows... Maybe no one cares to have such a map/mod as this. In that case I'd like to know so I don't pour a year into this and then in the end have no one enjoy it.


Well, sorry to take up your time...


Peace

Actually the EDITOR README is the best reference for scripting. If you have questions about how any of them work, post your question and we can explain in more detail.

Mind you that's the "Enhanced Readme" by non other than JJ86 himself in all his glory...

It's not exactly the Readme itself, so save it somewhere you can have it handy.

Cheers,

Flamescreen

ps. Welcome to the boards!

Oy Vey! I just looked at the readme link and, well, I've got alot of reading to do!

I still considering whether or not to use the standard FO:T weapons set or create new graphics... I've have some fun editing FO weapons in the past. Some may know me by my old alias Longbaugh. I created a weapons mod for FO2 that should be up on DAC. I AM going to create custom entities, though, especially keys...

It wouldn't be the RPD without the Spade/Diamond/Heart/Club Keys!

^_^


Peace

I would go for keeping the existing ones, create your maps, and then, if you still have time, meddle with graphics.
FYI, there are a lot of modified graphics already there.

Cheers,

Flamescreen

Learning how to script your maps can be tough, especially since many of the triggers just don't work at all and it's often a process of trial and error to find a way to make things happen as you desire. Since many of the Map Rats' works now available go way beyond anything MF ever implemented in the scripting department, another suggested way to learn the ropes is to deconstruct some of the many fine maps available for downloading and see how others have done things.

I think a Resident Evil scenario could be very interesting (I'm all for any type of SP maps, whatever they may be). I think if you just focus on creating a map that you yourself find fun to play, others will certainly enjoy it as well when you're finished. Good luck on your map.


Endocore

Thanks Flamescreen and Endocore.

BTW- It was one of your maps (Quagmire I think it was) that got me started in FO:T mapping in the first place. I really haven't gotten far since I began two weeks ago but tomorrow is the last day before Christmas Vacation, and I plan on bustin' my butt over the holiday's to get at least the RPD section of the map finished. My plan is basically worked out as such:

1) Finish RPD section of map including lighting, "puzzle" placement, and key entities (Spade/Heart/etc. Keys).
2) Finish Racoon City streets immediately surrounding RPD including lighting and door entities and add some preliminary enemies to the entire map.
3) Go back to entity editor and finalize monster, item, character, and weapon stats.
4) Figure out how to use Photoshop to create original FO:T graphics and add "First Aid Spray" and "Healing Herb" items to entity list.
5) Go back to the level editor and add the final outer city with lighting and begin tedious task of final item and enemy placement.
6) Add NPC's to level that are scripted to join your party.
7) Begin scripting for character speech, "special planned moments", and "Grande Finale".
8) Test, test, test, and test some more!
9) Release!!!

I'll probably release a demo after step two with some preliminary enemies and maybe one NPC to add to the party so that the forum can get a little taste of what I'm going for with this project. After that I might need to get back on the topic of scripting but for now I'm still just mainly mapping and entity-making. I hope to have a least step one done by Christmas and the whole thing MAYBE finished by this summer.

We'll see how it goes!


Peace

For uses in the graphical department I would suggest to visit DAC file section. There is an abudance of resources there.

Works best if you have Photoshop 5, though, since most of us have this one. You'll have to find your own with later versions of the software. If so, posting here wouldn't heart. There is one or more new mappers with PS 6 or higher lurking around...

Cheers,

Flamescreen

Well, progress on the mapping front is moving along. The RPD section of the map is almost complete not including enemy placement or scripted events. I have one major wall in my path, though. I cannot continue with the rest of the map until I can figure out how to make sprites of the five RPD keys as seen in RE2. I have images saved as jpeg that I'd like to use and I have PhotoShop 6 and Spray.

Now, taking the images and resizing them into the three .raw files I need to make a sprite has not been a problem so far. The problem comes in using Spray. I swear that is the most complicated yet small program I've ever tried to use... Anyhow, some questions for anyone who may knwo how to use Spray and has some experience with making sprites for FO:T...

1) How do you create a new, from-scratch sprite? The File/New option is perminently greyed out.
2) Is it even possible to start a new sprite from scratch?
3) If I do have to use an existing sprite as a base, how do I delete/overwrite the images already in use? (EX: open "Super Stimpack" and replace the "Stimpack" images with that of a "First Aid Spray")
4) What program/file type should be used to create player portraits in the game? Is that what the .png to .zar option in the FO Editer is for? What image dimentions are player portraits?
5) How do you get an overview image of your map for use in the PipBoy MapScreen (Endocore, you did this Quagmire and No Honor Amoungst Thugs)?

Well, that about covers it. If anyone has any answers to these qweries, please respond! I cannot move further in my map without knowing the above things!


Thank you in advance and...


Peace

Well first of all visit my tutorial site hosted over at NMA:

JJ86 Tutorials

There are some tutorials to acquaint you with the ins and outs of Spray. Also check the tutorials here at DAC for how to make custom portraits. Just about everything you need to know is detailed in one of the tutorials so help yourself! If something isn't clear after reading them holler for help.

Thanks Jimmy Jay, but I've already read the tutorials on your site and the questions I have are what I still don't understand after reading them. For example:

Okay, I've just started up Spray, I have my images that I'm going to use in .raw format, and I have my palette created. Now what? There seems to be some intermeadiate step I'm not seeing in the tutorials that explain how you go from opening Spray to putting together the sprite frames. Like how do I import? I know there is an obvious button for it but when I attempt to press is I get an error. The tutorials tell me to just "import your .raw's into Spray" but I'm finding it difficult to figure out exactly I should do that.

Also, I haven't found it in any tutorial on how to create an overview map...

But as for the character portraits... *slaps self* I don't knwo why I didn't see that on DaC.


Thanks for the tutorials, anyhow. The one on creating NPC's have been most useful.


Peace

I thought I had a complete from scratch tut hanging around someplace. I'll be back at home tomorrow so I'll scan through stuff on my computer and see if there is something lying about. Basically you can't start a new sprite, you have to open a new one and import the images into it. It is pretty simple and is a matter of importing an image for the default pic, the big gui and the small gui. You can use the same image for all and "halve image size" from the big to the small and half it again for the default. On one of my tutorials I have rough image sizes to use for general inventory items so you know what size to scale it down to.

Overview map is the one everyone has problems with especially if your map is big! There is a "create mini map" function in one of the pull down menus.

I'll get back to you later tomorrow. If you want send me the original pics or the raw files and palettes.

jimmyjay86@hotmail.com

Okay, that's what I had figured with Spray... I'm gonna mess around a bit more tonight and see if I can figure it out. But, you'd seriously take my .raw's and turn them into sprites for me? That would be such a huge help! Of course I'm still going to give Spray the Ol' College try but if I still can't figure it out I'll be sure to get in touch with you via e-mail.


Peace and MERRY CHRISTMAS!!! HO HO HO!!!

Thanks for the compliment about my maps.

There's another thread in the mapping forum by Max-Violence called "Donations for the Please Let This Map Render Fund" that addresses the issue of making the minimaps that appear in-game on your PIP Boy. Basically the whole process is just a lot of work. If you have a smallish map, the minimap might render when you select the "Create Minimap" option. If it doesn't work, however, FOT Tools will crash (always SAVE your work before attempting to create a minimap). Assuming FOT Tools crashes, when you reload it you'll need to go crazy deleting every single tile and entity from the map that isn't visible from a bird's eye view (all internal floors and walls, underground areas, north and east walls, etc). Once you've done this, you should save the modified map and try to render it again. If FOT Tools still crashes, you'll then have to select small portions of the map, save them as a clip file, and open them by themselves as a new map. Render all the little portions of the map by themselves, and then paste all the images together into one minimap in an image editor. To give you an idea of what's involved, the minimaps for my Quagmire and What Is Honor Amongst Thugs maps each took me about eight hours to make by this method.

The process can be made a bit less time-consuming by using manual groups as you build your map. As soon as each section (the large grids that appear in the background of the editor) is finished, select all the tiles in that section and create a manual group consisting of only the tiles in that section. When you've finished the map, it's relatively painless to just select a group, save it as a clip, open it as a new map, render it, and repeat. The time savings here is mainly through not having to wait as your computer diligently works for long periods of time to delete huge sections of tiles from the map.

Good luck on your map.


Endocore

Wow... I had hoped that was not the way one had to make an overview map... Well... I guess you don't HAVE to have one... Uhmm... Yeah...

Considering I'm not proficient in actually using clips and groups yet, I think I might just have to pass on the overhead map. Besides, as the main character in my map has just conveniently lost his memory and is lost in a large, monster-infested city, an overhead map might just take away from the atmosphere.

Thanks again, Endocore, and Merry Christmas!

Genn if you haven't figured Spray out yet, here is a brand spanking new tutorial. Let me know if something is not clear or just plain wrong! Also if you want to send me the photoshop image of one of the keys I will make one for you. It is very easy and takes only about fifteen minutes. I have done sprites for just about everyone at one time or another. I even created some beautiful ones for MV from scratch!!

First of all make sure that you are using Spray 1.1. Then you want to open a sprite that is similar to the one you want to create. So if you want to create a rifle then open a rifle instead of a character sprite.

Now for an introduction to Spray:

***Sprite Header

The first three fields will be important but you will have to use them in conjunction with Redviewer. You will need the visual reference for the bounding box that Redviewer provides to know exactly what you are doing. For now keep the values that are entered and that goes the same for the Center fields. If you used an existing sprite that is similar to what you are creating then they should be very close anyways.

The Material and Cover fields can be ignored. I have never changed them and for just about every sprite they have no real use.

***Sequences

For most sprites you should only have three options here; default, guibig, and guismall. Highlighting each one will change the values in other fields in the program. When you want to import raw files for each one (Pull down menu - Image/Import) this is what you highlight.

***Frames in sequence

Don't worry about this. It has to do with animated sprites and is not easily modifiable.

***Image Collections

The first field is basically a reflection of the sequences. There should just be 3 images to correspond with the ones in the game. Each has a different size, the first being the default image which shows up on the map when the object is on the ground. You can make 4 different images as is done in the game for SE, SW, NE, and NW. I usually just make one to match the isometric perspective of the game and use it for all views. The second image in the collection is for the guibig that shows up in the open weapon slot. The third image is the guismall which shows up in the inventory and is half the size of the guibig.

The names are not modifiable here so you are stuck with what was in the sprite that you used.

***Frames

This relates to the individual animated frames of an animated sprite. Rarely used and gets too complicated for Spray to handle effectively.

***Directions

For each raw file that you import you want to enter the size of the image that was exported from your graphics program. This should roughly match the sizes listed at the bottom of this document. Just enter the width and height. The other values are changed by going to the pull-down menu - Image/Align big gui item.


****************************************************************************

Now to make a weapon sprite for example, follow these steps:

1. Open a weapon sprite.

2. You can start out with a minimum of two different images and their corresponding palette files. Name them appropriately:

AK47big.raw
AK47big.act
AK47default.raw
AK47defaulut.act

3. Highlight the default sequence. Go to the pull-down menu Image/Import and find the raw file for the default picture. Go to Palette/Import and find the corresponding act file. Repeat this for each of the directions making sure to highlight each one as you repeat the process. Enter the values for each direction, they should all be the same. Click Image/Align small gui item for each direction.

4. Do the same for guibig.

5. For guismall you can do the same all the way to entering the width and height. Then click Image/Halve image size to reduce the image appropriately. Click Image/Align small gui item.

6. Now go to File/Save As and save it under a unique file name. Note a programming bug: If you hit Save after doing this it will still overwrite the original sprite. Close and reopen the sprite to keep working on the new one.

7. Open the new sprite in Redviewer and make sure you have the view bounding box option enabled. The only image that you care about for the bounding box is the default image. Make sure it is showing correctly around the object. See my other tutorial to find out how to correctly align the bounding box.

8. Congratulations!! You should have created your own sprite by now.

*********************************************************************

Typical image sizes:

Book
guismall-48x27
guibig-96x53
default-19x11

Gun
guismall-42x27
guibig-84x52
default-18x9

Armour
guismall-51x27
guibig-101x54
default-35x32

Ammo
guismall-59x27
guibig-116x53
default-11x6

Follow these guidelines closely, especially for heights. For other items like miniguns just open a similar item with Spray and check the values.

Wow! Thanks Jimmy Jay!

I think my major issue now is that I don't have Spray 1.1 or Redviewer... :oops: Just Spray 1.0...

Links? I can't find them on DaC...


Peace

You are in luck, I still have it hosted on my site:

Spray 1.1

HooRay HooRay for Jimmy Jay!

Okay, progress report time:

The physical structure of the RPD is 95% complete. I still have to put some sort of roof on, create the basement, and finalize the lighting. After that is all done I still have to create entities for all the new items I'm going to be using and assign key entities to locked doors. Finally comes item and enemy placement.

Right now I'm going to go practice with Spray so I'd like to thank JimmyJay and Endocore. You guys have been a huge help!


Peace

A note about palettes. The game uses a single palette for all four directions. So if you actually have the four renders for the four directions you only need to import the palette once.

This is in fact very important to understand as if you import four different palettes, the other three directions won't look right (although chances are they might look similar since the palettes should end up pretty close).

If you're ever in this situation I suggest you import the four direction images into a single image in pohtoshop and then conver the image to indexed so that photoshop creates the palette for all four diretions and then crop each image individually (keeping the original palette).