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Alabastor_Twob
If homework counts as WIP, then let me show you this stress analysis of part of a JT-8D jet engine exhaust nozzle wall:I've been working non-stop for several hours trying to track down the cause of this one error which was causing the simulation to abort. I finally fixed it, closed the program, then remembered that I was going to take a screenshot, so I had to reopen it. Given how reluctant I am to go near this program again tonight, homework had better count as WIP.
PB, how would that system work for maps that are already in the vault? A lot of them might have a section in the readme relating to copyright or usage permissions so what happens if their permissions conflict with the default setting?
I prefer single player mapping as well but I don't really have any actual map maps in the vault. I've got a few example maps and minicompo maps, but none with any actual gameplay. I suppose if it looked like Now and Then was going to win I could do a rushed map and submit it ahead of time.
Tough choice, I would have been very interested in a number of those.
I was doing a bit more astrophotography tonight.
Here you can see Jupiter, as well as three (or possibly four) of it's moons.
I'm not sure if that one in the upper right is a moon or a star.
This seems to be approaching the maximum level of detail I can obtain with what equipment I have. Even the most focussed of my photos have chromatic aberration which is larger than the details of the planet, so none of them are visible in the photos. The camera adapter I have has a lens attached to it which is meant to increase the effective magnification, but since it is the only refracting optic in the system it must be the cause of the quality loss. I'll have to get a more expensive adapter, or one without a lens.
Here is a photograph of the moon I took a few days ago:
Pretty. And edited in order to bring some of the features out.
And this photo is one I just took while messing around with the camera, but I like how it turned out:
It's a photo of a lightbulb, taken with an extremely low exposure time.
Here you can see Jupiter, as well as three (or possibly four) of it's moons.
I'm not sure if that one in the upper right is a moon or a star.
This seems to be approaching the maximum level of detail I can obtain with what equipment I have. Even the most focussed of my photos have chromatic aberration which is larger than the details of the planet, so none of them are visible in the photos. The camera adapter I have has a lens attached to it which is meant to increase the effective magnification, but since it is the only refracting optic in the system it must be the cause of the quality loss. I'll have to get a more expensive adapter, or one without a lens.
Here is a photograph of the moon I took a few days ago:
Pretty. And edited in order to bring some of the features out.
And this photo is one I just took while messing around with the camera, but I like how it turned out:
It's a photo of a lightbulb, taken with an extremely low exposure time.
By the looks of things my entry will be significantly less impressive than I was hoping it would be. I guess I started putting in serious work a bit late.
Perhaps instead of being an aerodynamics lab it will be a new aerodynamics lab that hasn't finished moving all of it's stuff in yet.
[Edit]
Emphasis on significantly.
I wish I hadn't been so busy for the past week, but that can't really be helped. Let's just go with the assumption that by some astounding coincidence, every single employee of this lab is a wheelchair user, which is why there are no chairs at the desks. As well as this, every employee of the moving company they were using was also a wheelchair user. This is why the lab is missing several important pieces of machinery, as the lift is broken.
Perhaps instead of being an aerodynamics lab it will be a new aerodynamics lab that hasn't finished moving all of it's stuff in yet.
[Edit]
Emphasis on significantly.
I wish I hadn't been so busy for the past week, but that can't really be helped. Let's just go with the assumption that by some astounding coincidence, every single employee of this lab is a wheelchair user, which is why there are no chairs at the desks. As well as this, every employee of the moving company they were using was also a wheelchair user. This is why the lab is missing several important pieces of machinery, as the lift is broken.
I've done bits and bobs but I've been devoting my time this week on a lab report. Now that that's done though I can devote my full time to this.
I'm having trouble thinking up a list. There's probably more than these three that I liked, but these are the only ones that come to mind at the moment.
In no particular order:
Halo: The Siege of Madrigal
In Halo 1, 2, and 3 (and probably more, but I haven't really played much Halo past those), if you stand in a certain spot in a certain level in each game, music will start playing.
Kerbal Space Program: Anomalies
I like these because the vast majority of them can be extremely difficult to find or stumble across unless you're using mods of some sort. They're spread randomly through a solar system, and unlike other games there's no fast travel system. The entirety of each planet is accessible, and if you want to go somewhere you have to build a ship capable of getting there and pilot it yourself.
There are a variety of different anomalies, but probably my favourite is the Niel Armstrong memorial:
If you land on the Mun at the same coordinates as the Apollo 11 landing site you will see this memorial.
Left 4 Dead 2: Re: Your Brains
It's on this jukebox.
I have that song on iTunes. Jonathan Coulton is pretty cool.
In no particular order:
Halo: The Siege of Madrigal
In Halo 1, 2, and 3 (and probably more, but I haven't really played much Halo past those), if you stand in a certain spot in a certain level in each game, music will start playing.
Kerbal Space Program: Anomalies
I like these because the vast majority of them can be extremely difficult to find or stumble across unless you're using mods of some sort. They're spread randomly through a solar system, and unlike other games there's no fast travel system. The entirety of each planet is accessible, and if you want to go somewhere you have to build a ship capable of getting there and pilot it yourself.
There are a variety of different anomalies, but probably my favourite is the Niel Armstrong memorial:
Left 4 Dead 2: Re: Your Brains
It's on this jukebox.
Your momma didn't have time to joke when I was finishing her floor last night. 
I was joking though, as there were so many quitters being all quittery and quitting all of a sudden.
You love me because I forgot my imaginary keys?
I'm out.
I went out of my floor to get some lunch but I forgot my keys.
I hope I can get back in before the project ends, it's cold out here in this stairwell.
I went out of my floor to get some lunch but I forgot my keys.
I hope I can get back in before the project ends, it's cold out here in this stairwell.
I've sent a message to JeffMOD regarding the prize.
Speaking of future tournaments, due to my dad moving to Australia in the next few months I might be living in on-campus accommodation next semester rather than at home. If that is the case then I will certainly enjoy tournaments a lot more, as the internet at my uni is pretty damn fast.
Also,
Speaking of future tournaments, due to my dad moving to Australia in the next few months I might be living in on-campus accommodation next semester rather than at home. If that is the case then I will certainly enjoy tournaments a lot more, as the internet at my uni is pretty damn fast.
Also,
TJB's graphics settingsIf it allows me to join the server without the game crashing, I can take a hit in quality.
I probably should have noticed that.
However, it might have been you with him, so I may still be technically correct perhaps, maybe.
Possibly.
However, it might have been you with him, so I may still be technically correct perhaps, maybe.
Possibly.
I'm going to have to leave early due to high ping and crashes. I'll try getting back on later when there's less people in my house using the internet.
I did however get a picture of Potatis_Invalid taking a selfie with someone or other:
I did however get a picture of Potatis_Invalid taking a selfie with someone or other:
I went outside quickly to have a look at Venus through my telescope, and then people arrived at the house and I had to spend an hour showing people things. My pizza went cold in that time too. I'll be joining in a minute though.
[Edit]
I am not having any luck today, first I had issues getting the sound to work, and then CS:GO crashed shortly after I joined the server. I forgot to download the map pack too. I'll hopefully be able to actually play in a short while.
[Edit]
I am not having any luck today, first I had issues getting the sound to work, and then CS:GO crashed shortly after I joined the server. I forgot to download the map pack too. I'll hopefully be able to actually play in a short while.
I haven't found my working headset, so I will most likely not be able to join in on the Teamspeak chat. I can still listen though I suppose.
It's a good thing it was postponed, unfortunately there was a family thing on the weekend which I wasn't given the option of not attending, so I would have had to cancel.
If for whichever reason I can't attend this weekend that €10 I have for prizes will still be available.
If for whichever reason I can't attend this weekend that €10 I have for prizes will still be available.
A quick screenshot of some progress on the wind tunnel.
Brightened considerably in Paint.NET because the lighting was very dark and I'm just about to go get a bus so I don't have time to adjust it.
I just had a bit of a weird error. I was VMing, and when I merged two pairs of vertices the crash window popped up. I sent the report, but Sledge didn't close itself. I clicked on one of the vertices again and another error window popped up, however the vertex was still following my cursor. Each time I clicked it would open a new error window.
I took a screenshot, but it was only after closing Sledge with the task manager that I realised it was only a shot of the error window itself.
[Edit]
Also, a feature request. How about having a preview button for sounds? Like when you select the move and stop sounds for doors and stuff.
I took a screenshot, but it was only after closing Sledge with the task manager that I realised it was only a shot of the error window itself.
[Edit]
Also, a feature request. How about having a preview button for sounds? Like when you select the move and stop sounds for doors and stuff.
I haven't started SS2 yet, I'll have to finish that first then before I have a look at the tower. D:
Also, some work from today with placeholder textures and lighting:
My floor is going to be split into an office kind of area and a workshop area. I've done some of the workshop area, but not enough to show anything of yet.
Also, some work from today with placeholder textures and lighting:
Admittedly I haven't done anything on mine since those screenies, apart from working on it today. Not only have I been extremely busy with college, I also made the mistake of playing System Shock which has been sucking up all of my free time. You can rest assured however that I will definitely try to have it in on time. I've managed to tear myself away from SShock, and I'm keeping abreast of my course enough that I feel I can afford to miss a few hours of lectures in order to do more work on the map.
If only the base map had an optional freight elevator or something as well, it would make my life a whole lot easier.
If only the base map had an optional freight elevator or something as well, it would make my life a whole lot easier.
Certainly sounds like it could be interesting.
I feel I've been mapping for long enough to know what I like, and when it comes to making something that's meant to represent a real world object in some manner I generally like to make it as accurate as possible. If there were room to make a larger wind tunnel you could guarantee I'd do the relevant calculations so that a trigger_push on the inside would simulate the correct airspeed for the model.
I've been down to the lab a few times now but the guy who's supposed to be showing it to me hasn't been there. I fear I may have to start working now and just let the accuracy take a hit, as I don't think I'm supposed to be in there unaccompanied. I did however get a look at the main wind tunnel though, which is alright I suppose.
Yesterday I did what was probably the first attempt at drawing 'artistically' in maybe 6-7 years:
using this as a base. It's only a little drawing, done in about five or ten minutes. Since I hadn't attempted drawing a face in years (and even then I was never very good at it), I decided to try the technique where you rotate the reference image by 180 degrees. It's certainly closer to the reference than anything I'd managed to do before anyway.
I honestly haven't had time to do anything since the images that I've posted, but I will definitely have time to work on it on the weekend. I've secured permission to have a look around the aerodynamics lab, and I've also been stockpiling ideas for the general look of the place so I hope I will definitely have something in.
Also:
Also:
Strapped for ideas? Recreate your favourite McPoker scene!
And then get booted from the project by Urby.
Slightly related, if the sides curve the other way so each side is an arc with the centre at the opposite vertex, it's called a reuleaux triangle.
It's an example of a cool type of shape called a curve of constant width.
They're interesting because no matter which way you measure it, it's always the same width like a circle. So solids based on it could be used as wheels or rollers.
They're interesting because no matter which way you measure it, it's always the same width like a circle. So solids based on it could be used as wheels or rollers.
I'm down. And I have €10 in my Steam wallet available for prizes.
Also, since I get home around 8-9pm most days, I will probably end up being late for this one. I'll certainly do my best to show up at some point though.
Also, since I get home around 8-9pm most days, I will probably end up being late for this one. I'll certainly do my best to show up at some point though.
Strider, I am impress.
No further work on mine unfortunately, I have not been feeling well this weekend. I'll try and work on it tonight.
No further work on mine unfortunately, I have not been feeling well this weekend. I'll try and work on it tonight.
I'm going to be making an aerodynamics lab. I'm in the middle of making this:
A wind tunnel testing model of an SR-71 Blackbird. Next week I'm going to see if I'll be allowed to look around the aerodynamics lab at college to take photos of the wind tunnel equipment so that everything is as accurate as possible. I had a lab there last year but I don't think I have any photos to work from unfortunately.
I've just started mine today. I think I have an idea of what I want to do with it.
If while using Hammer you select the option to compile your map, this will allow you to actually load it into the game Half-Life and actually explore it as if you were a person, rather than an incorporeal flying camera.
But seriously, this is a good idea for a thread. When I'm not on my phone I'll see if I can post one or two here. Perhaps it should also be stickied so it's always visible to newer mappers.
But seriously, this is a good idea for a thread. When I'm not on my phone I'll see if I can post one or two here. Perhaps it should also be stickied so it's always visible to newer mappers.
Oh god Stu, you just reminded me of those awful 'realistic' texture packs.
I agree with both Strider and Jessie. I don't mind either way, but if we go with Spirit then links to the relevant stuff would be helpful.
You could try editing the model so the origin is further away from whichever wall is causing the problem. I've only tried that once but it seemed to work.
How would that work? You have to put in a particular RGB value into the info_texlights entry for the texture.
[Edit]
Actually, doesn't it have a feature where light bounces are affected by the colour of the texture? That might be what you're thinking of, but I've got no idea how much if at all it's affected by colour variation within the texture itself.
[Edit]
Actually, doesn't it have a feature where light bounces are affected by the colour of the texture? That might be what you're thinking of, but I've got no idea how much if at all it's affected by colour variation within the texture itself.
Probably because nothing was toggling, and they were the only lights in that test map.
I also tried it in an actual map with C1A0_FLIPSIGN5, but the colour variation was too subtle, and the lightmap grid of the surrounding surfaces too large for it to have any noticeable difference.
I also tried it in an actual map with C1A0_FLIPSIGN5, but the colour variation was too subtle, and the lightmap grid of the surrounding surfaces too large for it to have any noticeable difference.
Trickery. A grid of invisible texlights emitting these colours:
On topic, I was experimenting with texlights that aren't all one colour.
Bottom screenshot is to make the differences more obvious.
Bottom screenshot is to make the differences more obvious.
Speaking of long upload times, I wonder how long these took to upload.
Yeah, but while it exists around the world, it's nowhere near as popular in the countries that I've lived in as it is in the US.
I'm in.
Urby, if you don't do that now I will be very disappointed in you.
I'm still not very experienced with the intricacies of this kind of stuff, but perhaps you could try compiling the .qc with GUI StudioMDL. If that doesn't work, perhaps try posting the content of the .qc file here so we can see if there's anything obviously wrong with it.
I am having a lot of trouble thinking of any examples. My favourite game endings are the ones which go against the traditional boss ending actually, such as Halo or GTA:SA. If I had to choose, I would say:
1: Barrett, Psi Ops: The Mindgate Conspiracy
It's been a long time since I played the game, but basically I just remembered him as being pretty cool. His telekinesis was much more powerful than yours so you had to run around dodging train cars while you threw crates at him.
2: Mad Jack, Donkey Kong 64
It has probably been well over a decade since I played this game, but Mad Jack is the only boss I remember fighting more than once just because I found it fun, not simply to progress further in the game.
3: Mister Freeze, Batman: Arkham City
Batman ends up locked in a room with Mister Freeze, who's had the cryogenically frozen body of his wife stolen from him. Convinced that Batman isn't intending to help, he attacks, and you have to incapacitate him while confined to one area. Unlike all of the other bosses you fight, he has various countermeasures for Batman's tricks and will update his tactics every time you land an attack on him, rendering said attack impossible. You have to use every technique available to you to take him down.
4: Zuan Lun Wang (Shai Gen Kingpin), Crackdown
Basically this guy lives in the most hardcore, crime infested part of the city, in the tallest skyscraper in that area, which is filled with the most difficult to fight of all of the enemies of the game. And you have to fight your way through every level of it to reach him. If you have a deathwish, you could go there and try to kill him as soon as you start the game which is an interesting touch. You probably won't get very far though.
5: The Nihilanth, Half-Life
It is at the end of Half-Life.
1: Barrett, Psi Ops: The Mindgate Conspiracy
2: Mad Jack, Donkey Kong 64
3: Mister Freeze, Batman: Arkham City
4: Zuan Lun Wang (Shai Gen Kingpin), Crackdown
5: The Nihilanth, Half-Life
It's only after reading this thread that I realise pretty much none of my maps have actually been attempts at mods, or even attempts at proper maps. A lot of them have just been me coming up with an idea and figuring out how to achieve it with the entities available to me.
Here's a recent example of one.
The only mod I ever really attempted was a remake of "sabotage" by ministeve.
Details
I had never really finished a map before, so after playing that map I decided to attempt to remake it on the basis that the short length, and having a concrete direction would help me complete it.
Why It Failed
Unfortunately late 2010 to mid 2011 wasn't a good time in my life and I was absent from TWHL and mapping for nearly a year iirc. The map just ended up being pretty much forgotten about due to this.
I went back through the WIP thread and found the images I had posted of it.
[1]
[2]
[3]
[4]
[5]
[6]
Here's a recent example of one.
The only mod I ever really attempted was a remake of "sabotage" by ministeve.
Details
I had never really finished a map before, so after playing that map I decided to attempt to remake it on the basis that the short length, and having a concrete direction would help me complete it.
Why It Failed
Unfortunately late 2010 to mid 2011 wasn't a good time in my life and I was absent from TWHL and mapping for nearly a year iirc. The map just ended up being pretty much forgotten about due to this.
I went back through the WIP thread and found the images I had posted of it.
[1]
![[1]](http://media.moddb.com/images/members/1/419/418007/tjbmap1.jpg){kind=link}
[2]
![[2]](http://media.moddb.com/images/members/1/419/418007/tjbmap2.jpg){kind=link}
[3]
![[3]](http://media.moddb.com/images/members/1/419/418007/tjbmap3.jpg){kind=link}
[4]
![[4]](http://media.moddb.com/images/members/1/419/418007/tjbmap4.jpg){kind=link}
[5]
![[5]](http://media.moddb.com/images/members/1/419/418007/tjbmap5.jpg){kind=link}
[6]
![[6]](http://media.moddb.com/images/members/1/419/418007/tjbmap6.jpg){kind=link}
@CT
I hadn't decided on joining yet as it did look like you had all of the mappers you needed, and I wasn't sure if I had the time really. When you mentioned that there hadn't been a response from Alberto yet I decided to offer my services as a modeller, but the next time I got around to checking the thread again to say that was when I posted. It doesn't matter now anyway, as obviously Alberto is part of the group now.
@Alberto
I'd say that you should probably stay on, as I also don't know how to animate models, and to be honest my texture making abilities are still fairly weak.
I hadn't decided on joining yet as it did look like you had all of the mappers you needed, and I wasn't sure if I had the time really. When you mentioned that there hadn't been a response from Alberto yet I decided to offer my services as a modeller, but the next time I got around to checking the thread again to say that was when I posted. It doesn't matter now anyway, as obviously Alberto is part of the group now.
@Alberto
I'd say that you should probably stay on, as I also don't know how to animate models, and to be honest my texture making abilities are still fairly weak.
At this point I'd recommend we don't accept anymore peopleAw, I was going to offer my services as a prop modeller.
Tetsu0, if it helps you can use this to convert SMDs exported from Blender into a GoldSrc compatible smd format:
http://forums.svencoop.com/showthread.php/41130-Source-2-Goldsrc-SMD-Converter
That's what I use, so I don't have to use MilkShape. Basically you just export the SMD with the Source SMD exporter, drag the SMD onto the program executable then use that when compiling the .qc with GUI StudioMDL.
I don't know if it's actually any quicker or easier than using MilkShape as I haven't really used that, but exporting from Blender to having a working prop for Half-Life takes only a minute or two once you get the hang of it, so you might find it easier.
I have two feature requests. One, would it be possible to have a button on the interface or something that when pressed, brings all the vertices in the map to the nearest grid point? It's annoying when I'm VMing in either Hammer or Sledge and I notice that one vertex has somehow gotten 0.01 units away from a grid point, especially when it's a point where several brushes have vertices. I find myself having to grab all of the vertices in the brushwork individually and jiggle them so they snap to the grid. Apologies if something like this is already implemented, I haven't used Sledge very recently.
Another potential one is a randomize feature for VM, to help with making terrain and cliffs look a bit less uniform. And if there are multiple brushes selected, and several brushes have a vertex in the same place, then those vertices will move together, so as not to create gaps.
Another potential one is a randomize feature for VM, to help with making terrain and cliffs look a bit less uniform. And if there are multiple brushes selected, and several brushes have a vertex in the same place, then those vertices will move together, so as not to create gaps.