The Official HRP "Halp!" Threa Created 8 years ago2015-12-23 08:31:07 UTC by Half-Rats

Oh boy, he's at it again! Well, I won't be moaning too much here...I've got a team now to share the burden with. Yet there are still some slight hiccups, as I am learning a new skill set. My first question is regarding masked textures. The last color in my pallete or color table is 0,0,255, in Photoshop AND Wally, I have the appropriate texture flag set "{", and I have the func_wall set to Solid, 255.
Is there something I'm doing wrong? I know it isn't my computer settings, either. I can't help but think I messed up somewhere in the process of making it. I did start with an alpha channel, or transparent background in PS, but I used the paint bucket tool to make that pure blue at 0,0,255, then I stuck a stair railing over it that I cut the background out of so the blue would replace the background - leaving just the railing on a blue background. Should I have just used a different method? Just painted straight blue onto the places I wanted it in the beginning? When I finish the texture, it's an indexed .bmp, 8-bit, 256-color, so I thought that would get rid of the alpha channel.

Needless to say, the textures just don't work properly. the blue shows up in-game.

Sounds as though you've done everything right... Just to confirm though, you say that the colour value in Wally is definitely 0,0,255? I would assume if the original BMP was saved at 256 colours then it should be fine, but Wally can be... odd.

Other than that, I can't really think of anything else without seeing the files.

The color palette needs to have 256 colors in total in it. I know Half-Life accepts 8-bit indexed color images with less than 256 colors in them, but alphatest images don't. Make sure the blue color is the 256th color in the list. If there isn't an option to move it there, just fill up with the approperiate number of black color slots until there are 256 color slots in total.

I thought we established that the colour didn't need to be 0 0 255 blue, it just had to be the last in the palette. (I forget.)

If there is more than one 255 blue color in the palette you can't be sure which one you're using, you must use the last one.

Best bet in that scenario is to turn all other 255 blues into some other color. like a hot pink (magenta) so you know if you're using the proper color.

Well, I went into wally and changed the remaining black spaces into 0,0,255. Didn't work. Going into photoshop. Even when I just simply paint pure blue onto an image and don't start off with a transparent channel in PS, it doesn't wanna' cooperate. Going to try the color palete thing in PS.

Update: That didn't work, either.

Anywhere I can send the textures? I'm still convinced the problem lies in the palete.

Best bet in that scenario is to turn all other 255 blues into some other color. like a hot pink (magenta) so you know if you're using the proper color.

Or, you know, change the 255th colour only and leave your non-transparent texture the colour you needed it to be. After all the transparent colour doesn't need to be specifically blue.

http://www.moddb.com/mods/half-rats-parasomnia/images/transparency-woes#mediaform

Here's a picture of my pallete.

That's the problem, you got many blues, even if it worked, you'd see blue stuff all around the silhouette, there has to be no anti-aliasing.

Alright, so how would I go about making this properly?

Here's another example. I can get rid of all the extra blues...however...the circled color is the one that is supposed to be the background! As you can see, it isn't the last one on the list. Can it be moved?

http://www.moddb.com/mods/half-rats-parasomnia/images/more-woes#mediaform

Not sure but in PS, I would have transparent/checkered areas then convert it to indexed keeping the transparency and the transparency would be the last color in the palette, then I would simply change it to 255 blue.

Get rid of all the extra blues, afterward you can change the background texture indexed number within Wally's color palette editor.

Edit: What Bruce said, but can also be done in Wally.

One thing you can also try in Wally, is to change the 255th colour in the palette to something else entirely, like solid green.

Then, if the image doesn't change, you know that the texture isn't actually using the 255th colour. Then, simply use the fill tool in Wally to ensure that the 255th colour is used. Then change it back to solid blue.

http://www.moddb.com/mods/half-rats-parasomnia/images/tree-problems#mediaform

Alright, I'm this far...as you can see, the part I wish to be transparent is very far from the 255th slot! What should my next step be?

I made the part I want transparent red for convenience.

A little tip I have for dealing with textures that have transparency (note that this must be done before applying the color for transparency) - Using Paint.NET, you can copy your image, make a layer, and copy the image onto it. Repeat that about 8-9 times, then merge them all down and repeat the process again, or even twice if there's a lot of pesky semi-transparent pixels. Eventually you'll end up with a texture free of transparency, and you can work on it from there, without worrying about blue pixels (or red in your case) that aren't a 100% blue. It's crude, but it works.

I went through and replaced a bunch of pixels in a snap in Photoshop. It's just it appears I'm literally not dealing with a full deck! If you look at the picture I linked, you'll see exactly what I mean. What am I supposed to do with all of those back squares? And, what to do about the transparent part being so far from the 255th slot?

Well, I wouldn't have a problem with editing the texture, if you're OK with that.

Just send it and I'll see if I can get it working.

If you could, that would be wonderful, and if you told me exactly what you did, I would be very grateful! Also, it appears I only have 163 colors! Uh oh. How should I send it? So apparently...I have some problems.

You could try Dropbox, or whatever file hosting site you'd like.
https://www.dropbox.com/

I prefer wetransfer. You can PM me your email! Should take but a moment.

Alright, I've sent you a PM with my email.

Uh, maybe someone can verify this, but wasn't it that if your transparent colour was, say, the 84th colour from the palette, you could just set the brush to solid/84?

If that were the case, the brush wouldn't become invisible if it were solid/0.

Again, I'm pretty sure I found the colour doesn't need to be pure blue... And if that's the case, open in Wally, change last colour to, say, pure red, then use Wally to fill in those pixels with that colour. No mistaking it with other blues then.

That would be very helpful, Discostu! I was able to get 256 colors working properly in photoshop. I thought I had been working in 256 all along, but it turns out I wasn't. I switched the format to master perceptual indexed color and that gave me the full 256 colors I was searching for. That last color (255)change needs to be done in Photoshop only it seems. I can't seem to swap or translate colors in wally and have it work. The problem I have now, is that the 255th color seems to be a necessary one in some of my darker textures. So, naturally, when I make that blue, it takes a huge chunk out of my image and ruins it. I thought a good fix would be swapping colors in wally, and flooding them. Didn't work oddly. I got a few textures to work, but some aren't going so quietly!

Yeah, fiddled around...on my burned textures, I can't change the last color in the palette to blue because those last colors are black, and...well, they need to stay black in order for the image not to look like swiss cheese. ATM I'm trying to get some masked dead tree textures, and since they are blackened and burned, the dark colors go to the bottom - subsequently where I need to make my transparency color...number 255. If I change it...well, it appears the trees dissappear.

1) You only need to change that one colour, the 255th one.
2) It doesn't matter what colour it is, as long as it is the 255th one.
3) It doesn't matter what colour it is, because it's going to be invisible anyway. Therefore it doesn't change the look of the texture in-game.

Not sure if it's still current to the issue, but going by this image:
The red colour you're using as mask is not the last one. Use the colour replace tool to replace that red in your texture with the colour at the bottom right. It doesn't matter what its RGB values are because it will be invisible in-game.

If this colour is already in use elsewhere in the image, before that do another colour replace to turn pixels using that colour into any other of the indexed colours that seem to have the same (or almost the same) RGB values (i.e any in the lower half of the palette).

If this isn't making sense, it's late at night and I'll come back tomorrow.

I can try that last one! I may end up starting over from scratch with some.

Hey, your suggestions of doing a replace color, and color select REALLY helped!

Glad it was useful!

I'm addicted to transparent textures now...Spider webs, fallen leaf cover...YOU NAME IT! I can't stop making them!

Guessing that means you got it right and everything works now!

I've seen spider webs done with Additive mode and they look even better, if you're interested.

Yeah, additive is the way to go with webs.

Alright, now for a little more trouble of a different sort. How do you properly inplement walking and running animations for your NPCs and monsters? I have custom creatures that are being coded, but they run in place. The coder has stated that they must move forward within the animation, so the modeler/animator made them move forward in a way that they actually walk/run almost off-screen in HLMV, then reset at the starting point and begin again. Not sure that is the correct way. Anyone have experience with this? My monsters won't be very scary if they are running in place.

there are model source files in the half life sdk. think your modeller can look at that?

Qc's? My coder is talking about "Lock X".

This is frustrating because I'm sure I've encountered this before. Having worked with MilkShape3D for model editing, I know that in the modelling app, the animation will show the character actually moving forward, whereas after they are compiled into .mdl files they run in place. This makes me think that it is related to something within the .QC file, but I can't check as I am at work. Gargh!

I would say step one is to decompile an existing model. Check how the animations relate to the QC file.
I know there are "controllers" or something specified within the QC file.
And if I understand correctly, movement speed is actually tied in with the animation somehow.... but i don't think the root bone actually has to move in the animation

Yeah, so far, enemies running in place is the only hurdle we have. They jump and crouch and attack, but they just can't reach the player, haha. And remember, we're not editing models, we are flat-out starting from scratch - so there's places where things can go wrong. My modeler/animator, Alejandro is making an account here to better explain his situation and what he did.

"Reading the main conversation, seems that the animation loopback at the end, I checked the animations in max and they are right but the animaiton in the compiled model ends 1 frame before the real end :S"

Here is the QC:

$modelname "clwnofdky.mdl"
$cd ".\"
$cdtexture ".\"
$scale 1
$cliptotextures

$bbox 0.000000 0.000000 0.000000 0.000000 0.000000 0.000000
$cbox 0.000000 0.000000 0.000000 0.000000 0.000000 0.000000
$eyeposition 0.000000 0.000000 0.000000
$origin 0 0 0
//reference mesh(es)
$body "reference" "reference"
// 1 animation sequence(s)
// 2 skin families
$sequence "idle" "idle" fps 15 loop ACT_IDLE 1
$sequence "idle1" "idle1" fps 30 loop ACT_IDLE 1
$sequence "idle3" "idle3" fps 30 loop ACT_IDLE 1
$sequence "surprise" "surprise" fps 30
$sequence "attack" "attack" fps 30 ACT_MELEE_ATTACK1 1 { event 3 14 } { event 2010 14 }
$sequence "RUN1" "RUN1" LX fps 30 loop ACT_RUN 1
$sequence "walk" "walk" LX fps 30 loop ACT_WALK 1
$sequence "range" "range" fps 30 ACT_RANGE_ATTACK2 1 { event 7 36 }
$sequence "die_simple" "die_simple" fps 25 ACT_DIESIMPLE 1 { event 11 3 } { event 2001 10 }
$sequence "die_violent" "die_violent" fps 25 ACT_DIE_HEADSHOT 1 { event 11 1 } { event 2001 20 }
$sequence "turn_left" "turn_left" fps 25 ACT_TURN_LEFT 1
$sequence "turn_right" "turn_right" fps 25 ACT_TURN_RIGHT 1
$sequence "big_flinch" "big_flinch" fps 25 ACT_BIG_FLINCH 5
$sequence "die_onbigflinch" "die_onbigflinch" fps 25
$sequence "flinch_A" "flinch_A" fps 25 ACT_SMALL_FLINCH 5
$sequence "flinch_B" "flinch_B" fps 25 ACT_SMALL_FLINCH 5
//crouch animations
$sequence "crouch_idle" "crouch_idle" fps 15 loop ACT_IDLE 1
$sequence "crouch_die" "crouch_die" fps 25
$sequence "crouchmeele" "crouchmeele" fps 25
$sequence "runcrouch" "runcrouch" fps 25
$sequence "gocrouch" "gocrouch" fps 35
$sequence "crouch_range" "crouch_range" fps 30 ACT_RANGE_ATTACK2 1 { event 7 36 }
$sequence "crouch_flinch" "crouch_flinch" fps 25 ACT_SMALL_FLINCH 5
$sequence "crouch_t_right" "crouch_t_right" fps 25 ACT_TURN_RIGHT 1
$sequence "crouch_t_left" "crouch_t_left" fps 35 ACT_TURN_RIGHT 1

this is the .qc of one of the monsters...

$cd ".\"
$cdtexture ".\"
$scale 1
$cliptotextures

$bbox 0.000000 0.000000 0.000000 0.000000 0.000000 0.000000
$cbox 0.000000 0.000000 0.000000 0.000000 0.000000 0.000000
$eyeposition 0.000000 0.000000 0.000000
$origin 0 0 0
//reference mesh(es)
$body "reference" "reference"
// 1 animation sequence(s)
// 2 skin families
$sequence "idle" "idle" fps 15 loop ACT_IDLE 1
$sequence "attack" "attack" fps 30 ACT_MELEE_ATTACK1 1 { event 3 14 } { event 2010 14 }
$sequence "walk1" "walk1" LX fps 30 ACT_WALK 1
$sequence "die" "die" fps 25 ACT_DIESIMPLE 1 { event 11 3 } { event 2001 10 }
$sequence "flinch" "flinch" fps 25 ACT_SMALL_FLINCH 5
$sequence "run1" "run1" LX fps 50 loop ACT_RUN 1
$sequence "jump" "jump" fps 60
$sequence "turn_left" "turn_left" fps 25 ACT_TURN_LEFT 1
$sequence "turn_right" "turn_right" fps 25 ACT_TURN_RIGHT 1

Make the model advance in milkshape. This is the problem I have with the drones in ZWC, they worked fine execpt that they run and walk in place. You have to move the model in milkshape, something like this (I´ll take the gunner as an example):

[img]http://media.moddb.com/images/mods/1/7/6540/runanim.jpg[simg]

Look how the origin of the model (purple and turquoise lines) is left behind. Coding has only to do with controlling the speed in flying/swimming monsters. The QC file is what controls the speed of the NPC, in the case of the player its speed is controlled by its own CVAR and also by maswalkspeed and maxrunspeed variables, which are hardcoded into the dll.

Update:

When the model is decompiled in milkshape, then recompiled, the QC changes and it suddenly works...

The hitbox definitions are added.

The models work in Half-Life.

I think I will have them tested in the Parasomnia .dll.

The animations are moving away from the origin in the model editing program, 3DS Max 8 and it is done exactly the way it should be.

Here is what the new QC Looks like:

/*

QC script generated by Half-Life MDL Decompiler 1.2
2003, Kratisto. Based on code from Valve's HL SDK.

clwnofdky.mdl

Original internal name:
"clwnofdky.mdl"

*/

$modelname "clwnofdky.mdl"
$cd ".\"
$cdtexture ".\"
$scale 1.0
$cliptotextures

$bbox 0.000000 0.000000 0.000000 0.000000 0.000000 0.000000
$cbox 0.000000 0.000000 0.000000 0.000000 0.000000 0.000000
$eyeposition 0.000000 0.000000 0.000000

//reference mesh(es)
$body "reference" "reference"

// 25 hit box(es)
$hbox 0 "SPINE1" 0.000000 -9.420000 -11.250000 14.502832 10.550000 11.450000
$hbox 0 "SPINE2" 0.000000 -7.550000 -10.560000 11.577699 11.170000 10.760000
$hbox 0 "SPINE3" -1.140000 -8.220000 -4.020000 10.909124 10.870000 4.220000
$hbox 0 "NECK" -0.510000 -10.610000 -5.870000 8.858741 11.840000 5.740000
$hbox 0 "HEAD" -5.640000 -11.280000 -6.570000 27.540001 11.610000 6.720000
$hbox 0 "R_clavicle" 0.000000 -10.170000 -6.980000 12.490000 8.380000 9.480000
$hbox 0 "R_ForeARM" 0.000000 -4.240000 -4.140000 15.734390 5.120000 3.650000
$hbox 0 "R_ARM" 0.000000 -4.760000 -4.140000 17.569532 4.590000 3.650000
$hbox 0 "R_HAND" -0.020000 -1.950000 -3.560000 9.030000 2.150000 6.000000
$hbox 0 "R_FINGER" 0.000000 -0.830000 -3.850000 10.101518 0.860000 1.940000
$hbox 0 "L_clavicle" -0.390000 -8.410000 -6.980000 12.290000 10.190000 9.480000
$hbox 0 "L_ForeARM" 0.000000 -5.240000 -4.140000 15.734391 4.130000 3.650000
$hbox 0 "L_ARM" 0.000000 -4.700000 -4.620000 18.040001 4.650000 3.650000
$hbox 0 "L_HAND" 0.000000 -2.290000 -3.570000 8.100000 1.900000 6.000000
$hbox 0 "L_FINGER" 0.000000 -0.860000 -3.850000 9.670000 0.830000 2.140000
$hbox 0 "R_pelvis" 0.000000 -8.990000 -9.880000 11.140000 6.340000 10.160000
$hbox 0 "R_UpperLeg" 0.000000 -5.800000 -8.140000 23.511890 6.550000 10.160000
$hbox 0 "R_leg" 0.000000 -4.660000 -6.090000 29.700001 5.630000 8.190000
$hbox 0 "R_FOOT1" -3.200000 -6.060000 -4.710000 10.496496 6.590000 4.850000
$hbox 0 "R_FOOT2" 0.000000 -2.400000 -6.690000 11.910000 4.620000 6.830000
$hbox 0 "L_pelvis" 0.000000 -5.840000 -9.880000 11.000000 8.860000 10.160000
$hbox 0 "L_UpperLeg" 0.000000 -6.750000 -8.140000 23.511896 5.600000 10.160000
$hbox 0 "L_leg" 0.000000 -5.830000 -6.090000 29.700001 4.460000 8.190000
$hbox 0 "L_FOOT1" -0.550000 -6.590000 -5.020000 10.496497 5.350000 4.540000
$hbox 0 "L_FOOT2" 0.000000 -4.620000 -7.000000 11.910000 2.400000 6.530000

// 25 animation sequence(s)
$sequence "idle" "idle" fps 15 loop ACT_IDLE 1
$sequence "idle1" "idle1" fps 30 loop ACT_IDLE 1
$sequence "idle3" "idle3" fps 30 loop ACT_IDLE 1
$sequence "surprise" "surprise" fps 30
$sequence "attack" "attack" fps 30 ACT_MELEE_ATTACK1 1 { event 3 0 } { event 2010 0 }
$sequence "RUN2" "RUN2" LX fps 30 loop ACT_RUN 1
$sequence "walk1" "walk1" LX fps 30 loop ACT_WALK 1
$sequence "range" "range" fps 30 ACT_RANGE_ATTACK2 1 { event 7 0 }
$sequence "die_simple" "die_simple" fps 25 ACT_DIESIMPLE 1 { event 11 0 } { event 2001 0 }
$sequence "die_violent" "die_violent" fps 25 ACT_DIE_HEADSHOT 1 { event 11 0 } { event 2001 0 }
$sequence "turn_left" "turn_left" fps 25 ACT_TURN_LEFT 1
$sequence "turn_right" "turn_right" fps 25 ACT_TURN_RIGHT 1
$sequence "big_flinch" "big_flinch" fps 25 ACT_BIG_FLINCH 5
$sequence "die_onbigflinch" "die_onbigflinch" fps 25
$sequence "flinch_A" "flinch_A" fps 25 ACT_SMALL_FLINCH 5
$sequence "flinch_B" "flinch_B" fps 25 ACT_SMALL_FLINCH 5
$sequence "crouch_idle" "crouch_idle" fps 15 loop ACT_IDLE 1
$sequence "crouch_die" "crouch_die" fps 25
$sequence "crouchmeele" "crouchmeele" fps 25
$sequence "runcrouch1" "runcrouch1" fps 25
$sequence "gocrouch" "gocrouch" fps 35
$sequence "crouch_range" "crouch_range" fps 30 ACT_RANGE_ATTACK2 1 { event 7 0 }
$sequence "crouch_flinch" "crouch_flinch" fps 25 ACT_SMALL_FLINCH 5
$sequence "crouch_t_right" "crouch_t_right" fps 25 ACT_TURN_RIGHT 1
$sequence "crouch_t_left" "crouch_t_left" fps 35 ACT_TURN_RIGHT 1

// End of QC script.

Well, anyway - 3DS max was exporting empty frames that screwed everything up. Problem solved! I noticed day of defeat had color decals. Decals are killing me. I'd like to do full color decals for bullet holes. Day of Defeat had them...anyone know how they did that?

One way to do that is to make them in the same way you would a transparent texture. With a solid background color that becomes transparent in game.

Ah! my latest problem that's got the whole team stumped...First off, has anyone worked with Spirit of half-Life?

Ever since I set my mod's dlls to the spirit ones, the info_player_start doesn't work and I'm spawning at the origin...god, I thought I was done with this.

Whoops, nevermind. Just found that it was simply my cameras going haywire....basically not working at all...or pointing wherever they want.

your mod has custom code based off spirit? cool

Yeeep! Lots of new features. Inventory system...storing notes, blocking and kicking with melee, drunkeness, monetary system with shops and the like...lantern with fuel. All sorts of shit! Just need to get these cameras working. God, I hate these things.

What's your issues with cameras?

Well, I'm triggering multiple cameras at different times. The player spawns into the map, right inside of a trigger_once...that trigger_once activates a multi_manager, which immediately activates the first camera...in the multi_man, I set the second camera to start immediately after the hold time of the first camera has elapsed. The second camera never activates. Despite having an entity to look at as a target, and being situated East/West...the cameras that DO work refuse to look in the proper direction.

if you trigger the first camera a second time, it will shut it off.
So trigger the first camera 0.1s before you trigger the second camera

Ah I see. The cameras have different names. There's pubcam and introcam.

Pubcam 0.1
Pubcam 9.9

Introcam 10

That's how I set it up after what you just told me.

And it worked! Thank you very much!