Model Placement - Revision history

Talisander: /* Model properties (Level editor) */

2010-05-23T03:12:17Z

‎Model properties (Level editor)

FollowTheGourd: /* Moving and placing objects */ fixed typo no->not

2010-02-08T05:33:17Z

‎Moving and placing objects: fixed typo no->not

Eshme at 19:41, 3 February 2010

2010-02-03T19:41:22Z

Eshme at 11:09, 3 February 2010

2010-02-03T11:09:48Z

Eshme: Better to have list of properties on the bottom of the page at all times

2010-01-29T21:11:33Z

Better to have list of properties on the bottom of the page at all times

BryanDerksen: putting navboxes together

2010-01-28T23:49:17Z

putting navboxes together

Eshme: moved Placement to Model Placement: New title represents the tool

2010-01-28T22:29:22Z

moved Placement to Model Placement: New title represents the tool

Eshme: /* Models in the Level Editor */

2010-01-27T14:06:37Z

‎Models in the Level Editor

Eshme at 10:51, 27 January 2010

2010-01-27T10:51:57Z

Eshme at 21:33, 25 January 2010

2010-01-25T21:33:59Z

@@ Line 80: / Line 80: @@
 {{inspector section|Graphics}}
-{{inspector row|Cut Away Override|}}
+{{inspector row|Cut Away Override|   This allows you to prevent ceiling and upper wall models from disappearing when the camera is zoomed out in-game.  If you want to use a model that normally disappears to give the player a cutaway view, but don't want that model to disappear in a particular instance, this is what you need.}}
 {{inspector row|DefaultAnimation|}}
 {{inspector row|High-LOD|  This displays the full model file name that will be used for high LOD.}}

@@ Line 33: / Line 33: @@
 To place them click on the [[Image:IconModelPlacement.png]] icon in the toolbar to go into model placement mode.
-A [[Model|model]] is placed by selecting it from the palette, and then no dragging but clicking in the 3D Viewport to place them. The mousepointer will become a cross, if a model is selected. Move or Rotate afterwards with the tools from the toolbar.
+A [[Model|model]] is placed by selecting it from the palette, and then not dragging but clicking in the 3D Viewport to place them. The mousepointer will become a cross, if a model is selected. Move or Rotate afterwards with the tools from the toolbar.
 A "snap to" option can be activated via the "snap options" button [[Image:IconSnapOptions.png]] on the toolbar:

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 {| align=right
 |-
@@ Line 7: / Line 5: @@
 | {{Infobox level editor}}
 |}
 A Level Layout has to be filled by [[Model|Models]], the basic building block available aside ordinary Terrain. Most walls and objects visible in game are placed here with the main exception being NPC's and interactive objects which are added afterwards.

← Older revision		Revision as of 11:09, 3 February 2010
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		+	:''This article is about Models for use only in the Level Editor. For other uses see: [[Model]]''
		+
	{\| align=right		{\| align=right
	\|-		\|-

@@ Line 57: / Line 57: @@
 [[Image:Level editor scratch space.png|center|thumb|600px|These three fence pieces are in the scratch space, and so will not be exported with the rest of the objects in this level.]]
-== Model properties ==
+== Model file format ==
 When selected, the following common properties are shown for models in the object inspector.
@@ Line 98: / Line 104: @@
 {{inspector row|System Memory|  The number of bytes this model takes in memory, including animation blend trees, physics objects, animation controllers, and triggers.  Does not include textures and materials.}}
 {{inspector end}}

← Older revision	Revision as of 22:29, 28 January 2010
(No difference)

@@ Line 14: / Line 14: @@
 Models are grouped into "tilesets" and styles with pieces that share common structural themes. For example, there might be a "dwarven fortress" tileset that contains a variety of structural pieces and furniture of dwarven manufacture, and a "Tevinter" tileset that contains a variety of pieces with Tevinter architectural motifs.
-Since the names of these models can often be a bit inscrutable, a list of Models with Screenshots mainly for this purpose is available. See [[Model list]]
+Since the names of these models can often be a bit inscrutable, a list of Models with Screenshots mainly for this purpose is available.
 Unlike the database resource palette, the model palette doesn't have a heirarchy of folders and subfolders. Since there are usually a vast number of models available this can make the palette cluttered and difficult to work with. To make it more manageable you should set the toolset's configuration to "fake" a folder structure. The toolset will divide models up based on their names, using underscores as dividers; for example the models dwe_face and dwe_orzent would both be placed inside a "dwe" folder. The option for setting this can be found under the palette options menu and is in fact the default setting.

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 {{Infobox level editor}}
-Models are 3D textured meshes that are the basic building block of most things that the player will see in-game. The only editor that makes direct use of them is the [[level editor]], which this page focuses on, but things like creatures and placeables will make use of them indirectly via 2DA definitions.
+A Level Layout has to be filled by [[Model|Models]], the basic building block available aside ordinary Terrain. Most walls and objects visible in game are placed here with the main exception being NPC's and interactive objects which are added afterwards.
-Unlike the database resource palette, the model palette doesn't have a heirarchy of folders and subfolders. Since there are usually a vast number of models available this can make the palette cluttered and difficult to work with. To make it more manageable you should set the toolset's configuration to "fake" a folder structure. The toolset will divide models up based on their names, using underscores as dividers; for example the models dwe_face and dwe_orzent would both be placed inside a "dwe" folder. The option for setting this can be found in the Toolkit under the Tools/Options Menu and is in fact the default setting.
+== Models in the Level Editor ==
-−
-[[Image:Options menu use fake model folders.png|frame|center|Use fake model folders]]
 {{Resource palette}}
-== Models in the Level Editor ==
+[[Model]]s are used to create any other objects that may be used as part of the level art - walls, floors, ceilings, non-interactive furnishings, visual effects, etc.
-[[Model]]s are used to create any other objects that may be used as part of the level art - walls, floors, ceilings, non-interactive furnishings, visual effects, etc. To place them click on the [[Image:IconModelPlacement.png]] icon in the toolbar to go into model placement mode.
+=== Model palette [[Image:IconModel.png]] ===
-Trees are added using the "scatter object" mode ([[Image:IconScatterObject.png]]).
+The model palette contains all the basic building blocks that you'll have available to build a level layout with. At disposal are any model that have been made available to the Toolset, even those that are animatable although in Level layout cant be animated and would merely remain static.
-== Model palette ==
+Models are grouped into "tilesets" and styles with pieces that share common structural themes. For example, there might be a "dwarven fortress" tileset that contains a variety of structural pieces and furniture of dwarven manufacture, and a "Tevinter" tileset that contains a variety of pieces with Tevinter architectural motifs.
-The model palette contains all the basic building blocks that you'll have available to build a level layout with. These building blocks are created using third-party 3D studio programs such as 3DSMax, a process that we won't go into here.
+Since the names of these models can often be a bit inscrutable, a list of Models with Screenshots mainly for this purpose is available. See [[Model list]]
-Unlike the database resource palette, the model palette doesn't have a heirarchy of folders and subfolders. Since there are usually a vast number of models available this can make the palette cluttered and difficult to work with. To make it more manageable you should set the toolset's configuration to "fake" a folder structure. The toolset will divide models up based on their names, using underscores as dividers; for example the models dwe_face and dwe_orzent would both be placed inside a "dwe" folder. The option for setting this can be found under the palette options menu:
+Unlike the database resource palette, the model palette doesn't have a heirarchy of folders and subfolders. Since there are usually a vast number of models available this can make the palette cluttered and difficult to work with. To make it more manageable you should set the toolset's configuration to "fake" a folder structure. The toolset will divide models up based on their names, using underscores as dividers; for example the models dwe_face and dwe_orzent would both be placed inside a "dwe" folder. The option for setting this can be found under the palette options menu and is in fact the default setting.
-[[Image:Options menu use fake model folders.png|center]]
+[[Image:Options menu use fake model folders.png|frame|center|Use fake model folders]]
-Models are grouped into "tilesets" with pieces that share common structural themes. For example, there might be a "dwarven fortress" tileset that contains a variety of structural pieces and furniture of dwarven manufacture, and a "Tevinter" tileset that contains a variety of pieces with Tevinter architectural motifs.
+== Model Placement ==
-Since the names of these models can often be a bit inscrutable, a more convenient way of working with models that you're frequently using on a level (such as wall segments) is to bring them into the level's "scratch space" and copy them as needed. Objects in the scratch space can be positioned within the level just like ordinary objects but will not be exported when the level is exported for use as an area layout.
+=== Moving and placing objects ===
-[[Image:Level editor scratch space.png|center|thumb|600px|These three fence pieces are in the scratch space, and so will not be exported with the rest of the objects in this level.]]
+To place them click on the [[Image:IconModelPlacement.png]] icon in the toolbar to go into model placement mode.
-Also, see [[level models]] for a list of available models with screenshots depicting them.
+A [[Model|model]] is placed by selecting it from the palette, and then no dragging but clicking in the 3D Viewport to place them. The mousepointer will become a cross, if a model is selected. Move or Rotate afterwards with the tools from the toolbar.
-== Selecting objects ==
+A "snap to" option can be activated via the "snap options" button [[Image:IconSnapOptions.png]] on the toolbar:
-−
-When clicking on models in the layout there will often be other foreground objects that are in the way, preventing the immediate selection of the object you wanted. Simply keep clicking on the same spot to cycle through all of the objects that are underneath the mouse pointer.
-−
-== Moving and placing objects ==
-−
-Clicking on the "snap options" button [[Image:IconSnapOptions.png]] on the toolbar brings up the following options:
 [[Image:Level editor snap options.png]]
@@ Line 44: / Line 36: @@
 *"snap rotation" similarly constrains the rotation of objects to specific angles.
 *"snap to surface" This is only used in terrain levels, and will snap all objects when they are placed AND moved to the surface of the terrain. is useful when placing furniture and other objects on an existing surface (terrain, floor, etc.).
 == Model properties ==
@@ Line 90: / Line 96: @@
 Models are stored in the [[MMH]] and [[MSH]] formats. MSH ("mesh") files consist of fairly simple lists of vertexes and triangles, the "raw data" that describes physical shapes. MMH stands for "model mesh hierarchy" and contains information on how to make a usable model out of meshes. MMH files contain a variety of other information in addition to the meshes, such as visual effects.