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Can we make new locations??

Inez Dias

Inez Dias

Privateer
Storm Modder
I've been experimenting with making my own locations, but ran into the following problem:
when the main character moves to certain positions or turns to certain directions, the walls disappear and I see the background model. I supoose those are the spaces that are blocked by furniture in the original room from which I copied the locator, light and furnace files etc.
Is this related to the "charactersPatch" attribute? It points to a file with the extension ".ptc" (I copied that, too). Maybe it says where character can go and where not? I thought (at least with ships), that's what the path.gm was for, but the inside locations don't have a path file...
Has anyone figured out what the charactersPatch attribute and/or the ptc files are for?
 
I don't know anything about this, but I am glad you are asking, because maybe it'll get some of our "REAL" coders (not me, I'm just a hack <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tongue.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":blah:" border="0" alt="tongue.gif" /> <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/laugh.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="xD:" border="0" alt="laugh.gif" /> ) to come out of the woodwork and explore it...

Here are some thoughts and observations on my part:

Nathan's sidestep mod for Build 12 can put your character into some interesting places... If you are outside a place where you cannot normally travel in the course of a regular game, your character cannot move around, only jog in place. I am assuming this is because this area you might be in (say a beach off of Redmond port) MAY not be mapped like you mention above with the .ptc file. You have the model of the beach for the view, but it's not mapped so you can actually walk there.

IF however, you end up in another place that has been mapped but you do not have access to - like the Greenford prison cells - your character CAN run around the cell if you sidestep into it.

There's a difference between those cells, and the beach. If you can find the difference (what's missing from that beach area), perhaps you will have your answer as to which files cause the area to be someplace in which you may move around. <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/unsure.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":?" border="0" alt="unsure.gif" />

HTH! <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile.gif" />
 
My guess is your guess: that they are indeed the paths.

Although what bothers me is that there is also "grasspatch".

My guess is that it doesn't use a path.gm style path because it's more complex than on ship; on ship you "glide" around, but on land there's at least _some_ rudimentary physics implemented (fall off stairs, walk up and down stairs).

Oh, also, because it has to handle collision detection for gunshots?
Or actually, _is_ there coll detection for gunshots? You can _swing a sword_ through a wall, so you can probably fire a pistol through a wall...
 
I think the grasspatch somehow defines the texture for the floor - at least in the outside locations - if you have that wrong, you get `plain-colored` floors, and in port the floor is covered with water (as if flooded, that looks pretty funny). For some reason (w´hich might have to do with shadows) this texture is not in the model.

The .ptc does indeed have to do with physics: I changed a few bytes in it and my character fell right through the floor into nowhere.

I'm investigating this some more.
 
The flooded floor sounds neat; i`d like to be able to put water where there was no water, like take a cave interior with all the winding passageways and flood it. and i know whatever makes the ocean water you can swim through is different from the rivers and that pool and waterfall on Douwesen, because when i sidestep into them now i just stand on top. so... that`s what im interested in, though i know even less than everyone else about the model pathways and all.
 
After another day of investigation I can confirm that the .ptc file is indeed a “character patch”: it contains geometry data which define the area where characters can walk.
For example, in the case of the small home it look like this:

<img src="http://home.arcor.de/swigard/Pictures/SmallHomePatch.gif" border="0" class="linked-image" />

Compare this to an image of the model in gm viewer:

<img src="http://home.arcor.de/swigard/Pictures/SmallHome.gif" border="0" class="linked-image" />

or, for better comparison, the patch image on top of the model image:

<img src="http://home.arcor.de/swigard/Pictures/SmallHomeWithPatch.gif" border="0" class="linked-image" />
 
<img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/w00t.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":woot" border="0" alt="w00t.gif" /> Wow, can we build our own, too? <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/william.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":will" border="0" alt="william.gif" />
 
Ah, so dat be what defines de "glass wall" within every scenery model! <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/icon_mrgreen1.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":cheeky" border="0" alt="icon_mrgreen1.gif" /> So would ye say PotC be havin' "inclusion zones" whereas udder more free roamin' games such as Battlefield 1942 prolly have "exclusion zones" on thar huge maps? <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/unsure.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":?" border="0" alt="unsure.gif" />
 
<!--`QuoteBegin-CatalinaThePirate`+--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(CatalinaThePirate)</div><div class='quotemain'><!--QuoteEBegin--><img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/w00t.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":woot" border="0" alt="w00t.gif" /> Wow, can we build our own, too?  :will[/quote]
You mean, our own .ptc files? I'll be working on it, but I've not yet figured out the whole contents of those files.
Besides I'm not sure what would be an `easy-to` use interface for defining the patches: I guess making them in a modeler would be the best way, like the path files for ships, and then generating the .ptc files from that.
However, I'm open to suggestions.

Right now I think the best thing to do is use an existing patch and place the furniture etc. in your new location so that the same spaces are occupied.
 
Well, here's my first own location:
<img src="http://home.arcor.de/swigard/Pictures/MyHome.gif" border="0" class="linked-image" />

<a href="http://home.arcor.de/swigard/Downloads/Models/" target="_blank">http://home.arcor.de/swigard/Downloads/Models/</a>, the file is myhouse_x.gm.

I'ts no way as wonderful as what Alan is doing, but it is not just retextured, it's made from scratch, with furniture from existing models.
It fits roughly with the character patch for smallhome.gm, for I haven't yet gotten around to making new patches.
 
I'm downloading your new interior now; it's really awesome you could do this. I figure that's the only way, or at least the best way, to create new locations from scratch... the original modelers obviously had a selection of model elements - furniture and whatnot - to toss into their locations `mix-and`-match style.
I'm finding the models themselves are insubstantial, and yeah, it's the character patch/path thingy that keeps you from walking through them. For any place with little market stands, for instance, the market stands are their own little models, and they're `text-coded` to be placed only during daytime, along with the daytime patch, which prevents you from walking through them (even though you still can, a little, like walking through the poles holding up an awning); but at night the market models are removed and the night patch is used, which lets you walk in those places. Even tables and chairs... if you sidestepped into a picnick table in a pub, you could probably walk around within that small area but not get out. It's only given the appearance of substance by the floor saying you can't walk into it.

So the patches are the key, and I'm looking forward to seeing your progress cracking that nut. It would be better than what I've been doing, just placing individual model elements around (a market stand in the middle of the jungle, or a "shipgoods" box somewhere)... I have to put them "out of the way," so to speak, so you can't just walk right through them. My hangmen's posts in that fort (in another thread) are completely "insubstantial," and it might be better if someone could model them in or at least alter the patch.

Though it doesn't work out so bad this way, and I like being able to pick and choose. This way also allows the model elements to be removed for whatever reason (think of the wooden pole in Greenford that Clement is going to get burned at). I just wish I had more little elements, like globes, that chess table in the French Residence, or
signs (I thought about putting signs outside all my blacksmith shops; my Curio has one, or at least I retextured an existing part of that location... one small change on a big texture, but since other locations use that texture and my change looked silly there, it required copying the whole thing, which will unfortunately increase the file size when I can release the mod...)

I see you've had a lot of ideas for locations lately, Inez, like with this room and something with the lighthouse. I'm curious about what you've got in mind...
 
The globe is something I want, too, and the chesstable I even *did* cut out. I'll get them both to you as soon as possible.
About what I have in mind? I do have some ideas, but I haven't even started on them, so I won't tell.
 
Groovy, thanks!

I understand secrecy and all ... I want a lot of what's going to be in my mods to be surprises... but man, now I'm really curious...
 
<img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/w00t.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":woot" border="0" alt="w00t.gif" /> Me too! <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/william.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":will" border="0" alt="william.gif" />

This all sounds great, really looking forward to seeing what will come of all this - I am happy to see that progress is being made, and you're cracking that code that will open the game up for SO MANY NEW THINGS!!! <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/onya.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":onya" border="0" alt="onya.gif" />

Wonderful, wonderful, WONDERFUL!!! <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/par-ty.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":cheers" border="0" alt="par-ty.gif" />
 
Great work, Inez. <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/onya.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":onya" border="0" alt="onya.gif" /> Entirely new locationmodels offer even more possibilities. <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/william.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":will" border="0" alt="william.gif" /> PotC IMHO especially lacks grand buildings which have enough room(s) for indoor fighting and sneaky burglaring.
 
Hey this is nice <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile.gif" />

Great to see the progress in this regard!

Also looking forward for you to write tutorials iand how others can do this aswell locations on their own! <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/wink.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=";)" border="0" alt="wink.gif" />

So, Congratulations from me!

I now hope the antagonism will start fading away! <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/icon_mrgreen1.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":cheeky" border="0" alt="icon_mrgreen1.gif" />

Keep it up all of you!
 
Oh, we're generally a pretty peaceful bunch, around here. Only time we beat up on each other is with smileys. <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/icon_wink.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=";)" border="0" alt="icon_wink.gif" />

<img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/slap.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":slap" border="0" alt="slap.gif" /> <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/duel_pa.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":ixi" border="0" alt="duel_pa.gif" /> <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/guns.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":2guns" border="0" alt="guns.gif" /> <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/whippa.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":whipa" border="0" alt="whippa.gif" /> <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/huh.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":huh" border="0" alt="huh.gif" /> <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/laugh.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="xD:" border="0" alt="laugh.gif" />
 
egh, utterly lost my post. The gist of it was to ask Inez whether her next rendition of her tool will be able to edit or author character patches, in addition to viewing... I found to get her new room to work in the game, I had to refer to some existing character patch, and none of the existing ones will of course have the right "floor shape."
 
<!--`QuoteBegin-CatalinaThePirate`+--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(CatalinaThePirate)</div><div class='quotemain'><!--QuoteEBegin-->Oh, we're generally a pretty peaceful bunch, around here.  Only time we beat up on each other is with smileys.  ;)  

<img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/slap.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":slap" border="0" alt="slap.gif" />  :ixi  :2guns  :whipa  :huh  xD:[/quote]

Well, it would certaintly seem so to be the case at this time.

However, I have been blatantly backstabbed, used, and consequently insulted here before.

So you would understand if I exercise some caution and have some reserves yes <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/wink.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=";)" border="0" alt="wink.gif" />

I am giving this a wide birth none the less, so lets continue and see how things are. <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/wink.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=";)" border="0" alt="wink.gif" />
 
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