Miscellaneaous Tutorials

[TrKing_Rulz]

Some Tutorials I made recently.

Using TR3 Water Textures Tutorial (http://www.tombraiderforums.com/showpost.php?p=2488531&postcount=2)
Creating Realistic Burning Objects Tutorial (http://www.tombraiderforums.com/showpost.php?p=2488536&postcount=3)
Using TBuilder (http://www.tombraiderforums.com/showpost.php?p=2488540&postcount=4)
WAD WAS DAT, SAM?! (http://www.tombraiderforums.com/showpost.php?p=2498944&postcount=5)
Swapping Headmeshes (http://www.tombraiderforums.com/showpost.php?p=2498949&postcount=6)

[TrKing_Rulz]

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Using TR3 Water Textures Tutorial
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1) Open NGLE and your project file.

2) At the bottom of the Texture Panel there is a button named Animation ranges. It's here:

http://img263.imageshack.us/img263/1289/tut1os3.png

3) Once in the Animation Ranges editing window, find the water textures. Right click the first texture and drag the pointer over the other textures. Make sure that there is only the textures you need. Once done, click 'Assign', then click 'OK'.

http://img46.imageshack.us/img46/359/tut2re5.png

4) Make a 1X1 room not connected to the rest of the map. Texture the floor, ceiling and walls with the whole texture tile.

http://img218.imageshack.us/img218/262/tut3zb4.png

5) Go to the water room. Under the block panel there is a button that says 'Normal', if you click it it should come up with an enviroment type, cycle through until you get the 'Water' option.

http://img217.imageshack.us/img217/2438/tut4lz8.png

6) Once done, go to the room above the water level. Highlight the void to the water room, or 'door', and select 'Toggle Opacity 2'. (I apologise I did not highlight this button). Then, select the three buttons named 'Face Edit, Transparent, Double Sided.' This will make the water texture visible from underneath the water, and will make it see through.

http://img340.imageshack.us/img340/4116/tut5zn2.png

Then select the water part (a quarter) of the texture. Texture the whole surface of the water.

I hope this tutorial was helpful.

Tutorial Completed 11th February 2008 at 21:22 GMT.

[TrKing_Rulz]

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Realistic Flame Emitter Tutorial
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Okay, this is easy once you get it.

Here is the FLAME_EMITTER OCB codes, and what they do:
OCB -9 - Shoots flames upwards with very short breakes.
OCB -3 - Shoots out flames to the side with short breakes.
OCB -2 - Shoots out flames to the side without brakes.
OCB -1 - Shoots flames upwards with breakes.
OCB 0 - Normal big flame.

Here is the FLAME_EMITTER2 OCB codes, and what they do, but first:
The flame emitter 2 normaly shows the flame not in the middle of the sector, but in the edge where the back side of the NULL mesh is pointing to.

OCB 0 - Normal small flame.
OCB 1 - Smaller flame.
OCB 2 - The flame moves on the floor in the direction the NULL mesh is pointing.
OCB 123 - Small flame but in middle of sector.
OCB 255 - Big flame (size of flame emitter 1), but no light and no damage.

FLAME_EMITTER3: The only useful OCB I found is when the OCB is 888, a big ball of light will follow Lara around when triggered.

OCB 888 - Big ball of light will follow Lara.

1) Choose the right flame emitter for you. Set the OCB. Place it on the same sector as the object you want. Put the trigger under your LARA object. Then, go back to the flame, and press the Floor + or Floor - or with the ceiling buttons.

This should now create the effect that the flame has been buring before Lara came to the level.

http://img207.imageshack.us/img207/8573/tut6vn3.png

Red - The buttons used to move the Null-Mesh.
Brown - The Flame_Emitter trigger under the LARA object.
Light Green - The Null-Mesh positioned above the static.

Tutorial Completed 11th February 2008 at 21:30 GMT. :)

[TrKing_Rulz]

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Using TBuilder
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PART 1: Getting to know TBuilder.

On clicking the TBuilder Icon, you may encounter a warning message. Click ‘Run’.

http://img507.imageshack.us/img507/7186/tut7rr9.png (http://imageshack.us)
Let’s go through the Interface of TBuilder. The left panel is called the source canvas. This is where you load some textures to add to your final texture set. The right is named the target canvas. This is the space where your finished texture set will be made. Underneath the source canvas, there is a small, light green panel. This is named the source canvas panel. This will show you the information of the source texture set. Underneath the target canvas there is a small, light blue panel. This is named the target canvas panel. Here you will be shown information about the current size of your new canvas. You can edit the size with the buttons either side of the panel. The button on the left side edits width, the one on the right edits length. If you right click and drag, you can test an animation range. Let’s continue.

http://img520.imageshack.us/img520/5993/tut8uj1.png (http://imageshack.us)

Above the source canvas there is a drop down list. This will help you choose on how you want to load the texture. There is another drop down list above the target canvas. This will help how you save the file. Let’s load a texture set. But first, if you want to get to know the interface better, surf to PART 3: More Interface.

PART 2: Choosing the correct textures.

Is your level going to be a desert? Iceland? A damp tomb? Well, you’ll need to know which textures to use! I'm going to do a tomb.

http://img172.imageshack.us/img172/9798/tut9nn8.png (http://imageshack.us)

I want my level to have some damp ground. So, I’m choosing some foliage textures. I might also want a dart trap, so I’ll add some dart-hole textures. To add a texture, left click it and drag to the correct amount of textures. Now let go. You have now “picked up the textures”. Move the pointer over to the target canvas, and when you have positioned them correct left click once. But, what if we want a texture to be smaller or bigger?

PART 2.5: Resizing & using the clipboard.

http://img339.imageshack.us/img339/9537/tut10yc2.png (http://imageshack.us)

Let’s get to know the clipboard. It's in between the two canvases. It can be a very helpful tool.

http://img207.imageshack.us/img207/303/tut11sq7.png (http://imageshack.us)

This shows what texture you have selected.

http://img112.imageshack.us/img112/3348/tut12es6.png (http://imageshack.us)

This will copy all the textures, how they are, onto the target canvas.

http://img261.imageshack.us/img261/1694/tut13el8.png (http://imageshack.us)

This button is used in resizing. If you select Multi Tile, this will “pick up” any texture you select and keep it the same size. If you select 64x64, this will also “pick up” any texture you select, but instantly resize it to 64x64, or one tile. This counts for 128x128, and 256x256.

IMAGE 7

If you select a texture, then press export, if you have misplaced it and deleted it, you can easily just press import and it will become your selected texture.

PART 3: More Interface.

Let’s take a look at the buttons under the source canvas.

http://img182.imageshack.us/img182/4070/tut15ke2.png (http://imageshack.us)

In the Grid panel, there are a few buttons. The button with an arrow resets the grid to the original position. The next two buttons toggle the grid lines.

The last select buttons toggle the size of the selector, or “picker upper”.

The Transparency panel changes the transparent settings. The colour extractor can be used to select a colour. Once the colour has been selected, you can click on the pallet and it will “pick up” the colour to be placed on the target canvas.

PART 3.5: Editing textures on the Target Canvas.


PART 4: Known texture errors.

Is your textures loading wrong in the LE?
Here's a few problems that might be yours:


Your texture set could be wider than 256. Make sure they are at the most this width!
If only a bit of your texture set loads in LE, this could be that you have a totally Magenta texture, as the LE will pick this up and stop loading. To fix, load in TBuilder, and retexture any magenta bits in your target canvas.
ARG List too big! THis might mean that your texture set is not in the 'Extra Textures' folder. Place it in here. If it is already in this folder, you might have spaces or illegal characters in the file name of the .tga.
Are all you textures scrambled? This could be that your textures are off the gridlines. To fix, select all three buttons on the Grid Panel under the source canvas. THis will show you if they are on the right lines.
What are all these funny textures at the bottom of my .tga?! This is normal if you hae extracted these textures. :) Nothing to worry about.
When I load my objects, all the textures are the wrong colour! This is easyily avoided. :) Just load your texture set first, then your objects.
ALl the textures in StrPix get scrambled on my mesh when I import it! This is becuase you've exported this from another WAD and the information about the textures placement is carried over from the other WAD, so StrPix thinks it's uding the right texture. Just retexture your mesh.

[TrKing_Rulz]

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TRLE & Tomb Raider Engine File Types
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WAD WAS DAT, SAM?!

Okay, let me explain. This is a tutorial on how to understand files for the Level Editor and TOmb Raider Engines. And my real name is Sam, :p so it's a pun.

Let's get started.

Music files, useable with TREP.

.wav - This is the standard sound file used by tomb4.exe.
.mp3 - This is a better quality smaller filesize file that is compatible with TRLE when using TREP.
.ogg - This is compatible with a TREP Patch to make audio smoother and more sleek. It also has a small filesize.

WAD Files, standard TRLE stuff.

.wad - All these files are needed to have working objects with sounds and textures. Make sure you have one of these with every WAD. TRLE & StrPix accesses the objects via these files.
.was - All these files are needed to have working objects with sounds and textures. Make sure you have one of these with every WAD. WADMerger accesses objects via these types of files.
.sam - All these files are needed to have working objects with sounds and textures. Make sure you have one of these with every WAD.
.sfx - All these files are needed to have working objects with sounds and textures. Make sure you have one of these with every WAD.
.swd - All these files are needed to have working objects with sounds and textures. Make sure you have one of these with every WAD.

.tr1 - Level file from TR1, usable with TR1 engine. You can replace levels of your own over these files with Dxtre3d.
.tub - Level file from TR Unfinished Business, usable with TR:UB engine. You can replace levels of your own over these files with Dxtre3d.
.tr2 - Level file from TR2, usable with TR2 engine. You can replace levels of your own over these files with Dxtre3d.
.tla - Level file from TR: Lost Artefact, usable with TR:LA engine. You can replace levels of your own over these files with Dxtre3d.
.tr3 - Level file from TR3, usable with TR3 engine. You can replace levels of your own over these files with Dxtre3d.
.tr4 - :evel file of TR4, usabel with tomb4.exe. You can replace these level files with the full version of TR4 using Dxtre3d. With the lite version of TR4 with the LE included, you can recreate your own .tr4 files.
.trc - Level file from TRC, usable with TRC engine. You can replace levels of your own over these files with Dxtre3d.

.bmp - Bit-Map files. These are image files. Object textures have to be this file type to be imported to WADMerger or StrPix. You also have to have the load images in this file.
.tga - Truevision Targa files. These are the level texture images. These are loadable in TBuilder and NGLE, Winroomedit and TRLE.

.txt - Text files. These are used for readmes or when compiling your own script.
MS-DOS Batch Files - These are used to compile the finished script into a:

.dat - THese are the finished script data files.

.CFG - Configuration files for certain programs for TRLE.
.fln - Used with syntax.fln, a TREP file.
.prj - Project files created with NGLE or Windroomedit, these are converted to:
.TOM files - these hold the level information files. Usually sound information. These are part of the final product.
.FIX files - these are the files after the TrFix application fixes your .prj file.

[TrKing_Rulz]

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Changing a Head Meash
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BEFORE
http://i26.tinypic.com/348on5x.jpg

Here is my practically completed outfit. Wait a second... the head on this outfit doesn't match the rest of my outfits in my project! :( How on earth am I going to swap these headmeshes?

The answer, actually, is quite simple, once you get the hang of it. To get the textures into the outfit and the headmesh, and get it to work - sounds like quite alot of work. By following some simple steps. Soon, hopefully, you'll be on you're way to completing your outfit. :)

The 'Re-Mapping Joints' section can also be applied to any part of your Lara - or otherwise ;) - outfit. But, if you find it too hard, then you can go with the TR1 - TR3 outfit style: No joints. At least until you get enough practice. :)

Step 1) The Most Important Step

Make a copy of your outfit. The worst could happen, and you'd have to start re-texturing (and meshing, perhaps :p) all over again - nasty work. :(

http://i27.tinypic.com/30bfhuu.jpg

Note: You should also make a backup of the Outfit with the desired headmesh. This is an important part of the step if you are concerned about having the scream head or not.

Step 2) Preperation in StrPix3

Open the Outfit which has the head you want on your outfit.
Here is the mesh I have highlighted to use. :)

http://i26.tinypic.com/23u75a0.jpg

Now, export this mesh, and name it something you can recognise again, like Desired_head or perhaps new_head, or somehting similar.

http://i28.tinypic.com/103g2vc.jpg

Second, highlight the LARA_SCREAM head...

http://i32.tinypic.com/9h2smd.jpg

...which should be a mesh somewhere around forty. Then, import your mesh you exported not a moment ago. Now, save your WAD. :)

Step 3) Preperation in WADMerger

Open WADMerger and in the right pannel open the WAS files which have the desired head mesh. In the left, open the WAS files you want to overwrite with the new headmesh, like so:

http://i27.tinypic.com/21oo40h.jpg

Copy the LARA_SCREAM moveable (which you edited earlier) over to the WAS files to be overwritten. Now overwrite the WAD.

Step 4) Swapping the Headmesh

Open StrPix3. Go to the LARA_SCREAM headmesh, which by now should be the desired headmesh. Export it over the headmesh you exported first, or if you don't want to create a new one. As long as you can import it soon.

Congrats! You're about half way there. :) Unfortuantely, here comes the hard part - Re-Mapping Joints. Please, don't be put off at this stage. From what you may have heard if you have not done this before it can be quite hard. But with a great tutorial I found on TRSearch, I managed to do this first time with practically no difficulty. If you think about it - this is only changing ten numbers. :) Let's get started.

To avoid the Re-Mapping process, skip to 'An Alternative to Re-Mapping', for a different way of doing this.

Step 5) Re-Mapping the Headmesh

In StrPix3, highlight your soon-to-be new headmesh. Now, rotate the view so you can get a good view of the gaping hole in the bottom of Lara's head. :p Press Print Screen/PrtScrn and paste it into paint. Now rerotate the view to get a good view of the ponytail mesh. This will leave you a 'virtual vertex map', where you can record the value of each vertex. Here is my VVM:

http://i30.tinypic.com/2ymw391.jpg

Now, let's start with the head. To calculate the value of a vertex, click the View Dropdown Menu on the Render Window. Click textured. Now, reposition the camera angle so that the vertex you want is in the gaping hole, so nearly no other vertices will be in the way for you to get confused with. Now, with the dropdown 'View' menu still highlighted, position your mouse on the corner. Then scroll down untill you get to the 'Points' view. Cleverly, with your mouse cursor still on the vertex, hold down control and left click the vertex. The number of the vertex should appear...

http://i29.tinypic.com/2qd1lqf.jpg

...here. Now you can record the VERTEX number...

http://i31.tinypic.com/2m4ae6b.jpg

...like here. Good luck with the rest of your re-mapping. :)
NOTE ABOUT RE-MAPPING: My vertex values will not be the same as your vertex values. Sorry guys, there's no way out of this one. :(

Re-Mapping: Step 2 - Re-Mapping the Desired Headmesh

Now. After calculating all the vertices you need to import your new headmesh overwriting the current one. Secondly, you have to calculate all the vertices on this mesh. Tsk tsk, just when you thought it was done... :rolleyes: Sorry. :(

And in traditional Blue Peter style, "Here's one I made earlier!"

http://i29.tinypic.com/23w30n8.jpg

After this, it get's easier. Now all you have to do is:

Import that headmesh, finally!

Select the Re-Map option in the toolbar. Now press (Not that you have a choice ;)) Remap.

http://i31.tinypic.com/315n8u8.jpg

All you have to do now is enter the vertex value of the current headmesh in 'After', and then the desired headmesh in 'before'! Do this with each desired mesh vertex, and it's counterpart vertex originaly on the old mesh. After this, you're done. Output & Play. Go enjoy your new achievement!

A Re-Mapping Alternative

Okay. :o It is the end of a long day and you want to easy was out. You got it. :D Right, you should start this part of the tutorial after Step 4.

Now, open the Metasequoia programme. Load your headmesh. Use these values to open your mesh:

http://www.trsearch.org/Tuts/8-2.jpg

Go to the gaping hole in Lara's head. Seal it off using the 'create' button. Then move the point downwards, like so:

http://i29.tinypic.com/2a8rqqg.jpg

Now export, using these values. Remember to export as a .dfx, and not overwriting the same file.

http://www.trsearch.org/Tuts/8-3.jpg

Now, open RestRtext, a programme downloadable here! (http://tomb.whaleeaters.org/archives/reStrText/reStrText.files/reStrText.zip) :)

And co-operate. Now, import that mesh into your LARA moveable head in StrPix. Argh! What a mess!

Hold Alt and left lick every face to correct the textures. Next, go to the neck joint and texture it Magenta, as sample of which available here.

http://i31.tinypic.com/2q08tpv.jpg

You are now done. Stay tuned for the Scream Headmesh! :)

Step 6) The Scream Head

That's the most part done. :) Now, remember that backup I told you to make if you wanted to have the scream head? :p Open WADMerger and open it in the right pannel. In the left open your nearly finished outfit. Copy the LARA_SCREAM moveable, and now you are finally done! :D

Here it is, completed:
http://i31.tinypic.com/2ujt6di.jpg

Tutorial completed 23rd June 2008 at 21:16 Pm. :)

[TrKing_Rulz]

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Getting Lara to Display Emotions in-game at certain Intervals
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