GameDirector

[hgt_terry]

Hi
Well we have started to create the RF2 Editor at the moment it’s in its basic form but can load a terrain and add actors.

The source and a built version are available at SourceForge I have included all the dlls and stuff you need in the built version so you don’t need to load the OgreSDK to run the exe the zip file includes a built version of the program so just unzip and click RealityEditor.exe to run.

Over the next couple of weeks there will be a big push to get it more functional by adding paradoxnj Excellent RF2Lib which is coming along very well.

I have decided to do it this way so I can test a routine in Equity that will take RFEditPro geometry and convert it to the correct format for RF2 so as to give us a means to create worlds (indoor) for RF2.

RFEditPro has been chosen for the moment for several reasons 1 it exists 2 nearly all know how to design worlds with it and are familiar with the interface.

Has far as the RF2 Editor is concerned the idea will be to view build and compile games for RF2 and create geometry and test the game from within the editor as I said above its in its very basic form at the moment but will develop over the coming months so be patient.

To download the source files
you will need TortiseSVN to download the source create a folder then right click folder once TortiseSVN is installed then use the SVN checkout command using
https://realityeditor.svn.sourceforge.n ... itor/trunk
And it will down load the source files note for the moment you need the OgreSDK to build the source that will change soon so there can be no version conflicts.

If you are not in to all the source stuff just download the built version which contains a zip file just extract and has everything for the RealityEditor.exe to run.
http://sourceforge.net/projects/realityeditor/

That’s about it for the moment.

Note
The Source will be continually updated day by day the built version will be updated when significant changes are made so I will create a topic in the RF2 section called RealityEditor and post built version updates.

Be Patient

Thanks
Terry

PS
There is a small demo level I am making as we add functionality it will improve.
Just start RealityEditor and Menu->File->Load Scene the file is RF2.3dScene allow it to load I need to add a progress bar later for loading.

[zany_001]

I assume RF2 will be able to do outdoor levels well too?

[hgt_terry]

Yes

Ogre is what its good at outdoor terrain there has been a big push Ogre Side to create editable terrain’s.
At some point we will use the 1.7 version of Ogre which as a built in terrain editor in the API so we can edit/create in RealityEditor
Terry

[ardentcrest]

It didnt work for me the first time. I had to download the d3dx9_38.dll file.
Maybe you can add it in to the next zip build.

This looks like its going to be one fine prog......

[hgt_terry]

ardentcrest

d3dx9_38.dll

yes will include in the next built version if anybody finds any problems running the exe let me know i will include what ever is needed it needs to run from the instalation ok.

ps
it will run on vista if i include the d3dx9_38.dll both directX 9 and 10 can live on the same operating system.

[bernie]

We have made a test version of the editor available today 17/01/10
Download from:
http://sourceforge.net/projects/realityeditor/

Here is a very rough guide to get you started and play around with the RF2 Editor.

The main interface:

RF2Editor.JPG

Main interface.

(143.26 KiB) Not downloaded yet

EDIT: It seems we cant attach pics any more so you will have to download the attachment for reference.

This consists of a basic windows window with a menu strip below which are a number of panels. The first 3 are:
1 The main 3d panel. This is where your scene is shown.
2 The File panel. This shows the tree view of Scene components.
3 The properties panel. This shows the properties of anything that is selectd in the File panel.

The rest of the panels are for any extra buttons required to control:
4 The game.
5 Files.
6 Editing of the scene.
7 Properties panels.

When a scene is loaded use WSAD keys to move around the left and right arrow keys to rotate left and right or left mouse key + move to rotate left, right, look up and down.
In Fly mode use the "Q" key to move down and the "E" key to move up.
There is a camera speed Drop down in panel "4" that can be used to help getting to the position you require faster. We intend to replace that with a slider in panel "6". (Your feed back on that please).

How to load your own Terrain:

First you need a heightmap in png format. The heightmap can be saved from L3dt in this format (L3dt is a free heightmap generator obtainable from bundysoft http://www.bundysoft.com/phpBB2/ and is highly recommended you can also save alpha maps, normal maps specular maps and textures from that which will be used later when we port to ogre 1.7).
The heightmap must be power of 2+1 ie 257x257 or 513x513 or 1025x1025 etc. Texture, Normal , Specular and Alpha maps (Alpha maps not needed yet for ogre 1.6 version) must be a power of 2. L3dt will do all that. This is an ogre requirement not ours.

Place your heightmap in the Terrains folder of RFEditor.
Place your terrain texture in the editor media\textures folder.
Open the RF2_terrain.cfg file in notepad and change the Heightmap.image=terrain.png to your heightmap name. Change the pageSize to the size of your heightmap. Save the cfg as a new name.cfg


1 Open RF2 Editor and choose close Temp.
2 Click on the plus sign on Test scene in panel "2".
3 Click on World.
4 In the right panel "3" Click load Terrain.
5 select your cfg file.

Your own terrain will now load.
You can now play around with the properties, change the texture and update the terrain to suit.

How to add your own objects:

Save your ogre.mesh and ogre.skeleton files in the editor media\Actors folder
Save the Textures in the editor media\Textures folder and the material file in the editor media\scripts folder.

Now click on Static Objects.
Click load object and load your actor.
If you cant see your object press the find object button in panel "3" then move back using the "s" key.

Tip: If you select the camera (camera_1 panel "2") you can read the camera position from

the properties in panel "3" and the set the x, y and z of your obect to that position for quicker placement, then step back with the "S" key so you can see it, you can then move the object exactly where you want it.

You can now play around with the properties in panel "3" and place the object wherever and its orientation to whatever you wish.
You can save your scene from menu file->Save scene.

There is a load more work to do so this is only the very early beginnings, For instance we need to be able pick up objects and move them with the mouse or keys etc for easier placement that will be a major step (feedback on this please).

Please play around and let us know your likes dislikes etc and any ideas you might have that will improve the editor. This is YOUR editor and the one you will be using for RF2 so please help and make it as good as possible.

[Jay]

An idea that comes to mind in an instant (haven't event played around with the editor yet, but will do so soon), is having a key which allows 'drop to floor' of an object.

Still have some ideas for terrain editing in mind, but i think it would be better to just test the editor beforehand

[bernie]

Hang a sec jay you will need to download again Terry forced load an existing level by mistake on the uploaded test demo. Hes fixing that now.
EDIT: Fixed now 4.31.pm GMT

An idea that comes to mind in an instant (haven't event played around with the editor yet, but will do so soon), is having a key which allows 'drop to floor' of an object.

Yes that's a good Idea and we will definitely take that on board.
EDIT: it already does that. but it will need to be refined when we do grouping etc.

[zany_001]

WOO! I'll test today if I have time.

Height maps sound very meh, will we be able to import meshes to use as terrain? Otherwise, very hot.

@interface, can you make rotate, scale, move, what mouse button you select objects with, etc. changeable in User Preferences? That way we can make it work the same as our modelling program.

For example, with blender, you hold down middle mouse button and move the mouse to rotate around the scene, and you right-click to select objects, and tap G to Grab-and-move the selected object, R to rotate it, etc.

[bernie]

Early days yet zany and a long way to go but ideas like that will be taken on board. Its very basic at the moment but you can build a scene. The scene you build now you will be able to use in the game when the editor is finished, so you can start now and design your RF2 games. We may be changing the format of the .scene file later, but if we do you will still be able to load your old scenes and they will be saved in the new format. No worries on that front.

[zany_001]

OK I played around with it for a bit, it looks good, but it lags a bit Probably because I was using a sucky work computer though. Once you go into full screen, how do you exit out of it?

[bernie]

Once you go into full screen, how do you exit out of it?

Sorry should have explained. Use the escape key.

[paradoxnj]

I just need to be clear about something...

Terry and Bernie's work is excellent but is not compatible with RF2. RF2 does not support terrain as of yet and that terrain design is not the design that will go into RF2.

In addition, RF2 uses component objects and does not use Ogre meshes directly. An RF2 object may or may not have a mesh associated with it. An object could be as simple as a 3D sound or it could be as complicated as an NPC with a fully functional brain (AI).

The scene you build now you will be able to use in the game when the editor is finished, so you can start now and design your RF2 games.

The above statement is false also as there is no world file format design as of yet. I also do not have any plans to use .scene.

What you see here is an Ogre editor. Not an RF2 editor.

[zany_001]

So you guys haven't been working together on this? :/

[paradoxnj]

I asked Terry for help in developing the editor for RF2, but it is not following the design and it is not using the RF2 library that contains all of the logic and game specific objects. There are designs implemented in it that are not RF2 designs (terrain, objects, and world file format are a few). This is why I said it is "an Ogre Editor" and not an RF2 Editor. It also seems to have broken off from the rest of the project as it is not part of the main repository so as far as I am concerned, this is not part of the RF2 project and is a separate effort. This is fine with me as that is what open source is all about, but I don't want the community to get the wrong information such as stating it is compatible with RF2. RF2 is way more than just Ogre.

This was the main problem with Jet3D. Everyone wanted something different and did not want to follow the design or even talk about it. Before RF2 heads down that road, I just want to set the record straight so I could keep it going in the right direction.

I might have to close the source until the release to protect the project.