Tilemagic
General discussion about the Community Tileset Project

Moderators: Winterhawk99, Mermut, Bannor Bloodfist, Black Rider

Post Reply
Primogenitor
Posts: 49
Joined: Sat Dec 11, 2004 9:24 am

Tilemagic

Post by Primogenitor »

For anyone who doesnt know what tilemagic is, it is using VFX to simulate tiles, and the changing thereof. There are several examples in HotU, the waterfall near the slaves, the beholder bridge, the exploding buildings at the end. For more information, Id recommend sunjammers incldes and tutorials http://www.sunjammer.co.uk/

Now, the reason I mention tilemagic is because it depends on the different tiles being defined in visualeffects.2da on the clientside and I was wondering if there were any plans to include any in CTP? Or if anyone can think of any that might be worth adding as tilemagic? For example sandy tiles, or wooden planks, or obelisks, or bridges, or anything else anyone could think of.

It does make sense to be in the CTP, becuase if its a community standard, then PW builders can use it and not require any module-specific haks.

Banshe
Posts: 53
Joined: Tue Jan 04, 2005 7:17 pm

Post by Banshe »

Wow, you sure are going to keep us busy. :_read:


We'll add it to the maybe list. ;)

Guest

Post by Guest »

Tile magic is the single most under used aspect by builders. There are still modules being built where the builder uses two or more areas to represent the same area but in different phases of decay or battle throughout the module, when a single area and a little magic goes a long way to decreasing module load times and size.

There are also those who still create water traps the old fashined way by using two different areas even though there is a clear cut tutorial in the Bioware forums where I believe Derek French or someone explains tile magic.

I'd like to see this more widely accepted and used, but so far, that's not the case. I wonder why?

User avatar
Christopher
Posts: 267
Joined: Wed Jan 05, 2011 10:21 pm
ctp: No
dla: No
TBotR: No
nwnihof: No

Post by Christopher »

I have kept a very close tab on SunJammer's work for he last year! I even had an article in the Forum that was removed and then readded (lost... lost!). Issue!

[font=Franklin Gothic Medium]visualeffects.2da[/font] :z_swfight Other groups likely have use of this as well. Bioware makes updated to the 2da's often enough in patches and this one in certainly no exceptions (changed in 1.65 for the betterment of Tilemagic if I might add).

It's has potential. Let's just put it thier for now. But Thank You.

If we make a brain storming squad you on it! Keep em' coming.

Guest

Post by Guest »

I think you will probably find that most builders either don't know anything about what Tilemagic is or what is actually involved in using it.

It would have been nice if bioware had delivered thorough documentation concerning the toolset. Unfortunately that will probably never happen and many of the little tricks they used to do things will remain a secret the vast majority of builders.

Hopefully Obsidian will do a much better job of informing the builder community concerning their toolset and it's capabilities.

Syrsnein.

Guest

Post by Guest »

While they may not release official documentation, which might quickly become outdated due to the many things added in patches, Bioware does regularly post answers to questions.

Here's a topic I think most builders know about, but for those who don't. Click Here.

An introduction to Tile Magic - By: Georg Zoeller is included.

Primogenitor
Posts: 49
Joined: Sat Dec 11, 2004 9:24 am

Post by Primogenitor »

Biowares core documentation of file types is excellent. nwn.bioware.com/developers and has been kept up to date over patches. Most of the script things they dont document because people can look at how bioware did it in the nwm files directly. The problem with tilemagic is that when done properly it is so seemless that people dont "see" it as an effect.

For tilemagic, I'd recommend sunjammers site. http://www.sunjammer.co.uk/ He is "Da Tilemagic Masta!" :biggrin2:

Guest

Post by Guest »

[QUOTE=Primogenitor]Most of the script things they dont document because people can look at how bioware did it in the nwm files directly.
[/QUOTE]

Not anymore. Bioware is, in most cases, no longer supporting 2/3rds of the NWN software package. We're all thieves who are going to steal a $2 module, or in the case of builders, we're all thieves who just want to know how something is done and modify it to our hearts content without having to ask and wait to be told how with incomplete directions in a the slowest forum based setting known.

Premium == Superior Quality? :rolleyes2

Sorry for the rant, it just is upsetting when you have to download third party programs to reverse engineer a sloppy copy protection on a $2 video game just to get a complete answer and in order to use the software you've legally purchased with the tools provided in that purchase. My support for Bioware went from complete and total support to nil because of this.

User avatar
DM_Mask
Posts: 181
Joined: Sun Jul 18, 2010 4:44 am

Post by DM_Mask »

[QUOTE=Syrsnein]I think you will probably find that most builders either don't know anything about what Tilemagic is or what is actually involved in using it.

It would have been nice if bioware had delivered thorough documentation concerning the toolset. Unfortunately that will probably never happen and many of the little tricks they used to do things will remain a secret the vast majority of builders.

Hopefully Obsidian will do a much better job of informing the builder community concerning their toolset and it's capabilities.

Syrsnein.[/QUOTE]

Agreed, most(Myself included) really don't know how to use it.

Agreed, I remember opening the NWN manual, reading all 7 pages on Toolset usage, all 7 pages on DM client usage, and then deciding I'd better just play the game and not even attempt to try making mod's or changing the game. In a word: Disappointing. I remember it felt like I had a fricking viper in the garage, but it was a stick-shift and I had no idea how to use it.

If obsidion makes an honest attempt at some cohesive, coherant documentation I'll call it a most profound improvement.

Post Reply