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mapping:cawe:intro [2006-08-13 06:15]
stephen
mapping:cawe:intro [2013-01-07 12:07]
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-====== Introduction to Editing ====== 
  
-===== Brushes ===== 
- 
-Do you know how a Lego model or a real house is built from bricks? 
-Invidividual,​ small bricks are combined to form a complex architectural structure. 
-CaWE works principally in the same way, and thus if you can visualize how individual bricks form a model or a big building, 
-you will find it easy to grasp the concepts behind CaWE. 
- 
-In CaWE, the bricks are called //​brushes//,​ and they come in several shapes: blocks, wedges, cylinders, pyramids etc. 
-Moreover, you can modify the default brushes in many ways. They can be scaled, sheared, mirrored, cut in pieces, carved and so on. 
-You can create an arbitrary big number of these brushes in any shape you like, and use and combine them for building 
-the matter that forms your world: walls, floors, roofs, furniture, rocks, ... . 
-Brushes eventually get //​materials//​ assigned that represent the surface properties of that brush, 
-as for example rock, glass, concrete, sand or water. 
-The creation of brushes is detailed at [[mapping:​cawe:​editingtools#​newbrush]]. 
- 
- 
-===== Bezier Patches and Terrains ===== 
- 
-Modelling really complex surfaces can be difficult with brushes alone, especially if the surfaces should be curved, organic, or very big. 
-Ca3DE and CaWE therefore provide two additional basic elements that complement brushes: 
-//Bezier patches// are curved surfaces that you can imagine like bent or stamped metal plates. 
-They can be used to model pipes, curves, smooth archs, and many other organic objects. 
-The creation of bezier patches is detailed at [[mapping:​cawe:​editingtools#​newbezierpatch]]. 
-//​Terrains//​ are similar, but as their name suggests, aim at surfaces that are much bigger and more irregular. 
-They'​re also treated specially by the engine and have very high performance. 
-The creation of terrains is detailed at [[mapping:​cawe:​editingtools#​newterrain]]. 
- 
-===== Entities ===== 
- 
-//​Entities//​ define and represent all other interesting things in a world, and they come in two flavours: 
- 
-  * **Point-based entities** exist at a specific coordinate in space and be can be thought of as a reference point. Although these entities may refer to objects that actually have a volume, for example a monster, they are only treated as points in CaWE, and the Ca3D-Engine provides the volume later in the game. An example is a monster entity: In CaWE, it just represents the point where the monster will be, in Ca3DE, it will acutally be there. 
-  * **Brush-based entities** are related to at least one brush or bezier patch and thus have a volume. Examples for brush based entities include doors and platforms, bodies of water, area triggers, etc. 
- 
-The creation of entities is detailed at [[mapping:​cawe:​editingtools#​newentity]]. You can see a list of Ca3DE'​s entities at the [[mapping:​cawe:​reference:​entityguide|Entity Guide]]. 
- 
- 
-===== Static Detail Models ===== 
- 
-While //static detail models// are really only a specific type of entity, they provide another powerful means to 
-augment the detail in your world in a way that is not easy or even impossible to achieve with brushes, bezier patches and terrains alone. 
-Such models can be imported from your favourite 3D modelling program, they can be arbitrarily complex, 
-and they can for example be under the control of a level-of-detail system. 
-Examples include models for furniture, statues, household inventory, vehicles, etc. 
-A description of all available entity types is available at [[mapping:​cawe:​reference:​entityguide]]. 
- 
-===== Putting it All Together ===== 
- 
-By combining these simple components, you can create stunningly virtual worlds whose number of variants is virtually unlimited. 
-Starting with a rough outline of brushes and possibly terrains, you can fill in architectural detail with other brushes, patches and entities. 
-Eventually you will populate your world with more entities that bring your creation to life. 
- 
-The final step in making a world is compiling it so that it can be run with the Ca3D-Engine. 
-This is a quite complex process that precomputes visibility, lighting and many other details. 
-However, CaWE has a great built-in facility to make the compilation process as easy as possible for you. 
-The article [[mapping:​compiling_new]] has more information about how CaWE assists in compiling maps. 
mapping/cawe/intro.txt ยท Last modified: 2013-01-07 12:07 (external edit)