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mapping:cawe:intro [2006-04-30 16:33] Thrawn changed the compiling link to the new tutorial |
mapping:cawe:intro [2013-01-07 12:07] (current) |
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Modelling really complex surfaces can be difficult with brushes alone, especially if the surfaces should be curved, organic, or very big. | 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: | + | Cafu 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. | //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. | They can be used to model pipes, curves, smooth archs, and many other organic objects. | ||
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//Entities// define and represent all other interesting things in a world, and they come in two flavours: | //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. | + | * **Point-based entities** exist at a specific coordinate in space and 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 Cafu 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 Cafu, 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. | * **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]]. | + | The creation of entities is described in the [[mapping:cawe:editingtools:newentity|New Entity tool]] documentation. |
+ | A list with a description of all available entity types can be found in the [[mapping:cawe:reference:entityguide|Entity Guide]]. | ||
===== Static Detail Models ===== | ===== Static Detail Models ===== | ||
- | While //static detail models// are really only a specific type of entity, they provide another powerful means to | + | While //static detail models// are really nothing more than (point-based) entities of type ''static_detail_model'', 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. |
- | 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. |
- | Such models can be imported from your favourite 3D modelling program, they can be arbitrarily complex, | + | Examples include models for furniture, statues, household or laboratory inventory, vehicles, etc. |
- | 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 ===== | ===== Putting it All Together ===== | ||
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By combining these simple components, you can create stunningly virtual worlds whose number of variants is virtually unlimited. | 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. | 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 creating to life. | + | 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. | + | The final step in making a world is compiling it so that it can be run with the Cafu engine. |
This is a quite complex process that precomputes visibility, lighting and many other details. | This is a quite complex process that precomputes visibility, lighting and many other details. | ||
- | Future versions of CaWE will come with a great tool to make compiling much easier, | + | However, CaWE has a great built-in facility to make the compilation process as easy as possible for you. |
- | but until then a little typing at the command-line must be done to run the compilers. | + | The article [[mapping:compiling_new]] has more information about how CaWE assists in compiling maps. |
- | It's still easy to manage, and discussed in detail in the article [[mapping:compiling_new]]. | + |