Mods and Machinima

Since this is my only class at State this semester my office hours will be 12 - 1pm in our room FA 119.

Basics of 3D Graphics (Powerpoint)
Basics of 3D Graphics (PDF)
Basics of XSI Mod Tool (Powerpoint)
Basics of XSI Mod Tool (PDF)

This is a good, comprehensive, straightforward, guide to XSI.

Download file - PDF (12 MB)

A PDF image of the Pixar lamp inverse kinematics.

Download file

0910 - 1155

- Announcements:
* Game Developer's Conference at the Moscone Center Feb 18 - 22. http://www.gdconf.com/
* XSI Basics Guide
* Andy Cox's "Office Hours"
* Presentations uploaded

- The XSI file system: projects, .scn and .exp files. Can open .scn but not save. Must save in the Mod Tool .exp format. All scenes (.exp in our case) have to be saved into projects. 10 mins

- Noesis data base is in mod_tool not mod_tool_database
c:\Softimage\XSI_6_Mod_Tool\Addons\mod_tool Noesis_QS_Database - Note: this is a project folder set up by Noesis and therefore we can save scenes to it

- Inverse Kinematics (pixar lamp) and Forward Kinematics. 15 mins

- Complete face and lamp and upload .exp files. Cutoff is lunch time - upload what you've finished by then.

- When you've finished the face start work on the Time Bomb project.

1310 - 1555

- Look at postings on art and games and discuss.

- Continue with Time Bomb model.

Read Marshall McLuhan's Games - The Extensions of Man from Understanding Media.
Download reading (PDF)

McLuhan writes that games are "social reactions to the main drive or action of any culture". Describe at least one "social reaction" that might be activated by video games. Include at least one game as an example. We will discuss in class next Friday.

Download file

Download file (.exp)

A number of us were having problems duplicating the textured dynamite stick. I have found the solution to the problem.

The issue is the way that the "texture supports" are being copied. Texture supports are the "frame" that holds the texture - the texture is not wrapped directly onto the model but onto the support. This give more flexibility but also adds another complication to watch out for! They appear as green wireframes.

There are different options on how the supports are copied when an object is duplicated. These option are accessed through Edit > Duplicate/Instantiate Options (see below):

The "Texture supports" options must be set to either "Always duplicate" or "Freeze projections". Here is a summary of the four possible options:

Only if selected The support is duplicated only if it is explicity selected. The duplicated model then shares the same texture support as the original object. This means that the copied object will be squeezed onto the same texture in the texture image. (This is the problem most of us were having.)

Alwasy duplicate The support is duplicated whether it is copied or not. The support appears in the same position in the duplicates hierarchy.

Alwasy share Never duplicates the object's texture support (similar to "only if selected").

Freeze projections duplicates the object but freezes the texture projection of the duplicate. The duplicate has no texture support. Unless you want to manipulate the texture support of the duplicated object, this appears to be the simplest choice.

The file path shown in the Noesis .vmt file is incorrect. Here is the correct file:

"VertexLitGeneric"
{
"$basetexture" "models/Noesis/TimeBomb"
"model" 1
"$envmapmode" 1

}

This file noesis_map.vmf was missing from my installation. You can download it here if it's missing from yours: Download file

http://www.digitalartistshandbook.org/

Useful introductions to techniques and tools for all forms of digital art.

You need to launch the Source Software Developer's Kit (Source SDK) to access the Model Viewer, the Hammer Editor, etc.

To launch the SDK open the Steam window and click on the tools tab. Now, righ click on Source SDK and select Properties. In the Properties window select Launch Options and enter -engine ep1 and click OK. Close the Properties window and launch the SDK.

0910 - 1155

- Announcements (see separate blog postings)

- This week's assignment (see separate blog posting)

- Complete the Time Bomb up to and including producing a merged model with a uniform texture. If you have finished please help others!

1310 - 1555

- Discuss Games - The Extensions of Man

- Short presentation on how to export your TimeBomb from XSI to Half Life 2

- Get Time Bomb into Half Life 2 level the Noesis Tutorial on Source Prop Integration. Blow up some stuff. Experiment changing parameters in the .qc file.

- XPlay special on Valve's The Orange Box (if time available)

Show and Tell

Blog a description of a game mod or a machinima piece made using the Source Engine (the engine used to make Half Life 2). Post at least one image. Discuss what you find interesting about the game or machinima. If possible, download and play the game, and provide a link to the machinima.

You show and tell your item next Friday in class.

See the Links seciton of this blog for resources. http://www.selectparks.net is a good place to start.

Note: as always these weekly reading and research assignments are worth approximately 2% of the final grade. There will be approximately 10 of them in total.

Hopefully, this will solve problems caused by the missing gameinfo.txt file when we compiled the model exported from XSI.

Open Steam then launch the Source SDK. Under utilities right click on Refresh SDK Content and Launch. Then right click on Reset Game Configurations and Launch.

Then close the SDK then run Half Life 2.

Finally open the SDK again.

All configurations should now be back to their default values, including the presence of the mssing gameinfo.txt file.

For more information, see the Valve Developer Community:
http://developer.valvesoftware.com/wiki/Missing_GameInfo.txt

0910 - 1355
Complete Time bomb and import into level using the Hammer editor. When you have a working bomb compiled and working in Hammer, take at least two screenshots and post to your blog. These should be a closeup of the bomb and one of it exploding. Then help others! This is not easy and we're going to have to pull together.

Note the instructions below for refreshing the SDK content and resetting the game configuration before proceeding with compilation of the .qc file.

Note, open the Model Viewer form the SDK before compiling the .qc file. This can help with errors.

Note that studiomdl.exe and vtex.exe are in this folder:
C:\Program Files\Valve\Steam\SteamApps\username\sourcesdk\bin\ep1\bin
not
......sourcesdk\bin
as shown in the video

Note: there is a slight revision to the flow chart showing a more logical location for the .vtf file
Download chart

Question: Where is all the Half Life 2 content?

1310 - 1555
We'll look at the Half Life 2 mods you' ve found
Then we'll watch the X-Play special on Valve's Orange Box.

Read the chapter titled "The Game Design Sequence" from Chris Crawford's "The Art of Game Design". http://www.vancouver.wsu.edu/fac/peabody/game-book/Chapter5.html

Summarize Crawfords main ideas in 5 or 6 succinct bullet points.

Some of you may be having issues not seeing the correct extensions on files. If "hide extensions" is enabled, then you would be seeing timebomb.qc, for example, but the actual file would be timebomb.qc.txt if you had just edited the file in Notepad. Here's how to correct this.....

1. Double click on My Computer
2. Click on Tools > Folder Options > View
3. Make sure "Hide extensions for known file types" is unchecked

Note that the Windows default is not to show extensions. (I don't agree with that!)

My top 10 interesting points in this chapter are:

1. Game design is an artistic and technical process.
2. Be true to yourself in selecting the goal of the game.
3. Goal preceeds topic.
4. Immerse yourself in a topic.
5. Provide a means for the player to explore her personality.
6. Build your game around a key element of the topic.
7. Abort the game if it no longer excites you.
8. Programming is the easiest part.
9. Clean designs are easy to describe.
10. If you have met your goals, ignore the critics.

***** Organizational Meeting of CIA Student Guild ****
CIA Lounge in Central Area of 5th FLoor
Thursday, Feb 28, 2008 at 1pm

Students are trying to awaken the sleeping cia student guild
In the past the organization has:

- organized discussion groups, shows, visiting artists
- bought equipment for student experimentation
- visits to artist studios

- as recognized student group, applied for funds from associated students

Please come to be part of the process of shaping the guild
Questions, comments -contact Andrew Bramer
bramerandrew@yahoo.com

****************************
Stephen Wilson, Professor, Conceptual/Information Arts (CIA)
Art Dept, 1600 Holloway, San Francisco State University,SF,CA 94132
(415) 338-2291 swilson@sfsu.edu http://userwww.sfsu.edu/~swilson
***************************

There is a bug in the new VGUI Model Browser. We need to use the old browser. Go to Tools > Options > General and uncheck the VGUI check box.

Provide 6 photos of your head in preparation for making a head texture to replace the head texture of a Half Life 2: Deathmatch character. The photos should be taken against a blank light-colored background. The photos should be facing right, right 45 degrees, front, left 45 degrees, left, back of head and top of head (not shown).

You should set a digital camera to medium resolution, or scan at at least 1024 x 768.

Next Friday you will be making the head texture and applying it to a Deathmatch character. This is a texture made from the above photos:

photos courtesy Noesis Interactive

If you've been modding Half Life 2 single player, for example, using the SDK then before modding another game, e.g. Half Life 2: Deathmatch, LAUNCH DEATHMATCH ONCE TO RESET THE SDK FOLDER LOCATIONS. This is IN ADDITION to selecting the game you want to mod in the SDK drop down menu.