Mods and Machinima

0910 - 1155
- Discussion of issues with custom model
- Complete custom models

1310 - 1555
- Play Deathmatch with custom models
- Blog screenshots from Deathmatch
- View machinima films and discuss reviews

Diary of a Camper, 1996
Quake done Quick, 1997
Operation Bayshield, 1997
Arrival of a Train at La Ciotat, The Lumière Brothers, 1895
Le Voyage Dans La Lune, Georges Melies, 1902
Hardly Workin', The Ill Clan, 2000
Rebel vs Thug, Ken "3Dfilmmaker" Thain, 2002
Fake Science, Dead on Que, 2002
Ann, Fountainhead, 2003
Anachronox, Jake Huges, 2002

I updated the tutorial with a few additional notes, mainly regarding render mapping.
Download file

harlequin bought it

Rhizome - interview with Eddo Stern

Download flyer

QC - Valve Developer Community

We had a blast last night playing Deathmatch, in spite of issues with the custom models. I'll just have to recomplie everything on my machine (it's all part of the service!).

Let's make this a regular weekly event. Wednesdays 9pm - 10pm.

Send me your models and I will compile them for the game. Send me your custom levels (compiled in Hammer to .bsp) and I will add them to the map rotation. Let's start seeing some of our own cool stuff in the game!

Focus
Abstract
Simplify
Test

do it

Friday April 11
- Announcements (see separate blogs)
- Deathmatch tournament debrief
- Deathmatch server tour
- Deathmatch - specator mode (for machinima)
- Video capture using FRAPS and VirtualDub
- Machinima - watch films and review
- Video capture using FRAPS and VirtualDub
- Deathmatch - specator mode (for machinima)
- Custom textures in Hammer
http://www.snarkpit.net/editing.php?page=tutorials&game=HL2&id=121
- Introduction to Faceposer
http://www.hl2world.com/wiki/index.php/Creating_your_first_Faceposer_scene
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qzKmboA8Fo0

Download .wav sound file for practice

Homework: bring in .wav file of your voice for lipsynching in Faceposer. File must be of the following format: 4-bit Microsoft ADPCM ("MSADPCM") mono .WAV files at 44kHz (44100Hz)

Friday April 18
Create Choreography scene in Faceposer

Friday April 25
Work on final Machinima project FA119 and CIA Lab

Friday May 2
Work on final project FA 119 and CIA Lab
(Andy's baby due)

Friday May 9

we have a lot to get through and it will affect your grade. I keep track.

http://developer.valvesoftware.com/wiki/Hammer_Hotkey_Reference

The .res file is a file on the server which lists the custom files (sounds, textures, etc) that need to be downloaded for the client for a particular map.

The .res file is placed in the maps folder on the server. It has the same name as the map file but with .res on the end, for example:
map file: my_room.bsp
res file: my_room.res

Here is a good tutorial on the subject:

http://www.telefragged.com/wally/tutorials/res_files.html

Download tutorial (PDF)

0910 - 1155 Faceposer tutorial
1310 - 1555 Faceposer tutorial / final projects

Blog a detailed description of your final project idea. Structure under the following headings:

1. Concept
- What element is the main focus of this mod or machinima?
- What interests you about the element you have chosen?
- How will you abstract this main element?
- What simplifications will you make?
- What will be your final "product" (note: everyone must produce video documentation of the project whether or not the project is a game or a machinima)

2. Technical
- On what game will this mod or machinima be be based?
- Which techniques will you use from those learnt in class?
- Which new techniques will you need to research and implement?
- What technical problems do you foresee?

3. Schedule
- Provide a schedule broken down as follows
Friday April 25
Friday May 2
Plus describe work and research you will perform outside of class.

Include images of any design sketches, models, textures, maps, etc. Anything that will help to illustrate your idea.

Before you do anything else today, download SpeechSDK51.exe from here:

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=5e86ec97-40a7-453f-b0ee-6583171b4530&DisplayLang=en

How to make an animated texture:
http://www.hl2world.com/wiki/index.php/AnimatedTextures

How to set up a surveillance camera and monitor:
http://www.snarkpit.net/editing.php?page=tutorials&game=HL2&id=125

This is the procedure for completely reskinnning an hl2 character:
http://www.hl2world.com/wiki/index.php/Reskinning_Models

You will need a tool called GCFScape to extract the hl2 character models from Valve's compressed GCF format.
http://nemesis.thewavelength.net/index.php?p=25

username: sfsumods
pword: gman

follow the youtube guidance for file formats and size
http://www.google.com/support/youtube/bin/answer.py?answer=57924&topic=10525

Download wav file

You can make arches, cylinders, spheres, toruses, spikes and wedges directly in Hammer. Here's how....

Select the block tool on the left-hand side.

On the right-hand side of the application locate the Category options.

Under Object: select the primitive shape required. Complete any requierd options, e.g. for the sphere select the number of faces.

Now, with the mouse in a 2D window, drag to create a block. [Note: at this stage the shape will just be a block -- you will not see a sphere for examle.] Once you have the block size you want hit ENTER and the primitiave shape will appear. For the arch and the torus after pressing ENTER a window will appear with additional shape options.

Looking at the Academic Calender it appears that finals start on Saturday May 17. We could therefore theoretically fit in a class on Friday May 16. I propose a morning only class for presentation of final projects and wrap up. This would give you three full days to complete your projects and to catch up with other work. We will discuss in class this Friday.

- Triggering sounds is similar to triggering faceposer scenes
http://www.fpsbanana.com/tuts/2935

- Console Commands (CVARS)

A complete list:
http://developer.valvesoftware.com/wiki/Console_Command_List

In-game bring up the consol by hitting the ~ key.

To access commands enter: sv_cheats 1

To remove the HUD the weapon view and the crosshairs (useful for machinima)
r_drawviewmodel 0
cl_drawhud 0
crosshair 0

To show the wireframe rendering
mat_wireframe 1

To display in the consol the material under the crosshairs
mat_crosshair

To display the level with flat rendering (and an instant modern art piece)
mat_drawflat 1

- Mac the Ripper for extracting content from DVDs
http://www.mactheripper.org/

- GCFScape for extracting game content (models, textures, sounds, etc)
http://nemesis.thewavelength.net/index.php?p=26

The linked image shows clearance dimensions for player characters in Hammer, e.g. minimum door height and maximum step height.

View image

Image courtesy Noesis Interactive.

The best way to distribute custom content (models, sounds, textures, etc) is to package them with the map file using a program called Pakrat (free). When downloaded the custom content will be placed in the correct folders on the client machine.

http://www.geocities.com/cofrdrbob/pakrat.html

As discussed in class

Friday, May 2 - work on final projects in class (unless you've agreed alternative arrangements with me). Blog progress.

Friday May 9 - work on final projects in class (unless you've agreed alternative arrangements with me). Blog progress.

Friday May 16 (morning class only) - present final projects, wrap up and debrief.

All final videos must be uploaded to the class's YouTube site.