Standalone Featureplacer - Page 4

Standalone Featureplacer

Tutorials & Resources For Mappers

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Forboding Angel
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Re: Standalone Featureplacer

Post by Forboding Angel »

Added, but it has no effect in spring (as I figured).

You should consider making your metalspot widget work for all maps out of the box without a config. Just one metalspot plastered everywhere there is a spot. Something mappers could just drop in if they wanted to. As it is, your widget was so convoluted that no one knew how to get it to work.

Not to mention the fact that you deleted the necessary files off of springfiles.
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FLOZi
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Re: Standalone Featureplacer

Post by FLOZi »

Unlock and bump.

In the process of updating http://springrts.com/wiki/Category:Map_making and specifically looking at http://springrts.com/wiki/Map_Making:_Feature_Placer

Seems to me that there are now (at least) 3 in game feature placement tools?
  • Feature Placer on googlecode from Evo + funkencools chili work
  • Scenario Editor Core (Possibly also in gajops version of ToolBox)
  • Smoths FeaturePlacer rewrite in GBS
Am I missing anything?
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Anarchid
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Re: Standalone Featureplacer

Post by Anarchid »

IIRC gajop's version doesn't really do features for maps (only for scenarios)
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knorke
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Re: Standalone Featureplacer

Post by knorke »

4) https://github.com/jk3064/Map-Blueprint ... placer.lua (basically same as others)
---

If the question "How to put features on my map via Lua?" is supposed to be answered in mapping-wiki I would suggest just to mention that beside using the "feature map" bitmap-pixel-thing one can also use Lua and then a link to http://springrts.com/wiki/Lua_Scripting

I can atm not think of a Lua that would be suitable simple and correct example there:
- gajop's scenerio editor seems "too much" for just mapping purposes? Could still be listed in some "Tools" section.
-Featureplacer (no matter what variante or version) is imo not suitable to recommend to newbies via the wiki because all versions have similiar issues. See older threads for detailed "why."
-Various resources / flag spawner gadgets are too game/map-specifique.

Maybe just have an example-gadget that demonstrates use of relevant functions like CreateFeature/Unit, AddGrass etc.

It is imo problematic if wiki has statements like:
http://springrts.com/wiki/Mapdev:features
"All features on a map are listed in the set.lua"
& http://springrts.com/wiki/Mapdev:set.lua
Imo that does not belong in general page about map features because it is specifique to some tools/mods and there are many ways to spawn stuff onto map and each project can have different needs.
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smoth
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Re: Standalone Featureplacer

Post by smoth »

Gajop's scenario editor CAN place features, however, it is designed to place them for the scenario, not the map. I spoke with him about it a while back and he felt I should continue working on feature placer for the base map and his scenario editor can place them as needed for scenario needs.
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FLOZi
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Re: Standalone Featureplacer

Post by FLOZi »

knorke wrote:If the question "How to put features on my map via Lua?" is supposed to be answered in mapping-wiki I would suggest just to mention that beside using the "feature map" bitmap-pixel-thing one can also use Lua and then a link to http://springrts.com/wiki/Lua_Scripting.
"Hurr hurr chili GUI fronted in-game placement tool exists, but that is too hard so here just learn how to code it yourself from scratch"

Wiki isn't only for newbies anyway, they will follow one of the tutorials that doesn't even mention it.

Seriously what are you even thinking? I can't reconcile your 'Feature Placer is not for newbies so should not be on the wiki' with 'just point them at the lua api'
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knorke
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Re: Standalone Featureplacer

Post by knorke »

Put tools into some tools section, also okay to mention them on the Features page but it needs seperation between "this is spring" and "this is extra Lua." or "This one way to do it" (as opposed to: "This is the way to do it)
'Feature Placer is not for newbies so should not be on the wiki'
That is not excactly what I said.
I said it has issues: By which I mean it does not work correctly, is not maintained, is bad code. Imo it is not something that should be on wiki for newbies to learn from/use. On some tools page with a warning it might be okay.
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FLOZi
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Re: Standalone Featureplacer

Post by FLOZi »

knorke wrote:Put tools into some tools section, also okay to mention them on the Features page but it needs seperation between "this is spring" and "this is extra Lua." or "This one way to do it" (as opposed to: "This is the way to do it)
'Feature Placer is not for newbies so should not be on the wiki'
That is not what I said.
I said it has issues: By which I mean it does not work correctly, is not maintained, is bad code that should not be on wiki for newbies to learn from/use.
By that logic we may as well link to nothing but jK's repos.

I agree that it should go in Map Tools category, and yes I will make it clear it is a 3rd party tool, just like ToolBox and ABC pages.
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knorke
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Re: Standalone Featureplacer

Post by knorke »

Not sure what that means.
The featureplacer version in jK's repo is 4)https://github.com/jk3064/Map-Blueprint ... placer.lua is not good either and years old (and abandoned it seems)

Btw this also means that for example http://springrts.com/wiki/Mapdev:set.lua has wrong pagename.
(Should be "FeaturePlacer:set.lua" or "Mapdev:FeaturePlacer:set.lua or something like that.)

Imo it is of no use to put broken/wrong on wiki, in past such things were almost marked as broken or removed. Leaving some gaps and waiting if they get filled is is better than filling with wrong just so "there is is something at all."
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FLOZi
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Re: Standalone Featureplacer

Post by FLOZi »

Just meant that most code is not up to the best standards.

Seems the current google code FP doesn't come with SpringFeatures as a dependency, which means if you download it via rapid it won't grab features, and even if you have it won't then use it -> only feature to select is the (broken) metal spot.


In fact does it make sense to download via rapid at all? Surely a sdd is more useful for this kind of tool, so you can set dependencies as needed?
gajop
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Re: Standalone Featureplacer

Post by gajop »

Regarding feature placing, I have to do implement feature-format loading/saving before you should place it there.
knorke wrote: I can atm not think of a Lua that would be suitable simple and correct example there:
- gajop's scenerio editor seems "too much" for just mapping purposes? Could still be listed in some "Tools" section.
It's also probably the only available ingame tool that can be used to make maps (heightmap, texture, features), so I don't see how it's "too much". That it does more than just mapping is true, but irrelevant.
That said, I still need to solve issue 42 that would allow me to export in it all in a format that can just be compiled from.

All of this requires "just a few hours" work, but I recently switched focus back to chili lobby and that's where I plan to spend some time on next few months, but I guess work will be slow for now seeing as I just changed countries.
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knorke
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Re: Standalone Featureplacer

Post by knorke »

gajop wrote:It's also probably the only available ingame tool that can be used to make maps (heightmap, texture, features), so I don't see how it's "too much". That it does more than just mapping is true, but irrelevant.
That said, I still need to solve issue 42 that would allow me to export in it all in a format that can just be compiled from.
Yes it is nice tool but you answered your own question ;) I meant if you want to make a map you do not want to include lots of different files. Ideally you only want one file that you can copy into the map.
FLOZi wrote:Just meant that most code is not up to the best standards.
In this case that means "not working." It is about the things like setting LOS-states for all teams (not just teamID 0) that are all small things but they are the relevant things. No "Featureplacer" has ever gotten that right, so maybe after weekend will make some example or something.
gajop
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Re: Standalone Featureplacer

Post by gajop »

knorke wrote:
gajop wrote:It's also probably the only available ingame tool that can be used to make maps (heightmap, texture, features), so I don't see how it's "too much". That it does more than just mapping is true, but irrelevant.
That said, I still need to solve issue 42 that would allow me to export in it all in a format that can just be compiled from.
Yes it is nice tool but you answered your own question ;) I meant if you want to make a map you do not want to include lots of different files. Ideally you only want one file that you can copy into the map.
I don't recall asking a question :o
I'm in agreement that it's not yet "ready", but I'll be happy when I can save it in a format (probably multiple files) that can then be given to a map compile tool as input.
I just wanted to point out that just because it also does other stuff (like scenario editing), it doesn't mean that it's not suitable for map-making.
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smoth
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Re: Standalone Featureplacer

Post by smoth »

Knorke
because you are including features you already have to include the feature files as it is. So having a placer lua and def are nothing compared to that. DON'T EVEN get me started on if you want to add a unit with weapons, effects, sounds etc.

I think you are moving the goal post and am staying out of this conversation because your way is the only way you will have it and any "discussion" is just a circular argument with you knorke. The fact that you see yourself as some how the sideline king of standards and methods is why I would HAPPILY do nothing let Gajop shoulder the burden instead of just dedicating a good week to continue working on featureplacer. The fact that you have nothing to do around here beyond showing up and mandating things where as I would rather spend my time getting stuff done means that any tool I develop I then have DOUBLE the work to just come into this site and deal with your peanut gallery.

Honestly, I would rather do NOTHING than have to deal with you. So I hope Gajop's tool replaces mine because he will just blow you off instead of giving any cares about what you want or wish to mandate.
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knorke
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Re: Standalone Featureplacer

Post by knorke »

gajop wrote:I don't see how it's "too much".
I saw that as kind of a "question."
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Anarchid
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Re: Standalone Featureplacer

Post by Anarchid »

I'm in agreement that it's not yet "ready", but I'll be happy when I can save it in a format (probably multiple files) that can then be given to a map compile tool as input.
Just a heads up, the list is not given to the compiler on input. You just put the .lua in your map archive.
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Silentwings
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Re: Standalone Featureplacer

Post by Silentwings »

Assuming you mean the list of features on a map, that can be given to mapconv as input; it depends on the workflow.

(I didn't read alot of the above, sorry if not relevent.)
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Funkencool
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Re: Standalone Featureplacer

Post by Funkencool »

At its core feature placer is basically 2 parts.

The first is what's required by the standalone tool. This is what allows you to place them in game and save a .lua with the coordinates and rotation of the features.

The second is included with the map. On start-up, it places all the features accordingly. This allows you to change/add/remove features, either manually in the .lua or in the first part, without having to recompile the map every time.

The same gadget can also be easily modified to place metal spots, which works nicely if you use features to show there's metal. I might have even committed that to the google code version.
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Forboding Angel
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Re: Standalone Featureplacer

Post by Forboding Angel »

Silentwings wrote:Assuming you mean the list of features on a map, that can be given to mapconv as input; it depends on the workflow.

(I didn't read alot of the above, sorry if not relevent.)
This is an idiotic way to do it. Hard compiling your list of features and their locations into the map itself as opposed to having an easily editable config is mind blowingly dumb.

Also, feature placer isn't broken. It works fine. The only thing that doesn't work is clustering. Boo hoo.
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FLOZi
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Re: Standalone Featureplacer

Post by FLOZi »

Forboding Angel wrote:
Silentwings wrote:Assuming you mean the list of features on a map, that can be given to mapconv as input; it depends on the workflow.

(I didn't read alot of the above, sorry if not relevent.)
This is an idiotic way to do it. Hard compiling your list of features and their locations into the map itself as opposed to having an easily editable config is mind blowingly dumb.

Also, feature placer isn't broken. It works fine. The only thing that doesn't work is clustering. Boo hoo.
Can you address
Seems the current google code FP doesn't come with SpringFeatures as a dependency, which means if you download it via rapid it won't grab features, and even if you have it won't then use it -> only feature to select is the (broken) metal spot.
? Just a tweak of modinfo.lua

Also is your version the same / have the same features as the one demonstrated in smoths video here? http://springrts.com/phpbb/viewtopic.ph ... 9&p=451104
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