Our ReVolt Pub

nice to find a new plug-in

Jigebren wrote: I've also worked on the path issue on Linux systems. This should work but it's still untested...

Can confirm that it works! Tested it on Cougar and it imports fine except that the plug-in still is case sensitive of course.

Jigebren wrote: I've not implemented again the support of lower case "none" in the parameters.txt file when importing a car. I think I should update it more thoroughly later as all entries should probably be made case-insensitive. But I need to check against the source before...

That sounds like a good plan to me. Should fix all remaining importing issues on GNU/Linux.

Thanks for sharing the information on Ngons - just checked Panga's hul file out and it's looking nice. Thanks for the support!

PS: Have you thought of a GIMP Plug-in for Re-Volt mipmap extensions support sometime in the future? Just sharing thoughts.

urnemanden @ Jun 5 2012, 10:31 PM wrote: PS: Have you thought of a GIMP Plug-in for Re-Volt mipmap extensions support sometime in the future? Just sharing thoughts.

I don't remember how but loong time ago with an old gimp realease I set bmq as bmp fils .... (load and save)

I didn't found how to do it with actual realease

urnemanden @ Jun 5 2012, 10:31 PM wrote:PS: Have you thought of a GIMP Plug-in for Re-Volt mipmap extensions support sometime in the future? Just sharing thoughts.

Not so far as I had never looked at the scripting interface of Gimp... Until this afternoon, as after your suggestion I was simply curious to know a bit more about it. And, well... I think I should release something tomorrow.

Jigebren wrote: Not so far as I had never looked at the scripting interface of Gimp... Until this afternoon, as after your suggestion I was simply curious to know a bit more about it. And, well... I think I should release something tomorrow.

Jigebren you are amazing. Sometimes I wish I had the same motivation as you to just "make it happen" you know.

urnemanden @ Jun 13 2012, 02:00 PM wrote:

Jigebren wrote: Not so far as I had never looked at the scripting interface of Gimp... Until this afternoon, as after your suggestion I was simply curious to know a bit more about it. And, well... I think I should release something tomorrow.

Jigebren you are amazing.

+1
That's nice to know Jig. I have Gimp on my old PC and i frequently use it. Your plugin will be very useful.

found a little bug

on world if you select more than one textured face and hit "Double-Sided" button : only the last selected face realy take the new propertie (i don't check others buttons but i think it work the same)

sebr @ Aug 14 2012, 07:01 PM wrote:on world if you select more than one textured face and hit "Double-Sided" button : only the last selected face realy take the new propertie (i don't check others buttons but i think it work the same)

You'll have to use the Batch Editing options to set properties for more than one face (select the face flag from the list and use Set).

oups sorry ...
thx for the tip

I had no problems creating a whole track with it.
Proof: http://revoltfrontend.wordpress.com/201 ... -the-roof/
First i thought Blender crashed while exporting a ncp file, but i was just too inpatient.
Thank you really much for your work!

Hey, thanks for the feedback Marv.

MarvTheM @ Sep 5 2012, 08:07 PM wrote:First i thought Blender crashed while exporting a ncp file, but i was just too inpatient.

Yep, I suggest you turn on the Blender console before exporting (or before any time consuming task like importing big file) as you'll get more info about the progress.
To open the console, use menu "Help / Toggle System Console". You have to that each time Blender is opened as this setting is not saved (and the console is not displayed by default anymore).


BTW the recent increasing number of requests for this plugin is encouraging me to work on it again soon.
<offtopic>
Currently I'm trying to redraw the font.bmp and the Fxpage2.bmp textures entirely in Inkscape to be able in the end to release an updated 512x512 version of these textures (along with the v1.2). This is way more time consuming than I would have ever think, but once I'm done with it I hope I could spend more time on the plugin (and the splitscreen feature in v1.2).
</offtopic>

About the plugin, I wonder if there's a most expected feature I should have to work on in priority? Something you feel that is strongly missing? (except the doc ) Or a feature that currently looks too unfinished? Let me know if you have a suggestion...

Well, perhaps support for the new higher collision limit in 1.2 would be nice.

Other than that, it's pretty much only the documentation that I wouldn't mind seeing some of. For example, how to use vertex colors in Blender and how to use them in several layers (one for shadows, etc.). Sorry for my lack of correct terminology here. I will gladly help out on this, where I can.

Oh, and if you feel like repeating some work, Track zone support would still be good too.

Bug or am I missing something ...?

It's about TexAnim command
When I load Palm Marsh world on Blender
TexAnim = n=8, nu=4, du=0.250, dv=0.250, t=0.250&#124;n=4, du=0.250, t=0.250

After exporting TexAnim = n=12, nu=4, du=0.250, dv=0.250, t=0.250
and all Tris anim mesh become wrong

I think all quad mesh must use n=8, nu=4, du=0.250, dv=0.250, t=0.250 and tris mesh n=4, du=0.250, t=0.250 but i can't do it again when exporting

Oh yes, track zone support of course! So R6-s idea of making tracks compatible with bikes doesn’t get lost.
Thanks for reminding, Urne.

Other bug on NCP export
it's an old bug that came back
see my Poste: May 19 2011, 07:57 PM

exporting a ncp file made somme unlinked faces and create hole and "insisible wall" for car like toyeca ...

sebr @ Sep 7 2012, 03:54 PM wrote:Bug or am I missing something ...?

It's about TexAnim command
When I load Palm Marsh world on Blender
TexAnim = n=8, nu=4, du=0.250, dv=0.250, t=0.250&#124;n=4, du=0.250, t=0.250

You're missing something...
In the current Addon implementation, only one single TexAnim command can be used per object, which is enough most of time as for example on a conveyor belt the same command can easily be used for all faces.

I agree a point can be misleading though: when the Addon analyses the TexAnim data and several TexAnim commands are found for one single object, it imports all commands separated by the "&#124;" char. But this character is actually used to combine 2 commands (they'll be applied one after the other when exporting), not to allow the use of several distinct commands on one object.
So directly re-exporting an object that has been imported using this char makes no sense (I hope this explanation is understandable...).

To fix this case, you just have to separate all Tri faces to a different object/mesh (see note below). Then you use the command "n=8, nu=4, du=0.250, dv=0.250, t=0.250" for the object with quads only, and "n=4, du=0.250, t=0.250" for the new object with tri only.

Note: to separate faces:
- in Edit mode select all tri faces (Note: [Ctrl+Tab] then [3] to switch to Select Face mode)
- press [P] then [1] to separate the selection to another object. Or through menu: Mesh / Vertices / Separate / Selection

sebr wrote:exporting a ncp file made somme unlinked faces and create hole and "insisible wall" for car like toyeca ...

Hmm, which track, where? From a quick visual check muse2.ncp appears to be ok, but I haven't tried in-game yet.

I pm you

Edit : ok for texanim

sebr @ Sep 8 2012, 03:55 PM wrote:Other bug on NCP export
it's an old bug that came back 
see my  Poste: May 19 2011, 07:57 PM

exporting a ncp file made somme unlinked faces and create hole and "insisible wall" for car like toyeca ...

I just checked. Well, it's just the same old issue with non-planar NCP quads... For more info check this post, or this one. In short, internally (in Blender as well as in Re-Volt) a quad is just 2 triangles merged. But a quad should never be used when the 2 triangles are not perfectly coplanar (a small angle is acceptable in .w or .prm files but not in .ncp files).

So there no bug here, the plugin likely even marks the bad faces with a Non-Planar flag (check the NCP face flags) and display a message in the console when exporting.

Just for info, this glitch can be seen even in the stock levels (eg. market1), fortunately as it occurs only in quite inaccessible places it's never really troublesome.

urnemanden @ Sep 6 2012, 06:31 AM wrote:Oh, and if you feel like repeating some work, Track zone support would still be good too.

Ok, the new TAZ (track zone) support is almost finished...
Visiboxes support has been improved as well: instead of using the object name to set the Box ID or type (Camera or Cube), this will be set directly in the Re-Volt panel.

The new Addon release is almost ready, but as the next Blender release (2.64) is also imminent, I wonder whether I'll wait until the official Blender 2.64 is out or rather release a last version for 2.63 (just for info the second RC release of Blender was today, so we can expect the official release to be a matter of days only).

In this release, TAZ (track zones) import/export support is finally implemented. Remember? it was almost done already a few months ago when I suddenly faced a hdd crash. Hmm, BTW it's been quite some time since my last backup...

Here's a preview of the NHood1 TAZ file.


Track Zone ID is now set through the Re-Volt panel directly (previously I was simply using the Object's name but it was way less convenient). It allows to directly update the color according to the track zone ID. As you can notice, colors match the ones used in Re-Volt internal MAKEITGOOD mode.


The car import code has also be updated to optionally include the collision data when importing a Parameters.txt file. Not only the .HUL file is imported (Convex Hull + Spheres set), but also the collision spheres set in the parameters.txt file which are used by the game for the wheels collisions.

In the screenshot below you can see:
- the whole Phat Slug car
- the violet semi-transparent mesh: the body's convex hull
- the green spheres: the body's spheres set
- the blue semi-transparent spheres: the wheels collision spheres



I've also fixed the Aerial import support. Previously the simple code only worked properly for vertical aerials (as for most of cars) but didn't manage cases where the aerial is tilted (as for the Phat Slug). Now tilted aerials should be properly displayed as well, as you can in the screenshot above...


There's also other bugfixes/modification, as well as a whole code restructuring and clean-up (which means that what worked before could have been silently broken and need to be tested).

Well, as I said I'll likely wait for the upcoming Blender 2.64, but if you feel like testing the new features right now, just tell me and I may release a last 2.63 version...

Hi Peeps!
I am looking into blender 2.64 32 bit released (oct 3rd) at the mo as i want to try something new!
Would you let me try your tool jiggy once you have one for this version?


Thanks.
Mike...

edited: removed email

Hey Mike, glad to see you around, and really glad to see you looking at Blender.

Skitch2 @ Oct 5 2012, 07:17 PM wrote:Would you let me try your tool jiggy once you have one for this version?

Of course. I'll try to finish the 2.64 release ASAP, maybe tomorrow, then you'll get the addon.

Since my last post SebR has reported me several bugs I have to fix before the official 2.64 release (and I still have to update Blender), and I'm really too tired to do it tonight.

new new bugs

FIN work as bad as W

aerial look strange on Predator

FerariF108 look strange when loading parameters.txt with car collisions

Hmm, with the new car addition I may have kindled some interest in the plugin. Might I be allowed to acquire it?

Skarma @ Oct 6 2012, 04:58 AM wrote:Hmm, with the new car addition I may have kindled some interest in the plugin. Might I be allowed to acquire it?

Yep, just PM me your email address to get the newsletter.

@SebR
Ok, thanks, I'll check that too.

---

EDIT:
I didn't have as much time as I expected today... I did finish the new release, but I have no enough time to write the changelog and updated the newsletter tonight. So you'll have to wait until tomorrow. Sorry for the delay.

In french because my brain not fully awake

Quel bonheur de pouvoir régler les track-zones par rapport au world juste à la souris

par contre les FIN coincent toujours : de plus la rotation des track-zone fonctiuonne toujours pas

le reste c'est bon (seule chose non testé : l'export du TAZ; mais c'est pas le problème le plus urgent ;-) )

Ok, I've sent the newsletter with the 2.64 release of the Addon.

Here is the changelog:

changelog wrote:ADD: TrackZones (.taz) import / export support
MOD: New interface options for Vis ID and type in the Re-Volt panel (ID is not set through the object name anymore).
FIX: Fixed vertex color layer update button.
FIX: Fixed wrong aerial orientation when importing a car with a tilted aerial (eg. Phat Slug)
MOD: Case insensitive when reading parameters.txt
ADD: Car collision and wheels collision spheres can optionally be imported when importing a car's parameters.txt.
MOD: extended NCP polygons limit (to follow v1.2)

And as I said in the newsletter and just to let you know, due to some professional changes I'll have way less free time to spend on all my Re-Volt projects from now on...

Thanks for the new release Jigebren.. Now all I gotta do is wait for my repositories to update Blender..

Upon working a bit in Blender today, it came to me that perhaps a really nice feature to have would be the ability to quickly test your changes in Re-Volt. As in, you press a button, the exporter exports the world and ncp file, Re-Volt pops up in dev windowed mode, loads the track and that's it.

Anyway, sorry to hear your lack of time. That happened for me too..

urnemanden @ Oct 8 2012, 08:50 PM wrote: Thanks for the new release Jigebren.. Now all I gotta do is wait for my repositories to update Blender..

you can download linux blender updater from blender download page ...

linux blender 2.64 32bit

linux blender 2.64 64bit

Yea, but I'd rather that all my software comes from the repository of my linux distribution - that way I can manage all software updates through one simple command. Thanks for the tip tho

too bad we can't be downloaded XP Version or 7 just Linux .


greetings : Nieger33@

Nieger33@ @ Oct 10 2012, 01:33 PM wrote: too bad we can't be downloaded XP Version or 7 just Linux .


greetings : Nieger33@

I only gave a tip to Urne because he use Blender on Linux (and so do I)

but blender works on windows xp to 7, Linux, Mac OS X and FreeBSD

ok i understand. Thx


greetings : Nieger33@


EDIT : Where can download Blender 2.64 plugin?

bug with Boogie Beach FIN Import
Boogie Beach = BUG
but others FIN work fine (i'll tell you if i found another one)

Skitch2 @ Oct 6 2012, 04:17 AM wrote:Hi Peeps!
I am looking into blender 2.64 32 bit released (oct 3rd) at the mo as i want to try something new!
Would you let me try your tool jiggy once you have one for this version?


Thanks.
Mike...

edited: removed email

great news! i've found in the past blender can be frustrating to learn but i wish you all the best with it...

I need an explanation of how you can transfer blender 3D models to parameter files for re-volt?

Or, how you can open the parameter files on blender?

(I use blender 2.63)

Nobody wants to answer my question.

RV_Passion @ Oct 28 2012, 08:52 PM wrote:Nobody wants to answer my question. 

Geez, its just 4 days. People can be busy, (we didn't had answers about 1.5 month in v1.2 patch). Don't worry, it will be answered, be patient.

[Edit]: And here's your answer .

@RV_Passion
In fact your question doesn't sound very clear... Transferring blender models to parameters files makes no sense in itself. Transferring what exactly? The coordinates?
In that case there a x100 or x10 scale applied when exporting, as well as [X, Y, Z] -> [X, -Z, Y] axis swap.

>> how you can open the parameter files on blender?
Menu "File &#092; Import &#092; Re-Volt (...)", then you select the parameters.txt file to import.

@SebR
I've not checked yet the Boogie Beach FIN import bug, but thanks for reporting.

Sorry for my questions.

Generally I'm looking for a way, how I can transver complete cars (With car body, spring, axles and aerial.) to re-volt?

We want to make THIS full custom car (And more!) playable for re-volt.

Sorry, 3 days without internet because of a tank truck crash over a bridge 30km away from where I live...

RV_Passion @ Oct 28 2012, 09:36 PM wrote:Generally I'm looking for a way, how I can transver complete cars (With car body, spring, axles and aerial.) to re-volt

You can't transfer the whole car back from Blender to the parameters.txt, only importing is supported.

The way to proceed here is to export your body to a body.prm file, export the wheels to another .prm file, the same for the springs, etc. Then you edit a parameters.txt file to include the proper models (the .prm files you've created) and you also edit the coordinates of the models. Then you can either import the parameters.txt in Blender to check the result, or run Re-Volt in the background and refresh the car after each edit to see the result in real time (I don't remember the shortcut to refresh the car but you can use the CHANGELING cheat then use PageUp/PageDown to reload the car in a race).

You should be able to compute the objects coordinates directly from the Blender objects coordinates using the info in my previous post. I have not created a full car from scratch in Blender yet - I was in the process to when I stopped having enough free time - otherwise I could probably have added a more convenient way to get the Re-Volt coordinates of objects...

sebr @ Oct 20 2012, 06:53 PM wrote:bug with Boogie Beach FIN Import

In fact it's not a bug, the file WALL2X4B.PRM of Boogie Beach is corrupted. It's a 2 bytes files with dummy values inside (instead of the polygons count which should be 0, and there should be 2 extra bytes for the vertices count set to 0 as well).
You should either delete this file or replace it with an empty file (or replace it with a 4 bytes files filled with 0...).

hi jigebren

I sent you a request for the plugin, check your pm

Vasja1st @ Nov 8 2012, 06:21 PM wrote: I sent you a request for the plugin, check your pm

Ok, but there'll be some delay before I manage the new subscriptions. Maybe this WE, so be patient...

jigebren @ Nov 8 2012, 08:57 PM wrote:

Vasja1st @ Nov 8 2012, 06:21 PM wrote: I sent you a request for the plugin, check your pm

Ok, but there'll be some delay before I manage the new subscriptions. Maybe this WE, so be patient...

No problem, we got time till 12.27.12.

Thank you by the way ;-)

I have just added a new button "Set / Get RV coords" to help getting or modifying the object's coordinates directly using Re-Volt axes / scale in Blender.
- It means you can get the XYZ values (eg. to write in the parameters.txt file) directly from the current object position in Blender.
- It's also possible to set the location of an object in Blender using the Re-Volt coordinates.


Just as a note, I've recently got several requests (through PM), but as stated in the first post I'm sending this plugin through email, so you have to send me your email address !
Due to a lack of time I'll probably simply ignore the incomplete requests...
I'll try to send the next release this WE (so if you have forgotten your email address in your request, you should quickly PM it to me).

Hello again, have you ever get my email address?

As promised but with a little extra delay due to a quite busy schedule, I've sent a new release introducing the new "Set / Get RV coords" feature.
This is a small changelog this time but if you're into car creation, I guess this small new feature could be quite helpful (check my previous post above).

If you've asked me to join the Beta Testers crew but have not received the newsletter yet, please PM me your email again.

Hi Jigebren,

I have tested your add-on with the latest version of Blender (2.65a), but when installing I get the following traceback:
The version I have tried to install is 2012-11-22. Am I the only one to have this issue?

??? never see that on linux

but i don't install Blender like you : I only have a Blender folder like /Home/SebR/Blender/2.64 (...)

and nothing about Blender on /.config (or Blender do it itself)

SebR wrote:??? never see that on linux

What linux distribution do you use? I installed Blender from my distribution's repositories, not from blender.org (I have arch linux). Also, in order to see the traceback you need to start blender from a terminal.

I just tested with the download from Blender.org (2.65a 64-bit) and I get the same error message. Can you confirm Seb?