Tutorial - Adding Trees to Zones

[GeorgeS]

This PDF contains a detailed description on adding tree meshes and creating transparent leaves.

I think it's fair to let everyone know how it's done as this is a community project and so many have helped me get this far.

It is a completed work, however I will make additions and revisions at any time.

Here it is in its entirety (edited link - should work now)

http://www.wizardportal.com/optimaiv...Tree_Zones.PDF

link for media to tutorial
http://www.wizardportal.com/optimaiv...emu/mytree.zip

GeorgeS

[Windcatcher]

Very nice tutorial. Now that I've read it I think I remember why the client has problems with the fringes. I think it has to do with using bilinear or trilinear filtering. They allow the engine to blend texture pixels so they look...well, less pixelated, but it also means that the adjoining mask color will bleed into the pixels that are visible. I think this is also the cause of the lines that you get at the edges of your textures -- the filtering also causes the pixels from the other end of the texture (e.g. the trunk of the tree) to blend across the texture edge to the other side.

You shouldn't have to edit eqzoneviewer's .INI settings to manually load a zone. It has menu entries that let you load a zone manually from any folder. Now if it would only not blow up on my ATI Radeon x800 Pro so I wouldn't have to run it from my laptop...

Another way to deal with transparent tree textures is to start with a 24-bit .BMP file and click File...Convert to transparent bitmap. It pops up a dialog where you can select the input and output texture filenames. When you click Ok in the dialog, it will look at the pixels in the four corners of the input .BMP file to determine the transparency color (choosing the color that's most prevalent as the transparency color). It then creates a new 32-bit .BMP file where the alpha value is 0 for the transparency color and 255 for all others. This technique assumes that your external 3D modeler can read this texture file, but this way the tree textures really will show up properly in OpenZone. The issue with the color of the fringes will still remain, however.

I'll look into the bugs you found. I could have sworn that I had fixed the issue with newly exported mesh objects not showing up in the mesh list...

[GeorgeS]

This method uses an external program I wrote which takes the .scn file containing the 3ds object and texture info and replaces key portions to be transparent in EQ. This is also an easy way to import lots of transparent tree/leaves into the mesh library.

tutorial link
http://www.wizardportal.com/optimaiv...arent_Mesh.pdf

Link to scene texture modifying tool
http://www.wizardportal.com/optimaiv...2/eqemu/tc.zip

Reference Objects for Tutorial
http://www.wizardportal.com/optimaiv...mu/mytree2.zip

This method is faster than the previous manual method. I actually became very proficient at making tree zones now. You can too.

GeorgeS

[Sakrateri]

Hey George, you still have these tutorials around, links are old, thanks .

[GeorgeS]

I'm looking at the archives for that site now - will let you know if I found anything

GeorgeS

[Amphitryon]

Sorry to necro, but I was wondering if there was a place now to get these tutorials anymore or if anyone who still has them woulnd't mind sharing?

Thanks

[GeorgeS]

If WC does not have these, then they are long gone

GeorgeS

[EternalBlack]

As far as tutorials go, Depending on what modeling program u are using, I can assist you. If you have 3ds max, I would be happy to make a tutorial showing how to make trees whether they are low poly or high, as well as how to scatter them across the given terrain that you have quite easily. I have been working with OrisonSeven's team to create some new stuff, but we have come across a few issues and are hard at work attempting to get around them. If you are looking for an openzone tree creating tutorial, thats different. Any other tutorials for terrain, object, or whatever u may be trying to do using 3ds max and openzone, I will try to do as well.

Using an external modeling program for trees and terrain will give you much more control over the outcome when it comes to the details.

Please let me know if this is something you are interested in.

[Fritzism]

Originally Posted by EternalBlack

Any other tutorials for terrain, object, or whatever u may be trying to do using 3ds max and openzone, I will try to do as well.

Using an external modeling program for trees and terrain will give you much more control over the outcome when it comes to the details.

Please let me know if this is something you are interested in.

I would love some tutorials on how to import objects from modern versions of MAX (2010 in my case). I remember trying some old import your own mesh tutorial that I just couldn't get working.

[EternalBlack]

Ok, So in hopes of posting a few tutorials, I began making a few different ones... The only issue is that I recently built a new computer, and now Openzone crashes upon finalizing turning any imported mesh, poly, or whatever for that matter. This is truly frustrating seeing as I even reverted to an older version of OZ which had worked on the older computer. After looking at any differences between the two setups, reverting back to 3dsmax 08 rather then working with 2010 still has yielded no positive results.

Not sure what is causing the error, but upon further testing, I found that OZ also crashes upon closing it, causing the standard "Microsoft Error Report" to show.

The close-crash error isnt really a problem if I could in fact get the program to compile the mesh into the .s3d file format correctly.

Current system specs are:
XP-64bit
Core i7 3.2ghz machine
12 gigs ram
Two radeon HD4870s
More HDD space then ever needed

All graphics drivers are up to date and properly 64bit supported. both versions of max are 64 bit as was the system that was used previously with no errors. Any help from Wind or whoever may have an answer would be great.

I have all the content and videos created up to the final compile issue which really means they are useless as of right now.

All textures are .bmp format with power of 2 resolution and nothing greater then 2048x2048. All mesh/poly imports have less then 64k faces per import as per the .3ds import limitation. I do recall installing some other file way back when on the old machine from the list of downloads however i dont remember if it had anything to do with OZ or its functionality.

Furthermore, upon transfering old .3ds files over to the new machine, the ones that did in fact work back on the old machine, and attempting to compile once more, the same crash error occured.

The error comes up "Access violation at address 0040462D in Module 'Openzone.exe'. Read of address 46454443" which is generated immediately before the "Encoding output file" process bar begins but after running through the beginning steps.

If I simply have forgotten some plugin file or support file, then i feel like an idiot.

Thanks for any help I can get.

--Once this issue is resolved I will post tutorials for:
Zone terrain creation through: simple drag-point design, and heightmap usage
Creation of heightmaps using photoshop
Creation of simple low poly trees with low,moderate, and high detail
Creation of tree branches and usage of alpha maps for transparent leaves
Creation of medium and high poly trees for high res terrain creation

Any other suggested tutorials I will undertake as I can and at request... following the correction/fix of my OZ functionality.

If people simply want 3dsmax tutorials, I can show those as well for modeling needs.

[Amphitryon]

Thanks for bringing this back to life I like seeing these screenshots too as it gives me an idea of what is possible, that is it is possible to make zones with a pretty modern quality level.

As far as the modeler(s) I have been playing with they have been Anim8or and GMAX (tho Anim8or's inability to work right in Vista has really turned me off on it).

GMAX has been very well behaved by comparison (especially for something that is free, and long in the tooth age wise)

Even 3Ds tutorials can help..I can figure out the differences

[Sakrateri]

Anim8or's inability to work right in Vista has really turned me off on it

Lol, shouldnt that be Vista's inability to work with Animator? (or tons of other programs) try windows 7 and get rid of that rubbish.