[TEC] Mod Tools, HowTo

[maerean_m]

Originally Posted by Racerboy

Is there a way to get the goblin editor to give you the x,y,z coodinates of a position on a loaded 3D model? Like below, I loaded up the VIIa sub and I'm trying to get the coordinates of the center of the exhaust port. I move my mouse over the exhaust port but don't see any coordinates showing anywhere.
picture of GoblinEditor

Handling 3D coordinates by hand is a very bad practice. The correct way is to have a dummy 3D object (and maybe attach controllers to it).

[maerean_m]

Originally Posted by TheDarkWraith

thanks. I'm trying to import them into the UZO currently but it's not working. Throwing some 'debug code' (ala MessageBox.Show()) to see if the functions to show the TDC page are getting called or not.

Use ScriptManagerManaged.ShowPythonError("") instead of MessageBox.Show()

[skwasjer]

@maerean_m, is there a way to have completely 'new' .py scripts to autoload when the game starts, without the need to hook into a stock .py file and calling "MakeSureIsLoaded( MenuPageWrapper.InitializeScript.Now )" (I have made a blank/empty Page in menu editor). I have completely isolated functionality and would like to be able to install my mod without overwriting a stock file (which could potentially conflict with other mods).

[TheDarkWraith]

Originally Posted by skwasjer

@maerean_m, is there a way to have completely 'new' .py scripts to autoload when the game starts, without the need to hook into a stock .py file and calling "MakeSureIsLoaded( MenuPageWrapper.InitializeScript.Now )" (I have made a blank/empty Page in menu editor). I have completely isolated functionality and would like to be able to install my mod without overwriting a stock file (which could potentially conflict with other mods).

import it. In the Page Default Hud.py file add a line in InitializeScript:

from xxx import xxx
where xxx = name of page (i.e. Pageobsperiscope).
Oh you're probably wanting to have the game automatically import a new Page without having to use import huh?

[skwasjer]

Ya

I really don't want to distribute a new Page Default Hud.py file for just one new line, when all of my code is in a seperate .py file and a DLL

Currently I hooked via Page Background.py which is empty. But still, others may want to do so too, and then there's the drama of merging scripts. Being able to just dump a file in a folder and have it's initializer called would be alot easier for us...


[edit] Oh and import doesn't do the same thing as my little script above, I also need to invoke the script to run (at least, it doesn't work without it). Yea, I want an autoload folder of some sorts...

Currently my Page background.py file only does this... note, this is only to run the entire script in another file 'MyModule.py'. The target script does nothing UI related...

from MyModule import MyModule
 
def InitializeScript():
 MyModule.MakeSureIsLoaded( MenuPageWrapper.InitializeScript.Now )
 
def StartGame():
 pass
 
def EndGame():
 pass
 
def UnloadScript():
 pass

Really wish this wouldn't be necessary...

[TheDarkWraith]

Originally Posted by maerean_m

Handling 3D coordinates by hand is a very bad practice. The correct way is to have a dummy 3D object (and maybe attach controllers to it).

The reason I was looking for the 3D coords is to attach a FastParticleGen controller to that exact location (sub exhaust).
explain what you mean by a dummy 3D object. I've seen these before in SH3/4 but never really understood what they were for.

[maerean_m]

Originally Posted by TheDarkWraith

thanks maerean_m. I got it working now! I hadn't created a Page TDC.py like you said. Now how do I give the imported page a higher Z order priority (I want it on top of everything in the page that imported it)? Since I imported it does it fall under the hierarchy of the page that imported it (i.e. Page UZO imports Page TDC...does heirarchy look like this: PageUZO_PageTDC_XXXX?

The import keyword in python only imports the Globals from that script into your script so you can call those globals by their name. It has nothing to do with anything else.

The Z order is the one from the tree you see in the menu editor. If you want to bring a page closer to the player, drag it down in that tree. The Z order is saved in data\Menu\Pages\menu_1024_768.ini (so you include that file too in your mod).

The menu items also have methods for the z-order: MakeSureIsBehindOfZOrder, MakeSureInFrontOfZOrder, SendToBackZOrder and BringToFrontZOrder. BringToFrontZOrder must NOT be used on menu pages (will cause BIG bugs).

Mihai

[maerean_m]

Originally Posted by Racerboy

The reason I was looking for the 3D coords is to attach a FastParticleGen controller to that exact location (sub exhaust).
explain what you mean by a dummy 3D object. I've seen these before in SH3/4 but never really understood what they were for.

A dummy is a 3D object with no geometry that's used for exactly that: to indicate a position in space. The very good part is that the object is placed using 3D Studio Max by using very friendly tools (you drag an object with your mouse). If you were a 3D modeler, you would hate to have to work with 3D coordinates by hand (each being made of 3 numbers with 7 decimals).

For you, it means you need to find an already existing dummy object on sub's hierarchy (there are plenty of those) and attach your controller to it.