[TEC] Mod Tools, HowTo

TheDarkWraith · 03-12-10, 01:27 AM

Quote:

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 · 03-12-10, 01:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheDarkWraith

Quote:

Originally Posted by maerean_m

You haven't created the Page TDC.py . That file translates in the module the error is talking about.

And yes, there is a glitch in the Matrix. The script for menu pages are initialized when they are made visible for the first time. So you won't catch the first PageActivated. The solution is to call Menu_PageActivated( PageUZO ) as the last line in InitializeScript.

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 · 03-12-10, 01:59 AM

Quote:

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.