266 lines
10 KiB
Plaintext
Executable File
266 lines
10 KiB
Plaintext
Executable File
Viewcam Information and Editing
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===============================
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Version: 1.0
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Date: 14 Dec 00
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Site: http://www.OrangeSmoothie.org
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Contact: rhea@OrangeSmoothie.org
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Overview
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--------
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The viewcam is "enabled" if the server can locate an appropriate
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viewcam positioning definition file for the current map.
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Definition files for the viewcam are expected to be named as:
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viewcam-<mapname>.cfg
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... where <mapname> is q3dm1, q3dm2, etc.
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When the server is loaded, it looks in the directory "cfg-viewcam/"
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found below the osp/ directory by default. This can be changed by
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editing the "viewcam_directory" server variable.
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Creating viewcam definition files
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---------------------------------
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1. Creating the definition files is quite easy, and sorta fun =) The
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easiest way to do this is to start up your own listen server running
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OSP Tourney DM/CA/CTF version 0.81 or greater.
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2. Once loaded, go to spectator mode (\team s).
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3. Bind a key (I use "h") to the command "\snapshot". For example:
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\bind h snapshot
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4. Also, bind several other keys for some useful info while your
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setting viewcam positions:
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\bind f range
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\bind g vc_proximity
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These will be explained shortly.
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4. Now, go around the level, positioning the camera in optimal
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play areas, with the view covering as much ground as possible.
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5. When you have a position that you think is decent, hit the "g"
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key (or whatever you bound the "vc_proximity" command to) to see
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how close other snapshots and already defined viewcams are to
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your current location.
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"vc_proximity" gives only direct line distances to the closest
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of all snapshots and viewcams. So, the info may be bunk as the
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other positions live just on the other side of the wall that you
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are currently positioned. However, this info can be useful in
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determining the extent of the camera range overlap (camera radius
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= 450 units) with your current position.
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This information is center-printed to avoid messing up all of
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your snapshot prints.
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6. Just before u take the snapshot, hold down the "f"-key (or
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whatever you bound the "range" command to) and check your view
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all around your current position.
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The range command will tell you if the current line of sight in
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your cross-hairs is within camera range (it will be yellow if it
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IS in range, red if it is not).
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By using the range command, you can see the extent to which the
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camera can see all around the current psotion. Note, you can
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get immediate feedback by holding the range-key while change your
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view. It will be updated instantly.
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7. Once you have a position you're happy with, hit your pre-defined
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snapshot key.
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8. The server will print a message (to the console) that is a bunch
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of numbers. The line will look something like:
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4 -269.920 -1493.019 333.001 37.512 -124.612
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Where the first number is an increasing integer (unique position
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identifier) and the rest being position coordinates on the current
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map.
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7. Go around and make as many "snapshots" as necessary to guarantee
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full coverage on the map. The leftmost number of the console
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line message will increase every snapshot.
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8. Once done, pull down the console and type: \condump <mapname>.cfg
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Note: As a line of precaution, the server will also log all
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snapshots in the games.log file if the server is NOT dedicated and
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there is only one player connected.
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9. Close quake3 (or load another map and do some more).
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10. Open up your condump'ed files (located in the osp/ directory)
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with your favorite text editor (i.e. WordPad).
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11. Erase ALL of the other information in this file up to the point
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where you first started making snapshots. Delete everything
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below the last snapshot line.
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12. You should have a file that then looks something like:
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0 -404.158 -458.847 607.734 38.677 -114.675
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1 -807.011 -840.523 351.869 55.042 158.214
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2 -1167.130 -277.282 345.887 77.217 133.132
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3 -1319.148 -747.830 674.927 47.390 36.337
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4 -1156.306 191.654 658.774 43.429 156.720
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5 -959.129 374.814 159.875 39.996 -29.927
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6 -331.580 -82.610 209.948 41.578 -142.125
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7 -7.374 -496.873 24.125 14.255 42.935
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8 -71.779 486.688 24.126 22.044 -95.043
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9 147.193 -834.934 156.112 51.081 -22.967
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10 228.905 -1061.497 435.306 53.987 -86.858
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11 462.476 -672.954 682.738 46.066 -155.138
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13. Save this file and then rename it to "viewcam-<mapname>.cfg" and
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move it into the cfg-viewcam/ directory (or wherever you store
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the viewcam definition files).
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14. Reload quake3 up as a listen server and load the map you just
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used to make the viewcam definition file.
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15. Type "\viewcam", "\team viewcam" or "\team vc".
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16. Type "\vc_info" (to get a dump of a point when you switch viewcam
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positions).
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17. Hit your JUMP button to move forward through the viewcam positions,
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hit your CROUTCH button to move backwards through the positions.
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Since you are by yourself on the map, the views will be static
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and look exactly how you made your free floating snapshot. Compare
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the position info dump (from \vc_info) with what you have in your
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freshly made viewcam definition file (gonna have to be in windowed
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mode to do this). It should all match up.
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18. Once satisfied, do any other remaining maps you may have left.
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Snapshot Notes
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--------------
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- The range of the cameras is 450 units for detection/tracking, keep
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this in mind for large open areas, where you may have to include
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several cameras to cover the entire area (a little overlap here
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is best). Hold down the "\range"-key command a lot!
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- Try to avoid having two (or more) cameras that have a coverage
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area that overlaps another camera position (i.e. two camera positions
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that are less than 450 units apart). This will help in avoid abrupt
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transitions as a player moves through these areas.
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- Two cameras CAN be closer, just as long as they do not have direct
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line of sight of one another. However, be careful here. You can
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get some really cool camming angles this way, but you can also
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get some really bad ones as well =)
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- Try to keep cameras (generally) above the players heads to avoid
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having them "run over" a camera. Although, it is quite cool to
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have a low camera that gets more in the face of players who pass
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close-by =)
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- Static cameras will only pick up action that is generally in front
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of them (about 120 fov). So a player creeping up from the back CAN
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be missed by the camera. Hence, care needs to be maintained when
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placing a camera away from corners and ceilings and out in open
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areas.
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- If you want a nice clean line-by-line dump of all current snapshots,
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just type:
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\snapshotdump
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- If you make a bad snapshot, just delete it from the map's snapshot
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definition file, no big deal at all here.
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- If you find you have dead spaces or just want to add more cams
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positions, follow the above steps as described when making a FULL
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definition file. However this time, only go to the areas that you
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want to add and take the snapshots. From the condump of these
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additional positions, just cut and paste them into your original
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definition file, changing the left-most numbers to unique numbers.
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Try to make the left-most numbers on each line unique (from other
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lines in the same definition file) so that you can more easily
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find positions if you need them.
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- For serious editing of the viewcam, I *seriously* recommend opening
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up Q3 in two windows. When you open the first, launch a listen
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server by running something like "cfg-SinglePlayer/team.cfg". Once
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it is loaded, switch to the viewcam.
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Then, open up a second windowed quake and connect to the first
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window (easiest is to go to Multiplayer and switch to "Local Servers").
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With this window, use it to run around the level.
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The first window will show the action of the viewcam, and u can
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precisely control its movement (well to a certain extent) through
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the movements of the player in the second window. This DEFINATELY
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helps in finding dead spaces and points of contention in camera
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overlap.
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Of course, you will need a video card that supports windowed mode
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(i.e. TNT2).
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- There is an additional OPTIONAL paramter on viewcam positions to
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dynamically change the range on a particular position. For
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example, the \snapshot command can dump something like this:
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5 668.980 2338.872 173.705 42.709 -88.748
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The position for each viewcam can also be augmented with a length
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argument:
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5 668.980 2338.872 173.705 42.709 -88.748 [length]
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So to change from the default 450 range to say, 900, FOR THIS
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PARTICULAR POSITION, just change the original line (by hand) to:
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5 668.980 2338.872 173.705 42.709 -88.748 900
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This is especially helpful for covering wide open areas where
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too many viewcams can get to be confusing and cause a lot of
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quick position changes.
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Note: NOT specifying a range will just have the position default
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to the normal 450 range.
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Viewcam commands:
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-----------------
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- To switch to viewcam mode:
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\viewcam
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\team viewcam
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\team vc
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\vc_follow (allows the viewcam to follow a single player. You
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can optionally provide a player's name/ID to follow
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a specific player directly, without having to cycle
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through to them).
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Pressing FIRE when in CHASE mode
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Pressing FIRE when in FREEFLOAT mode with no active players.
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- Viewcam position info:
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\vc_info (Gives current viewcam position info)
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\vc_proximity (Gives info on closest snapshot and viewcam position)
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\range (Gives ranges to surface from current position)
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- Other
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\vc_free (toggles auto-follow mode for action-based viewcam)
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\snapshot (takes a "snapshot" of the current position)
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\snapshotdump (dumps all snapshots that have been taken)
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- Client variables
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cg_followviewcam 0 - Viewcam defaults to dynamic action mode
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*1 - Viewcam locks on a single player, that can
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be switched to other players with jump button
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or \followprev or \follownext.
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- Manually cycling through viewcam positions:
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- JUMP cycles forward
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- CROUTCH cycles backward
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(Valid only when there are no active players on the server) |