Technical Toolset Feature requests
Nexussfire
Member Posts: 3
Hey guys, I'm an environment artist and I got my start into the field using NWN's toolset way back in the day. 100's of hours tinkering and creating with the toolset.
SO some things that would be useful for Neverwinter Nights Toolset ( Off the top of my head)
Biggest Thing: Support for a lot more placed light sources! Possibly by deferred rendering? And/Or creating placeable objects that act as point lights / spot lights.
1.) Ability to scale placable objects not limited to just overall scale but along X Y or Z axis
2.) Creating Prefab's / blueprints like in NWN2's Toolset (Aranging placeables and then saving that group as a prefab or blueprint)
3.) Creating 2DA files from inside the Toolset via a new utility / wizard.
4.) Importing new model formats, such as FBX or OBJ. - Nevermind you have tools for that being made available
5.) Guide on Texture implementation and shader creation
6.) Clearer support / implementation for new animations
7.) Particle effects - a tutorial on creating them to work for NWN with newer software (3DS Max)
8.) Ability to Kit-bash tile-sets together. If I want to throw down some forest in the middle of a city on a 2x2 pair of tiles, without having to use placeables to do it. (Maybe adding this feature by selecting a set of tiles via-right click "Properties" and "change tileset to... > drop down menu of options".. )
9.) Improve Pathing / collision for tilesets to potentially support two-story tilesets and aquatic based tilesets
10.) Cutscene manager / Creator based off the archaic cutscene creation methods.
11.) Cull-Distance modifier/options on place-able objects to allow optimization on big levels.
I know 64bit toolset is being considered, for modules that rely on the CEP content and larger content, 64bit would make loading these large hak files and big modules more memory efficient.
SO some things that would be useful for Neverwinter Nights Toolset ( Off the top of my head)
Biggest Thing: Support for a lot more placed light sources! Possibly by deferred rendering? And/Or creating placeable objects that act as point lights / spot lights.
1.) Ability to scale placable objects not limited to just overall scale but along X Y or Z axis
2.) Creating Prefab's / blueprints like in NWN2's Toolset (Aranging placeables and then saving that group as a prefab or blueprint)
3.) Creating 2DA files from inside the Toolset via a new utility / wizard.
4.) Importing new model formats, such as FBX or OBJ. - Nevermind you have tools for that being made available
5.) Guide on Texture implementation and shader creation
6.) Clearer support / implementation for new animations
7.) Particle effects - a tutorial on creating them to work for NWN with newer software (3DS Max)
8.) Ability to Kit-bash tile-sets together. If I want to throw down some forest in the middle of a city on a 2x2 pair of tiles, without having to use placeables to do it. (Maybe adding this feature by selecting a set of tiles via-right click "Properties" and "change tileset to... > drop down menu of options".. )
9.) Improve Pathing / collision for tilesets to potentially support two-story tilesets and aquatic based tilesets
10.) Cutscene manager / Creator based off the archaic cutscene creation methods.
11.) Cull-Distance modifier/options on place-able objects to allow optimization on big levels.
I know 64bit toolset is being considered, for modules that rely on the CEP content and larger content, 64bit would make loading these large hak files and big modules more memory efficient.
Post edited by Nexussfire on
7
Comments
Take the tileset objects like houses and converting them to placeables. Not taking them off the tilesets but just adding the models to the placeables pallet to allow more customization without having to add hak packs that have done this.
When the module has several hundred areas in the tree list, it'd be nice to find one using a partial name match quickly. Even better if it can search by Tag or ResRef, for all those generic "House" areas or whatever.
However, in a thoroughly unscientific test on a medium size module, I find Beamdog is slightly faster on module load (6 seconds, c.f. 7 seconds on NWNTX and 1.69) but NWNTX is way faster on area load (7 seconds, c.f. 12 seconds on Beamdog and 14 seconds on 1.69).
The latter was one of the major reasons for using NWNTX if I recall.
There is a known issue with 2DA caching: if you open a module with one set of haks, then open another module with another set of haks, Toolset will use cached 2DAs from the first module.
So if you're using this plugin, restart the Toolset before opening another module.
Here some information from the wayback machine from virusman about NWNTX
*QUOTE START*
New plugin - NWNTX Optimizations
One day I got fed up with Toolset hangs, so I decided to optimize some of the ugliest pieces of Toolset code to handle areas with large number of objects and custom content.
* Toolset will use 256 MB of resource cache
* Implemented 2DA caching - areas will load faster
* Toolset no longer hangs (really!) when you select an object in a complex area. The object will not be highlighted in the left panel tree.
Note: this is a pre-release beta version. Although I've tested it on basic tasks, it may crash, hang or corrupt your module. So use at your own risk and back up your module before testing this plugin.
Any feedback and testing is greatly appreciated.
*QUOTE END*
Hmm so maybe we can get even more MB cache to the toolset
2da caching not need anymore with standard toolset improved.
LINK TO SKINWINGS Compiler and Virusman TX discussion wow back in the days LOL
LINK
OLD VIDEO LINK
LINK
\this is the third time i have gone on this quest and i must say it's completely broken, no npcs with any information, the doors just all go to the same dated info or stuff from other versions of the game
These are commands one can type in during game play to do things like God mode, etc.?
nwn.wikia.com/wiki/Console_command
-JFK
Which command lines are you talking about? Are you trying to launch the game with some arcane letters like '-z' (fake, made up just to be clear). Or are you talking about something else? If it is launch options you are talking about, why do you need such information. What are you trying to achieve?
You say the information is dated or for other versions of the game. Which other versions? 1.69? You do know that EE is backwards compatible (with the exception of the movie formats) don't you?
TR
TR
https://forums.beamdog.com/discussion/67157/server-download-packages-and-docker-support/p1
Sorry I couldn't be any more help.
TR