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Technical Toolset Feature requests

NexussfireNexussfire Member Posts: 3
edited November 2017 in Builders - Toolset
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.
Post edited by Nexussfire on
FlashburnJuliusBorisovflyinghtcherdunahanValimerBlackRiderBehindflayer

Comments

  • AncarionAncarion Member Posts: 155
    These are all great suggestions IMO. I would add the ability to have more than one window open at a time to the list as well...
    FinalStand
  • Chris_theVikingChris_theViking Member Posts: 49
    edited November 2017
    Being able to replace tiles via script. This would be helpful for creating random dungeons as well as doing events like house exploded and is now a burned out husk.

    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.
    Dethangels_ShadowdunahanBlackRider
  • ModderpunkModderpunk Member Posts: 5
    A small simple change i would like to see is a more distinct colour to denote wich placable/creature/etc you have selected.
    BlackRider
  • GorgonGorgon Member Posts: 22


    1.) Ability to scale placable objects not limited to just overall scale but along X Y or Z axis

    Yeah, that would be nice, but something simple I'd kill for is a search area list box or popup (scripts and convo's too I guess).

    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. ;)

    tsunami282
  • GlassmelterGlassmelter Member Posts: 38
    I think it would also be great if you could see in an object's properties window what the model's filename is. It would save a lot of time when you want to reskin something to have that information available without needing to do a lot of spelunking in the game resource files.
  • ProlericProleric Member Posts: 1,270
    NWNTX has been mentioned before but the conversation mainly seemed to be about the compiler. For my money, the big win is the toolset performance improvement. Early days, but the new toolset seems a little slow, so we need those optimisations more than ever.
    Grymlorde
  • SherincallSherincall Member Posts: 387
    @Proleric did you try the EE toolset? Is it noticeably slower than NWNTX (i.e. like vanilla 1.69 was)? I think all the major sources of hang are already fixed (most notable being the O(n^2) object lookup) but I can't quite confirm it.
  • ProlericProleric Member Posts: 1,270
    @sherincall I did try the EE toolset, which seemed a little slow compared with 1.69+NWNTX. However, it's early days, as I'm focussing on module testing and tileset fixes. Some time in the new year I'll dig out the specific issues addressed by NWNTX and compare the EE toolset performance.
    Sherincalldunahan
  • ProlericProleric Member Posts: 1,270
    Sadly, there seems to have been no documentation of the NWNTX features.

    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.
    Sherincalldunahan
  • BalanorBalanor Member Posts: 176
    Editing the properties of a door or placeable in an area with the EE toolset is still very slow compared to NWNTX. For me, in a module of around 200 MB, this takes ~10+ seconds, vs 2-3 seconds in NWNTX on 1.69.
    dunahan
  • ShadowMShadowM Member Posts: 573
    The TX has some problems
    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
    BlackRiderdunahan
  • ShadowMShadowM Member Posts: 573
    Yep totally agree, I just posted it so new user knew what it does and any glitches if any. I hope EE toolset does updates to make it run even better :)
  • FinalStandFinalStand Member Posts: 87
    Ancarion said:

    These are all great suggestions IMO. I would add the ability to have more than one window open at a time to the list as well...

    I would put this on top of my list. Having multiple non-blocking script editors up. If you have to check a tag of an item, you have to close all your scripts to go back to editor, then reopen everything again. :(
    tsunami282
  • Chris_theVikingChris_theViking Member Posts: 49
    how about publishing an up-to-date list of command lines with commenting... i meen jeez, where the hell do i find this information... a crystal ball?
    \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
  • JFKJFK Member Posts: 214
    @Chris_theViking what do you mean by command lines?
  • Chris_theVikingChris_theViking Member Posts: 49
    apparently i don't know, looking for them doesn't produce any results
  • JFKJFK Member Posts: 214
    edited April 2018
    @Chris_theViking are you looking for the console commands?
    These are commands one can type in during game play to do things like God mode, etc.?

    nwn.wikia.com/wiki/Console_command

    -JFK
    dunahan
  • TarotRedhandTarotRedhand Member Posts: 1,481
    @Chris_theViking Number of questions -

    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
    dunahan
  • Chris_theVikingChris_theViking Member Posts: 49
    i was looking for the nwplayer ini settings and command line overrides used in docker. my search terms were bad choices. Ive dug it all out now...sorta, there are still some missing from any listings
    JFKdunahan
  • TarotRedhandTarotRedhand Member Posts: 1,481
    If you give a link to docker maybe the rest of us might be able to help? I've been around for quite some time but I don't know the location of everything...

    TR
  • raz651raz651 Member Posts: 175

    If you give a link to docker maybe the rest of us might be able to help? I've been around for quite some time but I don't know the location of everything...

    TR

    Here is the link to the thread with links about docker.

    https://forums.beamdog.com/discussion/67157/server-download-packages-and-docker-support/p1
    dunahan
  • TarotRedhandTarotRedhand Member Posts: 1,481
    Ah, my apologies. I see it is to do with servers. I have absolutely no knowledge in that field as I am purely a single person games maker/modder. Thank you for the link anyway. Hopefully people who know about that stuff will lend a hand in finding any more of what you are after.

    Sorry I couldn't be any more help.

    TR
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