IWTE - World editing - (General Discussion)

[Arkay]

Thank you for continuing to support this project, even after all these years. I still haven't had the chance to test the new custom animation feature but it looks very promising.


I've encountered a problem while using the latest version. The UI keeps resetting itself. I can resize and expand every window but as soon as I click on another tab or even a button, the UI resets to default view.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

I also noticed that I can't scroll the 2D view window with my mouse wheel, it just changes the zoom level instead. To scroll through the screen, I need to manually click on the up/down arrows.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

[makanyane]

I've encountered a problem while using the latest version. The UI keeps resetting itself. I can resize and expand every window but as soon as I click on another tab or even a button, the UI resets to default view.

That's a bit odd - I hadn't noticed that one - I normally un-dock some of the windows, and that apparently fixes it even if you un-dock then re-dock them in the same place!

If you use the 'expand window' button to undock one of the views, drag it away, then drag it back so it re-docks, that should work for now

I also noticed that I can't scroll the 2D view window with my mouse wheel, it just changes the zoom level instead. To scroll through the screen, I need to manually click on the up/down arrows.

I thought it always did that?! Anyway to move the view you should be able to drag the scroll bars at the edges, or use the arrow keys on your keyboard (if you're not already in the zoom mode box). I think the mouse scroll wheel being used for zoom is probably more logical, as making it move the view would only get you up/down movement not side to side.

Anyway WD will have a look - we'd have liked it if the zoom would zoom centered on where the mouse is, not just on the center of the viewport - not sure if that will work without messing up selection though...

[Arkay]

That's a bit odd - I hadn't noticed that one - I normally un-dock some of the windows, and that apparently fixes it even if you un-dock then re-dock them in the same place!

If you use the 'expand window' button to undock one of the views, drag it away, then drag it back so it re-docks, that should work for now

All right, that seems to do the trick. Thanks!

I thought it always did that?! Anyway to move the view you should be able to drag the scroll bars at the edges, or use the arrow keys on your keyboard (if you're not already in the zoom mode box). I think the mouse scroll wheel being used for zoom is probably more logical, as making it move the view would only get you up/down movement not side to side.

Anyway WD will have a look - we'd have liked it if the zoom would zoom centered on where the mouse is, not just on the center of the viewport - not sure if that will work without messing up selection though...

I can scroll up or down the 2D view window with my mouse wheel in version 17_12_A, without having to use the scroll bars or the arrow keys...

[wilddog]

I can scroll up or down the 2D view window with my mouse wheel in version 17_12_A, without having to use the scroll bars or the arrow keys...

I'll try and have a look at that as its probably just something I missed due to upgrading the software.

I'm still working on redoing the shading.
I'm about there for creating an animation.
Also completed doing an object and its animations.
Have a version of doing the whole world and animations but want to see if I can get some speed ups working as it takes a long time. Even so it won't be that quick.
Found a couple of bugs trying to open vanilla animations (causing IWTE to crash). Its odd variations I came across before but hadn't built into a simplified handling process.

[bitterhowl]

I got a question here, and Gigantus advised your subforum. Question about autumn textures for battle map. Give a link for not doubling posts https://www.twcenter.net/forums/show...7#post15890327

[Jadli]

If I may ask, If I want a whole culture to be using a custom battle model (not just one specific faction) how do I do that? Do I just not pick a faction in the the tool when editing the files?

[makanyane]

If I may ask, If I want a whole culture to be using a custom battle model (not just one specific faction) how do I do that? Do I just not pick a faction in the the tool when editing the files?

Yep - when editing the worldpkgdesc in IWTE leave faction as 'any'

there's exceptions though if you're using Greek or Eastern European culture - basically it won't work - and you'll need duplicate pkgs for each faction see here;
https://wiki.twcenter.net/index.php?..._M2TW#Faction:

[Jadli]

Thanks a lot! And hypothetically, if I put the it to "any", but then for one of the factions within the culture I will want to have other custom settlement, so I write the faction's name inside the box in the tool, would it pick the culture model or faction model?

[makanyane]

If you've got multiple factions in a culture and you have an overall pkg with 'any' for the factions, and an additional pkg with that culture and 'named_faction' for one particular faction - that will work to get all the factions except 'named_faction' to use the one thing and 'named_faction' to use the other in campaign. Similarly with textures the game will always use the most specific (e.g. faction variant) option if there is one.

The only times when you need all the factions to have a 'named_faction' entry in the pkg is for the Greek/EE cases and if you need it to work reliably in custom battles.

[Jmonstra]

Hey guys, I'm having an error with version 17A and 20B where the program crashes automatically whenever I try to save. The dos box says something about a missing attribute? I'm not sure what to do about this.

[makanyane]

Hey guys, I'm having an error with version 17A and 20B where the program crashes automatically whenever I try to save. The dos box says something about a missing attribute? I'm not sure what to do about this.

Sounds like it can't find the path for the save-name/location you gave it, most common issues;

*When you 'open' the three binaries initially - the 4th box that pops up is where you need to give/select a file name for it to save to, don't just cancel that screen, it needs a name!

*Don't put the .exe on your desktop - it needs to go properly in a folder like C:\my-modding\etc - you can still run it from a shortcut on your desktop, just avoid having the path to the .exe involve the desktop - so not C:\desktop\my-modding

*Don't include spaces in the folder names, either in the path to the IWTE exe or to your mod, so use my_mod not my mod

If you've checked for those points and it's still crashing please get a screenshot / copy (enter) and paste of the error message.

[wilddog]

latest version released.

with version 20_04_A
1) Bug Fix - Animated milkshape should now correctly rotate the animation and its joints when requested. Previously the animation joints were not being set correctly and so the animation went out of line.
2) The Reset complex effects button on the collisions tab has been removed as has the Reset world shading on the specials tab. (functionality enhanced and replaced below).
3) On the Animation tab, new button 'Full world shading effects inc. anims' has been added. This asks for a vanilla blockset folder and optionally a mod blockset folder. It will then reset all world lighting in the world files including the animinstance data. ie the effect lighting will be reset and new shading values will be set. This replaces and enhances the functionality covered by the above two deleted functions but does take around 20 minutes for a huge city!
4) On the Animation tab, new button 'Obj world shading/effects inc anims' has been added. This will use the effects currently assigned to a complex and reset the effect lighting and shading for a specific object only.
5) When loading a milkshape animation the animation will be created with basic shading but you will need to reset it to pick up any effect or shading from adjacent objects.
6) Amended the mouse wheel function back to do up down scrolling by default. Clicking the wheel button will centre the window on the clicked position and pressing the wheel whilst rotating it will switch to zoom in/out until released.

[nadalio]

latest version released.

with version 20_04_A
1) Bug Fix - Animated milkshape should now correctly rotate the animation and its joints when requested. Previously the animation joints were not being set correctly and so the animation went out of line.
2) The Reset complex effects button on the collisions tab has been removed as has the Reset world shading on the specials tab. (functionality enhanced and replaced below).
3) On the Animation tab, new button 'Full world shading effects inc. anims' has been added. This asks for a vanilla blockset folder and optionally a mod blockset folder. It will then reset all world lighting in the world files including the animinstance data. ie the effect lighting will be reset and new shading values will be set. This replaces and enhances the functionality covered by the above two deleted functions but does take around 20 minutes for a huge city!
4) On the Animation tab, new button 'Obj world shading/effects inc anims' has been added. This will use the effects currently assigned to a complex and reset the effect lighting and shading for a specific object only.
5) When loading a milkshape animation the animation will be created with basic shading but you will need to reset it to pick up any effect or shading from adjacent objects.
6) Amended the mouse wheel function back to do up down scrolling by default. Clicking the wheel button will centre the window on the clicked position and pressing the wheel whilst rotating it will switch to zoom in/out until released.

Thanks for continuing to update on this an give us support!!

[leo.civil.uefs]

So... are custom animations for wall catapults possible now?

[makanyane]

Nope, sorry, the animations were only for building structures being destroyed/gates opening...

Looking at some of the other bits like ladder angle / ram reverse movement might be on the list (it's only taken us a decade to get this far!)


You can't make something like a tower animate to fire (to emulate a catapult) and you can't park a normal catapult on a wall deployment area - so only way I know of that anyone's done is ; make a large area of ground hidden just under the wall surface where you can deploy a normal catapult unit - and if it's on the ground (pretend wide wall) it wouldn't need a new anim.

Have I missed something that might be possible?
'garrison' catapult units with smaller base?


(and good to see you here )

[leo.civil.uefs]

I got another settlement working fine in custom battes but not in campaign.

Had this problem in the past, maybe Mak remember it. Back then I fixed it by changing the settlement height.

Not sure if anyone has a clue on this nowadays.

[makanyane]

Hi Leo,
- the thing you linked to says

EDIT: FORGET EVETYTHING I SAID ABOUT MINAS TIRITH. THE BUG IS SPORADICAL BOTH FOR CAMPAIGN AND CUSTOM BATTLES.

have you changed your mind about that now?

anyway - regarding the height - check you're playing the custom battle at the same x,y position as the settlement - that way it should be at the same geographical height, if that is part of the issue.

The only thing I've been involved with since that thread that had an issue was the Sky City I was fixing for Hyrule - that did seem to have an issue when the plaza was very high (but that was in the zone where the textures don't appear on the ground because it's beyond the height the game will display - black mini-map syndrome).

[leo.civil.uefs]

Hi Leo,
- the thing you linked to says

have you changed your mind about that now?

anyway - regarding the height - check you're playing the custom battle at the same x,y position as the settlement - that way it should be at the same geographical height, if that is part of the issue.

The only thing I've been involved with since that thread that had an issue was the Sky City I was fixing for Hyrule - that did seem to have an issue when the plaza was very high (but that was in the zone where the textures don't appear on the ground because it's beyond the height the game will display - black mini-map syndrome).

Yes Minas Tirith problems were sporadical, but I'm actually talking about esgaroth, wich is quoted in the same comment.
Esgaroth was definitely fixed by height change.

How do I get to know the height of a custom battle?

[AnthoniusII]

In theory and with your expirience n pathfinding in settlements can this be done?

My calculations to make Connstantinople's double main walls and decorative 1st wall and the motte is this.
The city is a "HUGE_CITY" . So both main wall lines are huge stone walls. In order to give the impression of different size without making AI unable to use siege machines I thought that the 1st line of walls will be in ground level one. Then in a space that allows siege machines to move and change directions like ladders and battering rams the second line of huge walls will be in a smooth ground elevation in a proper distance (atleast playing with small or medium size units that vanilla walls hundle properly in pathfinding. In fron of the 1st wall line a motte that could be accesive (simply decorative) or a ditch with many undistractable bridges.
AI will pass those bridges and ain to gates. The distance of the motte from the 1st line of walls must be also the proper one inorder units with sige towers and ladders may change direction.

[makanyane]

In theory and with your expirience n pathfinding in settlements can this be done?

My calculations to make Connstantinople's double main walls and decorative 1st wall and the motte is this.
The city is a "HUGE_CITY" . So both main wall lines are huge stone walls. In order to give the impression of different size without making AI unable to use siege machines I thought that the 1st line of walls will be in ground level one. Then in a space that allows siege machines to move and change directions like ladders and battering rams the second line of huge walls will be in a smooth ground elevation in a proper distance (atleast playing with small or medium size units that vanilla walls hundle properly in pathfinding. In fron of the 1st wall line a motte that could be accesive (simply decorative) or a ditch with many undistractable bridges.
AI will pass those bridges and ain to gates. The distance of the motte from the 1st line of walls must be also the proper one inorder units with sige towers and ladders may change direction.

That sounds reasonable so long as you leave enough space, and low enough slope, between the walls for the units to move. The bold bit could be the problem, if it's just very shallow water (by reflective plane) that they can walk across that'd be fine. If it's a ditch but with raised sections of ground dressed up to look like 'bridges' for the units to cross that should be fine. Actually using bridges (like the river crossing ones) is more likely to cause problems - the AI will only pathfind over them (including when obeying move orders for your own troops) when there is absolutely NO other option, and even then it can be a bit buggy about it!

Before you get too far, set up the slopes you want in the .worldterrain, set up the layout you want with a couple of gates and a couple of walls in each perimeter, draw the rest of the layout on the .worldpathfinding so that the wall layout areas and anything you're doing with the ditch is blocked out. Test with AI defending and AI attacking to see if it looks like it's working (it obviously won't be optimal with only the few breach points, but you'll get an idea - I've had attempted layouts where the attacking AI just circles the thing, gives up and walks off )

Yes Minas Tirith problems were sporadical, but I'm actually talking about esgaroth, wich is quoted in the same comment.
Esgaroth was definitely fixed by height change.

How do I get to know the height of a custom battle?

That's quite hard to figure out - it'll only be obvious if you're high enough to get the black mini-map or low enough to get natural water!

I was mainly suggesting making sure it was the same as the campaign version by using the same x,y coordinates for the custom battle location as where the settlement is sited. (hover over the settlement in cheat mode and use 'show_cursorstat' to find coordinates, unless you can tell from the garrison position in descr_strat)

The actual height would be complicated as it'd be derived from the value of that point in map_heights.tga or .hgt then applied as a ratio to the max value in descr_terrain.txt - then where the game actually places the settlement's .worldterrain depends on how much of the battlemerge section of that you have without alpha and how it's interpreting the average height of the area of battlemap under that...


Which settlement is playing up now? Is it in the released version of the mod?