[INFO] Development Journal

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Dr.Flay
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Re: [INFO] Development Journal

Post by Dr.Flay »

Cool, I'll go and have a play with the settings, and see what is making the editor misbehave.
I did think though, It does make objects stand-out in a "busy" map, so it can actually be handy !

I think you are right about it being related to distance fogging, because that is how it behaves.
I will post any useful results.
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Re: [INFO] Development Journal

Post by Shadow »

December Beta Release

So finally here it is. The next new and fresh release of the Unreal Tournament Community SDK. Originally there should've been a November release but according to some major problems you may have read in the News at ModDB.com I had to delay the new update. In this month's release I focussed on updating, fixing and improving already common features. It introduces some new emitter types, a lot of new major features for the Particle Engine (Color Interpolation) and a new HUD.

Some days earlier I also intended to implement a new Interpolation Movement System, LOD Support for the Emitters and Attractor Support (Forces) for Particles, well hard to implement they didn't make it completely into this month's release (Attractor Support is included BUT untested!)

The January Beta coming around mid-February will be the last release before a short break of 1-2 Months due to University exams, please respect that. After exams full development continues again. And well.... of course I'm working on it during that period but I won't have time to create that much to have for a complete release.


New Features
  • Directional Coronas
  • Directional Lensflares
  • new C++ Color functions
  • Sprite Emitters support U/V Scaling and Tiling
  • Corona Emitter added
  • Directional Corona Emitter added
  • SubUVEmitter added
  • All sprite-based Emitters support dynamic (array-based) Color transitions
  • All sprite-based Emitters support dynamic Alpha Fading
  • Supports Wireframe Render of Particles
  • new minimalistic HUD and gametype for testing and development purposes

Fixes/Updates
  • fixed: a serious game crash caused by the sdkLevelInfo when loading the game or loading a map
    ingame, thanks to Dr.Flay (ut99.org) for working together on analyzing this bug. The bug was fixed
    by writing a specialized Spawn Function for the LevelInfo
  • fixed: not saving map after it has been newly created when having a sdkLevelInfo in the map
  • fixed: floating point function generator, not working Modes OP_Increase/OP_Decrease
  • fixed: bad memory allocation if more than 3 linked actors are in the map causing the UED to freeze
  • fixed: Particle Lifetime bug (changing lifetime lead to instant destruction)
  • fixed: Collision Bug, first Particle not colliding with BSP
  • updated: More Realtime in-Editor changes, for example realtime editing of EmissionRate

Media

Image Image Image Image Image


Download

UTSDK December 2011 Beta (Build 300) - 29,7 MB
Last edited by Shadow on Wed Jan 18, 2012 7:18 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Dr.Flay
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Re: [INFO] Development Journal

Post by Dr.Flay »

It's a shame we have to wait a few days for your upload to be authorised :(
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Re: [INFO] Development Journal

Post by Shadow »

Well I think it should be authorized tomorrow. Last time it was authorized within one day too.
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Re: [INFO] Development Journal

Post by dixEEh »

Can't wait untill the final release. I think this can be used to make some impressive maps, and will use it for sure!. If the emitters etc, don't conflict with servers..
BP4 » Xan Mk.2 & WarBoss Dark Editions : Download Here! Happy 2012!
CTF-SanctumRedux nwCTF map in Quakestyle textures : Download Here! Happy 2020!
DM-RMC-SkaarjArena My Entry to the Ridiculous Mapping Contest : Download Here! Happy 2021!
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Re: [INFO] Development Journal

Post by Dr.Flay »

It's cleared and I'm downloading :highfive:
*Edit*
Still not using RAR I see :wink:
I just re-compressed it (including 3% recovery record) 21.6MB saving nearly 10MB
I did look at WinACE as an alternative with recovery record, but it has turned into an awful piece of rubbish :barf:

At least this ZIP opens with RAR this time. Hopefully more people will be trying it out (I will take down the 7zip of the last SDK from my site).

Can you make a dedicated sticky thread for maps using the SDK and the old mutator version?
The only example of your work (other than still pics) I have seen, is the map included with the old UT99 community expansion pack.
Maybe you could re-build this small map (if needed) for each SDK ?
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Re: [INFO] Development Journal

Post by Shadow »

Yeah... the next release is planned to have a new, more... visually appealing test map. Next time I compress it as RAR right away...

//edit:

Attention! A small Patch was released already fixing a critical error that appeared when adding a static mesh actor!
  • fixed: critical error when adding Static Mesh Actor to the map (strange I didn't notice that... the bug was caused by mismanaged skins
  • updated: when the skin list is going empty (or some element(s)) the original mesh skins are restored and the mesh is retextured with them
UT SDK December Beta (Build 300a) - Hotfix 1 (0,46 MB)
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Re: [INFO] Development Journal

Post by Delacroix »

Would you be so kind as to post a mirror with each new release? If it ain't a problem, I mean. Thing is, that waiting for moddb authorizing the stuff might be tedious for some.
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Re: [INFO] Development Journal

Post by Shadow »

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Re: [INFO] Development Journal

Post by Delacroix »

Thanks, man. :)
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Re: [INFO] Development Journal

Post by Dr.Flay »

I have a few issues with selecting things in the editor (I can't).
I am going to to a clean install of the SDK again, and make some notes.
will see what difference the hotfix makes.
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Re: [INFO] Development Journal

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Concerning the selection, is it that way that you can't select actors which are directly in front of you? I had this issue during development of the OpenGL driver, but it never appeared again with the current version driver, at least for me nor did anybody else yet report about it. I would appreciate if you could describe your issue a bit more in detail.

Hotfix simply fixes only what I mentioned..
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Re: [INFO] Development Journal

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I am still having issues selecting actors, meshes or surfaces, or anything.
If I zoom up close to the object, I can sometimes select it, but often it selects an object somewhere else (sometimes near-by). Also as I swapped my WindowedRenderDevice=OpenGLDrv.OpenGLRenderDevice to WindowedRenderDevice=sdkOpenGLDrv.OpenGLRenderDevice (The UT default is software renderer), I cannot select textures in the browser.

It is only when using the sdkOpenGL. If I use another renderer with the sdkCanvas and sdkRender it works fine.
I am not sure what screenshots will prove, but I can make some.

I have no SDK menu in the mods menu, and the advanced options fail to load.
Advanced Options
Advanced Options
Also in the editor, I noticed this that if I try and open the branch sdkActor -> sdkUEnigmaActor -> sdkParticleMesh, I get the message 'sdkParticleMesh' has no script to edit.

A few other notes;
I would change the section in the setup doc that explains changing the viewport renderer.
The default 3D veiwport is the bottom left one [U2Viewport2].
I think you should explain this, or maybe suggest veiwport2, or maybe include a screenshot with the [U2Viewport0]...[U2Viewport3] overlayed on the windows?
Also I would suggest that users also change the window renderer.

Code: Select all

[Engine.Engine]
....
WindowedRenderDevice=sdkOpenGLDrv.OpenGLRenderDevice
...
...
Render=sdkRender.sdkRender
Canvas=sdkEngine.sdkCanvas
One change I would make to your default sdkOpenGL config (or at least point this out); Antialiasing in ALL the editor windows is a bad thing!
If you open a complex map, trying to antialias the wireframe veiws will make the editor unusable.
As you cannot account for the various Antialias settings available on everyones GFX cards, or how they may be set.
I would make a general recommendation for users to set the Windows driver settings to "Use application settings" and use a basic alogorthm like "Box".
Even if you have antialiasing switched off in UT, your driver preferences still take effect when you change it from "Use application settings".

The normal current OpenGL and Direct3D9 renderer both work well with the render and canvas settings using the SDK, so no conflicts there so far, also the sdkOpenGL works well for just game-play. :tu:
I noticed the difference in the renderers immediately upon running UnrealEd, with textures in the far distance. I assume this is a "depth of field" type effect, as I could not switch it off in the renderers settings. At first I thought it was odd, but after running around the GangOfFrontCity map, I quite like it.
Direct3D9
Direct3D9
sdkOpenGL
sdkOpenGL
Direct3D9
Direct3D9
sdkOpenGL
sdkOpenGL
I switched off antialiasing in both renderers so there would be no extra blur.
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Re: [INFO] Development Journal

Post by Shadow »

Ok at first I have to say: a big thank you for your time, enthusiasm and your will to help. I should make you to my assistant eh!? ^^

Selection Bug

I know the selection bug, as I said I had the same problem during the implementation of the materials and distance fog. I restarted it with a blank ogl source (some older UT GLR, not the stock UT OpenGL Driver) and it worked for me. I saw yesterday Myth is testing the materials and they work very good for him, so he might experienced that bug too, or not. Since I owe him an answer for 2 days now I gonna ask him.


No Script Actors

Actors having no script are C++-only Classes. They don't need to have a script, they're not intended to be placed or managed by the user manually. Same goes for Actors compiled as abstract or nousercreate. It has a reason they're not directly usable. Concerning the ParticleMesh Actor: it's a mesh instance once intended to be used by the mesh, beam, spark and ribbon emitters but showed no big promise and a direct attempt at rendering meshes as particles failed because of the sweet function GetFrame... I hate that function now. If you're more interested in this I may explain why.


Additional Notes

Your thoughts on ini improvements are noted, I will incorporate them in the next release. Thanks ;)

Well I'm glad the sdkCanvas and sdkRender are as it seems currently completely stable and bug free, there're really what makes the core of many new graphical features.

Oh and a DOF Effect? I never implemented such a thing Oo
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Re: [INFO] Development Journal

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Well I will try very hard to break it, by seeing what it will and won't do, and trying to make it do things it shouldn't :ironic:
While I poke about under the bonnet/hood, I am learning all the time. I wouldn't have learned as much as I have if I hadn't started looking at the SDK.
I would like to see more feedback from others though!

Well I don't know what is going on if it is not a depth effect, but the windows on the buildings in the background are definitely blurry.
Any idea if this is due to one of the advanced settings for the sdkOpenGL renderer?
It's quite nice, but odd.

*EDIT*
Someone should have slapped me or kicked my arse. :wth:
The difference in the blurriness is between the OpenGL and Direct3D9 renderers. I was not comparing sdkOpenGL with OpenGL.
I play with the DX9 renderer because the OpenGL one ignores the 512MB RAM on the GFX card, and puts the textures into my system RAM, making it slower and more memory-hungry. ATI tool showed me this!
This probably explains why people have such different performance with both.
I am an Idiot :omfg:
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