Hacking the TBL files

[WiSK]

You rock dude, that looks sweet

I know I've asked you this before, but now you are closer to needing it: have you had any thoughts about how to implement the changes in incgrid.tbl?

 

[Inferis]

Eh, yes.

The problem is that it only works with "my version" of id.tbl (generated from lightmaps) and not very good with the stock id.tbl.

:wacko:

 

[Maladict]

You guys need to get a medal for this. Great work

 

[WiSK]

The problem is that it only works with "my version" of id.tbl (generated from lightmaps) and not very good with the stock id.tbl.

So you're generating it... I was gonna let the user edit it, but maybe that's a bad plan. I've done many experiments with this, but I still don't seem to be able to render the TI as it is in the game. I haven't tried yet changing it and then loading the game (that's your speciality )

 

[Inferis]

So you're generating it... I was gonna let the user edit it, but maybe that's a bad plan.

How would you do that?

 

[Coder]

Eh, yes.

The problem is that it only works with "my version" of id.tbl (generated from lightmaps) and not very good with the stock id.tbl.

:wacko:

why do you need the id.tbl anyway? you could use the info in the lightmaps

 

[Inferis]

why do you need the id.tbl anyway? you could use the info in the lightmaps

Performance (speed/memory).

 

[WiSK]

How would you do that?

Well I wasn't exactly 100% sure what kind of editing I would facilitate. It's always bothered me that you can see some islands and provinces through the TI. So I was thinking along the lines of being able to increase/decrease the fog level per province.

 

[Coder]

Performance (speed/memory).

the lightmaps aren't that slow
you could generate a hit-testing in-memory cache similar to the id.tbl at run-time

 

[WiSK]

the lightmaps aren't that slow
you could generate a hit-testing in-memory cache similar to the id.tbl at run-time

I think the more important point is that id.tbl isn't compatible with lightmap1.tbl. It has different data. That's why we shouldn't use the stock version of the id.tbl file.

 

[Van Engel]

OMG That looks amazing! Could you change something so you can march to it?

 

[Coder]

I think the more important point is that id.tbl isn't compatible with lightmap1.tbl. It has different data. That's why we shouldn't use the stock version of the id.tbl file.

my point is: why use the id.tbl at all?

 

[WiSK]

my point is: why use the id.tbl at all?

If it was only hit-testing you want to do, then there's not much reason to use it. However, Inferis was talking about using it to generate incgrid.tbl, which means repeatedly going over separate blocks in a non-linear fashion. Despite what you implied, lightmap is significantly slower because you have to unpack the whole quadtree for each block, rather than just iterating through an easily indexable scanline.

 

[Inferis]

Well, I'm not going to change my code now.
The mextract tool generates it's own copy of id.tbl by default (which takes more than 3 minutes), so the "faulty id.Tbl" is not so much of a problem.

 

[Mr. Capiatlist]

WTF!
That is so [amazingly] awesome!
Wonderful work, you have done the master-hack!
Three cheers and a round of beers!
No how'd you do it, and how you going to give it to the rest of us would-be hackers?

 

[Inferis]

WTF!
That is so [amazingly] awesome!
Wonderful work, you have done the master-hack!
Three cheers and a round of beers!
No how'd you do it, and how you going to give it to the rest of us would-be hackers?

Soon. I want to mtools v1.0 to be a little bit polished. Most work is done, it's just some finishing touches.

 

[unmerged(9313)]

Fantastic work!

Will there be some kind of guide included with the final editor? Or a tutorial?

 

[Mr. Capiatlist]

Soon. I want to mtools v1.0 to be a little bit polished. Most work is done, it's just some finishing touches.

Well keep up the good work, and don't ruin it by rushing!

 

[wryun]

Soon. I want to mtools v1.0 to be a little bit polished. Most work is done, it's just some finishing touches.

You know what mtools really is? Ok, good.

 

[Inferis]

You know what mtools really is? Ok, good.

Yeah, I know. o

If you have a better name, feel free...