New Quest Markers - [Inconsistent Crashing Solved]

[Legacy_ia.Pepper]

               

 So, with OldTimeRadio's help, I got my project all working! He's da bestest. Here's the link and screenshots below:

http://neverwinterva...e-quest-markers

 

 

 

 So, thanks to OldTimeRadio I went back to work on a project of mine involving head-mounted effects. Although I couldn't get them to work exactly as I had planned, I did get quite a good compromise that kept things looking nice I think, that worked within NWN's limitations.

 

 However, I deemed myself done with the project and was getting ready to create screenshots so I could post to the vault, and that's when I realized my game didn't like my models. Suddenly. I hadn't really changed anything, but now I couldn't apply the vfx by going into:

DebugMode 1

 

& Applying:

dm_visualeffect ###

onto myself, the ground, a placeable, or an NPC.

 

 Because whenever I tried, it would instantly crash my game. However, the most perplexing part is, even when I removed animations, even when I removed all reference to the supermodel and the animated file itself, altered the alignment options in the 'visualeffects.2da', it still crashes randomly, but not all the time.

 

 When I load up the module, do the above motions, it seems to have a 70% chance to crash me instantly. However, I have no clue what's making it NOT crash me at times, because nothing is changing in the .hak file. It's almost guaranteed it seems like to crash me horribly if I load up my module a -second time- without closing NWN down. But sometimes it just crashes me anyways on the first try, so I am unsure if there's any correlation whatsoever.

 

 

 

 To maybe help others figure it out with me, if I don't figure it beforehand, here's what I've done:


 I've added 3 models, one of which is the supermodel hierarchy which is just a 'Dummy' that's set to move about. All the models reference it to keep the file size down. The other two models are the chunky model and the main model. The main model calls in the chunky emitter along with two other sparkly emitters (non-chunky), it's a relatively simple set-up.

 

 

The bottom being the chunky emitter, and the top two being emitters that just shoot out sparkly ****. I am quite a fan of sparkly ****.

 

 

  The chunky model is just set to:

-Single Update Style

-Birthrate (1 per second)

-Life Expectancy (-1 / Infinity)

-Inherit (Part)


I am really trying to cover my bases here, as I cannot for the life of me figure out what would be causing this. All I do know is that I despise NWN for this crap it puts me through with my models at times! 

 

 Any help would be appreciated! I'm stressing out over this, which was only meant to be a small project, but turned out to be a lot bigger because of NWN screwing the pooch. This always seems to happen, "Oh! I am just going to do this real quick, half a day's work at most!" Nope. So much nope.

 

 

               
               

               
            

[Legacy_OldTimeRadio]

               

Try this: Download this kit, unpack it, copy your model into the MDL-Compiler Bioware/in/ folder and run processmodels.bat.  If everything goes well, it'll spit out the compiled version of the model in the out folder.  Try that compiled version.  If your emitter is using a chunk model, compile that chunk model, too.  If it chokes on the model during compilation or it compiles successfully and you still get crashes, you can drop me a message here and I'll try to help you get it working.

 

Uncompiled VFX can sometimes be problematic.  VFX produced from something other than the Max 5.1 Bioware export scripts can sometimes be problematic.  There is some discussion of this phenomena in the Omnibus but I can't pull up the thread right now.  I've also run across this myself a few times.

               
               

               
            

[Legacy_ia.Pepper]

               

 So I went and did what you said, I even compiled the animation reference model (the one that's just a Dummy, because it was giving me troubles before), and all's swell!  '>

 

 I am glad to have others who know their way around NWN's pesky systems. Because while I know how to theoretically do all of what I want to do, the issues I run into are soooo~ frustrating. Because I alone have to wrap my head around why NWN doesn't like my models, so I like to remove that 'alone' part, and just come here and try to get other minds working on it as well. You never cease to amaze me with all of that knowledge you've accumulated! Heheh.

 

 

 And so, I moved onto actually taking screenshots of the models in question.  '> And then I uploaded to the vault. Thanks, OTR!

 

[Updated Main Post]

               
               

               
            

[Legacy_henesua]

               

Nice work!

               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Tarot Redhand]

               

I take it that those are 3D models? I only ask because I used a similar (but simpler) idea for my module "A is for Adventure". However, where yours are intended to indicate both quest givers and the state of a quest, I used mine to indicate when a new entry appeared in the journal ('cos I tend to mkae comments for the player quite frequently). When I say simpler I mean mainly that the indicator I used was in 2D as you can see below.

 

 

 

Also, where your's are intended to be aligned with an NPC, mine were aligned to the PC.

 

TR

               
               

               
            

[Legacy_3RavensMore]

               

TR, what tileset is that in the last image?

               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Tarot Redhand]

               

Actually both images are from the same level in my module and therefore show different aspects of the same tileset. That's the CTP Dwarven Halls (I've been a fan of the ctp since I first discovered it).

 

TR

               
               

               
            

[Legacy_ia.Pepper]

               

I take it that those are 3D models? I only ask because I used a similar (but simpler) idea for my module "A is for Adventure". However, where yours are intended to indicate both quest givers and the state of a quest, I used mine to indicate when a new entry appeared in the journal ('cos I tend to mkae comments for the player quite frequently). When I say simpler I mean mainly that the indicator I used was in 2D as you can see below.

 

 

 

Also, where your's are intended to be aligned with an NPC, mine were aligned to the PC.

 

TR

 

 Yes! They are 3D models, using chunky emitters. They slowly rotate and bounce up and down above the character's head, and are very shiny. Because I love shiny.

 

 I do like your method too, though! Sometimes simple is all you need! I did initially intend to create a few more variations, like a flower, or even one to mark as 'AFK'. However, I wanted to wipe my hands of this project and move onto something else. I may revisit and add more, although it's entirely uncertain at this point because I have a lot on my plate.

 

 I never knew about yours though, is it up on the vault?

               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Tarot Redhand]

               

Only as part of the package for the module (When possible, I like to throw in an experiment '> ). Just follow the link in my sig to my projects. Scroll down until you come to modules and select "A is for Adventure 0". It has a small hak included which contains the model, texture and vfx 2da. You'll also need the script(s) in the module to make it work. The 7zip for the whole package is only 954.5Kb. There is a separate movie download but that is optional.

 

TR