Splitting a model to create a tilegroup

[Legacy_TheOneBlackRider]

               Hello,
I converted a NWN2 model (originally created by PDubulous - is to be found on the vault) to NWN1 (using Gmax) and set it up as a feature-tile:



As you can see in the image: That model will be larger than one tile!
ATM, it's placed on one tile = the non visible tile under it. But I think of having a working door. Plus the walkmesh is bigger than one tile. So I need to split up the model onto the tiles surrounding it.

Is there an easy way in Gmax, like a function to slice it vertically at the tile edges or a tool to accomplish this?

Thanks in advance.
               
               

               

                     Modifié par TheOneBlackRider, 19 août 2013 - 01:43 .
                     
                  

            

[Legacy_Zwerkules]

               You can find the NWN tile slicer if you open the 'General Utils' of NWmax.
Add a door to your model and make a walkmesh that covers all four tiles.
You will get sanity check errors if you export it, but after tileslicer has split it,
it will be okay.
Now enter a prefix like ttf03 and x01 or whatever the tiles of your tilegroup should be named.
Leave the variation number as it is (01) because the variation number of the first tile of your
tilegroup should be 01.
Select all the geometry of your tilegroup, but not any lights or dummies. Tile slicer will not
work if any of those are selected.
Make sure 'center is at 0,0' is checked. I've had some very bad crashes trying to slice tilegroups where the center was not at 0,0.
Now make sure that the center of your tile group is at 0,0.
Now click on the 'guess' button and the dimensions of your tilegroup should be 2 rows, 2 cloumns.
If they are not, enter those values manualy.
Now select which of the options you want to use, for example let the tile slicer create the tile lights
for you or you'll have to add them yourself later.
Now click the 'slice' button. The finished tiles will all appear black. Select each of the four aurora
base dummies the tile slicer created and export the models (ttf03_x01_01 to ttf03_x01_04).
               
               

               

                     Modifié par Zwerkules, 19 août 2013 - 02:51 .
                     
                  

            

[Legacy_s e n]

               you better keep the model geometry linked to a single tile instead of slicing each single mesh. the onlty thing you should slice is the wok
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_TheOneBlackRider]

               Just love the knowledge to be found in this place!
Thank you, Zwerk, for the technical "how to" and the mention of some holes to fall in! I will definitly tinker with that, so I know, how to handle this.
And thanks to sen for the probably more easy aproach, which would be, if I got it right, only to create the surrounding tiles eg. as a simple plane with a walkmesh and probably one with a doorway (and then all that naming and exporting mentioned by Zwerk). That should do it for this simple model.
So, 2 new ways learned! Great!
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Zwerkules]

               For a small tile group Sen's method is okay, especially for a round tower because if you use smoothing groups the smoothing will stay intact. For bigger tile groups it is not a good idea to link the whole geometry to only one of the tiles because if you have a short fog distance the whole building can disappear while you are still standing on another tile of that tile group.
Tile groups sliced with tile slicer can also be used to generate mini maps for those tile groups while you will have to make them yourself if the whole building is just linked to one tile base.
I hardly ever use tile slicer on 1x2 tile groups and only sometimes for 2x2 groups, but I always use it if the groups are bigger than 2x2.
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Pstemarie]

               

s e n wrote...

you better keep the model geometry linked to a single tile instead of slicing each single mesh. the onlty thing you should slice is the wok

With very few exceptions I always slice my tiles so that the geometry is confined to the borders of the tile. I've found that tiles that don't have "off tile" geometry seem to load better and are less taxing on the game engine. 
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_TheOneBlackRider]

               To all three wizards: Thanks for giving me a direction. Now I have something to chew on.
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_TheOneBlackRider]

               OK, I managed a splitting, BUT: I always have to turn of the option "Create tile lights"! If turned on, I get an error and the whole tool won't do anything anymore. I also tested this with a bioware tile (to be sure, that this isn't due to my tile) and the same thing happened.
I did not select the base, ignore_NGon01, ml1+ml2.

BTW, I used this manual to get an additional understanding:
http://gus.altervist...toria_engl.html

And does anybody know, where to get this file:
http://nwvault.ign.c....Detail&id=1058
NWN Tile Slicer tutorial complete
The link is broken.
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Rolo Kipp]

               <digging up...>

I can't get you the images, but the Wayback machine has the tutorial...
http://web.archive.o...t/tutorial.html

Edit: If you're up for it, perhaps you could screenshot as you work through the process and restore the tutorial for us on the new Vault? That would be *way* cool! :-)

<...dirt on dirt>
               
               

               

                     Modifié par Rolo Kipp, 22 août 2013 - 06:35 .
                     
                  

            

[Legacy_Michael DarkAngel]

               

TheOneBlackRider wrote...

OK, I managed a splitting, BUT: I always have to turn of the option "Create tile lights"! If turned on, I get an error and the whole tool won't do anything anymore. I also tested this with a bioware tile (to be sure, that this isn't due to my tile) and the same thing happened.

Ok, so we found some tile slicer issues.

I was able to duplicate the issue, I couldn't get it to create the tile lights either.  Not sure if you are using the original NWMax or my "Plus" version.  But I can tell you that tile slicer doesn't work properly in the plus version either.

Never used the Tile Slicer utility myself, and since it was a separate utility from NWMax, it wasn't something I had previously touched.

There is quite a bit of duplicated utilities inside the Tile Slicer rollout.  Things that I will most likely remove, such as "MDL Export", all the "Mesh Utilities" and the "MDL Lifter".  Those things can all be found in the NWMax Plus rollout.  I'll keep the "MDL Mirror" utility, but move it to the "Plus" rollout.

Is it worth keeping the various "Export Scripts" radio buttons?  Is anyone still using the out-dated export scripts?


 MDA
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Pstemarie]

               I used to use TileSlicer in GMax - it was creating lights for me without issue. I think the version of NWMax I used at that point was 8.0c. I haven't used the tool since getting 3DS Max. Is it possible the GMax scripts are ok, but the 3DS ones are not?
               
               

               

                     Modifié par Pstemarie, 22 août 2013 - 11:38 .
                     
                  

            

[Legacy_Michael DarkAngel]

               

Pstemarie wrote...

I used to use TileSlicer in GMax - it was creating lights for me without issue. I think the version of NWMax I used at that point was 8.0c. I haven't used the tool since getting 3DS Max. Is it possible the GMax scripts are ok, but the 3DS ones are not?

Not knowing what version OneBlackRider is using, I can only guess that something I had changed in the creation of the tile light helper is causing the current issue.

from the aurora_helper_light.ms Version history
        v1.09.13 --    AuroraDLight renamed AuroraLight and replacing original
                    AuroraLight helper that was based on omniLight.

I think what I did there could be causing the issue.  But I won't know for sure until I get further along (I'm roughly a third of the way through the script).


 MDA
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Pstemarie]

               

Michael DarkAngel wrote...

I think what I did there could be causing the issue.  But I won't know for sure until I get further along (I'm roughly a third of the way through the script).


 MDA

Dang MDA - you're a speedy liitle devil aint yah!  '>
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_TheOneBlackRider]

               "Nice" to see, that it wasn't my incapability...

@ MDA: Sorry, I should have supplied that info: Using Gmax and your NWmax plus version (3.10.14)

@ Rolo: Thanks for finding it! And I'll see, if I can recreate the tutorial.
               
               

               

                     Modifié par TheOneBlackRider, 23 août 2013 - 05:57 .
                     
                  

            

[Legacy_Michael DarkAngel]

               In testing now.  Things work, but not completely the way they should.  A few more free hours (that will be split between a few things tonight) and it should be ready for release.


 MDA