CCG V3-1 Conversion:Part 10 Other Tutorials
From NWN1 Custom Content Guide
Contents |
Other Tutorials
The goal of this custom content guide is not to be a definitive reference for every conceivable item and object that you might create in NWN. What I have attempted to do is address the objects that were not covered in other tutorials, or were outdated or unclear in the ones I could find. In other words, the objects that I struggled to understand. With that in mind, what I am including here are references and links to tutorials that I think do quite a good job of explaining certain mysteries of content creation. But don’t take my word for it – explore them yourself.
Ambient Music (BMU files)
Ambient music applies to an entire Area of a Module. To add ambient music you must set up a BMU (Bioware Music Unit) file and place it in the /music directory of your game installation. Similar to a PC Portrait, you cannot put an ambient music file in a hakpak. Follow the instructions on Bioware’s community site (http://nwn.bioware.com/builders/sounds_bmu.html).
Interestingly, you still need to update ambientmusic.2da so you still need to distribute at least one file in a hakpak.
As of version 1.26 of NWN, Bioware added a new column to ambientmusic.2da – DisplayName. If the Description column contains ****, then the Toolset will use the text in DisplayName for the name of the file. This is how labels in .2da files should work!
There is a utility for changing an MP3 file to a BMU (http://nwvault.ign.com/Files/other/data/1032456985150.shtml) file on NWVault (it simply changes the first 8 bites of the file). Drop the executable in a directory and double click on it. Use … to set the folder for your source mp3 files or .bmu files, and then select the files to convert. You can convert them in either direction.
If you are looking for information on how to score and record your own music, I am told that you will need the following:
- A good general midi keyboard/sampler and library of digital instruments
- Protools on Mac (LE is free) or Acid Studio Pro on PC (for a cheaper alternative try FruityLoops for the PC)
- Sound Forge to fine tune your sound files when done (if you want a cheaper alternative try CoolEdit).
If you don't want to actually create your own sounds and want to just mix in music to create something new then look for sound loops (sonicfoundry.com). You may find a lot of the unsigned artists on www.mp3.com receptive to the idea of their music being used in a video game (don’t use their work without permission). On mp3.com there are a series of genres (http://genres.mp3.com/music/genres.html) that you may want to look at (try medieval or Celtic themes for example).
Area Load Screens
If you want to update the load screens between Areas of a module, try Pasus Naruan’s Area Load Screen Creation Kit (http://nwvault.ign.com/Files/other/data/1031186858936.shtml). It includes templates and a tutorial.
Doors
Here is a tutorial on creating custom doors (http://nwvault.ign.com/modules/tutorials/MrX/door_tutorial_new.shtml). It explains the types of animations you need, how to create DWK meshes (door walk meshes), and pretty much everything you need to know. This is an advanced tutorial: it assumes you already know the basics of modeling, animation, and texturing.
Introductory Movies
A starting movie can really set the tone and feel for a module. To add an introductory movie to your module, follow the instructions on Bioware’s community site (http://nwn.bioware.com/builders/movie_tutorial.html). The tutorial requires several different software packages than have been described in this document:
- Microsoft Powerpoint or another program that can display slideshows.
- A screen capture program that can create .avi files.
- A tool to convert .avi files to .bik files.
Placeable Items
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This is a tutorial on Creating Simple Placeables (http://nwvault.ign.com/Files/other/data/1032841867324.shtml) that builds a tree model and explains shadows, PWK meshes (placeable walk meshes that keep people from walking through your placeable like it doesn’t exist) and other concepts.
This tutorial does not talk about animating a placeable. Now that we have done animation for a creature, placeable animations are a breeze. There are 7 placeable animations:
| Animation Name | Description |
| Damage | Plays when the object is struck and damaged. For most objects it is a simple shiver. |
| Default | The animation that occurs all the time unless turned off in the toolset or through a script command. Normally there is nothing in the default animation (reduces load on the CPU). |
| Dead | Plays when the object is destroyed. Usually it is dropped below ground level to get it out of sight while, at the same time, an emitter throws chunks of stuff into the area and creates explosions. |
| On | Animation that plays when the object is ‘on’ |
| Off | Animation that plays when the object is ‘off’ |
| On2Off | Animation that plays when the object switches form on to off. For example, levers go through this state when switching from on to off. |
| Off2On | Reverse of On2Off |
Note that placeables do not usually move. What if you want a placeable that can (say, a cart)? It is quite easy - you don't need any animations in the file at all. Take your cart and rename it as a creature (c_cart). If it is a compiled model file you can just rename the file. Otherwise you will need to change the internal model names as well. Edit the appearance.2da file to add the cart as a creature (refer to the tutorial on creatures for details). Set the movement column to 0 (no movement) or else the creature will jump around during combat when attacked.
Placeable Sounds (WAV files)
A placeable sound is one you add to an area in your module. It can be set up so that it is only noticeable within a certain range or it can apply to the entire area. To add a .wav file to your module, follow these instructions on Bioware’s community site (http://nwn.bioware.com/builders/sounds_wav.html).
It is not necessary to update ambientsound.2da file in NWN for your placeable sounds because NWN lets you add sounds directly from a hakpak. I believe .mp3 files work for placeable sounds as well although I have not tested them myself.
Texturing
While I did say this is a tutorial on NWN content and not a general guide to modeling or texturing, here are a few useful links on texturing. This first is from Martin E and is written specifically for NWN. It consists of a series of tutorials that take you from basic information about image files through to the details of Alpha channels and textures:
http://www.i.nation.btinternet.co.uk/tutorials/tutorial_00.htm
Here is a tutorial on texturing hair (http://www.planetquake.com/polycount/cottages/bladekiller/hairtut.htm) from PlanetQuake
Qbranch (http://www.planetquake.com/polycount/cottages/qbranch/) is also from PlanetQuake and has tutorials on texturing and making cloth, metal, etc.
Tilesets
Bioware’s has recently released the Neverwinter Tileset Construction Tutorial (http://nwn.bioware.com/downloads/max_tileset.html). This gives detailed examples on tileset creation. There is also a good tutorial on Creating Custom Tilesets From Scratch (http://nwvault.ign.com/Files/other/data/1034000197879.shtml). Be forewarned: it is a long and arduous process to create an entirely new tileset. Most people have been content with adding a few new tiles to an existing tileset.
Tilesets have a different set of animations (again, since we did creature animation in a tutorial, this small number of animations should be a breeze):
| Animation Name | Description |
| Animloop01 | One of two animations you can trigger through scripting. This is used for smoke and swaying signs a lot. |
| Animloop02 | Same |
| DayNight | Animation that plays during the day or night, respectively |
| Day2Night | Animation that plays when day turns to night. This is often used in buildings to move a plane with a lit window into place so that it looks like somebody inside has turned on a light. |
| Night2Day | Reverse of above. |
| Tiledefault | The default animation. Typically only used for waterfalls, fountains, etc. |
Not covered in this tutorial but in Bioware’s tileset documentation (see below) you can find information on .txi files which provide for environment mapping. However, if you are trying to get an environment map on a placeable, it will not work. This seams to be another bug in the Aurora engine. If you want to see Bioware's failure to get environment mapping to work on a placeable look at their treasure placeable (the pile of coins). They specified that this placeable should use an environment map in its texture's .txi file, but in the game it renders transparent.
There are some workarounds depending on what you want to do. For example, if you are looking for a reflectivity environmental map, rtrifts suggests make the object a creature. It can have its animation speed set to SLOW (Read Zero), or have its 2da set so that it is noninteractive and does not move its head to track players. “Creaturizing” placeables is also a way to make sliding crates, moving boulders and all sort of interactive scenery.
Tilesets by Retexturing
There is also Tileset Retexturing for Dummies (http://nwvault.ign.com/Files/other/data/1030966672399.shtml) and Tileset Retexturing for Dummies 2 (http://nwvault.ign.com/Files/other/data/1031166293059.shtml). Another tileset resource can be found with this Tileset Retexturing Tutorial (http://www.hypercubed.com/games/nwn).
Other Content and Modeling Tutorials
Danmar’s modeling tutorials (http://nwvault.ign.com/Files/movies/categories/Modeling%20Tutorials2.shtml) cover custom content for NWN. In my opinion, the best ones are on using the ChilliSkinner tool for texturing (http://www.chilliweb.co.uk/chilliskinner/).
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