Viewcam Information and Editing =============================== Version: 1.0 Date: 14 Dec 00 Site: http://www.OrangeSmoothie.org Contact: rhea@OrangeSmoothie.org Overview -------- The viewcam is "enabled" if the server can locate an appropriate viewcam positioning definition file for the current map. Definition files for the viewcam are expected to be named as: viewcam-<mapname>.cfg ... where <mapname> is q3dm1, q3dm2, etc. When the server is loaded, it looks in the directory "cfg-viewcam/" found below the osp/ directory by default. This can be changed by editing the "viewcam_directory" server variable. Creating viewcam definition files --------------------------------- 1. Creating the definition files is quite easy, and sorta fun =) The easiest way to do this is to start up your own listen server running OSP Tourney DM/CA/CTF version 0.81 or greater. 2. Once loaded, go to spectator mode (\team s). 3. Bind a key (I use "h") to the command "\snapshot". For example: \bind h snapshot 4. Also, bind several other keys for some useful info while your setting viewcam positions: \bind f range \bind g vc_proximity These will be explained shortly. 4. Now, go around the level, positioning the camera in optimal play areas, with the view covering as much ground as possible. 5. When you have a position that you think is decent, hit the "g" key (or whatever you bound the "vc_proximity" command to) to see how close other snapshots and already defined viewcams are to your current location. "vc_proximity" gives only direct line distances to the closest of all snapshots and viewcams. So, the info may be bunk as the other positions live just on the other side of the wall that you are currently positioned. However, this info can be useful in determining the extent of the camera range overlap (camera radius = 450 units) with your current position. This information is center-printed to avoid messing up all of your snapshot prints. 6. Just before u take the snapshot, hold down the "f"-key (or whatever you bound the "range" command to) and check your view all around your current position. The range command will tell you if the current line of sight in your cross-hairs is within camera range (it will be yellow if it IS in range, red if it is not). By using the range command, you can see the extent to which the camera can see all around the current psotion. Note, you can get immediate feedback by holding the range-key while change your view. It will be updated instantly. 7. Once you have a position you're happy with, hit your pre-defined snapshot key. 8. The server will print a message (to the console) that is a bunch of numbers. The line will look something like: 4 -269.920 -1493.019 333.001 37.512 -124.612 Where the first number is an increasing integer (unique position identifier) and the rest being position coordinates on the current map. 7. Go around and make as many "snapshots" as necessary to guarantee full coverage on the map. The leftmost number of the console line message will increase every snapshot. 8. Once done, pull down the console and type: \condump <mapname>.cfg Note: As a line of precaution, the server will also log all snapshots in the games.log file if the server is NOT dedicated and there is only one player connected. 9. Close quake3 (or load another map and do some more). 10. Open up your condump'ed files (located in the osp/ directory) with your favorite text editor (i.e. WordPad). 11. Erase ALL of the other information in this file up to the point where you first started making snapshots. Delete everything below the last snapshot line. 12. You should have a file that then looks something like: 0 -404.158 -458.847 607.734 38.677 -114.675 1 -807.011 -840.523 351.869 55.042 158.214 2 -1167.130 -277.282 345.887 77.217 133.132 3 -1319.148 -747.830 674.927 47.390 36.337 4 -1156.306 191.654 658.774 43.429 156.720 5 -959.129 374.814 159.875 39.996 -29.927 6 -331.580 -82.610 209.948 41.578 -142.125 7 -7.374 -496.873 24.125 14.255 42.935 8 -71.779 486.688 24.126 22.044 -95.043 9 147.193 -834.934 156.112 51.081 -22.967 10 228.905 -1061.497 435.306 53.987 -86.858 11 462.476 -672.954 682.738 46.066 -155.138 13. Save this file and then rename it to "viewcam-<mapname>.cfg" and move it into the cfg-viewcam/ directory (or wherever you store the viewcam definition files). 14. Reload quake3 up as a listen server and load the map you just used to make the viewcam definition file. 15. Type "\viewcam", "\team viewcam" or "\team vc". 16. Type "\vc_info" (to get a dump of a point when you switch viewcam positions). 17. Hit your JUMP button to move forward through the viewcam positions, hit your CROUTCH button to move backwards through the positions. Since you are by yourself on the map, the views will be static and look exactly how you made your free floating snapshot. Compare the position info dump (from \vc_info) with what you have in your freshly made viewcam definition file (gonna have to be in windowed mode to do this). It should all match up. 18. Once satisfied, do any other remaining maps you may have left. Snapshot Notes -------------- - The range of the cameras is 450 units for detection/tracking, keep this in mind for large open areas, where you may have to include several cameras to cover the entire area (a little overlap here is best). Hold down the "\range"-key command a lot! - Try to avoid having two (or more) cameras that have a coverage area that overlaps another camera position (i.e. two camera positions that are less than 450 units apart). This will help in avoid abrupt transitions as a player moves through these areas. - Two cameras CAN be closer, just as long as they do not have direct line of sight of one another. However, be careful here. You can get some really cool camming angles this way, but you can also get some really bad ones as well =) - Try to keep cameras (generally) above the players heads to avoid having them "run over" a camera. Although, it is quite cool to have a low camera that gets more in the face of players who pass close-by =) - Static cameras will only pick up action that is generally in front of them (about 120 fov). So a player creeping up from the back CAN be missed by the camera. Hence, care needs to be maintained when placing a camera away from corners and ceilings and out in open areas. - If you want a nice clean line-by-line dump of all current snapshots, just type: \snapshotdump - If you make a bad snapshot, just delete it from the map's snapshot definition file, no big deal at all here. - If you find you have dead spaces or just want to add more cams positions, follow the above steps as described when making a FULL definition file. However this time, only go to the areas that you want to add and take the snapshots. From the condump of these additional positions, just cut and paste them into your original definition file, changing the left-most numbers to unique numbers. Try to make the left-most numbers on each line unique (from other lines in the same definition file) so that you can more easily find positions if you need them. - For serious editing of the viewcam, I *seriously* recommend opening up Q3 in two windows. When you open the first, launch a listen server by running something like "cfg-SinglePlayer/team.cfg". Once it is loaded, switch to the viewcam. Then, open up a second windowed quake and connect to the first window (easiest is to go to Multiplayer and switch to "Local Servers"). With this window, use it to run around the level. The first window will show the action of the viewcam, and u can precisely control its movement (well to a certain extent) through the movements of the player in the second window. This DEFINATELY helps in finding dead spaces and points of contention in camera overlap. Of course, you will need a video card that supports windowed mode (i.e. TNT2). - There is an additional OPTIONAL paramter on viewcam positions to dynamically change the range on a particular position. For example, the \snapshot command can dump something like this: 5 668.980 2338.872 173.705 42.709 -88.748 The position for each viewcam can also be augmented with a length argument: 5 668.980 2338.872 173.705 42.709 -88.748 [length] So to change from the default 450 range to say, 900, FOR THIS PARTICULAR POSITION, just change the original line (by hand) to: 5 668.980 2338.872 173.705 42.709 -88.748 900 This is especially helpful for covering wide open areas where too many viewcams can get to be confusing and cause a lot of quick position changes. Note: NOT specifying a range will just have the position default to the normal 450 range. Viewcam commands: ----------------- - To switch to viewcam mode: \viewcam \team viewcam \team vc \vc_follow (allows the viewcam to follow a single player. You can optionally provide a player's name/ID to follow a specific player directly, without having to cycle through to them). Pressing FIRE when in CHASE mode Pressing FIRE when in FREEFLOAT mode with no active players. - Viewcam position info: \vc_info (Gives current viewcam position info) \vc_proximity (Gives info on closest snapshot and viewcam position) \range (Gives ranges to surface from current position) - Other \vc_free (toggles auto-follow mode for action-based viewcam) \snapshot (takes a "snapshot" of the curre...
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