My tutorial, demo level, etc. are almost completed. Most of the work is waiting on the completion and bug testing of the new template scripts. I estimate it will be another month or so before the tutorial will be completed.

Dan, I am working on an outdoor enviroment test level but
I hit a snag in one aspect im trying to get to work.

Any way I can send the level to you with some documentation on what the problem is.

( the level only contains a player entity and a flat block to stand on for testing as the entire lvl consists of other background operations.)

i need help.
can you make me a tutorial on how to make a resident evil like layout?
Mine never seems to be good.
ok it looks good but it has not the effect i want.

Well a few things i'd like to see covered more for level design/construction

1. work is done not using any 3rd party programs that have to be purchaced
(bryce/3dmax) assume anyone reading does NOT have access to these) but can
referance 3rd party softeware that is FREEware ( giving a link as to where
it can be found). BEcause not everyone can afford to go out and buy Bryce,
3dMAX, Milkshape, or even a good paint program like Paintshop.
Inother words use only what you got under Windows, 3DGS or freeware

2. Indoor working .. how to build complex levels without overworking the
portals, polys (i.e. laying out your level so that at any particular view
the rendering is reduced). An order to how you should actualy build a level and what to avoid during each step. ( lay down all your blocks, then texture, then light, then sprites, then entities ... and so on.) How to texture outdoors so they don't look all streatched out and blotchy

3. outdoor areas. how to work with hmp and when is it good to use an hmp and when its better to use blocks. work with differnt basic enviroments, how to mask the horizontal distortion to the sky without using the mnts scene.
Day.night transitions, sky domes, layered sky entities.

4. effects... how to deal with specal effects in indoor and outdoor enviroments
particals sprites etc. how to make the enviroment non static ( exploding walls, breaking glass. sounds effects, local, enviromental, contiuous, random, background music.

Level changing.. differnt ways to change levels ( keyed to an item or action, hit a "zone" boundry, simulate a seamless zone/level change . carrying the player(s) over level to level without resetting the player(s) info.
making "instance" levels vs standard levels ( if your unsure what I mean by instance levels they fall mostly to on-line games where a player( or group) enters a level and only that person(s) are in that level. any other person or group entering the same level are placed in thier own seperate copy of that level. Anarchy online used this and Worlds of Warcraft will be doing the same)


In otherwords cover aspects of the enviroment, good tips and things to avoid doing. I would avoid workign with entities other then those used in building the enviroment ( as that can be saved for another tutorial all in itself)

nice...

@ Koguchi[Studio Yonaka], how's your tute coming on. are you still undertaking this contribution ?
@ Dan, do you have an update on the completion time for your tutorials, progress maybe about whats left to complete ?
Be gratefull on any estimates.
Cheers.

I know much what i posted id like to see IS covered in tutorlas and workshops, but they are spread out all over the place and in pieces and each show differnt approaches ( including some I, and I'm sure others cannot even use due to lack of 3rd party software used in the tutorial)

THink its time to gather all this info floating around ( forums, tuts, workshops, AUM issues) and bring them into a few documents for the new manual.
Yep I know the info will ever be evolving and new things discovered but ther is allot that could be compiled already to something mroe sensable and usable then the current 3dgs docs.

Something to think about for the comapny and 3DGS overall too:

If Conitec is behind this gathering compiling and publishing all this info
then plops the trial version with resorces and some copies of 3rd party freeware used in the docs, could very well publish the doc as a book.
( like them how to program games in 31 days, Adventure construction Kit and so on)

May be helpful on 3DGS sales as well as a more comprehensive published "how to" manual for using 3dgs:)

Well, take your time, Dan. Don't rush.

very generous for you to offer.
Suggest tutorial of making lifts/elevators with up-down controls/levers. Levers and buttons that activate machines, doors, draw-bridges etc.
thanks, - Dix