Well, I knew I would have my username back soon. Thanks, Hunter.

One of the main things I want to know about editing now is: how do you make the terrain lighting good? Is it automatically done by the sky and the internal rooms, or it is done by whatever you set the overall mine ambience to?

Terrain is pretty much textbook to light, but it takes forever. Theres a whole bunch of useful tutorials here:

http://www.planetdescent.com/kyouryuu/

to me, lightning it my ultimate nightmare. Well, other than getting the script compler to work that is (the scripting itself is easy). I BLO*DY H*TE IT! especially since whenever i do lighting in my levels, all the faces seem to have 1 edge thats permenatly shadowed, so all the faces in my level are nicely outlined for the players to see! GAAAAH! anyone know a fix for this?

Try using a different lightmap space (the larger the number the less time it takes computers to handle in real-time, I use 5 which is the max). Also, try raising the iteration count to 99999999. Keep it there. Your lighting will go to 100% convergence then stop, giving you a nicely lighted level. Also, add a small amount of ambience to the mine light (.1 R .1 B .1 G is what I use most commonly).

BlackHole wrote:to me, lightning it my ultimate nightmare.

You probably shouldn't be a black hole then.

I discovered a good way of doing lighting in my levels (internal parts):

I set the ambience of each room with the top tickboxes not ticked (for super detail, etc), and then set the mine ambience afterwards with the tickboxes ticked. This stopped the problem I had of the faces being obvious (with dark edges and light centres).

Is 3DS Max easier to use in D3 editing than D3edit, or is it virtually the same, or harder? Can it create .orf files straight away, or do they have to be converted to .orf format with a different tool?

The program name is 3DS Max, not 3DS Max IIRC. IIRC is internet slang for If I Remember Correctly. You will need a converter program to export to .orf, it's available at PD under the name of 3dsgen.

well, the thing is that i HAVE the iterations on 99999999. But Material Defenders way is intriging, i'll have to try that out. Oh and i already gave my level a little ambience..... and then something very odd happened. Now my level is lit.... except that *everything* is fullbright, WITH the permanent shadows thrown in! so currently its at about the worst you can get ROFL. Unfortunatly, i have many programming projects i must work on before i continue with my level. i *did* however, finish a AWESOME freespace 2 music theme for my level (i ripped and remixed most of it off the ending theme ) not to mention that it has the BEST D...E...A...T...H THEME EVER!!!!! i *DARE* someone to get a better D...E...A...T...H theme than this! IT IS FREAKING AWESOME!!!!!!! well anyway, i'm not sure if its the fact i'm on one-player but the peace-timer doesn't seem to like me....... i think i have to shoot an ENEMY for it to work, so i guess thats not a problem. I should upload it so you can experience its awesomeness . I must admit that the primary fighting music it not in the best of shape, but i did my best. ummmmmmm where COULD i upload it?

P.S. i always seem to write essays dont i?

I've never uploaded anything before, but I know you can do it on PlanetDescent (though I don't know the details of how to do this).

BTW, Level 1 of DA is nearly 20% complete (it really does take long at first, but I assume it will be quicker because it is mostly copying rooms now). It is similar to level 2 of D3, but it has a lift system which takes you to one of stages 1 to 4 (of 5) if you hit the corresponding switch.

I will upload every level separately on PD, to keep everyone from waiting centuries for the full set.

One question: should I put D3 Mercenary things in or just D3 Retrubution things?

(I think D3 Merc things can be inserted by extracting the 'Table.gam' out of 'Merc.hog' and setting this as the default table every time D3edit is opened. A better way would be helpful if there is any. Also, D3edit can't display Merc things while editing so it will be harder.)

The file upload form at PD is broken; you'd have to mail your level to one of the staff members, namely, me. It would probably be a good idea to do some beta-testing first, though, so that people don't discover bugs after the level's formally released. As for using Merc objects, not everyone has the expansion pack, so I'm not sure that that's a good idea. It's your call, though.

i've never had that mercenary problem..... erm.... wait, i guess i have, i just never noticed

All right, I think Mercenary things won't be added into the levels, but that is for two practical reasons:

1 - D3edit cannot display most of the textures, so it would take up a lot more time from the testing.

2 - D3edit crashes when it tries to display some particular Mercenary textures, because Mercenary uses a newer version of 3D design or something. (Like when I try to open a mercenary level in D3edit it says something like 'too advanced - version 341, D3edit is only compatible with version 289 and below' (the numbers are approximate guesses).

Merc was built in 3DStudio with a fusion engine plugin.

Sorry to bump an old topic.

Would you actually believe that this guy goes to my college?!?

MD? Actually I would. Strange that.