A Visual Guide to the Toolset

Talks that may or may not have anything to do with Hala or NWN

Moderator: Top Team

Post Reply
Akai
Wearer of the Holy Pants
Posts: 1710
Joined: Fri Nov 03, 2006 9:09 pm
Location: Martinsburg, WV
Contact:

A Visual Guide to the Toolset

Post by Akai »

Ok, I'm giving this a try...

First question: The area creation screen looks sort of like a map, with weird dark shapes on it like shadows cast by nothing visible. How can you see what it will look like IG?
silverdragonams
Head DM
Posts: 3891
Joined: Wed Jul 07, 2004 1:33 pm

Post by silverdragonams »

It could be a couple of things, hard to say exactly without seeing exactly what you are doing. If you started with a brand new module, the first thing the toolset will do is walk you through the area creation wizard. Some tilesets are darker and harder to see than others. When the wizard gives you the option to choose a tileset Desert, City Exterior, and Rural and good choices because they are easy to see. Underdark tends to be dark and hard to navigate even with environmental lighting turned off.

Which brings me to the second possibility. Look under the Environment menu and make sure "Fog," "Display Shadows," and "Area Lighting" are all un-clicked. These settings are ~supposed~ to show you how the area will look in game, but in reality the shadows and lighting are far darker than they would be IG and are way too dark for the toolset.

If that isn't the problem and you are opening up a preexisting module to look at, it could be the module itself.
Characters:
[url=http://wiki.ysgard.org/index.php?title=Sarakin_Fyne]Sarakin Fyne[/url]

www.anotherworlddesign.etsy.com
Akai
Wearer of the Holy Pants
Posts: 1710
Joined: Fri Nov 03, 2006 9:09 pm
Location: Martinsburg, WV
Contact:

Post by Akai »

In the toolset I only see an overhead view. The only way I found to see what the area would look like IG was to save the module, close it, then open it up as a new module in single player. What am I missing?
_JM_
Honor Guard: Church of Pants
Posts: 1073
Joined: Tue Jan 09, 2007 8:23 am

Post by _JM_ »

Moving the camera? When you open the area it is an overhead view but CTRL + left mouse button + mousemove moves the area & CTRL + right mouse button + mousemove or middle mouse button + mousemove (same as in game) pans and tilts the viewpoint.
silverdragonams
Head DM
Posts: 3891
Joined: Wed Jul 07, 2004 1:33 pm

Post by silverdragonams »

In addition to what JM said, there are buttons below the area view for navigation.

Keep in mind though you are never going to get the exact same view as you would IG. From IG you are essentially inside/on the 3d model looking out and you navigate by moving your camera around. The toolset shows you the model from the outside looking in. The camera is stationary and you navigate by panning, tilting and rotating the model.
Characters:
[url=http://wiki.ysgard.org/index.php?title=Sarakin_Fyne]Sarakin Fyne[/url]

www.anotherworlddesign.etsy.com
Shannen
Major DM
Posts: 1010
Joined: Tue Jul 08, 2008 9:26 pm
Location: GMT -7/-8

Post by Shannen »

I always save the new module, then go in and look from the in-game perspective, Akai.

You log in by opening the game then clicking "Play", "New", "Other Modules..." then choose your new module and you should be able to get in that way as a PC.
General DM AVAILABILITY - I'm starting to look for trouble... (11/25/18)
Moonyju
Minor DM
Posts: 1451
Joined: Mon May 07, 2007 12:37 am
Location: *points up* That's Yana and Zunya (GMT-5/-4)

Post by Moonyju »

You can also, from the toolset, select "Test Module" from the top menu. It will load the module into the game automatically.
Post Reply