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How about a competition for scripting and the LE?
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How about a competition for scripting and the LE? // Roundtable
Post by frootee // Aug 5, 2007, 2:01pm
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frootee
Total Posts: 2667
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Just a thought. Any takers?
Froo |
Post by Burnart // Aug 5, 2007, 3:56pm
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Burnart
Total Posts: 839
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I think that is a very good idea. Would really help people to see how things can be linked up and what scripting can do. Potentially great learning tool. |
Post by Norm // Aug 6, 2007, 5:37am
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Norm
Total Posts: 862
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There was some discussion about this internally, with respect to the monthly gallery contests. It is quite possible that on next release of trueSpace, with improved scripting and physics, that such a facet of the gallery will be born.
Personally, I believe the LE and scripting capabilities of trueSpace are the most facinating aspect of the software. I forsee great possibilities in future :banana: |
Post by spacekdet // Aug 6, 2007, 5:43am
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spacekdet
Total Posts: 1360
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* Pocket protector (http://search.live.com/images/results.aspx?q=nerd&FORM=QBIR) not required to enter! |
Post by jayr // Aug 6, 2007, 5:44am
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jayr
Total Posts: 1074
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i think thats what frustrates me about it. it has so many possiblites but it seems so much to learn. MY background is more artistic than programming, i get a headache with all that stuff, but i feel like i'm missing out on somrthing really cool by not learning more about the LE. I think i'll just have to bite the bullet and start to experiment with it |
Post by frootee // Aug 6, 2007, 6:02am
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frootee
Total Posts: 2667
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And Ask Questions! Lots of them! Here's a link to get you started. I put together a simple flag waving script, with the help of Emma, PK, Stan, and others:
http://forums1.caligari.com/truespace/showthread.php?t=3779
It needs work but it's a start! Download the scene and look at the script and LE; play with it, make changes, observe results. :)
Also do a search on the forums for trueblue; he's done quite a bit of scripting as well.
The best way to get started is to study scripts that already work, and ask questions.
It looks like the code used for scripting can also be used for precompiled plugins, once Caligari determines required header files.
Other apps, like Maya, and 3Dstudio max, also have interfaces for extensions (plugins). You can do a lot with scripting, the LE, and plugins, once you know how! :jumpy:
SO....
anyone have any ideas for a project?
I would say, rules would be:
post resulting RsScn for replay and further learning
and that's it!
Froo |
Post by Steinie // Aug 6, 2007, 6:05am
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Steinie
Total Posts: 3667
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SpaceKdet, that sounded like a "Scripted Response" so put on your thick rim glasses...
So many have gone into the LE and were never heard from again,
Alien, Chronos, etc. so fight the urge Jayr!
Nice knowing you Spacekdet! |
Post by Emma // Aug 6, 2007, 6:18am
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Emma
Total Posts: 344
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Just a personal remark for those who start with scripting:
Use remarks, remarks...remarks in your code. While just seeing the extra work at the beginning you will say thank's to yourself when you reread one of your own scripts after a year or more.
Besides that it is one of the important conditions that others will understand what you inteded with your code. There are always several ways for a solution, none of them is the best, they simply are different.
With that in mind, happy coding :)
EDIT: almost forgot to mention, so often I hear about other 3D competitors how good they are and what great stuff just was done with it. People telling you this never mention that there are lots of "programmed extras".
Most other 3D progs I know, from free to most expensive ones, are using extensiv script-/prog-coding. This is something that you find very rarely for trueSpace. Don't dare to imagine what great stuff could be coming up if this changes now. ;) |
Post by 3dvisuals dude // Aug 8, 2007, 2:25am
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3dvisuals dude
Total Posts: 1703
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Just a thought. Any takers?
Froo
Hi Frootee,
I have had an idea for a while which has been growing on me and it involves all you great scripters here, or it could... I should say, if you guys wanted to pursue the idea.
It could really be fantastic in fact if you guys think it's a good idea too, and it would help this community to a huge extent in learning to develop genuine interactivity within their own scenes for truePlay1.3 FPN usage by others.
The idea is to have a kind of "Interactive Scene Objects Yard" thread, where people could suggest interactive scene and object ideas from time to time which would require scripting or LE work to accomplish which is beyond the current capabilities of those suggesting the ideas for consideration.
I suppose from time to time you guys must run into the same "what can I do today for everybody" kind of thoughts that the rest of us mere mortals have...;) so this could provide a thread of interesting and perhaps even unprecedented Scripting and LE concepts to draw from for those days when you'd like to take a stab at something completely new.
As a for instance, there's two kinds of immersive space "entrances" I suggested the other day here to W!ZARD which have yet to actually be scripted... one is a "magic door" which appears as an approved avatar approaches it and dissappears after he enters it, using a proximity sensor tied to a visibility script to make the doorway appear, open, close, and dissappear, all at the right times.
The second is a variation of that using no door at all, where the doorway opening is covered by an invisible plane acting as a "force field" in a collision sense, with the normals flipped only on approach of an approved Avatar via a scripted proximity sensor and flipped again upon that Avatar leaving that zone after entering.
Simple ideas, I think, and I'd do them myself if I had Norm's two scripting tutorials to guide me on it, but until I (and lots of other people here) can afford to invest in those tutorials I won't be making them myself, or I would have by now.
I have dozens of interesting interactivity ideas like this, and I'll bet lots of folk here have more and better ones than I do as well.
Food for thought I hope?
- 3dvisuals dude |
Post by ProfessorKhaos // Aug 8, 2007, 3:07am
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ProfessorKhaos
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As a scripting addict I suppose you'd have guessed my answer by now. :)
Time and skill levels of individuals vary but that's true in any contest. I'm thinking that as things get rolling there could be 3 levels of contest:
Beginner - use of predefined bricks and LE connections to accomplish desired behavior
Intermediate - use of user written scripts or advanced LE work to accomplish a significant aspect of behavior.
Advanced - use of heavy duty scripts and advanced LE work to create complex behaviors or create new "primitives", tools, etc.
Haven't tried making widgets and shaders myself so I'm not sure if the categories above could/should be adjusted for that.
Winning a previous level twice where more than 5 entries are present each time automatically moves you to the next level, just to keep things encouraging for folks to compete.
All this is just suggestion of course. There would have to be enough entries to keep a 3 "league" contest going which I think would be difficult at first. |
Post by frootee // Aug 8, 2007, 3:39am
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frootee
Total Posts: 2667
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3dv: That's a good idea. This would be a thread of script requests from users. I don't think a thread has been started yet, so do you want to do the honors of firing it up? :)
PK: That's also a good idea. What we could do is, select posts from the thread that 3dv has suggested, for the competitions. At first, if there are not enough competitors, we'll just stick with one level. I must admit I am still a beginning scriptor but want to improve my skills.
[EDIT]: Emma has a good point there. Lots of animations, films, special effects, etc. are accomplished with tools such as Maya, but only with a significant amount of custom scripting / plugins written by the production houses.
Froo |
Post by 3dvisuals dude // Aug 8, 2007, 3:48am
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3dvisuals dude
Total Posts: 1703
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3dv: That's a good idea. This would be a thread of script requests from users. I don't think a thread has been started yet, so do you want to do the honors of firing it up? :)
PK: That's also a good idea. What we could do is, select posts from the thread that 3dv has suggested, for the competitions. At first, if there are not enough competitors, we'll just stick with one level. I must admit I am still a beginning scriptor but want to improve my skills.
[EDIT]: Emma has a good point there. Lots of animations, films, special effects, etc. are accomplished with tools such as Maya, but only with a significant amount of custom scripting / plugins written by the production houses.
Froo
Cool, I'm on it right now then!:banana:
Coming right up and best wishes on this great competition idea here too, and I think you're right, the two can be useful together for you guys!:D
Thanks!:)
- 3dvisuals dude |
Post by frootee // Aug 8, 2007, 4:01am
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frootee
Total Posts: 2667
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I wonder if the script request thread should be put in the Interactive Artwork forum?
Froo |
Post by 3dvisuals dude // Aug 8, 2007, 4:15am
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3dvisuals dude
Total Posts: 1703
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I wonder if the script request thread should be put in the Interactive Artwork forum?
Froo
Nah.... too late anyway, but the fact is there will be lots of folk like me with ideas for interactive scenes who are not Scripters themselves yet and consequently spend a great deal less time in the normal Scripting areas of this forum than they do here in the Roundtable area.
More traffic = more entries = better projects!:D
Thanks, this will be fun!:)
- 3dvisuals dude |
Post by 3dvisuals dude // Aug 10, 2007, 12:09am
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3dvisuals dude
Total Posts: 1703
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Hi Frootee,
I've been thinking a lot about this scripting competition over the last few days and another one of my dumb ideas started growing on me again. I tried to ignore it but there it was... just growing.
So before I have to shoot this idea, I figured I'd just let it out...
Perhaps in addition to (or if you like, instead of) the competition you guys are already planning here you may want to team up weekly to tackle script request projects you choose to tackle together.
Just a thought... lets see if it grows on you guys now.;)
- 3dvisuals dude |
Post by frootee // Aug 10, 2007, 3:44am
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frootee
Total Posts: 2667
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Now I think that's a very good idea 3dv. It would be a good idea to get the scriptors together in the trueplaces shared space to discuss just that: scripting. It would have to be scheduled at a time other than the current Thursday night chat of course though.
As part of this scheduled scriptor meeting, it may be a good idea to elect a 'guest speaker' who could select one of their script projects, and discuss it. That way, folks new to scripting, or interested in scripting, can come as well, and watch, learn, and *Ask Questions*. It would be a very good idea to have a bullet point list of topics to discuss, as well as a scheduled Q&A session; i.e., make it organized so everyone can learn effectively. Essentially, it would be a live lecture / tutorial session.
It seems that there are quite a few people that are interested in scripting but do not know how to get started. This may be a good way to begin: Live training.
What does everyone think?
Froo |
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