Mesh Slaving diagonal windows

[Michelle]

(20-06-2012 12:44 PM)NixNivis Wrote:  So, have you got them (all) to work? Or are they still bust?

Still bust, nothing I do changes anything, if I get time tomorrow I'm going to start from scratch and see what happens.

[leefish]

well, I am not sure how you did these Shell, but I would advise cloning an existing window (the base game expressions seem like the originals) and doing a good clean clone. Then do the linking.

The shadow on the original window seems off, and it seems that there may be two sets of wallmasks (as well as all the diagonal wallmasks).

If the window is the same shape front and back then there is no need to have 4 wallmasks for a onetile window - 2 is enough.

I don't want to seem like I am putting the original windows down - they are from 2007 and so a lot of things we found out later are not in these windows, and they do still work.

[NixNivis]

@Michelle, I have now checked the correct, tall windows, and I do indeed still get the "this object is not designable" message for the diagonal. But I've noticed something... intriguing. When I place the diagonal window and use the grey recol right from the start, then, when I hover over the window with the design tool, it lights up as you would expect and as if it's all set to change colour... and then nothing happens when you click the window. No error message, no "not designable", nothing. So I'm also starting to wonder if it's something inherent in the original window.

leefish Wrote:I don't want to seem like I am putting the original windows down - they are from 2007 and so a lot of things we found out later are not in these windows, and they do still work.

Yeah, I know I have some old things - 2006, 2007, thereabouts - that look and work great in game, but when you try to change something about them now, it doesn't work - the tools and knowledge we have today have simply evolved beyond them. Maybe that's what's going on here. Did the repository technique even exist in 2007?

[celebkiriedhel]

The Grand Trianon was basically the first repository set and I *think* there weren't any tutorials or such about how to do it. So the answer is yeah, they probably was repository back then, but to be fair its really only been the last few years that both slaving and repository has come up. I know when we were doing the N99 Maxis-match, we wanted to do repository/slaving and couldn't work it out so didn't.

[Michelle]

(20-06-2012 02:58 PM)leefish Wrote:  well, I am not sure how you did these Shell, but I would advise cloning an existing window (the base game expressions seem like the originals) and doing a good clean clone. Then do the linking.

I only opened the original files edited the Shape and Geometric Node. Didn't even have to add the tsMaterialsMeshName as it was already there. Never tried cloning a window, I might try it and see what happens or I could leave it as it is and just add a note saying 'to change the colour of the diagonal window delete and replace it with the colour you want'.

(20-06-2012 02:58 PM)leefish Wrote:  If the window is the same shape front and back then there is no need to have 4 wallmasks for a onetile window - 2 is enough.

Pardon my ignorance here; but aren't all window the same shape front and back? Don't think I've ever seen a window square one side and arched the other

(20-06-2012 04:18 PM)NixNivis Wrote:  But I've noticed something... intriguing. When I place the diagonal window and use the grey recol right from the start, then, when I hover over the window with the design tool, it lights up as you would expect and as if it's all set to change colour... and then nothing happens when you click the window. No error message, no "not designable", nothing. Huh So I'm also starting to wonder if it's something inherent in the original window.

I found the same thing and it confused the hell out of me, I kept thinking it was something I did wrong. I've slaved the set 4 times now with the same result every time.

@ Kiri, I always loved the maxis match stuff from N99; but could never understand why it wasn't slaved, now I know, thank you.

[leefish]

So did you actually clone the original window in order to make the other meshes? You kind of have to you see.

Re the different wallmasks - yup, there are windows like that. I made a couple myself, and the M&G bay windows have that kind of mask.

[Michelle]

(21-06-2012 02:01 AM)leefish Wrote:  So did you actually clone the original window in order to make the other meshes? You kind of have to you see.

I didn't clone anything or make the meshes, in the original file I downloaded there was 6 windows a single door and an arch (straight and diagonal), with the same texture. Being lazy I thought instead of recolouring 6 windows, I'd slave them and only have to recolour 1 window. I also slaved the arch to the door, didn't have a problem with the arch, it works perfectly.

So if you clone windows, you should clone the 1st straight and diagonal from a maxis (preferable base game) window, then the others from the cloned window not from the maxis window. Did I get that right? I think before I try re-cloning the windows I better look for an easy to follow tutorial.

So what happens when some windows are full length and some are short, some are squared and some arched, do you still clone from the same window and just change the wallmask textures?

Maybe that is what's wrong with them, I think they were all cloned from maxis windows. All 6 straight windows had the new texture and the 6 diagonal windows had maxis window textures in them and not all the same maxis window texture. Some had the Independent Expressions texture and some had the double hung window texture. Hope that made sense.

I'm attaching a pic of all the stuff in the original set.

[leefish]

aha. So what you are doing is trying to make a none repository set repository. Ok, now all is clear.

If you want a one tile window from base - never clone the wellwisher It is bust.

When cloning an object (like a window) I always look for the one that is closest to what I want: usually two subsets, and then I look to see how many tiles it covers.

The independent expressions are perfect if you only want one subset; otherwise you have to redo the TXMT for the glass.

If you want two subsets then you can always try cloning my mauritania windows - they are not perfect, but they are not bad, and are ready to go as far as repository goes. They are also base game.

As a starter window - try MaryLous templates from MTS, or just clone the independent expressions and change the glass TXMT to a solid set.

Assuming that there are no existing recolours for those windows in your pictures, I would clone one of my mauritanias and use that as the base for the SLAVE windows. Change the wallmask, tsMaterialsMeshNames, tsDesignmodeEnabled and the SHPE, give it a new GUID and done. Do the same for a diagonal and then keep cloning those. As the clones are already set up as repository it is very fast - just boring after a while as it is a case of swap the mesh - do the guid - link diagonal and straight, swap wallmask and continue.

You may well be able to reuse the GUIDs in the new clones, but any existing recolours will break.

If you like - I can try and redo that first window for you so that it will be a LOT easier to use as a master window.

[Michelle]

(21-06-2012 03:57 AM)leefish Wrote:  If you like - I can try and redo that first window for you so that it will be a LOT easier to use as a master window.

Aww, thank you hun but if you keep doing the work for me I will never learn. So I'll try first and if I get stuck...I'll call for help.

Thanks for the tip about the wellwisher.

[leefish]

No problems Shell - it would help a lot if you just recoloned the two master windows - same as cloning any custom object - and gave the files SMALL names. You have to link to the cres you see, and those names are long.