Tool: An AlcScript-GUI for managing VisRegions

If you feel like you're up to the challenge of building your own Ages in Blender or 3ds Max, this is the place for you!

Tool: An AlcScript-GUI for managing VisRegions

Postby tachzusamm » Wed Apr 20, 2011 11:20 am

Well, maybe I come up with this a bit late, since PyPRP2 for Blender 2.5 is on it's way 8-)
But I guess some may still use Blender 2.49 (as I do), so this could be still useful.

My original plans were quite advanced: I wanted to write a graphical user interface (GUI) for this cryptic AlcScript thingy.
At least to avoid this real pain when scripting VisRegions properly, plus some support for special flags, and maybe other (or all) AlcScript properties hidden in a GUI.

You may guess it: It seems to me now that it's lifetime will not last long because of the recently announced progress in PyPRP - but VisRegion and some flag support already works, so I decided to release the current status now.

To get an impression how it works - here's a video:
:arrow: http://www.texturu.org/share/videos/AlcScript_Wizard_xVid.avi (xVid-Format)
:arrow: http://www.texturu.org/share/videos/AlcScript_Wizard_x264.avi (x264-Format)

The tool itself can be downloaded from here:
AlcScript_GUI_V020.zip
(19.65 KiB) Downloaded 409 times



Features:
  • Completely integrates into Blender 2.49 in a script window
  • Does not conflict with PyPRP - it's installed into a separate directory and just writes AlcScript code
  • Does not conflict with already written AlcScript code
  • Keeps the order of objects in your already written AlcScript intact
  • Keeps your comments intact (*)
  • Hundrets of objects can be attached to VisRegions (or detached from them) in a minute!
  • Powerful selection features to make managing your VisRegions easy
  • Calls your sister by phone when you're going to forget to water the flowers

(*): Well, at least it keeps *most* of your comments intact.
Show Spoiler



How to install:
Just unpack the 7 python files from the .ZIP archieve into your Blender scripts folder - but in a separate subdirectory, which MUST be named AlcWIZ.
Do NOT put it into your PyPRP directory; it should be on same directory level though.
Should look like this finally:
Code: Select all
Blender Foundation
    |--- Blender_249
            | --- .blender
                     | --- scripts
                             | --- PyPRP
                             | --- AlcWIZ    <== put in here



Happy Age building,
Tach
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Re: Tool: An AlcScript-GUI for managing VisRegions

Postby dendwaler » Wed Apr 20, 2011 11:39 am

Thx Tach!
Downloaded it .
I will try it in one of the coming days,maybe i can use it to improve my age.

Calls your sister by phone when you're going to forget to water the flowers


Only one problem.

I have no sister.
So, who will be called?
Not my wife, i hope!
Those wonderfull Worlds are called " Ages" , because that is what it takes to build one.



Watch my latest Video Or even better..... watch the Cathedral's Complete Walkthrough made by Suleika!
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Re: Tool: An AlcScript-GUI for managing VisRegions

Postby dendwaler » Mon Jan 25, 2016 10:58 am

I hope that Tachzusamm is stilll lurking here from time to time. :D

I would like to see an update for this already excellent tool.

As it is now it adds a little Alcscript to selected objects.

A result could be something like this:

Code: Select all
Painting:
    visual:
        visregions:
          - SV_South


Unfortunately this is not sufficient if you have multiple objects on different pages in the same visual region.


In that case it should generate this:

Code: Select all
Painting@SouthAdd:
    visual:
        visregions:
          - SV_South


So the pagename property should be added to the objectnames.
Now you have to do it manually.
And that a pain when there are several thousends.

Is it possible to change the script to work like that ?
Those wonderfull Worlds are called " Ages" , because that is what it takes to build one.



Watch my latest Video Or even better..... watch the Cathedral's Complete Walkthrough made by Suleika!
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Re: Tool: An AlcScript-GUI for managing VisRegions

Postby dendwaler » Thu Jan 28, 2016 6:57 am

After a few days , i suddenly realized i had a wrong vision on how visual regions actualy work.


I setted up a testage with several regions and several objects on different pages and this gave me a better understanding.

This is the result.

1) any object can have one or multiple visual regions coupled to it.
2) the object can be placed everywhere in the age inside and outside visual regions.
3) The object will be rendered when the camera is inside a region that is assigned to the object, wherever the object is placed in the age.
4) The object may carry any pagenumber.

5) if an object has inside the alcscript a pagenumber (object@page) then the visregion won't work for that object at all , it will always be rendered! . Thats where i went wrong!

Furthermore: All is realy depending on the camera and not the avatar! That explains why there can be a difference in behaviour between first or third person view.

I hope that my mistake gives a better understanding of the subject for all, and not only for me. :D
Those wonderfull Worlds are called " Ages" , because that is what it takes to build one.



Watch my latest Video Or even better..... watch the Cathedral's Complete Walkthrough made by Suleika!
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Re: Tool: An AlcScript-GUI for managing VisRegions

Postby Sirius » Thu Jan 28, 2016 10:36 am

Hmmm, number 5 should work though. Maybe your AlcScript is wrong ? I think it shouldn't be:
Code: Select all
Painting@SouthAdd:
    visual:
        visregions:
          - SV_South

but instead
Code: Select all
Painting:
    visual:
        visregions:
          - SV_South@VisRegionPage

... where VisRegionPage is the page in which the Visregion is.

It makes more sense, IMHO, as "Painting" is how AlcScript identifies which script belongs to which object, while "@thing" is only used when pointing at an external object (ie: not the one currently examined at export time) which is not in the same page.

In this case you might be able to use "SV_South@VisRegionPage" using Tach's script... Worth a shot.
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Re: Tool: An AlcScript-GUI for managing VisRegions

Postby dendwaler » Fri Jan 29, 2016 4:12 am

No ,adressing with the page addition did not work for me.
The visual regions did only work along multiple prp's, if the visual region and the object are exported together within the same prp file.
May be this is because i export prp after prp and not as a complete age.
I can't export the age in 1 stroke as you know, because it is way to large to handle.
Those wonderfull Worlds are called " Ages" , because that is what it takes to build one.



Watch my latest Video Or even better..... watch the Cathedral's Complete Walkthrough made by Suleika!
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Re: Tool: An AlcScript-GUI for managing VisRegions

Postby Sirius » Fri Jan 29, 2016 5:17 am

Ah, that wouldn't be surprising :( Well, then I guess the only solution is to create one VisRegion per PRP.
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Re: Tool: An AlcScript-GUI for managing VisRegions

Postby dendwaler » Fri Jan 29, 2016 8:12 am

yes , that is what just did.

For the southwing i needed 4 Visualregions that all 4 covers the same area
But the objects in that area are spreaded over 4 prp files.
All those objects have a script like this:
Code: Select all
Wall_Lamp_D_S.086:
    visual:
        visregions:
          - SV_South1
          - SV_South11
          - SV_South12
          - SV_South7

For that object only one visregion is needed, but then i have to look up for every object which one,......... a hell of a job.
The number on the end corresponds with the pagenumber of the involved prp file.

Until now this seems to work fine!
I am testing now if there is not any logic broken when it was spreaded over different prp's
..i don't know yet.

When its all ok , then i continue with the other three wings.

Thx for thinking with me :D
Those wonderfull Worlds are called " Ages" , because that is what it takes to build one.



Watch my latest Video Or even better..... watch the Cathedral's Complete Walkthrough made by Suleika!
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