Movie Time - Hollywood is not dead!

[labrat]

....just a bit Undead

 

This little project has been keeping me busy for a week or two.

 

I don't know if there's any interest but for my own satisfaction I added a little extra to a well known gentlemen's club

 

 

 

this one:

 

 

 

 

 

to provide a backroom cinema for small scale art house productions.....

 

 

everyone likes a good monster flick, don't they?

 

 

 

 

..and here's the view from the cheap seats

 

 

 

 

 

If you flick between the pics you'll see that it's a gif playing on the screen - not one of mine so I hope the creator doesn't mind me showing it in private screenings.

 

Basically if the player activates the projector a film plays. At the moment it flickers like an old Chaplin film (any advice welcome) so it seemed appropriate to sepia the frames and let it look like an old '20s Horror ('though not the sort of '20s film that saw general release )

 

'Twas a bugger to work out so if anyone is interested I'm happy to share the bits I've done - and any techniques people might want any information on.

 

It's probably reinventing the wheel so if anyone knows of anything similar please let me know as there is much room for improvement.

[zippy57]

That's not a set of SwapTexture commands, that's an actual .gif file on there?

[labrat]

That's not a set of SwapTexture commands' date=' that's an actual .gif file on there?

[/quote']

 

Not at all, by gif I mean that the original set of pics came from a gif and that the projector was playing them like a gif i.e. moving image on the screen...though not as well as any gif player.

 

SwapTexture !???

 

I should be so lucky. No kidding, I don't have NV (yet) and didn't know about the give away in Euclid's gun script. This baby is lovingly handcrafted two-dimensional slides (posters) all occupying the same space but only enabled one at a time (hence the flicker as the disable/enable sequence works).

 

First I made a new screen object from Eulogy's bashed up old thing using a free-to-download white fabric texture and made the normal in (free) paintdotnet with Goujosamma's easy to use and well explained "The Normal Tools" (on the Skyrim nexux and much easier than Gimp imo). Gave it curtains from retextured and scaled club drapes.

 

I jiggered a poster into a flat frame.nif object with the dimensions of the screen element and the texture of the screen.

 

I took a gif I had lying around, split it and converted each .jpg to a frame.dds with the dimensions and normal of the screen object. (The whole .gif has 150 frames, so far I've done the first 44, easy job, but tedious). I made a texture set of each .dds and then made multiple static object frames each using a different texture set (e.g. frame1 = base type frame.nif alternate texture frame1.dds). All very simple, but dull work.

 

I put all the frames (persistent objects so I could script for them, initially disabled) onto my in game Screen object and wrote an onActivate script for the projector that increments and enables then disables "this_frame", looping the sequence of 44 frames. (A very boring big if_statement with a goto label)

 

As you can imagine a SwapTexture would be much much better so thanks for the info and it's back to the drawing board to see if I can use it in FO:3.

[zippy57]

I didn't know you could animate a .dds file.

[astymma]

I didn't know you could animate a .dds file.

 

A dds file can contain many many layers and you can actually map a texture to any layer in the dds. AFAIk they can also be animated and play the layers in sequence like a gif or a progressive jpeg.

[zippy57]

I have many possible uses for this. I don't suppose you know how I would go about doing it?

[astymma]

I have many possible uses for this. I don't suppose you know how I would go about doing it?

 

Well, it involves using a texture animation NiTextureTransformController that animates the W coordinates (as in U, V and W). Most people are familiar with UV mapping coordinates to a texture but aren't aware it's actually UVW mapping with W assumed to be the only layer in a texture file (default layer). But... you can have multiple layers and that requires specifying what W coordinate you're mapping to (i.e. which layer in the texture file).

 

EDIT: Hmm I may be wrong, that controller only enables U and V translation, rotation and scaling. Doesn't seem to expose W changes.

 

EDIT: Hmm, I think perhaps you'd need a NiFlipController.

 

EDIT: I'll check out how BodyExtender did this, they used a multilayer dds file for texturing the body and tongue. Will get back to you lol

 

EDIT: After checking around a bit, it seems like animated textures are all done via NiFlipController and not via W coordinate animation. This would mean separate dds images. If anyone does know how to do this via multiple layers within the same dds, I also want to know how it's accomplished.

[labrat]

Great! (god, I love learning stuff)

 

SwapTexture looks just too good to be true...you point at an objectref and feed in a couple of strings, one for the node of the object with the texture you want to change, 'tother for the location of the texture you want to swap in and kazzam. I'll try it out when Fallout NV has finished downloading (9 hours and counting) as this machine tends to seize up when I experiment and I don't want to risk having to download the bastard again (not only Steam's appallingly slow dl time of 1g/hr but it costs me a couple of bucks per gig and that's ten gigs).

 

I'll have to get that TV mod and see if I can follow it. That seems even neater, swapping layers on a single dds. 'Though I don't know offhand how I can convince my graphics program to let me produce a layered dds as it insists on flattening anything before export.

 

edit due to cross post;

Ah that makes sense NiFlipController and multiple .dds.

[zippy57]

astymma... I have no idea what you just said.

 

My main problem with SwapTexture is that it only works on the diffuse layer. You can't use SwapTexture for the glow layer. Since what I want to swap textures for are monitors, which should obviously be producing their own light (a.k.a. glowing), this is problematic due to fact that glows appear to be visible at much larger distances than the regular texture, meaning you see a strange double-image while up close to the object and only the original texture while far away.

[astymma]

astymma... I have no idea what you just said.

 

My main problem with SwapTexture is that it only works on the diffuse layer. You can't use SwapTexture for the glow layer. Since what I want to swap textures for are monitors' date=' which should obviously be producing their own light (a.k.a. glowing), this is problematic due to fact that glows appear to be visible at much larger distances than the regular texture, meaning you see a strange double-image while up close to the object and only the original texture while far away.

[/quote']

 

It all boils down to this... you'd use a NiFlipController in the NIF and define the images you'd be flipping between as a texture set and then use the controller to define how long you show each frame and whether it loops or not. A good example is from a jedi light saber mod for Oblivion:

 

[zippy57]

I'm curious as to why it's only using two textures yet has them listed so many times. Is there some arbitrary number of textures that must be assigned? Or was it just an odd choice from the modder?

[astymma]

I'm curious as to why it's only using two textures yet has them listed so many times. Is there some arbitrary number of textures that must be assigned? Or was it just an odd choice from the modder?

 

Heh good question, asked myself the same thing.

[labrat]

 

It all boils down to this... you'd use a NiFlipController in the NIF and define the images you'd be flipping between as a texture set and then use the controller to define how long you show each frame and whether it loops or not. A good example is from a jedi light saber mod for Oblivion:

 

 

 

At first glance that looks really cool. I could have a film.nif and fill a NiFlipController with frame.dds. Then I'm guessing that enabling the film object will swap once per gameframe giving me a 30/fps smooth motion.

 

BTW

I've just seen the film set in the More Adult Content pics, please tell me that comes with NV vanilla? it isn't in the MAC dl but it's a must have for Labrat Productions (proud to be part of the Fux Nudes Corporation) I fancy playing a talent scout or agent, (or that fat guy with the mustache) for aspiring young actresses.

[astymma]

 

It all boils down to this... you'd use a NiFlipController in the NIF and define the images you'd be flipping between as a texture set and then use the controller to define how long you show each frame and whether it loops or not. A good example is from a jedi light saber mod for Oblivion:

 

 

 

At first glance that looks really cool. I could have a film.nif and fill a NiFlipController with frame.dds. Then I'm guessing that enabling the film object will swap once per gameframe giving me a 30/fps smooth motion.

 

BTW

I've just seen the film set in the More Adult Content pics' date=' please tell me that comes with NV vanilla? it isn't in the MAC dl but it's a must have for Labrat Productions (proud to be part of the Fux Nudes Corporation) I fancy playing a talent scout or agent, (or that fat guy with the mustache) for aspiring young actresses.

[/quote']

ksResource - 50s Style TV Camera by Kibblesticks

 

As far as I know, the lighting and such are all vanilla/dlc resources.

[astymma]

I guess another option is to use RAD Tools to make a Bink video .bik file and use the script command of PlayBink.

[zippy57]

Too bad bink files can't play in-world.

[astymma]

Too bad bink files can't play in-world.

They can be played in world, it's how the end credits are done. However, it freezes game time and you only get controls back if it's flagged interruptible (hit ESC key) or the video terminates.

[zippy57]

No, I mean in-world as in played on a specified flat surface within the game world. Playing a bink takes over the entire screen. That doesn't work for my purposes.

[astymma]

No' date=' I mean in-world as in played on a specified flat surface within the game world. Playing a bink takes over the entire screen. That doesn't work for my purposes.

[/quote']

 

Oh right right, gotcha...

[Chbaakal]

No' date=' I mean in-world as in played on a specified flat surface within the game world. Playing a bink takes over the entire screen. That doesn't work for my purposes.

[/quote']

 

Oh right right, gotcha...

 

If I remember correctly, Colourwheel's Dance Club Mod (Oblivion) uses similar animated screens on flat surfaces within her mod. Not sure if the images themselves are .gif, .dds or .bik files, but I've switched around the animations before, years ago. And still unsure if the same can be done in FO3 or NV, since I've never tried to duplicate the effect in these games.

 

But I also know that .dds frames can be used in Photoshop for animations, but have never tried to create one myself. I think I'll try one using the tutorial, here:

 

CS3 Animation Tutorial

 

Hopefully the same instructions can work with a .dds file format, but if not there must be a workaround, somewhere....

[astymma]

Think I found out a possible method. It doesn't use multiple layers in a dds file, it puts all the images on one layer arranged in a grid and changes the UV coordinates to map to each new frame in the grid. See this TV mod for FO3. Specifically, under Optional files, download the RZWTVTutorialV1 file.

[labrat]

 

ksResource - 50s Style TV Camera by Kibblesticks

 

As far as I know' date=' the lighting and such are all vanilla/dlc resources.

[/quote']

 

You Sir, are a scholar and a gent, (unless of course you're a lady),

and have an apparently encyclopedic knowledge of mods.

 

I've seen that gridded dds technique for things like scattered paper clutter, photos, and poster/paintings where several .nifs reference a different coordinate set on the same sheet. EDIT come to think of it that's exactly the method I used to use when writing gifs for rgp games (oh the happy days of pixel pushing)

 

And I will certainly check out that TV mod. Well.. it looks like the clever bugger has done everything I could have dreamed of . Even synched sound...... Just so long as there isn't a screen size limitation with his method. Don't know why I never thought of googlin for Fallout TV......

 

Having just spent a fairly enjoyable hour or so in NV one of the first things that leaps out at you is the damned cowboy head in Victor's screen....though come to think of it does it only move when the player is static held in conversation, I'll have to check, because the point isn't to make a little fixed screen animation but as Zippy said, an object that is playing in the environment, that you can walk around and view from different angles, or ignore, as you want.

 

As regards screen glow lighting. Is it essential that the screen acts as the emitter? The projector beam doesn't extend to the film screen in my cinema, but nearer to the screen I have placed a brightwhiteflicker bulb in the path of the beam. This casts a bright circle on the screen as if the flickering projector was running on after the film had finished. As it would seriously interfere with the film visibility I script disable it while the projector isActivated. Could you not have other lighting effect objects that produce the impression that the screen is glowing? or is that a daft idea?

 

Oh and another thought. Doesn't have to be a flat surface does it? The beauty of dds means you can easily play the image onto a curved, or textured or irregular surface without it looking too odd.

(except for the distortion you want to see of course).

[zippy57]

Yes, the screen itself must be producing the glow. This is because I plan to have screens in dark areas, and these screens aren't projector-style screens, they're LCD-style screens (which is also why they have to be flat). It's hard to explain without screenshots (which I can't get right now) but the screen itself has to have a glow map.

[astymma]

Yes' date=' the screen itself [i']must[/i] be producing the glow. This is because I plan to have screens in dark areas, and these screens aren't projector-style screens, they're LCD-style screens (which is also why they have to be flat). It's hard to explain without screenshots (which I can't get right now) but the screen itself has to have a glow map.

 

Either that or a semi-transparent glow map or light source like window sun rays as a separate static. This might already exist tbh for things such as vault projectors and highly likely for OWB which has quite a few "projection" items. Data terminal display glows would work well for a "monitor" or "tv" glow. The light need not be the screen... a separate static/light could work fine.

 

Using a glow map ON the screen itself shouldn't be hard, it's kind of like doing a greyscale heightmap but using a selection fill of near pure white on the areas you want to glow and near pure black on the areas you don't.

[zippy57]

You're right, using a Glow Map isn't hard. But I can't swap the glow texture out with SwapTexture.

First texture.

Second texture.

And now the second texture seen from a distance.

 

Now this is a fairly basic example, and certainly much simpler than the majority of things that will be in the mod, but how do I do this:

Without a glow map? Putting a light on the screen itself wouldn't be nearly as precise as the effect of the glow map:

Now, there is a light placed near the 4, but all it's doing is lighting the area around the screen to make it look like the screen is bright enough to be casting light. It's not possible to get the 4 to stand out like that without the screen having a glow map.

 

And as to the TV tutorial, it doesn't say anything about how to get a new mesh to support it. It only says how to create something to go on his particular version of the vanilla TVs. The screens I need to put stuff on aren't vanilla TVs, so unfortunately I can't use that tutorial.