map2dif_plus_MBG

map2dif_plus_MBG

VERSION: 1.01

---

Changelog:

v1.01 - Triggers export correctly now

---

Upgraded map2dif compatible with MBG.

Features:
- The upgraded map2dif_plus conversion engine (converts more maps, with fewer limitations)
- Does not save LightMaps by default (as MBG makes no use of them)
---- reduces file size
---- to re-enable saving, use -p on command line

Bugs:
- May crash if:
---- Multiple WorldSpawn entities
---- Multiple Detail entities
---- (Possibly if) MP entities out of order
---- LightMap resolution is rediculously huge (small number)
- Requires NULL texture to exist before creating NULL surfaces
- Make sure your triggers are not on an angle or skewed, as the polyhedron doesn't export correctly, which will crash MBG upon interior test

TODO:
- Detail hidden surface removal (Constructor's export has this)
- Handle multiple brush entities better

Download Links:
-download- (v1.01) (Windows)
-download- (v1.0b) (thanks Sam) (Mac)
-download- Mac GUI tool for map2dif by HiGuy

Windows instructions: place exe into folder containing .map file and required textures, drag and drop map file onto the exe

Mac instructions (command line):
cd into directory containing .map file and textures
(make sure the map2dif file is there too)
./map2dif_plus_mbg -t . -o . <mapname.map>

---

Instructions for Mac GUI tool (from HiGuy):

Simply open the application, and double click on a .map file. It will pop up a loading bar and convert the map. When it is finished, it will place the map in the same folder as the level.
The app will search for any images in the maps' folders or subfolders, so you don't need to have all your textures in the same folder as the .map. 

*DON'T* put the map somewhere with images of other things, like your photos directory, as this will waste space and time.
If you click on the app icon, it will pop up an open dialog. From there, you can select a map to convert.
You can also press Cmd-O. None of the menu items do anything useful, but you can always clicky clicky...

---

Please report bugs (and include crash-inducing map file, if applicable).

Enjoy!

I tested a .map file that used to fail with the older app. No errors with the new one. But in my test level (with a few other interiors in it) this happened in the level editor after I added my .dif and looked at it closely:


Here's the .map file if anyone wants to see what's wrong: www.mediafire.com/?zkc898793wis5bt

Epicness. Seizure has removed one of level building's greatest impediments.

@ajdallas

looks like the sky got erased, you should be able to fix this quickly with this console line:

new Sky();

awesome job seizure!! Well done sir.

Seizure22, did you test the .map file? It's not just the sky that's acting weird.

right, now I tried it ingame, and yes, it's a terrible mess

there's a handful of reasons it's exporting things in a trashy format, but I'm not sure if I'll be able to fix it

I'll continue my work on DifFix so we have a viable alternative to this.

Well, To put in my 2¢


I took Matan's challenges seriously, and started things off with one of my all time nastiest maps. And it converted. But when I tried to add in game the interior was invisible. But not exactly. Parts of a few brushes were visible from certain angles only, but only faces not even 3d shapes. I also experienced the problems AJ did, the sky goes white and everything that moves across the screen leaves tracers behind it. (Like an old windows computer that's frozen/freezing). Strangely this behavior is only present when the camera is above a certain level of the interior (whether attached to the marble or not). As soon as the camera drops below this level everything returns to normal. I tried varying the interiors Z position, it is definitely related to camera position in relation to the interior. It screws up just below the top of the interior (a very tall and skinny interior, kinda pillar-like).

Then I tried to convert a couple of full levels. First my last released level, which had a lot of curves in it, though nothing to tricky, just pie slices mostly. Not even a single flexicube. The program crashed, and wouldn't convert it. (I believe the .map is posted in the community maps thread, too lazy to find it ATM. It's called Curviliear). Then I tried the level I am currently working on, which though mostly a simple level has a couple of spirals in it. Also crashed the program. Finally I tried a very simple map of a bunch of cubes. No problems, everything good there.

Unfortunately I have only very complex and very simple maps to test on ATM, and limited battery power so I want to keep Constructoring and Winblows mode time to a minimum, else I would test more.

PS: Didn't even try the spiral torus yet, don't have high hopes...

Don.Gato : I successfully converted your map just fine. I was gonna try it myself and indeed it worked. Any bugs I did get are actual QuArK's re-save errors. The way I solved it was a method I used to fix vislinks (credits to Seizure). I put everything under Detail mode, which is basically making a Detail brush and putting every poly under it and saving the map and exporting.
Trying the map directly crashed, detail mode just exported it.

ajdallas: I fixed the same problems as you, but as I told Don.Gato, putting it under Detail mode FIXED this completely.
TO SEE DETAIL MODE IN ACTION, DOWNLOAD MAP (attached to this post). Please note m2d_plus_mbg CRASHED on conversion. Old m2d worked fine without a problem. Also, I found 32 microbrushes (which usually kill interiors), which is probably why m2d+ crashed.

I think people trying curves (especially nasty ones) should use Detail mode regardless.

How do you do detail mode in QuArK?

Detail mode doesn't seen to work in Constructor.

The News:


Detail mode did NOT work on the first map I tried, the one that, as I already mentioned is VERY nasty. Without detail mode it converted, but had problems, as detailed in my last post. W/ detail it just crashed the program.

Detail mode DID work on my really curvy but nothing to tricky test of Curvilinear. Which crashed the conversion without detail mode. It took 14 separate interiors before, with the Map Splitter and normal MBM2D. One with M2D+. This thing is at least an improvement.

Need to test more, was in a hurry. More soon. Please get the Mac version up so I can quit using VMware/Windows.

PS For detail mode in Constructor, select all of the brushes and select detail in the options on the left.

Don.Gato: another problem I'd like to bring to your attention (as well as ajdallas) is the way you seem to make your curves/loops. Saving the map again in quark destroys the curves/loops. I haven't seen this problem occur when I was re-saving Andrew's maps in the past year or so. I think the way the both of you make them is different to Andrew's or something, because it makes no sense (yet he told me he also uses pie-slices, so really everything is weird). It could probably why you're getting such bad errors.

That's strange. What could Andrew be doing differently?! You make a loop/curve with pie slices, delete all but a little bit, texture what's left and radial clone your curve back into existence. Maybe it is something to do with texturing?


Anyway I am satisfied that my curves convert in detail mode. Just not the tricky stuff, meaning spirals, helixes, ect. Things that need a lot of flexicubes to even be possible. I guess you can't have it all...

Have yet to experiment with Map Splitter in conjunction with M2D+ Hope it works...

It doesn't let me select Detail. I'll try a fresh copy of Constructor later.

Also I have notices cracks and stuff in the curves of Andrew's levels. I was just playing A Day At the Links today and I noticed the problem. Saving Constructor curves in Quark always produces cracks.

Yes, that was in the past. For some reason nowadays this happens with his curves when I save (see PQ maps, PF).

Dec 27, 2011, 7:49pm, helpme wrote:That's strange. What could Andrew be doing differently?! You make a loop/curve with pie slices, delete all but a little bit, texture what's left and radial clone your curve back into existence. Maybe it is something to do with texturing?

Well I've never used the radial clone method to make my curves - as is common with me, I make curves the hard way. I just rewatched PF's tutorial on how to use radial clones to do curves, and I should start doing it that way.

Anyway, I hope to see a Mac version of this very soon!

Mac users can now download their version at the first post!

Dec 26, 2011, 2:10pm, ajdallas wrote:I tested a .map file that used to fail with the older app. No errors with the new one. But in my test level (with a few other interiors in it) this happened in the level editor after I added my .dif and looked at it closely:


Here's the .map file if anyone wants to see what's wrong: www.mediafire.com/?zkc898793wis5bt

I tried your map and it worked for me in the regular map2dif.

Also tips for mac users - I would be careful using this with curves. It may convert them but more than likely they will be screwy in-game. Use the map splitter with the normal map2dif on a pc for that stuff.

Tested this on a couple of maps (one MBP, one PQ) and it worked perfectly.

Thanks, Seizure for your hard work on this. Now Mac people like myself will be saved a lot of hassle by being able to convert our own maps for ourselves. This is a great and important day in Marble Blast history.

and btw, I want your babies!

Nice work seizure. Im truly amazed of your work. I still have to test it by myself on my craziest maps but i expect huge improvements. Will write results later.

Dec 28, 2011, 12:32am, andrewsears wrote:Tested this on a couple of maps (one MBP, one PQ) and it worked perfectly.

Thanks, Seizure for your hard work on this. Now Mac people like myself will be saved a lot of hassle by being able to convert our own maps for ourselves. This is a great and important day in Marble Blast history.

and btw, I want your babies!

*To the Timeline!*

Maybe I should dust off my copy of Constructor sometime soon now that I don't have to rely on others for difs

That was quite amazing. i tried to export this curved pipe and it came out better than expected.

Only thing that still glitches are endings of pipes as you can see with wooden one but rest from outside exported very well. Im not sure if you fixed that bug that didnt alowed to export faces bigger than 75x75 units because exporter crashed when i tried to export platform in size of 100x100 (Usually it dumped me message about light map being too large). But i have to say awsome work seizure.
Here is the Dif

Thanks a million, Seizure!

Linux version, anyone?

Wait... so has my wish come true? There is now a map2dif for Mac? Now I am happy. Great work Seizure! I now request a dif2map.

@Uil: In your dreams, you find a cd. This CD says Dif2Map. You are so happy, but then realize you have no computer... And it's a dream...

Not happening

Marblefire: I understood from Lonestar this is likely not possible. Don't quote me on that, not 100% sure myself.

there's an equivalent program for source engine .bsp, so I assume one could be made

EDIT: added HiGuy's GUI tool for Mac

Dec 28, 2011, 7:09pm, seizure22 wrote:there's an equivalent program for source engine .bsp, so I assume one could be made

EDIT: added HiGuy's GUI tool for Mac

Doesn't seem to work on Snow Leopard.

Dif2Map would be incredible. I was going to ask for that myself.

Well I guess the poor guy could use a break.