question-circle Guide For Constructor 1.04 on Mac

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16 May 2015 16:54 #1
Help! I seriously need major help here. I don't know how to use constructor. I made a level that was a straight line but that was all. Constructor is very perplexing and if I could have help from certain Constructor-able people (e.g. HiGuy) that would be ideal. Also I am having trouble exporting .maps. I tried MBMap2Dif but it didn't work, it says "Fatal Error" every time. Diffix works, but it won't let me create subs in the LE when I put it in a new level. Could someone please help? Thanks so much.

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16 May 2015 17:17 - 16 May 2015 17:17 #2
In case you didn't see it on the other thread:

Kwill wrote: Here: marbleblast.proboards.com/thread/10959/c...ustom-level-building

Go to the link and then scroll down to "In-Depth Constructor Overview".


As for your errors, Constructor is very finicky with moving platforms (or just entities in general). Make sure you don't use undo when creating them, as Constructor (for some reason) will revert all of the MPs' properties if you do. PF said it better:

--If you are using Constructor, make sure you never use the undo option when making your mp. If you accidentally do, it will erase all your mp settings and make it crash mb/map2dif.


You said you were just making a straight line? Sounds like it would be more effort to try and find the error than to just recreate it, but try the stuff above and let me know if it works out.
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function clientcmd12dothepq() { commandToClient(LocalClientConnection, '34onthedancefloor'); }
Last edit: 16 May 2015 17:17 by HiGuy.

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21 May 2015 22:07 #3
Sometimes Constructor isn't letting me save a level, and I don't know why. I created another straight line, more complex though, with over ten gems.

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21 May 2015 22:56 #4
Also, how do I add an Out of Bounds trigger?

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22 May 2015 13:06 #5
Never mind, I now know I can't. But (a) how do I add a sloped platform? (b) How do I add a moving platform? I think that's all the questions I have now but more will undoubtedly come in the future.

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22 May 2015 20:10 #6
For sloped platforms, just use the vertex/face edit modes and drag only one side. Moving platforms are a bit more complicated, see here
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30 May 2015 12:37 - 30 May 2015 16:26 #7
I made a level with more than one brush and a sloped platform. Could you check it and see if it is okay and give me feedback? Actually, it's really annoying, but it doesn't allow me to attach it because the file extensions are not allowed. Darn. I will just send it via email then. Update: I sent it.
[hr]
Also, on the website that you linked me to, it doesn't show how to make a MP, but it says that you should already know how to make a MP in the level editor to do it in Constructor, so i don't know how.
Last edit: 30 May 2015 16:26 by HiGuy. Reason: Double post. Just use edit.

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30 May 2015 17:02 #8
Yeah, there are many guides scattered around for making MPs in the level editor. When in doubt, there's always the most 2007 video guide you've ever seen .
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17 Jun 2015 16:21 #9
Okay, I have a different problem now.
The process I've been doing with converting .maps into .difs for Marble Blast has been:

1. Save file as a .map
2. Export file as a Legacy .dif so that all of the textures used in that level will be in the folder
3. Run MBMap2Dif on the .map file to get a MB .dif
4. Delete the Legacy .dif made with Constructor so it doesn't clutter up the folder
5. Put the .dif and the textures used in it into platinum\data\interiors\My Interiors (clever name, right?)
6. Create a new mission, put the .dif into the mission, and click "Create Subs".

Normally after that everything works fine, but with the mission that I am making today, the textures mbp_hot6, mbp_hot7, mbu_edge_white2, and mbu_pattern_cool2 are not working in the level. They just display as a blank whitish color. I have used mbp_hot6 in another level, and it worked fine. What am I doing wrong?

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17 Jun 2015 16:49 #10
Make sure the textures you used are in the Constructor folder where all the other stuff is.
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17 Jun 2015 18:55 #11
They are, but this problem is happening in Marble Blast itself, not Constructor. I don't know why... Am I exporting it the right way?

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17 Jun 2015 19:00 #12
Do you have the textures you used in Constructor in your interiors folder?
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17 Jun 2015 20:13 #13
Yes. I tried it again and for whatever reason it worked this time.

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22 Jun 2015 22:24 - 22 Jun 2015 22:24 #14
Sorry for the bump, but I just uploaded the vid!
Last edit: 22 Jun 2015 22:24 by LegoCreator768.
The following user(s) said Thank You: HiGuy, Kalle29, Enigma, NF

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24 Jun 2015 22:27 #15
Thanks so much, LegoCreator768! I will make a new level right now because I don't have anything else to do.

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05 Jul 2015 21:10 - 05 Jul 2015 22:08 #16
Sorry for the double post, but it's been 11 days.
How do I make curves in Constructor?
EDIT: I just watched Perishingflames' video about pie slices, but I don't seem to have the plugin. Where could I get it?
Last edit: 05 Jul 2015 22:08 by NF.

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05 Jul 2015 22:34 #17
Most of the extra constructor plugins can be found at garagegames.com in the Constructor 1.0.6 download (for windows). Just take the plugins and extra stuff from there.
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06 Jul 2015 00:00 #18
When I click on the link for Constructor 1.0.6, it just starts downloading. Where on the site do I find the extras?

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06 Jul 2015 00:04 #19
They're part of the 1.0.6 patch. You should download the patch and take just the plugins from it.
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06 Jul 2015 00:17 - 06 Jul 2015 00:29 #20
I found these, which I believe I had prepared before...

File Attachment:

File Name: Constructo...gIns.zip
File Size:98 KB


EDIT: You may want these:

File Attachment:

File Name: FlexiScale.zip
File Size:62 KB

File Attachment:

File Name: PieSlicesplugin.zip
File Size:27 KB


EDIT TWO:
Higuy's Scale "Two" Zero may be useful...

File Attachment:

File Name: S2ZFlexiCube.zip
File Size:70 KB


We've got to put these up somewhere...
Attachments:
Last edit: 06 Jul 2015 00:29 by ProMarbler.

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06 Jul 2015 00:34 #21
Are the plugins that Pro Marbler gave the same as what's in the patch? I just messed up Constructor so I can't test them, but to take the plugins from the patch do I just copy and paste the folder "plug-ins"? And how do I install the ones that Pro Marbler gave, if I need to?

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06 Jul 2015 01:04 #22
As far as I know, yes. I also have a version of them on my site (with source included!) if you want them from there instead. And yes, promarbler, we do need to put these on the site somewhere.
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24 Jul 2015 01:00 #23
A while ago, I successfully made a half pipe with that plugin. What do the other plugins do?

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24 Jul 2015 05:05 - 24 Jul 2015 05:06 #24
Block Stack - Gives you blocks in a cube, you can set spacing and alternating
Column - You can make columns, customizable # of segments for the column, optional bases (customizable too)
Extrude - Take one face, and pull it out into a new brush. Super useful for making fast trim
House - Make a house! You can specify roof slant, wall thickness, ceiling, etc
Obelisk - Make obelisks, they're like tall pointy things. Lots of options for customization
Pie - You know how this one works ;)
Pivot to Origin - Put's the object's pivot point at (0,0,0). Not sure why you'd want it.
Simple Box - Literally a box
Simple Stairs - Make stairs (because we love those), optional balustrades and carriage.
Torus - Like a donut, except it crashes map2dif.
Ziggurat - Pyramid with steps, you can change # sides / steps
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Last edit: 24 Jul 2015 05:06 by HiGuy. Reason: Alphabetization

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25 Jul 2015 04:25 #25
Wow, these sound so cool! Thanks for providing detailed descriptions, I am very grateful.

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16 Aug 2015 23:16 #26
Sorry for the double post.
With Constructor, is it possible to make something like what happens in Morph? In essentials, is it possible for the marble to hit a certain square of texture (for lack of a better description), and activate platforms that were previously unmoving to speed up and form a different pattern like in the Holes and Steps sections of Morph?

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18 Aug 2015 18:50 - 18 Aug 2015 18:51 #27
Yes, but it's difficult. You can create platforms with multiple triggers, which is basically what Morph did but x1000. It's pretty simple to make multiple triggered MPs after you know how to make normal MPs. Just create multiple triggers for the platform, and set the triggers' targetTimes to marker times. So you can have something like this:

Trigger TargetTimes: 9000 (first two markers), 16000 (after 4 markers), 22000 (last marker), 13000 (you can go backwards too), 0 (start)
Markers: 4000, 5000, 4000, 3000, 4000, 2000

Note that you need to create the triggers first, but you can adjust their times after creating the markers. Don't forget to set the platform's initialTargetPosition to 0 as well. Warning: if you press undo at any point after changing any of the values, they will be reverted due to Constructor being a redacted. Saving and reloading should protect against this, but I've been screwed by this multiple times.
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Last edit: 18 Aug 2015 18:51 by HiGuy.

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23 Jan 2016 20:23 - 23 Jan 2016 20:44 #28
I made a moving platform in Constructor using Perishingflames' tutorial, and everything worked just as he said it should until I put the interior into Marble Blast. The moving platform wasn't moving. It wasn't even there. It just vanished. Before, there was a gray platform in the hole. I was going to make it into an elevator that brought the marble to the top, just to experiment.

Screenshots:







After I clicked Create Subs on the new interior, this happened:



The full size image is here.

As you can see, the purported moving platform is not in its correct place (it should be in the hole), and furthermore, it is not moving.
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Last edit: 23 Jan 2016 20:44 by NF.

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23 Jan 2016 20:57 #29
Is your interior located at 0 0 0 in-game? It has to be there in order for the MP to realize it's in the right position. Once you do that and hit Create Subs, you have to save and reload the level to get it to move.
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23 Jan 2016 21:21 - 23 Jan 2016 21:35 #30
The platform moved, but it only moved up, and then it disappeared once it got to the top and reappeared right back at the bottom. I want it to move to the top, which it is doing, and then move back to the bottom, not appear back at the bottom.

EDIT: I tried to make a new interior with another path_node at the bottom, in the same place as the first one, and I set the time_to_next or whatever it is to 0, but when I put the interior in MBP, it crashed.
Last edit: 23 Jan 2016 21:35 by NF.

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