Difference between revisions of "PyPRP:First Age"

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So you are interested in creating ages huh? But you are reluctant, because everything seems so overwhelming. After all, everybody else in here is already an expert in Blender, programming, you name it. You are just learning about Blender and you know nothing about programming. You would really like to see some results in Uru. But how can you possibly catch up with the rest? You better forget about it... you will never get the hang of age creation.
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{{Tutorial|First Age}}
  
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This tutorial does not teach Blender or programming, but just shows you how to export your very first creation to Uru. Once that is out of the way, then you can fully concentrate on age creation! This tutorial assumes you have [[PyPRP:Installation|installed PyPRP]]. '''Please do NOT proceed until you have installed all the required software and the GoW plugin.'''
  
Hold it right there, buddy! If that sounds like you, you have come to the right place! Creating an age, admittedly, has a learning curve, but if I can do it, so can you! All we need is a little instruction... once you understand the basics, you can start creating a REAL age before you know it.
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==Preparing the Blender File==
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Before we model anything, we need to prepare the Blender project file so that the GoW plugin can recognize it and interpret it in a way that Uru can then recognize.
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# Begin in Blender by [[Media:firstage01.jpg|removing the sample cube]] Right click on the cube to select it, press delete (or type the letter x) and click "Erase selected object(s)". This provides a clean canvas on which to create.
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# Now we need to add an element that will let the plugin interpret this blender file as an Age for Uru. In the top menu (where you see the i), [[Media:firstage02.jpg|click Add - PyPRP]].
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# Then, [[Media:firstage03.jpg|click "Create a New Book"]].
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# Our book is added, but we still need to change some settings. To do that, [[Media:firstage04.jpg|change the Buttons Window to the Text Editor]].
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# [[Media:firstage05.jpg|Click the little button that looks like two triangles pointing up and down, and choose "Book".]]
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# [[Media:firstage06.jpg|Change the sequence prefix]]. Your age needs a unique sequence prefix so that the Ages don't conflict in Uru.
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# [[Media:firstage07.jpg|Change the Text Editor back to the Buttons Window.]]
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This concludes the preparation section of this GoW plugin tutorial. If you save this Blender file at this point, you can use this file repeatedly for different Ages. Just remember that for each additional age you create, you '''must''' change the "sequenceprefix".
  
This tutorial does not teach Blender or programming, but just shows you how to export your very first creation to Uru. Once that is out of the way, then you can fully concentrate on age creation!
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==Creating the Basic Age==
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The next step is to make the most elemental of Ages. This Age will consist of a solid flat sheet as our floor.
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# To create the floor, [[Media:firstage08.jpg|go to the top menu, click Add - Mesh - Plane.]]
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# See Fig. 1. In comparison to the avatar sample model, the plane is much too small. You will need to increase its size. To increase its size, [[Media:firstage10.jpg|click on "Object" in the 3d View Window, then Transform, then Scale.]] [[File:firstage09.jpg|thumb|right|Fig. 1]]
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# Then either [[Media:firstage11.jpg|drag your mouse]] or [[Media:firstage12.jpg|type in a number]]. The number you type in is a multiplier. For example, if you type in 2, the floor will double in size.
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# Every object requires a material in order for the GoW plugin to export it. to add a material, [[Media:firstage13.jpg|click on the materials buttons and select Add New]]
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# You can change the floor's color now by [[Media:firstage14.jpg|clicking the grey bar and selecting a color]]
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# Since this object will be what we stand on, we want it to be solid. There are many ways to make objects solid. For our purposes, [[Media:firstage15.jpg|click on the "Logic" button right next to Panels. Then, in the menu that appears, click "Bounds".]]
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# [[Media:firstage16.jpg|Click on the word "Box". From the menu that pops up, select Static TriangleMesh]].
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# Next, we need to add a location where your avatar will link into the Age. [[Media:firstage17.jpg|From the top menu, click Add - PyPRP.]]
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# Then, from the menu that pops up, [[Media:firstage18.jpg|choose Create a New SpawnPoint]].
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# You can view and reposition your spawnpoint by [[Media:firstage19.jpg|selecting the blender file's second layer]], where the spawnpoints are stored. to return to the first layer, select the first square.
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This concludes the modeling portion of this GoW plugin tutorial.
  
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==Exporting to Uru==
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Exporting the Blender file converts your model into a working Uru Age.
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# [[Media:firstage20.jpg|In the top menu, click File - Export - PyPRP.]]
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# [[Media:firstage21.jpg|From the menu that pops up, choose "Generate Release (.age)".]]
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# [[Media:firstage22.jpg|Browse to the folder where Uru is installed and select the "dat" folder, then choose a name for your new age and click "Export final .age".]]
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This concludes the export section of this GoW plugin tutorial. The next step is to get Uru to recognize that the Age can be linked to.
  
Fist, let's assume a few things.
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== Using the Offline KI ==
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If you have the [[Offline KI]] installed, it will automatically find your age the next time you start Uru and add it to the end of the "Restoration Links" in Nexus. As an even quicker way to test your age, use the KI command "/link agefilename".
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Load Uru and [[Media:firstage24.jpg|enjoy your Age.]]
  
 
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[[Category:PyPRP Tutorials]]
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1. You have installed Uru – Complete Chronicles
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2. You have installed the UruLibraryManager (ULM) (see http://ulm.hbyte.net, scroll to the bottom)
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3. You have installed Blender 2.45 (see http://www.blender.org/download/get-blender)
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4. You have installed Python 5.1, PyPRP and the required plugins (see http://guildofwriters.com/wiki/Installing_PyPRP)
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5. You are comfortable with (at least) lessons 1 to 5 of Jennifer's tutorial (see http://guildofwriters.com/wiki/BlenderBeginnersClassroomIndex)
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Don't worry if step 4 or 5 seems impossible at first, it can be done! If you are really stuck, be sure to ask help in the GoW forum (http://guildofwriters.com/phpbb)
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All done? Then let's get started, shall we? Don't you just long to see your very first age in Uru?
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Age creation takes place in Blender, so let's go there. Now that you have followed some of Jennifer's tutorials, you are relatively comfortable with the windows presented here. You may delete the standard cube (right click on the cube to select it, press delete and click "Erase selected object(s)"). After all, by now, we can create trees and cones, who needs a cube anyway! You can't wait to fill the empty screen with all those goodies you are able to create, but wait a moment! First, we need to make sure Uru CC sees our creation as an actual age. You did install PyPRP, did you, in step 4? Great!
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To begin with, let us change the buttons window to the scripts window. Click the "Buttons" menu (the button that looks like this: =) and then choose "Scripts window" (the button with the green python). See screenshot 1.
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[[Image:firstage01.jpg]]
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Screenshot 1
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In the new menu presented there, click Scripts - Add - PyPRP. See screenshot 2.
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[[Image:firstage02.jpg]]
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Screenshot 2
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Then, click "Create a New Book". See screenshot 3.
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[[Image:firstage03.jpg]]
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Screenshot 3
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You're done with the Scripts window for now, so we are going to change it to the Text Editor. Click on the green python, and now choose "Text Editor". See screenshot 4.
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[[Image:firstage04.jpg]]
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Screenshot 4
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Incidently, did you see the menu change magically? Where it said "Scripts" at first, now it says "File" and all the buttons have changed.
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Not to worry, all we are interested in now is the book we just created. Click the little button that looks like two triangles pointing up and down, and choose "Book". See screenshot 5.
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[[Image:firstage05.jpg]]
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Screenshot 5
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But... nothing happened?! Oh yes, it did. Click in the bottom grey area and use your "Up" arrow key to scroll up. Whoa, lots of cryptic text, and I know nothing about programming! Chill, buddy, we only need to change the number behind "sequenceprefix", we can do it. You see, every age needs to have a unique number, otherwise they conflict with each other. So why don't you give it some nice, random number between 1000 and 9999. Make sure you don't accidently delete the space between the word "sequenceprefix" and your number! See screenshot 6.
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[[Image:firstage06.jpg]]
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Screenshot 6
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We're done with the Text Editor for now, so you can change it back to the buttons window. See screenshot 7.
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[[Image:firstage07.jpg]]
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Screenshot 7
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All this work and we haven't created a single object yet! That is true, but it had to be done. Now, it is time for to add some solid ground for us to stand on. We don't want to fall back to Relto the second the we enter the age, do we?
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Tip: are you sure you are still in the top view? This is the standard view when you start Blender, but press the 7 on your numeric keyboard - with Numlock on - to make sure. We want a floor that is horizontal... not a slide.
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In the file menu, click Add - Mesh - Plane. See screenshot 8.
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[[Image:firstage08.jpg]]
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Screenshot 8
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Now take a quick peek at screenshot 9 below. Do you see the size of an avie, compared to our brand new plane? That doesn't give much room to roam, does it? We really need to scale up that plane a bit! But first, let us start some good habits and switch back from Edit mode to Object mode. See screenshot 9. (Tip: you will need this a LOT, a quick way to change between edit and object mode is the TAB key)
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[[Image:firstage09.jpg]]
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Screenshot 9
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To scale an object, click on "Object" in the 3d View window, then Transform, then Scale. See screenshot 10.
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[[Image:firstage10.jpg]]
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Screenshot 10
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Drag your mouse a bit... ooh, the size of the plane changes with it. But no matter how far we move the mouse, we can't scale much more than 3 or 4 times what we have now. And we SO wanted a BIG plane! You can see the scale change when you drag your mouse. See screenshot 11.
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[[Image:firstage11.jpg]]
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Screenshot 11
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Let's think BIG, and scale the plane by a factor 100. Well, that is easy! You are still in the scale mode, right? Ok, pry your fingers away from the mouse, towards the keyboard. Type 100 and press the Enter key. Voila! Our plane is huge now, in fact we cant even see the edges anymore. See screenshot 12. (Tip: use the scroll button on the mouse to zoom in and out, but for this tutorial we don't need it yet)
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[[Image:firstage12.jpg]]
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Screenshot 12
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Did you notice your plane is a VERY dull shade of grey? That won't do at all. We wanted something like an exiting green, didn't we? Yes, we did. And even if we didn't, we still need to add a "material" to our plane to make our age work in Uru. From Jennifer's tutorials you may have learned already how to add real life textures, but let us not try that yet. For now, let us be satisfied with a nice color. Ready? Look at screenshot 13. You see where I circled the two circles? (yes I know how that sounds). Make sure they are selected by clicking on each one by one. Then, under Links and Pipeline, click "Add New".
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[[Image:firstage13.jpg]]
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Screenshot 13
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Umph, lots of choices all of a sudden! Not to worry, the color button is there as well! You see the grey bar and the two white bars? Click the grey bar and choose a color you fancy. Then, click on the button "Sample" and pick a color. See screenshot 14.
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[[Image:firstage14.jpg]]
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Screenshot 14
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If we were to export our age right now, we would STILL fall right through our plane. Why is that? Because we have not told Blender yet that it is, in fact, supposed to be solid. Click on the button right next to Panels, the one that looks a bit like a Pacman sprite. Then, in the menu that appears, click "Bounds". See screenshot 15.
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[[Image:firstage15.jpg]]
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Screenshot 15
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Two new choices appear next to where you just clicked. Don't worry with "Compound" at all, but click on the word "Box". From the choice menu that pops up, select Static Triangle Mesh. See screenshot 16.
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[[Image:firstage16.jpg]]
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Screenshot 16
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Almost done, bear with me just a little while longer! Now, we need to add one more code from our Scripts menu. Remember how to change back to the Scripts menu, the one that looks like a python? If not, look again at screenshots 1 and 2. Got it? Ok this time, we won't add another book, but a spawn point. Click Scripts - Add - PyPRP - Create a New Spawnpoint. See screenshot 17.
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[[Image:firstage17.jpg]]
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Screenshot 17
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But... but... I see no changes! That's right, you won't. PyPRP objects are added to another layer, to be exact, layer 2. Of course you want to admire your spawnpoint, right? After all, you may want to change the location your avie links in when entering the age for the first time. Look at those 20 tiny little white squares. You thought they were teeth, did you? No, in fact, they are layers. This will prove useful later, when you start adding a sky for example. You can stow it away to another layer, and not have it in the way all the time. But that is for later... now, we want to see our spawn point in layer two. Sure, go ahead, click on the second square! See screenshot 18. Ah, there it is! I don't have to explain how to go back to layer one, do I? Just click the first square, that's all.
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[[Image:firstage18.jpg]]
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Screenshot 18
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I know you are chomping at the bit to fill your brand new age with objects, but first, let us see if we can manage to export our plain plane to Uru. Once we know it works, THEN we can start to add objects.
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In the top menu, click File - Export - PyPRP. See screenshot 19.
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[[Image:firstage19.jpg]]
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Screenshot 19
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Then, click "Generate Release (.age)". See screenshot 20.
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[[Image:firstage20.jpg]]
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Screenshot 20
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Choose a name for your new age, and make sure to select the folder where Uru - Complete Chronicles is installed. Then go to the "dat" folder. See screenshot 21
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[[Image:firstage21.jpg]]
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Screenshot 21
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Finally, click "Export final .age". See screenshot 22.
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[[Image:firstage22.jpg]]
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Screenshot 22
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We are nearly, nearly there.
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Only one more step to do! We need to tell ULM (that you installed in step 2 of this tutorial) about our new age. That pretty much explains itself, but see screenshot 22 for an brief explanation.
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[[Image:firstage23.jpg]]
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Screenshot 23
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Yes, finally, that was really all!!! Now, start the game, and use the book on the bottom bookshelf to visit your newly created age. Admire, and dream of all the goodies you are going to add...........
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[[Image:firstage24.jpg]]
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Screenshot 24
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Latest revision as of 05:41, 21 November 2011

Disambig gray.png

This is a tutorial page.Versions available: PyPRP; 3ds Max; Korman.
 

This tutorial does not teach Blender or programming, but just shows you how to export your very first creation to Uru. Once that is out of the way, then you can fully concentrate on age creation! This tutorial assumes you have installed PyPRP. Please do NOT proceed until you have installed all the required software and the GoW plugin.

Preparing the Blender File

Before we model anything, we need to prepare the Blender project file so that the GoW plugin can recognize it and interpret it in a way that Uru can then recognize.

  1. Begin in Blender by removing the sample cube Right click on the cube to select it, press delete (or type the letter x) and click "Erase selected object(s)". This provides a clean canvas on which to create.
  2. Now we need to add an element that will let the plugin interpret this blender file as an Age for Uru. In the top menu (where you see the i), click Add - PyPRP.
  3. Then, click "Create a New Book".
  4. Our book is added, but we still need to change some settings. To do that, change the Buttons Window to the Text Editor.
  5. Click the little button that looks like two triangles pointing up and down, and choose "Book".
  6. Change the sequence prefix. Your age needs a unique sequence prefix so that the Ages don't conflict in Uru.
  7. Change the Text Editor back to the Buttons Window.

This concludes the preparation section of this GoW plugin tutorial. If you save this Blender file at this point, you can use this file repeatedly for different Ages. Just remember that for each additional age you create, you must change the "sequenceprefix".

Creating the Basic Age

The next step is to make the most elemental of Ages. This Age will consist of a solid flat sheet as our floor.

  1. To create the floor, go to the top menu, click Add - Mesh - Plane.
  2. See Fig. 1. In comparison to the avatar sample model, the plane is much too small. You will need to increase its size. To increase its size, click on "Object" in the 3d View Window, then Transform, then Scale.
    Fig. 1
  3. Then either drag your mouse or type in a number. The number you type in is a multiplier. For example, if you type in 2, the floor will double in size.
  4. Every object requires a material in order for the GoW plugin to export it. to add a material, click on the materials buttons and select Add New
  5. You can change the floor's color now by clicking the grey bar and selecting a color
  6. Since this object will be what we stand on, we want it to be solid. There are many ways to make objects solid. For our purposes, click on the "Logic" button right next to Panels. Then, in the menu that appears, click "Bounds".
  7. Click on the word "Box". From the menu that pops up, select Static TriangleMesh.
  8. Next, we need to add a location where your avatar will link into the Age. From the top menu, click Add - PyPRP.
  9. Then, from the menu that pops up, choose Create a New SpawnPoint.
  10. You can view and reposition your spawnpoint by selecting the blender file's second layer, where the spawnpoints are stored. to return to the first layer, select the first square.

This concludes the modeling portion of this GoW plugin tutorial.

Exporting to Uru

Exporting the Blender file converts your model into a working Uru Age.

  1. In the top menu, click File - Export - PyPRP.
  2. From the menu that pops up, choose "Generate Release (.age)".
  3. Browse to the folder where Uru is installed and select the "dat" folder, then choose a name for your new age and click "Export final .age".

This concludes the export section of this GoW plugin tutorial. The next step is to get Uru to recognize that the Age can be linked to.

Using the Offline KI

If you have the Offline KI installed, it will automatically find your age the next time you start Uru and add it to the end of the "Restoration Links" in Nexus. As an even quicker way to test your age, use the KI command "/link agefilename". Load Uru and enjoy your Age.