The Forge Worldcraft News
June 27th, 1997
more editing help...

I think I should point out that another fine resource for editing information is the rec.games.computer.quake.editing newsgroup. I've recently started posting to this newsgroup, and will start posting big announcements there, as well as here.

its a, uh, another QBSP...

hehe, Ken Alverson has come through with another update to his QBSP, with the following changes implemented:

Changes from v1.50 to v1.60:
  • Fixed the rotation quirk in Carmack's code. It now defaults to matching what you see in Worldcraft, although the other rotation mode is still available by using the "-alternateaxis" option.
  • Raised the max token size from 128 to 1024. This should fix any problems with Worldcraft's wad strings.
  • Raised some of the internal constants:
    * MAX_HULL_POINTS changed from 32 to 64
    * MAX_HULL_EDGES changed from 64 to 128
    * MAX_MAP_BRUSHES changed from 4096 to 8192
    * MAX_MAP_ENTITIES changed from 1024 to 2048
    * MAX_MAP_PLANES changed from 8192 to 16384
    All of these changes were requested by users - I am not entirely sure that the Quake engine can handle the increased values, but this will only affect maps that actually *use* that much, a map within the legal limits will not be affected, even if the constants are out of the legal limit.
  • Minor optimizations.
  • Added a help option, -?. It describes most of the command line options. Due the rush to release this version with the fixed rotation, not all of the options have been described
This file can be found in the Files section (duh!) as the wQBSP160.zip file. This has replaced the Hip-QBSP file. Be sure to read the documentation that comes with it! :) It also whitens whites and brightens brights...do not take internally...

-autolycus
June 24, 1997
Look, overhead, its a...er, new QBSP version...

Ken Alverson has sent me a new version of his crime fighting QBSP, version 1.50. Check this out from the documentation (yes, it has documentation now!):

Features:
- Transparent water, duh...
- Supports brushes with up to 256 sides
- Supports multiple wad files, up to 32
- Supports "-leakspace #" option, which allows you to control the spacing of the leak trail particles. 2 is the default, if you want to make the close together you would put in a small number, say 0.5, if you want them more spread out you would put in a larger number, say 4. Do not put in negative numbers or 0! This will be idiot proofed in the next version =)
- Supports "-nowatervis" for those people who think transparent water is unfair. That way I can have an all purpose QBSP.
- Interface is cleaner, and will be moreso in the next version.
- None of the directory requirements of the original id utils.

Although not relfected in the docs, Hipnotic extensions are also supported. Ken's future plans for this stainless steel QBSP include:

Future plans:
- Possible support reconstructing the portal file from the BSP. This is much harder than constructing it from the MAP, but I am going to try.
- Fix all the id bugs (tell me what they are!).
- Implement all user requested features (send em to me!).

If you do have any suggestions, please email them to Ken so he can continue on with this project to make this one of the most well rounded QBSPs out there. The new QBSP can be found in the Files section, as the hipnotic QBSP (modified).

-autolycus
June 22nd, 1997
New Vertex pic...

Here's a new screenshot that shows how far worldcraft has progressed since the last screenshots. (click on the pic for a larger image) The newest beta of Worldcraft has Vertex Manipulation working through the 2d windows as well as the 3d windows.

-autolycus
June 16th, 1997
Llama learns to write...

Hey, just like RonSolo, I too get lame email. Maybe i'll start posting some of it occasionally for general amusement. Here's todays...

From: loser boy <*****@server2.cyberix.com>
To: autolycus@planetquake.com
Subject: Re: Worldcraft: RIP OFF! Ben Morris, drop your price, or lose your software!

autolycus wrote:

> In regards to warezing worldcraft, anyone who wants to warez it go
> here:
>
> geee, actually...you may have seen these urls before...
>
> for all the latest betas and registered stuff, go to
> http://www.people-who-have-no-w00d.com/
>
> if that's full or you can't access it, go to http://www.goatsex4me.com
>
> is that too subtle? >:)
>
> --
> autolycus
> The Forge! http://www.planetquake.com/worldcraft/

i saw your message on the quake newsgroup, and i must ask you, do you now where to get Full worldcraft for free?! tell me! hehe

...and my response...

Didn't those URLs work? Try http://www.i-suck.com/i'll/never_learn/cuz/i_like_llamas.html.

loser.

-autolycus
June 13th, 1997 (Friday the 13th...ack!)
What's that? you say...

Just to clarify what Ben meant by "worldcraft won't fix things for you.", I made a few screenshots which should pretty much clear things up...

Good Brush
This is your brush...
Bad Brush
...this is your brush on drugs...

...any questions? :)

If you did do "the bad thing" to a brush, and compiled it, you would notice two things. First, in QBSP, you would get a number of WARNING: couldn't create brush faces. Second, that brush will not be present in quake. Note that the pictures above are as the brush would appear in Worldcraft's 3d view.

- autolycus
June 12th, 1997
Holy new QBSP quake-man!

So, here's some interesting news...Ken Alverson has sent me his newly modified version of QBSP which has the following features:

Transparent water QBSP with Hipnotic extensions
MultiWAD version 1.00

- support for the Hipnotic Scourge of Armagon entity features
- support for GL Quake transparent water
- supports multiple WADs
- no directory structure requirement, drops right into the Worldcraft directory

and coming soon:

- a -nowatervis switch to turn off the GL transparent water feature

The only problem i've found so far is that, when using multiple wads, you can still get the "Token too large on line 3" error, which can be resolved by going into the windows 95 registry (run REGEDIT.EXE), and go into HKEY_CURRENT_USER -> Software -> Worldcraft -> Worldcraft -> General, and find where the texture files are listed. Remove the path name from the WAD filename. This would make "c:\program files\worldcraft\ctf4.wad" into "ctf4.wad" for example.

The file can be found in the Files section, under the Worldcraft Files.

- autolycus
June 10th, 1997
It's been a long time, baby...

Hey all, long time, no new news...well, i thought i'd bring some cool news...i got the oppurtunity to ask ben a few questions tonite, about worldcraft of course, and here's how it went...

<autolycus> ok...can you explain a little bit about how the vertex interface will work?
<benwork> ok
<benwork> you can drag faces, edges, and vertices .. and make any shape you want
<benwork> worldcraft won't fix things for you.

<autolycus> ok, will this work from the 3d and 2d views?
<benwork> yep! already does .. and all four views are updated as you drag stuff around

<autolycus> cool! so, what will happen if you make a brush which is concave, which would mess up in quake?
<benwork> worldcraft won't fix it. you have to ensure that your brushes are convex.

<autolycus> ok, enough about VM :) im sure you get too many questions about that anyway. Are you planning on releasing another shareware version?
<benwork> definitely .. movin' to valve slowed progress and the car wreck didn't help any .. but i'm working faster than i have in months and there will be another version soon
<benwork> :)

<autolycus> excellent! any comment on the car? (gee, fast cars seem to be a trait of people involved in the 3d games scene...)
<benwork> well, i'll have some pics soon .. but six more inches of roof damage and i would have been pretty much dead. i realized this yesterday when i went to get my stuff out of the wreck at the towing company .. it was pretty sad
<benwork> and i'm getting something with four wheel drive now :)

<autolycus> woo...will you maybe be giving away the wreck as a prize for an editing contest?
<autolycus> like the id give-away...but different? :)
<benwork> ummmm
<benwork> i think the insurance company keeps the car :)

<autolycus> um...lemme see...one more good one....can you mention any cool feature that might be in a future version? is there any other big plan after VM?
<benwork> visgroups restructure .. that's about it
<benwork> i can't say much more .. but it'll be cool!
<autolycus> hehe...thanks ben!

So, that answers a few questions that i've been receiving and seeing in the r.g.c.quake.editing newsgroup. Look for a few screenshots here of VM mode soon!

- autolycus
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