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DarkBASIC Professional Discussion / Where is the BSP compiler located that comes with licensed version of Dark Basic Pro ?

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Juggernaut
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Posted: 22nd Sep 2013 03:43
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Hello,

As stated in this page - http://www.thegamecreators.com/?m=view_product&id=2000&page=tour2&galleryorder=rating_avg

Quote: "A royalty free BSP compiler utility is included with DarkBASIC Professional."


Where is this utility located and how do I use it ?

Thanks,
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Brendy boy
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Posted: 22nd Sep 2013 04:24
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it's located here: C:\Program Files (x86)\Dark Basic Software\Dark Basic Professional\Tools

There's read me file which tells you how to use it

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chafari
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Posted: 22nd Sep 2013 12:11
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Hi there.
As Brendy boy commented, you could find it in wherever you have installed the program \Dark Basic Professional\Tools. The programs is "Start.exe".
The way it works, is loading a .x file and converting to BSP. Perhaps it was a good solution time ago, when there wasn't good collision like Sparky's. The only purpose of using BSP was to have good smooth collision, but now a days we can get good results by other ways. This BSP program just convert .x to BSP but it doesn't compile any lights a t all.

I have come to the conclusion, that to create the BSP and compile with this little program "start.exe", we have to create our level, with boxes no overlap between them. We can move vertices, but never scale them ,if so it will fail. If we use 3DsMax ,the best we can do to not have strangers final BSP placement, we have to unite all
objects with edit mesh / attach / object list and select all. We can move vertices and faces can be extruded with care not to overlap .

Cheers.

I'm not a grumpy grandpa
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Green Gandalf
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Posted: 22nd Sep 2013 14:03
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Quote: "it's located here: C:\Program Files (x86)\Dark Basic Software\Dark Basic Professional\Tools"


That folder doesn't exist on either of my machines, the Vista one had DBPro installed in Program Files(x86)\The Game Creators and the W7 one has it installed in My Documents. Both were installed from the original CD version (and then updated to U77RC7 of course). Perhaps these are files that are supplied with the free version or something?



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chafari
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Posted: 22nd Sep 2013 14:20
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Quote: "Perhaps these are files that are supplied with the free version or something?"

Do you mean that you have not the tools folder ...it comes with the original Dbpro, and the program that compile .x into BSP is "Start.exe"

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Green Gandalf
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Posted: 22nd Sep 2013 15:07 Edited at: 22nd Sep 2013 15:14
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Quote: "Do you mean that you have not the tools folder"


Yes. Perhaps I had to install that separately from the main DBPro installation? I'll dig out the CD and see if I missed something.

Edit Correction. Oops! Yes I do have it!! It's not in the folder called Dark Basic Software but in the Dark Basic Professional folder itself. I don't know why Brendy Boy's location is different. That was what I looked for. [Edit2 I hadn't noticed that Brendy Boy had DBP as a sub-folder of Dark Basic Software. Obviously drinking too much - or too little - coffee. ]



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Juggernaut
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Posted: 23rd Sep 2013 00:44
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I am using the "Dark Basic Professional Online" that I downloaded from my TGC account.

It does have a "Tools" folder within the "Editor" folder but there is no sign of start.exe within it.

Being a licensed user of Dark Basic pro - I bought the Dark Basic Pro bonanza pack, I also get to to download a licensed working copy of "Carteography Shop".

This program has an export option of "Half-Life Map" - ".map" file.
If I export everything created within the Cartography Shop editor as
an Half-Life Map file, can Dark Basic pro load that file directly using code as a game level along with all the objects, lights, textures and lightmaps ? If so, how ?

Secondly - Does the Half-Life Map file created by Cartography Shop has the same features of a bsp file ? if not where does it differ ?

Thirdly - How can I get access to individual objects, entities and
textures that are residing within a Half-Life Map file created using
Carteography Shop ? I want to access each of the objects residing
within the "Half-Life Map" file and change their properties - location, color, textures, effects etc. and move or manipulate them.
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chafari
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Posted: 23rd Sep 2013 00:55
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Quote: "You must specify a model in the X, DBO, 3DS, MDL, MD2 or MD3 format"


You can not load .map unless you converted somehow to this format above. To modify a half life map, you could use Hammer editor, or Quark editor for Quake . Attached a copy of "Start.exe"


Cheers.

I'm not a grumpy grandpa
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Brendy boy
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Posted: 23rd Sep 2013 01:13
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Quote: "If I export everything created within the Cartography Shop editor as
an Half-Life Map file, can Dark Basic pro load that file directly using code as a game level along with all the objects, lights, textures and lightmaps ? If so, how ?"

no

Quote: "Secondly - Does the Half-Life Map file created by Cartography Shop has the same features of a bsp file ? if not where does it differ ?"

no, .map file needs to be compiled inot .bsp file using bsp compiler which comes with half life tools like quark or hammer editor.

Quote: "if not where does it differ ?"

.map is just a list of object, their positions, materials etc.
bsp is special map format which among other things contains textures and lightmapping data.

Quote: "Thirdly - How can I get access to individual objects, entities and
textures that are residing within a Half-Life Map file created using
Carteography Shop ?"

you need to open it with .map editor such as hammer, quark etc..

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Juggernaut
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Posted: 23rd Sep 2013 02:50
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Why is stated officially in the following URL that loading of Half-Life map is supported ? It has been stated also that Half-Life Map
file is a BSP World file format. If I cannot load a Half-Life map in Dark Basic pro then why does Carteography Shop has this Half-Life Map export facility while .X export is also available ?

http://www.thegamecreators.com/?m=view_product&id=2000&page=features#formats

Quote: "
File Format Name Load Save
2D Image - BMP BMP Yes Yes
2D Image - Device Independant Bitmap DIB Yes Yes
2D Image - Portable Network Graphics PNG Yes
2D Image - JPEG JPG Yes Yes
2D Image - DirectDraw Surface DDS Yes Yes
2D Image - Targa TGA Yes
3D Object - 3D Studio 3DS Yes
3D Object - DirectX X Yes Yes
3D Object - MDL MDL Yes
3D Object - MD2 MD2 Yes
3D Object - MD3 MD3 Yes
BSP World Support Quake 2 Yes
BSP World Support Quake 3 Yes
BSP World Support Half Life Yes
Sound - Wave File WAV Yes Yes
Sound - Windows Media Audio WMA Yes
Sound - Windows Media Audio AIFF Yes
Sound - Windows Media Audio AU Yes
Sound - Windows Media Audio SND Yes
Sound - Mpeg Layer 3 MP3 Yes
Music - MIDI playback MIDI Yes
Music - CD Audio Tracks CD-Audio Yes
Animation AVI Yes
Animation MPEG Yes
Animation - From DVD DVD* Yes
Animation Indeo Yes
Animation Cinepak Yes
"


Is the hammer editor and quark editor freely available ? If so, any links ?

If I export all the objects residing in Carteography Shop editor as a .CSM file, can I load it through code in Dark Basic Pro and access
each of the objects and its properties individually ?
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Brendy boy
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Posted: 23rd Sep 2013 14:26
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Quote: "Why is stated officially in the following URL that loading of Half-Life map is supported ? "

where? i don't see where it's written. Half-life map is one thing, half-life bsp is something completely different. The problrem is that you obviously don't know the difference and you concluded that those two different thing are the same. Wrong assumption.

Quote: " It has been stated also that Half-Life Map
file is a BSP World file format."

where? you are blind or something...

.map is a project file from bsp editor like hammer or quark. bsp is compiled map with bsp compiler.


Quote: "If I cannot load a Half-Life map in Dark Basic pro then why does Carteography Shop has this Half-Life Map export facility while .X export is also available ?"

that tool wasn't created to be specificaly used with dbpro, there are other engines that can load .map files.

Quote: "Is the hammer editor and quark editor freely available ? If so, any links ?"

yes, here

Quote: "If I export all the objects residing in Carteography Shop editor as a .CSM file, can I load it through code in Dark Basic Pro and access
each of the objects and its properties individually ?"

i don't think so. If you write your own importer then, otherwise probably no

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Juggernaut
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Posted: 24th Sep 2013 00:29
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Quote: "Quote: "Why is stated officially in the following URL that loading of Half-Life map is supported ? "
where? i don't see where it's written. Half-life map is one thing, half-life bsp is something completely different. The problrem is that you obviously don't know the difference and you concluded that those two different thing are the same. Wrong assumption.

Quote: " It has been stated also that Half-Life Map
file is a BSP World file format."
where? you are blind or something..."


Please have a look at the column headings or labels of the table shown in the URL http://www.thegamecreators.com/?m=view_product&id=2000&page=features#formats

File Format Name Load Save

BSP World Support Half Life Yes

The file format name is stated as "Half Life" and the "Load" column
contains a value of "Yes".

So the file format - "Half Life"can be loaded in Dark Basic Pro ?
If not then what does the value "Yes" signify under the "Load"
column ?

The Cartography Shop can export all the created contents as a
"Half Life Map" file. I wanted to load that file through code
in Dark Basic pro.

Quote: "
Quote: "If I export all the objects residing in Carteography Shop editor as a .CSM file, can I load it through code in Dark Basic Pro and access
each of the objects and its properties individually ?"
i don't think so. If you write your own importer then, otherwise probably no
"


You provided the plugin to me in other thread. Is there any such plugin available for "Half Life Map" file exported by Cartography
Shop.
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Brendy boy
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Posted: 24th Sep 2013 01:16
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Quote: "So the file format - "Half Life"can be loaded in Dark Basic Pro ?
If not then what does the value "Yes" signify under the "Load"
column ?"

the half life .bsp world format can be loaded, half life .map is something else and can't be loaded

Quote: " Is there any such plugin available for "Half Life Map" file exported by Cartography
Shop. "

i don't think so

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Juggernaut
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Posted: 24th Sep 2013 01:48
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Quote: "Quote: "So the file format - "Half Life"can be loaded in Dark Basic Pro ?
If not then what does the value "Yes" signify under the "Load"
column ?"
the half life .bsp world format can be loaded, half life .map is something else and can't be loaded "


Is there any free editor to create "Half Life" .bsp world format
and QUAKE 2 and QUAKE 3 level format file without having to purchase
any of the games ?

QUARK editor asks for the game location of the games before creating a level. Unless I have the games installed I cannot create a level ?
I also did not find any option to export the level.
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Brendy boy
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Posted: 24th Sep 2013 03:04
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Quote: "Is there any free editor to create "Half Life" .bsp world format
and QUAKE 2 and QUAKE 3 level format file without having to purchase
any of the games ?"

almost all editors are free, but to compile bsp you need bsp compiler. Some of them are free, like this one: link
How to set it up i have no idea, haven't used quark for more than 10 years so i can't help you here

Quote: "I also did not find any option to export the level. "

export into what? Levels can be saved to .map or built to .bsp

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Juggernaut
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Posted: 24th Sep 2013 03:44
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chafari: Thank you for sharing the start.exe BSP compiler. But as you told us it has go some restrictions I will look for another solution.

Brendy boy: Thank you for all your help, I will look into BSP compiler
link provided by you. Here is another that I just found out -

http://sourceforge.net/projects/rmapc/
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Juggernaut
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Posted: 24th Sep 2013 03:47
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Here is another http://www.getic.net/ Unfortunately I cannot get it to start.

Looks like BSP levels are not used in today's games.
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Juggernaut
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Posted: 24th Sep 2013 03:49
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BSP levels produce a faster frame rate ?
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Brendy boy
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Posted: 24th Sep 2013 22:14
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Quote: "BSP levels produce a faster frame rate ?"

i don't think so

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Chris Tate
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Posted: 25th Sep 2013 02:59 Edited at: 25th Sep 2013 03:00
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It did back when graphics cards didn't have fast processors... Now there is no point using it.

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Mobiius
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Posted: 25th Sep 2013 15:11
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It's still more efficient than standard objects, as it comes with built in occlusion.


Now Visit My Website
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Chris Tate
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Posted: 25th Sep 2013 23:37
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True.

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Juggernaut
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Posted: 26th Sep 2013 22:41
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Ok, thank you, all of you.
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