Extended Modding Capabilities

[eezstreet]

This thread will outline the modding capabilities which have been extended from base JK2.

 

• Can now use PNG files for images
• Can now use GLMs for viewmodels (complete with animations)
• Changed the file format for the weapons.dat. It is now located in ext_data/weapons/ (default.json is the default). You can change which one to use via g_weaponFile.
• Weapons are scripted using Angelscript. The game will load these scripts from scripts/as/*.as. For more information, see this thread and this thread.
• You can now use modded gamecores. The game will search for DLLs in fs_game folder, then base, then gamedata folder. It is not compatible with the original gamecore. You must adhere to the terms of the GPL when making a new gamecore.

[Omicron]

Couldn't png images already be used for images in JK2? I knew they could in JKA.

[eezstreet]

  On 2/7/2014 at 4:57 PM, Omicron said:

Couldn't png images already be used for images in JK2? I knew they could in JKA.

Nope. JKA added support for those.

[Omicron]

  On 2/7/2014 at 5:05 PM, eezstreet said:

Nope. JKA added support for those.

Ahh, but aren't I right in saying they didn't quite work properly? As I recall, there was an error for them, but Ensi posted an update saying that all of these errors had been fixed, or something along those lines.

[eezstreet]

The support simply didn't exist period, so far as I know. You -might- be thinking of libpng errors, which were showing up due to a newer libpng (OpenJK updated the library). I squelched those in a later commit.

[Apprentice]

Will we be able to use images of all sizes, e.g: 300 x 750 ??

[eezstreet]

  On 2/7/2014 at 9:17 PM, Apprentice said:

Will we be able to use images of all sizes, e.g: 300 x 750 ??

Once I get rend2 working for it - yes.

[Omicron]

I might just derp normal ja players, by making textures on my skins 1 px smaller on the width and height

[eezstreet]

  On 2/7/2014 at 9:24 PM, Omicron said:

I might just derp normal ja players, by making textures on my skins 1 px smaller on the width and height

Do note - non power of two textures is limited by hardware. Older graphics cards from like ~2005 won't really support non power of two textures.

[Omicron]

  On 2/7/2014 at 11:23 PM, eezstreet said:

Do note - non power of two textures is limited by hardware. Older graphics cards from like ~2005 won't really support non power of two textures.

Huh, didn't know that.

[Apprentice]

  On 2/7/2014 at 11:23 PM, eezstreet said:

Do note - non power of two textures is limited by hardware. Older graphics cards from like ~2005 won't really support non power of two textures.

I don't know if that is exactly the case. I used to map for Elite Force (also idTech3 based game) and despite their size, I never had any issues loading them and I've mapped on various 3Dfx Voodoo and older Geforce cards (e.g: Geforce 256) . . .

[eezstreet]

  On 2/8/2014 at 10:19 AM, Apprentice said:

I don't know if that is exactly the case. I used to map for Elite Force (also idTech3 based game) and despite their size, I never had any issues loading them and I've mapped on various 3Dfx Voodoo and older Geforce cards (e.g: Geforce 256) . . .

Elite Force was also by Raven Software, and like JK2 and JKA, it also required power-of-two textures.

[Apprentice]

  On 2/8/2014 at 2:52 PM, eezstreet said:

Elite Force was also by Raven Software, and like JK2 and JKA, it also required power-of-two textures.

Not my experience. I could use images sized 715x309 or 570x288. With JA & JO, they always have to 128, 256, 512 or 1024 in any direction. Anything in between (such as 384) simply doesn't work . . .

[eezstreet]

  On 2/8/2014 at 3:23 PM, Apprentice said:

Not my experience. I could use images sized 715x309 or 570x288. With JA & JO, they always have to 128, 256, 512 or 1024 in any direction. Anything in between (such as 384) simply doesn't work . . .

That's strange. O_o Are you sure you're not referring to Elite Forces 2?

[Apprentice]

  On 2/8/2014 at 3:28 PM, eezstreet said:

That's strange. O_o Are you sure you're not referring to Elite Forces 2?

Nope, Star Trek Voyager: Elite Force. Take a look at my Asteroid Base II map, which contains some odd-dimentioned images . . .