Introduction
When working with a game mode, you always face the task of previewing something in game. Historically, Darkplaces engine have no WYSIWYG philosophy embedded on it's heart. Map, models, materials and other components of a game are made in separate standalone tools, and you eventually need to test them. If you are texturing model, you need to place it in game work and check how it looks compared to the rest of the game. When writing materials you need to know if material script are correct. When making a level, you need to fly around map and inspect level parts being made. OmniEditor give you a convenient way to do this, providing a bits of WYSIWYG way. Being a set of ingame tools united together with a simple GUI, OmniEditor functionality can be expanded by introducing new modules.
The generic purpose of OmniEditor is:
- Inspect game environments
- Edit specific game aspects
- Test stuff
This includes model preview, screenshots making, constructing particle effects, placing dynamic lights, decorative models, specific entities and so on.
Launching editor
To launch editor, type 'omniedit' on keyboard or in console during a game. Of couse, some level should be loaded before you can start. Once loading finishes, the brown menu will appear on the right of the screen. To prevent Main menu will show available modules to use. By default omniedit loads up all available modules. Additionally each module have a keyhook for single launch (for faster loading).
map x : Load specific game level omniedit : Launch OmniEditor
Important: OmniEditor is only meant to be launched with developer version of the engine (developer checkbox in launcher settings). When launched with stock engine build, it can cause a crash because of game build limits.File system
OmniEditor works inside the game, so it is using engine Virtual File System. Therefore it cannot open files outside of game directory, or write game files outside of gamedir/data folder.
Before using some content with OmniEditor tools, be sure to have them inside gamedir (for Blood Omnicide gamedir is Path_To_The_Game/kain/).
You can add new files withour restarting the editor.
Camera
Editor camera works in 2 modes: the freecam mode and fixed mode.
- In free cam mode, camera fly around level using EDFS buttons. Mouse are used to rotate view, crosshair are used to select objects. This mode is aimed to 'fly and check' editing style, which most of tools are aimed for.
- In fixed mode, camera only moves around its up and right axis. Camera look direction are fixed (like in real time strategy game), mouse pointer are used to select objects. This mode is used primarily by decorator module.
Updating the game files
If some of game files were updated during editing session (you have compiled a map, replaced some of the game textures etc. You should force editor to restart using console commands:
r_restart : Restarts the renderer, reloads all textures, models, materials and other render-related files (included the .bsp file). restart : Restarts level. Makes game to re-parse loaded BSP and launch level again.
Next chapter: Lights Editor
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