Bridge Commander Central
BC Forums => BC Scripting => Topic started by: Lurok91 on February 08, 2011, 08:34:05 PM
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Just a crazy idea after working on Baz's TWOK bridge and NX revamp: what do people think of idea or possible probs/issues with adding new crew member for certain bridges - a Comms Officer.
On TMP, NX and JJ bridge, XO and Science usually combined. In theory presume not impossible to script new crew member onto bridge as Comms and perhaps reassign a few of Kiska's speech functions (specifically hailing). This would obviously work better with BR's proposed Kiska-to-MaleHelm mutator mod when released as most Comms officers are female (Uhura, Hoshi). Obviously combining XO and Science functions into one much trickier but again presume not impossible? I can think of at least one possible workaround.
One area I know very little about is how to do the GUI/menu buttons assigned to character, but again presume this isn't that hard to do?
Anyway, just an idea floated out there for feedback :)
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I would guess it could be accomplished similar to how the "Guest" (Data/Picard/Salek) crewmember functions are handled in Single Player. Though I'm sure it's possible something tells me the work load that would be required to get the result you're looking for would be a bit much, considering you would need to remove stock menu options from a stock character and replace them on this new character, as well as make these changes only apply to certain bridges. I don't know...I'm sure Sov will have a few intriguing suggestions when he see's this... ;)
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I remember reading that adding additional interactible crew isn't possible, but, basically you are just shuffling menu items around. it sounds interesting, I'm eager for Sov's or defiant's input on this.
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I'd say its generally possible. It just won't be...you probably already guessed..easy.
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I remember reading that adding additional interactible crew isn't possible, but, basically you are just shuffling menu items around. it sounds interesting, I'm eager for Sov's or defiant's input on this.
It is possible, you already have additional intractable crew members in single player on both the Galaxy and Sovereign bridges why would it be any different in Quick battle.
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It is possible, you already have additional intractable crew members in single player on both the Galaxy and Sovereign bridges why would it be any different in Quick battle.
I can see importing them into quick battle the same way those guest characters are imported into single player (or something similar), but getting them to work for specific bridges only - that I'm not to sure of.
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in its simplest form
Bridge = Get the set named 'bridge'
Bridge Script = get the bridge script from the Bridge Set
if ( Bridge Script == [specific bridge]):
load Custom Character
else:
if Character exists remove them otherwise do nothing
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in its simplest form
Bridge = Get the set named 'bridge'
Bridge Script = get the bridge script from the Bridge Set
if ( Bridge Script == [specific bridge]):
load Custom Character
else:
if Character exists remove them otherwise do nothing
Hmm. Interesting. Where would that code go?
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Give me a couple of days to look into it. ;)
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If you take a look at my Captain's Orders and Captain on the Bridge mods, there's some code in there that lets you add crew members to the guest position on the Galaxy and Sovereign Bridges:
http://bridgecommander.filefront.com/file/New_Capt_Orders;83331
http://bridgecommander.filefront.com/file/Captain_On_The_Bridge;87110
My advice is to use the mission scripts in the Build Folder of the SDK as a starting point, adding characters is easy, adding a context menu for them is a little more involved...adding functional buttons to them I never figured out!
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The idea for this has been in the back of my head ever since I read it in June (and I think I actually threw this idea out there in 2005 when I first joined BCU - I was told it was impossible...but then again, I was also told that there was no way to make the phasers fire like they did in Nemesis and that leaving the Captain's Chair on the bridge was something the game wouldn't support!)
So with this in mind I took a look at the code that's given over to the Helm for Hailing...
Theoretically (and I must stress this word) it would be possible to take this code and give it to someone else...
I keep getting frustrated at Captains Orders! And when I do, I end up doing something else for a while to take my mind off it! So I may try to put this idea to work and see what happens! I will of course keep you updated if I make a serious stab at this!
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Looking forward to seeing anything you come up with, JB :) Like you, I can see how it might be theoretically possible. The tricky part is the scripting and working out which bits of code to assign/reassign...
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It's possible!!!
Well...let me put it this way...it's possible to:
Make a custom character,
Create a character menu for said character,
Give generic sounds to that character,
Add a command to that character's menu which is from a different character!
I decided to try something a little more basic than the hail command!
Youtube Video:
This took me all of half an hour (working with an already created character and tweaking his menu) and was literally a "copy/paste" excercise and for good measure I created a new TGL so there would be no conflict (this was more for Captains' Orders than for anything else, as this is where I put the Kessok!)
Needless to say I'm excited by the possibilities which are opened up by this development and am going to see what can be done to expand them when I can! (Looks like Captains Orders will have another revolutionary trait!)
At some point I will also upload a tutorial about creating custom characters/working with stock characters - if there's much demand!
EDIT:
It's also possible to add a custom command (as a test, I added Defiant's Distress Call) to the character!
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Incredible!
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o.O
ladies and gentlemen Someone actually used the Kessok character models!!
this is the first time i've ever seen it outside of Max!
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That's so cool, JB, and nice to see any new mod ideas come to fruition. Have a well-deserved cookie. Blackrook, USSSovereign, Defiant and I discussed in past that most things possible if you have the time/patience and inclination (and knowledge, of course - or willing to learn :)). I for one would love a tutorial on custom character. Again, well done. :thumbsup:
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I will definitely start putting something together (as I'm literally learning how to do this as I type it'll be a useful memory aid as well!)
It turns out that BC is perfectly willing to accept custom characters, as long as you speak very nicely to the code and put TGLs in the right place! I'm now using a mutator to override several of the stock files, so in the long term there will be no risk of damage to anyone's BC install!
So, what have I done here?
I've added the probe launch code to the Menu and - and this was the headache - used the Captains Orders Script to call the Character script, so that we get the speech and menu effects that go with it! (Ok, so it was less of a headache as it was a case that this is the first time that TGLs have given me issues!)
I gutted two mods and stuck them into the code, to see what would happen - Defiant's Distress Call and Patch_R's "TurnLightsOnOff" and they work perfectly, so it's possible to add custom codes!
My next attempt (god help me!) will be to create a comm officer character and give him the: Hail and Contact Starfleet commands and to take away the aforementioned from Kiska and Saffi!
Oh, and in unrelated news, I have unofficially named the Kessok B'Ob! If I get really frustrated there is a good chance I may make this change to his TGL!
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Speaking of code, crew buttons and old mods...just wanted to mention (in case might be interested) there was a nice little mod someone released called TargetSeparate that allowed you to separate an MVAM ship (usually Galaxy but guess could work on any?) from a button in Felix's bridge menu. I think it stopped working in KM and various updates because of addition of MVAMInfinite (at least did on mine) but I've managed to get it working again.
Link to original mod on BCF:
http://bridgecommander.filefront.com/file/Target_Separation_V40;35721 (http://bridgecommander.filefront.com/file/Target_Separation_V40;35721)
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Original MVAM had only Galaxy, thats why iirc.
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Oh, and in unrelated news, I have unofficially named the Kessok B'Ob! If I get really frustrated there is a good chance I may make this change to his TGL!
B'Ob T. Kessok? it has a nice ring to it. :P
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B'Ob T. Kessok? it has a nice ring to it. :P
I agree =p
Also, quick question, is it possible for a mutator to override a TGL file? As - for the life of me - I cannot work out where the code is which tells BC who is called what in their tool tip...
EDIT:
A new character on the Bridge!
(JL Studios' EMH Model btw!)
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is it possible for a mutator to override a TGL file? As - for the life of me - I cannot work out where the code is which tells BC who is called what in their tool tip...
Not quite sure if this is what mean, but character voice is determined by (character name py) in Scripts/Bridge/Characters folder. Setup character config at top of py, def LoadSounds at bottom. For example, I created a new all-male Klingon crew (new mp3 soundfiles and TGL) which is activated by mutator. Character pys for that crew all direct to /Klingon Crew General.tgl. Hope that helps or even resembles what you were enquiring! :)
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Sorry should have been more clear! The TGL "CharacterStatus" is what tells BC - for instance - that in Saffi's tool-tip her name is "Commander Saffi Larson" and I can't find the script that tells BC to look at that TGL to find this out...
So my question is, is it possible to set a mutator so that when the game looks for "CharacterStatus" it overrides it to find a custom TGL...
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I think the EF2 bridge crew does something like that.
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It does thanks *cookie*
Turns out I've been staring at it all along...but kept missing the forest because there were all those bloody trees in the way! Ah well, that's another stock file I won't have to overwrite now - which is always nice!
In addition, I'm trawling BCFiles looking for character models etc that I can use in this mod to try and expand the number of additional hailables/crew-persons...
Trouble is, I'm currently going through the Nemesis Crew Total Conversion...and this was released in 2003 by Cap'n WesByte...long shot I know...but is he still about/does anyone know how I could contact him re: permissions?
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Cracked it! I wanted to do this for Captains Orders 4 years ago, but I could never work out the coding! Turns out it was a lot simpler than I had led myself to believe!
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awesome! well done! :yay:
*cookied*
now the hail and viewscreen sfx for different bridges can finally be of use :)
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Thanks Jimmy! Insomnia tonight has led to a breakthrough:
&feature=youtube_gdata [/youtube]
In case it's not clear from the video - the Doctor is in a shuttle, you hail him and a cutscene starts, he says hello and then a menu appears with options (currently, close channel, "Chat" and Beam Over), you press beam over and the channel closes, another cutscene starts and the camera turns to watch Brex walk to the console, transport the Doctor aboard and then walks back to his chair and sits down - the doctor meanwhile is riding the turbolift to the bridge and the camera changes to follow him as he steps off and walks to his seat! You then try to hail the shuttle, but you can't - because the Doctor isn't aboard anymore!
You may also notice the "end transmission button" which is now in Kiska's menu...this was added because it turns out when the menu is up, if you switch tactical view - the menu vanishes and you're stuck with the Doctor on your viewscreen! I'm sure there's cleverer scripting ways of stopping it from vanishing - but that was so much easier!
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very cool!!
but this could only work on the sovereign bridge tho right? since those animations are bridge-specific? this wouldnt be possible (as yet) for like the Enterprise-A bridge or the Prometheus bridge, etc?
it is really cool to see unused character animations finally being made use of... tho it does seem kinda funny for brex to get up from his chair, walk all the way over to the other console to stand there and announce shields being lowered, then walk back to his chair and sit down lol i know this is nothing to do with you and is purely the game (prolly nothing you can do about it), but you are on the right track! if he had some animations to make it look like he is actually pushing some buttons on that console or something, but that would prolly be difficult to do... adding character animations is i think the most difficult thing to mod in BC...
nevertheless, you are really breaking ground on this aspect of bridge modding and no one else ever has done anything like this (or knew how) as yet so please stick with it! if you master this realm of character animations, you could really open up all sorts of new things for bc bridges and add alot of new life into bridge modding as a whole :D
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Actually, I got that from Episode 4 Mission 1, when they beam the away team onto the Cardassian Station - that's exactly what Brex does! But I think i'll put in a bypass - not something you want to have to endure every single time! I tried using the push buttons animation, but it made him look like he was doing the macarena for some reason!
Animations...I wouldn't know where to start! I've tried modelling and texturing and such, but to me, that's art - and i've always sucked at art! I managed to get the Doctor's collar to go teal, but it's not exactly the best texturing job in the world! I'll certainly have a look at it, because it would be useful if I could even get something rudimentary!
And as for Ent-A Bridge or Prometheus bridge...I'll have to check, but if they have animations for extras to walk and sit and such, then it might be possible to co-opt those for my own nefarious purposes! One of the reasons I re-released SeatedBrex, was because I wanted to demonstrate how animations don't actually have to be included in the character script, but instead can be imported in another script - I will probably discover reasons why this won't work...but in the back of my mind, I'm wondering if there would be a way for the "Bridge" script to tell the game, ok load the stock Kiska file (for example) but when you've done that, ignore all that stuff you think you know about where she should sit on Galaxy bridge and instead read what's written here and put her in the write place for the Prometheus Bridge...the first part is definitely possible - the second part will require investigation (which in my case means trial and error, followed by swearing and thanking the Great Bird for the console dump!
Anyway that's a bit of a long winded post! It's a couple of things extra on my "hmmm, would this be possible" list!
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Just tried it with the Intrepid Bridge, if anyone's interested it turns out that you don't have to make a new character file for every new bridge...
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It also seems tottaly games wanted to add more bridges too. :(
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I don't know if they wanted to add more Bridges, the "fix" i've come up with (and I say that very sarcastically, because at the minute it isn't much of one!) basically just puts all the animations files into the Bridges/X.py files, where X is the custom bridge...
It's not something TG intended to be done, it's just something that the game allows because of the way it assigns animations to characters!
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I tried using the push buttons animation, but it made him look like he was doing the macarena for some reason!
:funny now thats something id love to see!
Animations...I wouldn't know where to start! I've tried modelling and texturing and such, but to me, that's art - and i've always sucked at art! I managed to get the Doctor's collar to go teal, but it's not exactly the best texturing job in the world! I'll certainly have a look at it, because it would be useful if I could even get something rudimentary!
youre certainly on the right track as far as anims go - no one has really jumped into that realm much but youre already going further than just about everyone who has...
i am in the same boat as you, as far as not being able to model, texture, anything artistic... scripting is where ive ever been able to go when it comes to bc modding... and the doc's collar looks just fine, btw :)
And as for Ent-A Bridge or Prometheus bridge...
i was only just using those 2 as an example rather than specifically... but i do understand what youre describing there...
Just tried it with the Intrepid Bridge, if anyone's interested it turns out that you don't have to make a new character file for every new bridge...
very interesting! id love to see how this would look ingame!
you know where this all could be leading to, right? perhaps when youve got this all down to a science, it might just be possible to play the SP campaign missions on other bridges than the galaxy and sovereign where unique character anims exist only for those specific missions on those specific bridges ;)
something not able to be done as yet, and one of the "holy grails" of BC (the other one being blinking lcars with damage, another thing not able to be done yet)... only USS Sovereign (as far as i can recall) has tried to do something so different bridges could be used for SP but then real life took over for him and he couldnt really get into it...
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This script demonstrates how my override works - run the intrepid bridge normally, then drop this into scripts/bridges (back-up first, because this script disables the extras and is only meant as an exemplar!) and see if you can spot the difference!
If you look at the actual code, the override works by changing the configurations so that the game sets up the characters in the positions they would be on the sovereign bridge:
Bridge.Characters.Felix.ConfigureForSovereign(pFelix)
Bridge.Characters.Kiska.ConfigureForSovereign(pKiska)
Bridge.Characters.Saffi.ConfigureForSovereign(pSaffi)
Bridge.Characters.Miguel.ConfigureForSovereign(pMiguel)
Bridge.Characters.Brex.ConfigureForSovereign(pBrex)
but then calls these 5 definitions:
Kiska()
Felix()
Brex()
Saffi()
Miguel()
These definitions are all the animations for the characters on the bridge, if we look at Kiska, for example:
def Kiska():
pBridgeSet = App.g_kSetManager.GetSet("bridge")
pKiska = App.CharacterClass_Cast(pBridgeSet.GetObject("Helm"))
pKiska.ClearAnimations() ##This here basically tells Bridge Commander that despite the fact we told it before that Kiska was going to be on the Sovereign Bridge, we lied and to drop all the animations and locations, in favour of the animations below...I can't really take credit for innovation here, because it's something the game always does when you switch bridges, only in this case I've co-opted it so it "tricks" Bridge Commander into setting up the character for the Intrepid Bridge, even though it thinks we're on the Sovereign Bridge!
pKiska.AddAnimation("IntHelmTurnCaptain", "Bridge.Characters.IntMediumAnimations.IntTurnAtHTowardsCaptain")
pKiska.AddAnimation("IntHelmBackCaptain", "Bridge.Characters.IntMediumAnimations.IntTurnBackAtHFromCaptain")
pKiska.AddAnimation("IntHelmGlanceCaptain", "Bridge.Characters.CommonAnimations.GlanceRight")
pKiska.AddAnimation("IntHelmGlanceAwayCaptain", "Bridge.Characters.CommonAnimations.SeatedM")
pKiska.AddAnimation("EBHelmBreathe", "Bridge.Characters.CommonAnimations.SeatedM")
pKiska.AddRandomAnimation("Bridge.Characters.IntMediumAnimations.EBHConsoleInteraction", App.CharacterClass.SITTING_ONLY, 25, 1)
pKiska.AddAnimation("PushingButtons", "Bridge.Characters.IntMediumAnimations.EBHConsoleInteraction")
pKiska.AddAnimation("IntHelmReactLeft", "Bridge.Characters.CommonAnimations.ReactLeft")
pKiska.AddAnimation("IntHelmReactRight", "Bridge.Characters.CommonAnimations.ReactRight")
pKiska.SetLocation("IntHelm")
pKiska.SetLookAtAdj(-30, 0, 50)
pKiska.AddPositionZoom("IntHelm", 0.5, "Helm")
pKiska.AddRandomAnimation("Bridge.Characters.IntMediumAnimations.HLookAroundConsoleDown", App.CharacterClass.SITTING_ONLY, 1, 1)
pKiska.AddRandomAnimation("Bridge.Characters.CommonAnimations.TiltHeadLeft")
pKiska.AddRandomAnimation("Bridge.Characters.CommonAnimations.TiltHeadRight")
pKiska.AddRandomAnimation("Bridge.Characters.CommonAnimations.LookUp")
pKiska.AddRandomAnimation("Bridge.Characters.CommonAnimations.LookDown")
Kiska's is the shortest (not counting the Extras obviously).
There's no real reason for Bridge Modders to use this, and there are benefits to having seperate character files for seperate bridges - for example, in theory we could change the uniforms of the crew depending on the bridge, but in practice this hasn't been done much.
However it always seemed like the characters folder was getting cluttered by a ridiculous number of scripts which create the same character over and over again!
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Congrats on successes. Seems we've been thinking along similar lines (improving stock game), only you can do the script/coding stuff that sometimes eludes me :) This has given me more impetus to carry on updating and adding new EF2 characters, viewscreens and other stuff I've been doing (once I get new PC) and sure our two efforts will go well together. As for new animations, that's not a huge problem as both Baz and I capable of making them. Indeed, as I hope to replace the stock Sov bridge with my Nemesis WIP (which has different crew seating, dimensions, etc) I'll probably end up doing a new batch of Sov anims anyway.
Looking forward to seeing what else you come up with :)
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just out of curiosity, why did you remove the extra characters?
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Having Extras in the script makes the viewscreen stop working! Which is...odd, to say the least! I think it's something to do with the way in which extras work which causes some difficulty, so I'm going to do some research to see if there's a way to fix this!
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Apologies for the lack of meaningful updates to the this for what seems like ages! I have been tinkering with various things and tonight have completed what might be considered slightly groundbreaking, but I want to make very clear - isn't!!!
Basically, I'm giving the option to replace Saffi - with none other than the Emergency Command Hologram!
I had a longer video where it showed the ECH performing all of Saffi's functions (without sound I'm afraid - but that's just because I haven't made a TGL for them yet!) but there was a problem in the way he was sat in the chair (long story short, I wrote an animation function to move the chair - my first animation script!)
So that's what I have for now!
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very cool!! :D
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Love work you're doing, esp. option to 'command' crew to leave bridge :) Also, the way you get EMH to pop into seat: that could be solution to issue I've had in SPmod about getting guests onto new bridges. If could figure out way to do 'transporter effect' also would be very cool...
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Transporter effect on the bridge would be amazing!
And this was one of those ideas that came to me in the shower - the Campaign had Felix replaced with Korbus for a mission, so why not exploit that capability!
I'm currently in the process of taking it to its natural conclusion and writing a script which should allow for a "watch change" as it were - all the crew stand up and walk into the lift, then are replaced by their counterparts from Beta-Shift!
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But do remember, the Beta-Shift comes IN first, goes to assigned Post, tells others they are relieved , and the others then leave, but I bet you knew that, and Mite have a BC releated problem, with that many crew on bridge at one time.
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Trouble with that is, the animations BC has included don't allow for a crewman to walk up to a station, tell the crewman he is relieved and wait until he's stood up before sitting down...the solution might be to "fake it" and have the relief crew walk on, and time it so that as they get to the chair of the person they're relieving, the crewperson stands and walks off?
There's no issue with having a large number of crew on the bridge at once (my record is 8, each with an independent menu!) And changing over the menu from one crewman to another is relatively straightforward!
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cool idea, I always wanted to relieve Saffi from duty then order her to go to the nearest airlock and wait for further instructions :evil:
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Well, I thought about ordering Saffi off the bridge, then launching an escape pod and giving you the choice, you can bring Saffi back on board if you want, and if you do you can bring her back to bridge, or you can blow the escape pod up, at which point she's gone!
In terms of coding, it wouldn't be too difficult!
If I get too frustrated, I might release that as a seperate mod for QB!
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Man, some great stuff. Now you need to make a function for the whole crew to do the Macarena, on command. Have the song come up and everything.,,,, :dance ,,,,LOL
Seriously, you have come up with some creative thought here, There may even be some hope in having a body of some kind to look down onto when setting in the Captains chair with some of the scripting you have come up with. Now you can truly say,"They are always possibilities" in BC.
Some great work, and a cookie. :thumbsup:
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http://bridgecommander.filefront.com/file/Captain_On_The_Bridge;87110
Putting a Captain into the Captain's chair ;)
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missed that one, :roll
thanks for the link.
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No problem! I should really update that mod at some point!
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Keep an eye on BC Files over the next couple of days! The first preview of Captains Orders has just been submitted!
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Are you still going to do the tutorial on scripting comms officer? As I'd like to give that a try. Or will comms officer be included in new CaptOrd mod?
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The comms officer tutorial is in the process of being written! Hopefully it will be done in a week or two! Got a bit of uni work to complete at the moment and while scripting is my break from it, writing the tutorial feels like another essay sometimes!!!
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As working on SP mod had given me several ideas re: characters etc, been experimenting with adapting for CO Mod (if JB ever gets round to finishing, lol :)). Just a bit of fun with Janeway in Liu's office and Barclay in Engineering.
I need to work out what the scripting bit is that makes character mouths move with audio.
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Sorry I realise I just fell off the edge of the world!
Real life unfortunately got in the way - all this uni work! I thought I'd be able to get back into the swing of things after Christmas, but unfortunately my time has just been eaten since December! I have Captains Orders ticking over on its own install and lists of bugs and codes and such, it's just being able to sit down and have a think!
I've been following the SP Mod as it's been going along and you're doing awesome work Lurok! I'll definitely be freeing up time in my schedule when the release date arrives!
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For the mouth:Read lipsync.html of the SDK.
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Welcome back, JB :) And thanks for tip, Defiant :thumbsup: yeah, should always RTFM, lol :D
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Just a warning - lipsync is a bit...difficult!