DeleD Community Edition

[Daaark]

I was just thinking it would be nice to have a save option to export the map to a new file with everything getting triangulated, or for doing lighting while working on your level. It's nice to keep a non triangluated map file while that you can easily edit.

IE you would have:

Save (like normal.)
Export Triangulated (like normal, but triangulates everything, and saves in a different file.)
Export Lightmapped (see above + lightmapping)

[Paul-Jan]

I agree that you would want to keep the triangulated (+ possibly lightmapped) files separated from the main file you are working on.

I don't really get the third option, export Lightmapped. You mention "doing lighting while working on your level", so it would
1. Prompt the user for a different filename (remembering the current one)
2. Triangulate and lightmap the level, saving it to that filename (would take a long time)
3. Return the interface to the file you were originally working on.

? What would be the use of lightmapping if you couldn't preview the lightmapped result somewhere during that process? Or are you hinting you want lightmapping in a separate thread, while still working on the main model (which would... err... not be complete trivial to implement )

Also, I think that functionality like this (save to a different filename with some modifications, then return to original file) is an Export (like you say), not part of the main Save/Save As functionality, and should thus be treated like an export. In the future, all export actions will be provided through plugins. Writing a triangulating dmf exporter would be a piece of cake, of course.

As a sidenode, I am currently working on the B3D exporter, also featuring triangulation

[Daaark]

The exporter would do your lightmaps and triangulate, but save as a different file name. like yourfile_lit.dmf It doesn't have to do anything on screen, just save out to a new file. Nothing complicated like all that stuff you just typed.

Blitz3D!? blah! use a real language! (just kidding)

[Paul-Jan]

Thanks for just insulting 40% of our user base, i'll pass on your phone number and home address

About your suggestion, if that is all it does, what would be the added value? As far as I can see, it saves you exactly one mouseclick ('save as' after lightmapping). Plus it kinda prevents you from accidentally saving over your original file. Which could also be handled by a gentle warning message ('the level has been triangulated since the last time you saved it, are you sure you want to overwrite this file?'). Or is there more to it?

[Daaark]

[Paul-Jan]

Yep, I see your point. Good idea, putting it on the todo-list. Not with the highest priority at the moment (busy with MUSTs for 1.0 ), but no worries: Jeroen and I frequently go through the list and re-priotize (is that even a word?).