How to create an animated loading screen?
Tools required: Magos' model editor, Notepad, YobGuls' converter
Why Magos' tool? Answer is simple: because it has fast loading screen wizard, and is very comfortable to edit models (relatively, ofc ;)).
Getting started
Once you've run Magos' model editor ("editor" in next parts of tutorial), select "Extras"->"Loading Screen Creator". Select proper texture and click "OK". Now we have a base point we're starting from.
OK, how to make it animated?
Our animation will be based on a TextureAnim. They allow you to create animated texture translation, scaling and rotation on the model surface. As the loading screen model is a simple square, the UV isn't very complex ;)
So, let's begin!
Open Texture manager (under "Windows" menu), select your texture and R-click it. From popup menu select "Edit" command. Check "Wrap Height" and "Wrap Width" checkboxes and close the window. It's necessary for proper working of our textureanim.
Now, open Sequence manager (also under "Windows"). Double-click on "Birth" element. It will open animation property dialog.
1) Change "From:" field value from 1000 to 0.
2) Uncheck "Non looping" box. That will make the animation loop forever.
Now its time to create the proper animation. Open Texture animation manager from Windows menu. R-click on empty list and click "Create New". Double-click on created element.
What animation shall we create? Hmm... Let's make, for example, texture sliding from bottom right corner to upper left corner?
Check "Translation: Animated" box and click on Translation button. Select "Linear" element from Interpolation Type list. That will make our texture slide in constant speed.
Paste following text into main textbox:
Code:
0: { 0, 0, 0 }
2000: { 1, 1, 1 }
That will make our texture sliding. Click OK to confirm.
Open Material manager, double-click the only element on list. Select the layer from layer list and double-click it. Select your TextureAnim from Animated Texture ID list. Click OK to proceed.
Finish
Congrats! It is done! Well, almost. As this tutorial refers to version 1.05 of Magos' tool, we must handle a very unconfortable bug. For some reason, when saving model, editor doesn't assing TextureAnim to a material. We must do it ourselves.
Save your model as a MDL file. Open it with Notepad and find following block:
Code:
Materials 1 {
Material {
FullResolution,
Layer {
FilterMode None,
static TextureID 0,
TwoSided,
Unshaded,
Unfogged,
}
}
}
Add the "TVertexAnimId 0," line after "Unfogged," one, so it looks like:
Code:
Materials 1 {
Material {
FullResolution,
Layer {
FilterMode None,
static TextureID 0,
TwoSided,
Unshaded,
Unfogged,
TVertexAnimId 0,
}
}
} Save & exit.
Run YobGuls' converter. Point your MDL file and convert it to MDX.
HF
Import your MDX file and proper texture into your map, remembering about giving it right path. Set up your custom loading screen under Scenario->Map loading screen window (check "Imported file" box and point to your MDX file). That's all.
NOTE:
The animation will be played AFTER the map loads, when user is asked for pressing any key.
Example model is attached.
Try experimenting at your own, the effects may be more spectacular you can expect!
