Dragon Age Toolset Wiki - User contributions [en]

Installing the toolset

2009-11-23T17:05:20Z

Kusako: /* Lightmapper */

The Dragon Age Toolset installer comes with several pieces of third-party software that are needed for the toolset to function. They are:

* DirectX 9.0c
* Visual C Runtime Library
* Microsoft SQL Server Express 2005 Edition
* Nvidia PhysX drivers

These components will be installed along with the toolset by the toolset's installer.

== Location ==

The first screen you'll get to after starting the installer and passing the title page is the install location selector. The toolset can only install the program into a specific subdirectory of the Dragon Age game directory, so you won't be able to alter the installation path; it's for informational purposes.

'''Note:''' MSSQL Express 2005 is bundled with this toolset and is required for it to function. Unfortunately, MSSQL Express 2005's installer has a limitation that prevents it from installing to a directory path that's longer than 58 characters.<sup>[http://support.microsoft.com/kb/935371]</sup>

Follow the instructions on [[installation into a directory with a long path name]] for a workaround on this issue.

== Components ==

The next screen after location has been selected is where you can choose which components to install. There are only two selectable components here; Core Resources (the toolset itself) and Microsoft SQL Server Express. To run the toolkit you'll obviously need to install the Core Resources option. SQL Server is presented as a separate option so that if you already have a database server installed on your system you can use that instead of installing a whole new one.

If you don't have an SQL server installed, or if you don't know whether you have one installed, it's safe to go with the default and install SQL Server Express. SQLServer's installer will check the existing components and, finding that all required components are already in place, won't do anything after you click "finish."

== Manual database selection ==

If you choose not to install SQL Server Express, the installer will ask for a database server and database name to install the toolset's resource database to instead. The default server is <code>.\BWDATOOLSET</code> and the default database name is <code>bw_dragonage_content</code>.

== Installation ==

Once you have selected these options the Dragon Age toolset will begin the installation process. This can take a while. When the install process is finished you'll be given the option to read a readme.txt file.

The toolset will create a start menu folder named "Dragon Age". The start menu folder will include a link to start the toolset, a link to the toolset's uninstaller, and a link to the toolset's external configuration utility.

The installer will write a log file in your My Documents folder. If installation fails this log file will be helpful for debugging purposes.

If you are installing over a previous version of the toolset, you may need to update the format of your old database to make it compatible with the new version of the toolset. See [[database migration]] for details.

=== Lightmapper ===

The [[lightmap|lightmapper]] is the tool used to calculate lighting in level layouts. You only need to use it if you're going to be creating or modifying level layouts. The lightmapper included with the toolset requires Python to run but Python isn't currently bundled with the toolset, so if you don't already have it installed you'll need to do the following:

# Install [http://www.python.org/ftp/python/2.5.4/python-2.5.4.msi Python 2.5.4 ]
# Install the [http://sourceforge.net/projects/pywin32/files/pywin32/Build%20214/pywin32-214.win32-py2.5.exe/download win32 extensions] for Python 2.5 <BR> '''OR'''
# Install [http://downloads.activestate.com/ActivePython/windows/2.5/ActivePython-2.5.4.4-win32-x86.msi ActiveState Python 2.5.4.4]

The easiest way to do this is to download and install ActiveState python which comes with the needed extensions. Just click through the defaults on the installer and you will be ready to go. If you want to use python.org installer, maker sure to install it first, then install the win32 extensions.

* If you don't have Python installed and try to run the lightmapper, you'll receive a standard Windows error message indicating that "EclipseRay.exe has stopped working.

* Note for 64 bit machines: There appears to be a bug with the 64-bit version of ActiveState Python 2.5 for Windows that prevents the lightmapper from functioning. Install the 32-bit version instead, it works. The 32-bit version is the one linked above.

* Do not install both ActivePython and Python.org. This will most likely cause you to get an Error Code 1 when rendering lightmaps.

* If you get an error code of -1073741819 this means you either have the 64 bit version or you have a version higher than 2.5. Uninstall and use the installers from the links above.

== Configuration ==

The external configuration utility is used to configure the toolset's database connection. You shouldn't need to run the configuration utility during routine usage of the toolset, and if the defaults set up by your installer work you may not need to run it at all.

The default database string is "<code>Provider=SQLOLEDB.1;Integrated Security=SSPI;Persist Security Info=False;Initial Catalog=bw_dragonage_content;Data Source=.\SQLEXPRESS</code>". For advanced configuration, click on the ellipsis button ([[Image:ellipsis.png]]) to open the data link properties window.

Note that the configuration utility will first ask where the game build is. The game executable is not currently available for distribution but it is not necessary for the toolset to run so there's no need to be concerned about this.

== Uninstallation ==

An uninstaller shortcut is available from the same start menu folder as the toolset itself. It will autodetect the location you installed the toolset in, display it to you to confirm that this is correct, and then after you click "next" it will ask which components to uninstall.

* Core Resources - uninstalled by default, this is the toolset itself.
* Database - Since the uninstaller can't automatically determine if you're using SQLServer Express purposes other than just the Dragon Age toolset, SQLServer is ''not'' uninstalled automatically by default. To have the uninstaller remove the database server as well, unselect this checkbox.

The uninstaller is generated on installation and therefore isn't signed. This may cause Vista to complain under some circumstances but shouldn't affect the uninstaller's functioning.

== Troubleshooting ==

See [[installation troubleshooting]] for a list of common problems that can occur during installation and how to correct or work around them.

Note that there is currently an issue with installing the toolset for games that have been installed via Steam. See [[Installation with Steam]] for specific instructions on how to resolve this issue. If you have installed your game in a directory with a path name longer than 58 characters you may also encounter this same issue.

If you experience a crash logs can be found in <code>My Documents\BioWare\Dragon Age\Toolset\logs</code>. The log filenames will include the date on which the log file was created. Sending in a log will help greatly with bug fixing.

== Documentation ==

Documentation is currently provided via the wiki at:

http://social.bioware.com/wiki/datoolset/

[[Category:Toolset installation]]

Lighting

2009-11-23T17:02:51Z

Kusako: /* Light mapping */

{{Infobox level editor}}

There are many different types of lighting and light combinations that can be placed in the editor.

There are also many tools used to create lighting and generate lighting and even visualize lighting in the editor. The goal with the editor is to give the artist the same experience as he/she would see in the game. This will help them to be able to create the levels and tweak lighting quickly without having to stop to see it in-game.

== Lights ==

Lights for the game are split into two categories based on what they affect: levels and characters. Character lights will affect the player, NPCs, and creatures. The level lights will affect static geometry and designer placeables.

The game supports several different light types, with the purpose of balancing quality vs performance. To understand the use of the light types, one must first know the general lighting equation:

Diffuse = DynamicAmbient + F(DynamicLights, DynamicShadows) + ( LightmapRGB + LightmapShadowMap * F(StaticLights , DynamicShadows) )

Where F is the function which calculates light contribution given the dynamic shadow map.

Light Effect:

* Baked: This is lighting that only affects things in the level layout. The player will not be lit by this. Its contribution to the lighting scene is encoded in the lightmap RGB.
* Dynamic: This only affects the Player Character. The dynamic lights will light all geometry without regard for baked shadow maps. They still however, respect the dynamically generated shadowmap.
* Static: This is lighting that is both baked and dynamic. The most “expensive” of the light types. Static lights are those that don’t move. This provides the opportunity to bake in the shadow contribution of that light into the lightmap. Multiple static lights will mix together in this baked-shadow map. No RGB contribution from the light will go into the lightmap when rendering lightmaps. During run-time, the game will calculate the RGB color of the static light and then only apply it in areas that are uncovered by the baked-shadow map. Characters and placeable props are fully lit by the static lights.
* Animated: Animated lights are those that don’t move about, but do have animation properties on their light intensity. These lights are baked into the shadow map.

Light Type:

* Point: The light originates from a spot. “Light Size” corresponds to the size of the object casting off light. “Num Samples” is the number of shadow render passes – the higher the number the “crisper” the shadows.
* Ambient: This is ever-present light that affects everything.
* Spot: This is directional light – not really working yet.

Only dynamic lights will affect placeables placed in the design tool. So a designer chest will not be lit properly next to a chest placed in the art tool. That’s a limitation of the engine. Any object that is animated has to be placed in the designer tool (nothing placed in the art tool can ever, ever move).

Lights from different rooms only are applied if they are visible from your current room. Even an ambient light isn’t applied if the room it’s placed in isn’t visible to that room.

== Light probes ==

Light probes are used to generate the appearance of nearby reflective surfaces and the illuminance values for characters. A light probe consists of an imaginary sphere that is textured with a pre-rendered view of its surroundings in every direction; reflective objects will use the texture of the nearest light probe to produce an approximation of what a reflection should look like. Light probes are particularly important where water planes are used.

The following example shows a light probe with the reflection texture rendered onto it (to make the light probe's texture visible you need to have "view models fully lit" turned off and "display light maps" turned on). The water below the light probe is using the probe's texture to determine its reflection.

[[Image:Level editor light probe.png|400px]]

If you make any changes to the level that would make a visible difference to what a light probe "sees" you'll have to re-render the light probes to update the reflection texture. This command is under the menu "Tools -> Render -> Render light probes", or you can click the toolbar button [[Image:IconRenderLightProbe.png]]

Light probes show up as a sphere with arrows pointing in each +/- axis direction. The only editable property that is unique is the High LOD Model Radius.

High LOD Model Radius: This is a setting that will flip all the models within this radius (in meters) of the light probe to high LOD before rendering it. It is only really useful in outdoor levels as indoors everything defaults to high Level Of Detail.

The tool for rendering light probes will render all the light probes within the current level. First what it does is switch the editor lighting to look exactly like it does in the game. Then it renders the light probes. Be patient, this can take a moment or two.

In general, you should render lightmaps first before rendering light probes because otherwise, the probes would not reflect the final in-game lightmapped appearance of the level.

Once the light probes have been rendered they will be packaged up with the level.

== Advanced lighting ==

=== Room-based lights ===

Each light placed in a room-based level is automatically attached to the parent room during export. This ensures that only those lights that are under a room affect the geometry in that room.
To specify lights in other rooms that can affect the selected room, the artist can bring up the Room Properties dialog and add references to additional lights in adjacent rooms.

=== Bloom and Other Effects ===

Bloom is activated the same way any other effect is activated. In order to activate the Bloom effect:

*Interiors:
** Select the interior AREA you want it to be applied to.
** Under the Effect section, modify the Buffer Effect Name text field to “da_bloom”.
* Exteriors:
** Select the exterior area you want to apply the effect to and bring up it's Exportable Area Properties.
** Under the Effect section, modify the Buffer Effect Name text field to “da_bloom”.

If you do not immediately see bloom effects take place, you might have visualization off, be sure to have it on to preview your bloom

== Light mapping ==

If the filename of your level file is <filename>.lvl, then the editor saves a <filename>.erf file in the same directory as <filename.lvl>. This [[ERF]] file contains the last set of lightmaps that the editor obtained from the lightmapper. When you share the LVL file with other artists you should also include the ERF so that the other artists can us your rendered lightmaps without having to render lightmaps themselves.

Under the "options" menu for the level editor are the following three settings. These are what they should be in a default installation:

;Lightmapper Command: $(TOOLSET)\lightmapper\EclipseRay.exe LightMapper.py --terse -cpus=2
;Lightmapper Command Working Folder: $(TOOLSET)\lightmapper\
;Lightmapper Texture Folder: $(TEMP)\DALightmap\

*Note: There appears to be a bug with the 64-bit version of ActiveState Python 2.5 for Windows that prevents the lightmapper from functioning. Install the 32-bit version as described in the [[Installing_the_toolset#Lightmapper|lightmapper section of the installation instructions]]. If you don't have Python installed you'll receive a standard Windows error message indicating that "EclipseRay.exe has stopped working."

[[Category:Level layouts]]

Lighting

2009-11-22T12:18:21Z

Kusako: /* Light mapping */

{{Infobox level editor}}

There are many different types of lighting and light combinations that can be placed in the editor.

There are also many tools used to create lighting and generate lighting and even visualize lighting in the editor. The goal with the editor is to give the artist the same experience as he/she would see in the game. This will help them to be able to create the levels and tweak lighting quickly without having to stop to see it in-game.

== Lights ==

Lights for the game are split into two categories based on what they affect: levels and characters. Character lights will affect the player, NPCs, and creatures. The level lights will affect static geometry and designer placeables.

The game supports several different light types, with the purpose of balancing quality vs performance. To understand the use of the light types, one must first know the general lighting equation:

Diffuse = DynamicAmbient + F(DynamicLights, DynamicShadows) + ( LightmapRGB + LightmapShadowMap * F(StaticLights , DynamicShadows) )

Where F is the function which calculates light contribution given the dynamic shadow map.

Light Effect:

* Baked: This is lighting that only affects things in the level layout. The player will not be lit by this. Its contribution to the lighting scene is encoded in the lightmap RGB.
* Dynamic: This only affects the Player Character. The dynamic lights will light all geometry without regard for baked shadow maps. They still however, respect the dynamically generated shadowmap.
* Static: This is lighting that is both baked and dynamic. The most “expensive” of the light types. Static lights are those that don’t move. This provides the opportunity to bake in the shadow contribution of that light into the lightmap. Multiple static lights will mix together in this baked-shadow map. No RGB contribution from the light will go into the lightmap when rendering lightmaps. During run-time, the game will calculate the RGB color of the static light and then only apply it in areas that are uncovered by the baked-shadow map. Characters and placeable props are fully lit by the static lights.
* Animated: Animated lights are those that don’t move about, but do have animation properties on their light intensity. These lights are baked into the shadow map.

Light Type:

* Point: The light originates from a spot. “Light Size” corresponds to the size of the object casting off light. “Num Samples” is the number of shadow render passes – the higher the number the “crisper” the shadows.
* Ambient: This is ever-present light that affects everything.
* Spot: This is directional light – not really working yet.

Only dynamic lights will affect placeables placed in the design tool. So a designer chest will not be lit properly next to a chest placed in the art tool. That’s a limitation of the engine. Any object that is animated has to be placed in the designer tool (nothing placed in the art tool can ever, ever move).

Lights from different rooms only are applied if they are visible from your current room. Even an ambient light isn’t applied if the room it’s placed in isn’t visible to that room.

== Light probes ==

Light probes are used to generate the appearance of nearby reflective surfaces and the illuminance values for characters. A light probe consists of an imaginary sphere that is textured with a pre-rendered view of its surroundings in every direction; reflective objects will use the texture of the nearest light probe to produce an approximation of what a reflection should look like. Light probes are particularly important where water planes are used.

The following example shows a light probe with the reflection texture rendered onto it (to make the light probe's texture visible you need to have "view models fully lit" turned off and "display light maps" turned on). The water below the light probe is using the probe's texture to determine its reflection.

[[Image:Level editor light probe.png|400px]]

If you make any changes to the level that would make a visible difference to what a light probe "sees" you'll have to re-render the light probes to update the reflection texture. This command is under the menu "Tools -> Render -> Render light probes", or you can click the toolbar button [[Image:IconRenderLightProbe.png]]

Light probes show up as a sphere with arrows pointing in each +/- axis direction. The only editable property that is unique is the High LOD Model Radius.

High LOD Model Radius: This is a setting that will flip all the models within this radius (in meters) of the light probe to high LOD before rendering it. It is only really useful in outdoor levels as indoors everything defaults to high Level Of Detail.

The tool for rendering light probes will render all the light probes within the current level. First what it does is switch the editor lighting to look exactly like it does in the game. Then it renders the light probes. Be patient, this can take a moment or two.

In general, you should render lightmaps first before rendering light probes because otherwise, the probes would not reflect the final in-game lightmapped appearance of the level.

Once the light probes have been rendered they will be packaged up with the level.

== Advanced lighting ==

=== Room-based lights ===

Each light placed in a room-based level is automatically attached to the parent room during export. This ensures that only those lights that are under a room affect the geometry in that room.
To specify lights in other rooms that can affect the selected room, the artist can bring up the Room Properties dialog and add references to additional lights in adjacent rooms.

=== Bloom and Other Effects ===

Bloom is activated the same way any other effect is activated. In order to activate the Bloom effect:

*Interiors:
** Select the interior AREA you want it to be applied to.
** Under the Effect section, modify the Buffer Effect Name text field to “da_bloom”.
* Exteriors:
** Select the exterior area you want to apply the effect to and bring up it's Exportable Area Properties.
** Under the Effect section, modify the Buffer Effect Name text field to “da_bloom”.

If you do not immediately see bloom effects take place, you might have visualization off, be sure to have it on to preview your bloom

== Light mapping ==

If the filename of your level file is <filename>.lvl, then the editor saves a <filename>.erf file in the same directory as <filename.lvl>. This [[ERF]] file contains the last set of lightmaps that the editor obtained from the lightmapper. When you share the LVL file with other artists you should also include the ERF so that the other artists can us your rendered lightmaps without having to render lightmaps themselves.

Under the "options" menu for the level editor are the following three settings. These are what they should be in a default installation:

;Lightmapper Command: $(TOOLSET)\lightmapper\EclipseRay.exe LightMapper.py --terse -cpus=2
;Lightmapper Command Working Folder: $(TOOLSET)\lightmapper\
;Lightmapper Texture Folder: $(TEMP)\DALightmap\

*Note: There appears to be a bug with the 64-bit version of ActiveState Python 2.5 for Windows that prevents the lightmapper from functioning. Install the 32-bit version instead, or try the installer from Python.org at [http://www.python.org/ftp/python/2.5.4/python-2.5.4.msi] (you'll have to add the win32com package manually by downloading and installing [http://sourceforge.net/projects/pywin32/files/pywin32/Build%20214/pywin32-214.win32-py2.5.exe/download]). If you don't have Python installed you'll receive a standard Windows error message indicating that "EclipseRay.exe has stopped working."

< Enter information on how to add the win32com package here >

[[Category:Level layouts]]