Objective: Provide some visual insight into the creation of a BSP with a video which cuts back and forth between map flythroughs filmed at different stages throughout production - with each of these flythroughs following the same camera track (which will be established early and changed scarcely).

How I would ideally like to do this: Use 3ds max 8 to animate a camera along a set track. I was inspired by this post: http://www.halomods.com/ips/index.php?/topic/680-cmts-the-silent-cartographer-evolved-media-month-the-month-is-now-over/page__view__findpost__p__8201.

Sapien's camera point-to-point system works pretty well for what I'm trying to accomplish, however I'd rather not use it for two reasons: a) placing the camera points is extremely tedious without an undo button, and b) missing/very confusing/very basic camera controls are very limiting. From what I can tell, I should be able to get a much smoother, more elaborate flythrough with 3ds max than with Sapien. Unfortunately, the above post doesn't provide enough info for a beginner who has yet to learn to animate - which I've never felt necessary, considering my main interest is in making BSP's. I will learn though, if it's the best way to go about this.

Now, with that said I would like to know: is this method is possible?

I'd like this video to be as thorough as possible - with flythroughs showcasing several stages of development: early work on the BSP (pre-ingame, filmed in 3ds max - with careful attention attributed to FOV settings, of course, so they match those of the ingame footage), alpha stage (rough UV's/lightmaps, level geometry and layout in a playable state), beta stage (tweaks to UV's\lightmaps\level geometry, aesthetic effects in progress), release candidate/final (final UV's\lightmaps\level geometry, fully implemented/optimized aesthetic effects).

I need to learn the following:

(not asking to be spoon fed, a hint or link to a tutorial would be greatly appreciated - I want to actually learn)

• In 3ds max, create a camera track and animate a camera along it + controlling the camera (speed/pan/tilt/zoom)


• Export/compile for use in-game


• Give the flythrough camera control during a live play-test. Is this possible through a devmode command? I know how to use the debug camera but I don't know how to give control to a different camera.

If the latter isn't possible, it would suffice to simply have flythroughs of the empty level, however I think that would be the cherry on the cake.

Please discuss! :D

This animation recorder? http://hce.halomaps.org/index.cfm?fid=5939

I like the idea but I don't think the biped controls will provide the smoothness I'm going for. Also I won't be able to get the same flythrough in 3ds max (unless I can import that animation into max as a camera track?). And will this method allow me to access the flythrough with a dev command?

I'd really like to use Max to make the camera track. As far as I understand from the CMT post I mentioned in the OP, the flythrough animation can be "recorded" in Max by attaching a node to a camera (which is on the track), and then exporting that node's trajectory as a .jmw. I'm a bit unclear on the details, but after that the .jmw file can somehow be imported? And then it's just a matter of giving the game camera control and using a script (or hopefully a dev command) to call on the animation?
Edited by stunt_man on Dec 30, 2013 at 02:03 PM
Edited by stunt_man on Dec 30, 2013 at 02:05 PM

Align & link the camera to the node. I think it's x+ which is forward, so rotate the camera 90 degrees in whichever direction to have it facing x+.
Animate the node, not the camera. Hide the camera when you export the node's animation.
I think 3ds's Path constraint might be usefull to you, as well as it's curve editor. Maybe also the lookat constraint. With constraints, you collapse transforms before exporting to get 'rendered' keyframes (motion panel, trajectories button)
If all you see out of the camera is the node's color, turn on the node's backface culling in it's properties.
Edited by bobbysoon on Jan 14, 2014 at 02:01 AM

Thanks bobbysoon!

I'll be experimenting on the weekend, I'll post here with any questions/results.

Do you know if it is possible, using devmode, to give the animated camera control during a match? So that I can film gameplay using the same flythrough?
Edited by stunt_man on Jan 15, 2014 at 03:02 PM

I don't know much about devmode, sorry, but maybe attaching player 0 to an animated scenery would work. If this could be done, perhaps it could be done with an ai too. An AI's look-speed and such might provide a smoother camera control.
Edited by bobbysoon on Jan 16, 2014 at 02:05 AM

Hello, this is probably a stupid suggestion for me to post, but I see many people who make this mistake. When placing camera points in Sapien, hit space to place them, aiming at your current point of view.

Yeah I know how Sapien camera points work, not really what I'm going for. Not enough control and I still don't fully understand how to manipulate speed with scripting. Also the idea is to have the same flythrough in Max as well as in game.

http://www.vivid-abstractions.net/programming/halo-tools/halo-solstice-1-08-v2-1-updates/
use this in game and copy paste the coordinates to/from max

How does it work? It reads the location of any camera points placed in Sapien? And provides a GUI for the scripting aspect?

So to develop a camera track, first I would have to place the points in Sapien. Then I'd use Solstice to get me the coordinates, which I would use to place the points in 3ds Max?

I dunno, you might have to investigate further.