Test Areas

[dengarde]

Okay, so you guys know those test areas that crash the game if you try to access them? I figured something out about that.

The game crashes because the geometry for the area was removed from the game data. The data for the text level's functionality is still in tact, so it's just a matter of getting it into an area that loads.

Now you COULD just change the data in Missions.txt to use, say, FORTUNE_EXTERIOR instead of X_SURVIVOR_BOX (One of the test levels), but that only provides part of the level's functionality. There's still data for item placement that will only load if it's specified level. So now it's just a matter of getting the actual level to load.

And I had some luck with that.

What I did was, copy the enviroment data for one level and change it to be used with the test level instead. 

I went to Data>Models>Enviroment. I copied the Tape_die folder, and renamed the copy to x_survivor_box. Then I booted the game and started the X_SURVIVOR_BOX mission. And what do you know? It loaded up.

But there is a problem. None of the geometry loaded for the area. NONE. So I, as well as everything that spawns in this area, is left falling in an infinate void forever. (Kind of. I'll go into more detail about that later)

But then I had an idea: The Tape it or Die area is pretty damn small. Maybe if I use a bigger level, I might get somewhere. 

So I used the date for the Arena (the version used for TK's battle) and tried again. Got the same result.

However...something DID load.



Ladies and gentlemen, a mock stage for the TK Overtime battle.

I am so happy right now.

[solidcal]

This is brilliant news! That mock stage for the TK battle honestly looks like it was meant for a roof or something. Can't wait to see your work with the other test levels.

[dengarde]

Sadly, I think this is the only one that made it. After testing the rest, seems I was wrong in the assumption that this mock stage was hidden in the real stages files, because I round the real stage shortly after. Every other level I place in there seems to load the real thing (Anthough the Safehouse is real glitchy)

However, like I said earlier, the FUCTIONALITY of the test stages are still here, And, luckily, the game has a failsafe that makes it usable.

Turns out, if you, or anything, falls through the map, there's an invisible floor once your coordinates reach -100. Normally, if you reach that coordinate, it would respawn you at the default spawn point, BUT, by removing all the spawn points from the areas txt file, it will force spawn you at 0,0,0, you'll drop to -100, and then you'll stay there, free to walk around.

I was able to change everything in the file so that they spawn on the bottom floor, so everything could be used on the x_survivor_box.



There's not much in here really. A sumber of bikes and cars, a bunch of pushable items, a vending machine, a few guns, a puch broom, a few doors that go nowhere, and a random vent. If you access it through the debug mode as x_survivor_box rather then x_vehicle_box, then Kristin, Sven, Floyd, Gordon, Linette, Willa, and Stewart also spawn in the area. 

Another file for this shows that were are also a couple save points in this area. But thats about it for this one. 

Anyways, while that mock TK stage looks like it's the only test geometry left, there are still plenty of left over functionality data for the ones that were removed. Even more in OTR which I could probably check out as well. I'll look at those when I get the chance.

[djlarryt]

Dengarde, is this OTR? If so, can you tell me how to get the LOCAL PLAYER POS onscreen?

[puher]

It's surprising that no one has managed (or even tried) to get Willamette inside DR2. Surely it's just a case of importing the models and getting reasonable lighting?

[tacosdebirria]

Mar 2, 2014 6:58:38 GMT -5 puher said:

It's surprising that no one has managed (or even tried) to get Willamette inside DR2. Surely it's just a case of importing the models and getting reasonable lighting?

Wrong and wrong. People has tried to import Willamete into DR2, but there have been so many things that make it almost impossible to do.

Second, no, it's not only that, the collisions (the "solid" parts of the levels; what make you don't fall through the map or walk through the walls) are the principal problem that haven't let anyone work on importing the mall. Why? because they are not attached to the models, therefore they need to be added manually in to the DR2 files, though you can't just only copy-paste them, no, they are not compatible with the DR2 engine, therefore, they can't be used like that, they need to be added manually, and when i mean manually is REALLY manually: They need to be created from scratch and be added to the levels.

At the top of the page you can see this: $120 REWARD to figure out how collision works in Dead Rising 2  It's truth, you manage to create a custom collision from scratch and you let the community know how did you did it and you get money ... though no one has managed to do it :/    This is how important  the Collision is for the game and for the community. Knowing how to make a custom collision would lead the forum to import Willamete and Still Creek into DR2; would let us create custom levels and even create totally new maps to play.

Yes, you can use collisions that are already made, though, if you try to use them, it would be the same thing as trying to figure out how the collisions works and the results could not be the same as you wanted them to be.

Conclusion: Willamete can't (It can, though no one would try to do it in the hard way) be imported in to the game because the community doesn't know how collision works, therefore, importing the entire map and levels would be impossible (Again, it's possible, though really hard with the current method)


More links:

Dead Rising Mall in OTR

What we know about the collision

[puher]

Thanks for getting back to me, Do we even know what engine DR2 uses? According to the box Capcom licensed Havok, So that would probably be responsible for the collisions wouldn't it? Ill go and play with the code, and let you know if I unearth anything.

[tacosdebirria]

Mar 2, 2014 9:53:01 GMT -5 puher said:

Thanks for getting back to me, Do we even know what engine DR2 uses? According to the box Capcom licensed Havok, So that would probably be responsible for the collisions wouldn't it? Ill go and play with the code, and let you know if I unearth anything.

I don't know what engine DR2 uses, though, even if they used the same engine (Both DR1 and DR2), we have seen that copy-pasting the collisions and the environments do not work (The test was made with the Case Zero files, the game just crashed after copying) sooo yeah. Give it a try to the code, maybe you are the one who will find out how the collision work. And also, if the engine is powered by Havok and they have a level editor (or something like that), then we would be able do edit the levels and all of that things we manually do

[puher]

It seems the understanding of RE5 (MT Framework) collisions are about as small as DR2. If we work on the assumption that DR2 runs off of the MT Framework, Then A solution will impact a ton of other games too.

[puher]

Did some digging and found a MERGED_COLLISION.big file in royal_flush_z01 (in the Environment folder). It contains several mentions of Transform, Material and meshCOL.

This is most likely one of the Collision files used by the games engine. Onwards and upwards from here I hope.