Mesh

Mesh Name

This is the name of the asset to display for this object. Available sources are:

• • 3D Studio MAX geometry file
  • Animation Master geometry file
  • 4 or 8-bit Windows Bitmap file (.bmp)
  • 8, 16, or 32-bit Targa file (.tga)

Model Type

Choose the type of mesh contained in the Mesh Name field.

• • Box A simple box the size of the bounding box of the object within 3D Studio MAX. This Model Type is meant for temporary designer use, and does not require a Mesh Name. Once a level is laid out, the artist should go through and create meshes for all of the box objects. The release game cannot have any Model Type:Box objects.
  • Mesh 3D Studio MAX or Animation Master geometry file
  • Scarecrow A 2D bitmap which always faces the camera. The filename of the bitmap is placed in the Mesh Name field. Like the Box type, the size of the scarecrow in the world is calculated from the size of this object in the 3D Studio MAX level file.
  • None No visual representation at all. Use for things you don't want to see, such as targets, actboxes, invisible walls, etc.

Render Type

• • Actual Shows the actual box, mesh, or scarecrow.
  • Wireframe Shows the mesh in wireframe (currently not implemented).
  • Collision Box Instead of displaying the actual mesh, the game shows the object as a box the size of its collision box (currently not implemented).

Z-Sort

Has Order Table Does this object have an order table (true) or does it use the room's order table (false)? If set to false, all fields lists below are ignored.

• • Values: True, False
  • Default: False
  • Suggested Value: False unless object is having sorting problems. Sort Primitives Are the polygons in this table sorted (true) or unsorted (false). If false is chosen, all polygons are placed in the first bucket of the order table.
  • Values: True, False
  • Default: False
  • Suggested Values: False for simple objects. True for complex objects.
  • Comments: Always try false in case it looks good enough. Primitive Depth Value Determines which feature of each polygon is used to place it into an order table bucket.
  • Values: First Vertex, Min, Average, Max
  • Default: Max
  • Suggested Value: Max
  • Comments:
    • First Vertex: Good for convex polygons (ex. pyramids, cubes, octahedrons.) Fastest polygon feature to compute.
    • Min: Sort polygon based on the minimum depth value (closest point). This (and max) are the 2nd fastest polygon features to compute.
    • Average: Sort polygon based on the average depth of a polygon's points. This is the slowest polygon feature to compute.
    • Max: Sort polygon based on the maximum depth value (farthest point). This (and min) are the 2nd fastest polygon features to compute. Size The depth range of the order table is subdivided into this many buckets:
  • Range: 1 - 32767
  • Default: 1
  • Suggested Value: The smallest value that continues to sort properly. Range Update Determines when the depth-range of the order table is updated.
  • Possible Values: Preset, Each Frame, Once
  • Default: Once
  • Suggested Value: Once
  • Comments: Currently, Each Frame and Once map to Each Frame due to a crash bug in BRender. I do not recommend using Preset. Depth Value What depth value is assigned to the order table?
  • Possible Values: Min, Average, Max
  • Default: Max
    • Min: Sort the order table based on the minimum depth value of all of the polygons in the table. This (and max) are the 2nd fastest order table features to compute.
    • Average: Sort the order table based on the average depth of all of the polygons in the table. This is the slowest order table feature to compute.
    • Max: Sort the order table based on the maximum depth value of all of the polygons in the table. This (and min) are the 2nd fastest order table features to compute.

Animation Mailbox

If the value read from the specified mailbox is non-zero, then this object will animate.

Visibility Mailbox

If the value read from the specified mailbox is non-zero, then this object will be displayed. Even if the object is not visible, the object continues to exist in the world, perform whatever actions it normally would (fall due to gravity, spin, run its script, etc.) and its collision box is still enabled.