Official English Modding Call 8.8. 8pm CEST

Will you take part in the modding call on AUG 8?

Poll ended at Mon Aug 08, 2016 1:53 pm

Yes
20
91%
Maybe
2
9%
 
Total votes: 22

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Amboss
GIANTS Software | Head of Marketing & PR
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Official English Modding Call 8.8. 8pm CEST

Post by Amboss »

Hello,

it's time for our next English speaking modding teamspeak chat on Monday, 8th of August 7pm BST / 8pm CEST.

We've released tons of information during our FarmCon event last weekend and surely you've got a lot of questions. So feel welcome to join and ask them, share tips and tricks or suggest something for the future. Just please remember that the call is supposed to help modders get the most out of their mods and it’s not meant to be a “Get news about FS 17 development” call. Surely you can ask questions but please keep them modding related.

Christian Ammann aka “int” from GIANTS Software will be your host on our Teamspeak server.
Use the survey attached to this thread to tell us that you want to take part or are interested in it. This way we can keep track of the numbers.
If you need the login details for our teamspeak servers, send me a PM and I will forward them to you.

To make it easier for the start, feel free to post some initial questions you would like to have answers to or problems you encountered while modding here in this thread. It might be easier to “break the ice” in the beginning by just going through them first.

Greetings,
Amboss





edit bassaddict - transcript from the session:

modding general:
-Scripting lessons planned by some members on FS-UK to help new script modders, including basics and advanced stuff
-Modding optimization: target polycount, texture and material usage, audio, ... depends on the model complexity
-The modding tutorial videos explain a bit about performance optimization
-UV-mapping: map a 2D texture onto a 3D model, proper mapping most important for a high-quality mod
-Limited possibilities with re-using resources (models, textures, ...)
-Growth system: very complex, some assumptions hat to be made, updating in patches due to too much raw data for updating in one frame
-lua scripting: no client join callback/event available, for most mods not necessary, extend existing functions via mod script to achieve such tings



FS17 and FS17 modding:
-New lightning system, now uses Forward+, allows lots of simultaniously active light sources
-Only a few lights with casting shadows possible, since it's very expensive to calculate, even with modern rendering techniques
-More extensive wheels setup/usage system (regular, rowcrop, duals, wheelweights, ...)
-Improved multiplayer sync
-Improved sounds, like difference between indoor and outdoor sounds
-Improved hired worker system, has different turning strategies, obstacle detecting, ...
-Random visual hired worker (male/female, clothing)
-Vehicle customization options in base game depends on the exact vehicle, but is fully moddable
-Improved input device system
-Pigs as new animals, breeding for pigs and cows and sheep, manual animal transport
-Sunflower and soy beans as new crops, oilradish as green manure/cover crop
-Slightly improved physics, tention belts to fixate objects on a trailer, like logs and bales, no vehicles due to visual and collision mesh being too different
-New and improved features in GE
-Upgraded dedi server software, now also offering free dedi server app on iOS and Android
-Improved placeable system
-Converting mods from FS15 to FS17 using the cloud conversion tool in GE
-Should convert the basic setup within seconds
-Supports XML files and base game shaders, mod shaders and scripts only if a converted version is available in the database
-Still needs a few manual tweaks in most cases, like positioning the stuff for the new light system
-Not working for maps
BigC92
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Re: Official English Modding Call 8.8. 8pm CEST

Post by BigC92 »

I dont have a computer to do the team speak, but will their be modded maps for consoles?
herni.gooch
Posts: 1
Joined: Fri Jul 29, 2016 5:58 pm

Re: Official English Modding Call 8.8. 8pm CEST

Post by herni.gooch »

hi i need the ip pls for the ts3
elgranjerou
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Re: Official English Modding Call 8.8. 8pm CEST

Post by elgranjerou »

Hello,
I'm new at this Teamspeak thing. Could you explain a little how it would work and how can we be (if we can) "spectators" of the chat?
thanks a lot.
cheers.
throsbi
Posts: 222
Joined: Tue Apr 21, 2015 9:58 pm

Re: Official English Modding Call 8.8. 8pm CEST

Post by throsbi »

For one how do you go about getting the teamspeak info to listen in? I can not speak but would love to hear the conversation.

Have a list a mile long of questions but the one that bugs me is the copyright and how some think changing the lines in the xml is the way to claim ownership of a mod. Maybe discuss this or point people into the info/disclaimers.

Curious on changes coming to the Giants Editor overall and if any improvements on import/export 3d models back and forth from the 3d software with textures?
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Decker_MMIV
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Re: Official English Modding Call 8.8. 8pm CEST

Post by Decker_MMIV »

elgranjerou wrote:[..] this Teamspeak thing. Could you explain a little how it would work [..]
throsbi wrote:[..] getting the teamspeak info to listen in? [..]
I participated in the previous English modding call (topic here), and the way it worked was something like this;

- Keep your TeamSpeak client up-to-date and make sure you have it configured for 'push-to-talk', otherwise your microphone could pick up any background noice and whatnot, which you then would annoy the other listeners with.
- Do a self-check first, so you yourself knows that your TeamSpeak client is set-up and configured correctly, with regards to microphone and 'push-to-talk'.

- Those of you who do not have a microphone, could use the 'mute microphone' toggle, to indicate that you are unable to speak.
- There is also a text-based chat at the bottom, when looking at the TeamSpeak window. Though it is not always that others instantly take note of it, so be patient when writing text messages.

- There are instructions in the first post (read all of it), if you do not already have GIANTS' TeamSpeak-server connection info.
- When connecting to the TS-server, which you could do earlier to check-and-test if it works or not, first you enter a 'lobby'. Then its just a matter of locating the correct 'room' to switch to.

- The toastmaster / moderator / host is the staff from GIANTS Software.
- Listen to the introduction they will give when the call starts (at the time specified). If you join later, take a moment to listen in on what is going on. And remember the 'push-to-talk' setting.

- The chat call basically works as with any other large group of people in the public space; one person at a time is talking and others will politely listen (mostly :wink:), then afterwards bring questions and/or explanations up.

throsbi wrote:Have a list a mile long of questions [..]
I can only encourage you and anyone else to actually write those questions down, and even post them here in this topic (as you've done). - The better prepared you are and already know what the sequence of your questions should be, the 'speech flow' of the chat will become better.

There are some questions of my own, which I am currently pondering of how to formulate. - This is perhaps the hardest part of "how to get the info you want", as asking a question that is not clear or somewhat vague, will be difficult for the receiver / other person to help answer it.
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Decker_MMIV
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Re: Official English Modding Call 8.8. 8pm CEST

Post by Decker_MMIV »

A few questions, which I might ask at the modding call.

In-game crop growth oddity.
- It seems that the FS15 game's update of crop-growth, won't affect squares that have recently been "touched" by a vehicle driving there, as seen in the image. Why is it set up to do it that way?
Image

Mods for consoles.
- Any hints or 'best practices' with regards to what 3D-model/mesh, texture- and audio-makers/artists should focus on optimizing, to make console-players have the best experience using their mods?
- Will there be a 'maximum file-size' or other restrictions for mods to be used on consoles? Depending on the type of the mod; vehicle, map, game-script?

Recycling/reusing already in-game loaded model/texture/sound assets?
- Instead of each individual vehicle-mod have duplicated exactly the same assets (3D-mesh, texture, sound), could the I3D-format support references to '$data' or 'another-mod' folders?
- I've seen many mods which have a verbatim copy of the texture-assets for the Trelleborg wheels. Couldn't these just be referenced using '$data'?
- How about a 'mod' containing only wheels (their assets), which other mods could refer to?

LUA-scripting, multiplayer, mod settings server-side to be sent/initialized when client connect/joins.
- For game-script mods (e.g. not vehicle) that have server-side settings which must be sent as early as possible to client(s) when then join, what/where would be a 'good practice' to do this in code, for the mod to allow "detecting" when a new player joins?
JDMFarms
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Joined: Sun May 08, 2016 8:58 pm

Re: Official English Modding Call 8.8. 8pm CEST

Post by JDMFarms »

Hello again.

I was a listener at the last one in May. I'd like to participate in this one too. I will be asking questions about scripting lessons to help grow the next generation of modders. Thank you for hosting this opportunity.

JDM
macfat
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Joined: Wed Nov 19, 2014 11:30 am

Re: Official English Modding Call 8.8. 8pm CEST

Post by macfat »

I will mainly be interested in hearing about modding for FS17, how/if it is different from FS15, script compability as well as modding on a Mac, will there be an editor for Mac OS for FS17.
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Nordvarg
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Re: Official English Modding Call 8.8. 8pm CEST

Post by Nordvarg »

Had to leave the conversation...

Thanks Giants for doing this *thumbsup* Thanks to all participants for the questions. I hope there will be more modding calls in the future :)
JohnDeere318
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Re: Official English Modding Call 8.8. 8pm CEST

Post by JohnDeere318 »

Thanks for sharing the conversation @Amboss! I am loving the new features already!! Can't for the game to come out!!! :D
My PC specs: Click Here (Google Doc) :gamer:

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