For any of you who were wondering (all zero of you  ), my absence in the film-making arena has not been due to a lack of interest or resolve in continuing being a part of this community.  My "Movies" time has, for the past few months, instead been devoted to modding.  Keep an eye on this space for future updates!

I'm not a 3D modeling artist.  I am, however, a code monkey - I program for a living.  A few weeks ago, I joined the team over at DCMF.  During all this time, I've written myself some code to tear apart mesh files, isolate objects in them, and create props.  The applications I've written are command-line utilities, and are currently being beta-tested.  I will make them publicly available when I feel they are mature enough for public consumption.  Until then, I'm using them myself to create some mod-packs I need.  (Interested in assisting with beta-testing? Send a PM.)

Since my next film, To TMO or Not To TMO, takes place largely in the Plush Hotel Bedroom set, I started there.  So to kick things off, I present to you:

Hotel Bedroom - The Complete Works

Two sets-as-props - the Plush and Shabby Hotel Bedroom - both available with various lighting schemes.  All set scaffolding, surrounding land, and exterior walls have been removed.

Emptied bedroom props so you can fill the rooms with custom set dressing.

Two backdrop props, for use in combination with the above sets-as-props.  (Want customized backdrops?  Send along a PM.)

Thirty-three other props of various pieces of furniture and household items.  Includes ten customizable picture frames - use your favourite image editor to modify the "pics01to10.dds" texture.

In-game thumbnails are included.

The screen-shots below are taken from a movie I exported, filmed entirely on the blue-screen.  All props shown are the versions without lighting.  Each prop is also available in a "light" and "dark" version.

Full Set-as-Prop


Empty Set-as-Prop


Bedroom Props

From back-to-front, left-to-right:  backdrop-as-prop (day), window curtains, end-table, large dresser, small dresser, bed with headboard, hanging ceiling light, bed without headboard, wall-mounted lamp, wooden crate, chair, metal crate, five picture frames.

More Bedroom Props

From back-to-front, left-to-right: backdrop-as-prop (night), large wall-mounted mirror, small wall-mounted mirror, door, hanging towel, shower curtain.

Download this mod-pack here! (2.7 MB, Zip file)

And watch this thread for more updates!  I plan on eventually extracting props from every set and facility building in the game.  The order I do it in will depend on two things:  first and foremost, what I need for my upcoming films; second, what you-the community- want the most.

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Riley Entertainment Website - Movies, Mods, and Modding Applications!
Riley Entertainment on TMU

Wow Riley! So, that is what you have been doing in hiding.

They all look wonderful Riley! Can't wait for more.

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Wow this is fantastic. Now we can have rooms that look more unique. This is really amazing. I can't wait until you get hold of some of the other sets.  Like the bridge (subliminal hint here)

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Nice stuff riley!

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www.tmunderground.com

Thats Awesome Riley!!
Excellent work.

Brilliant work. :)

BSW

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I mod, therefore I am.

Great work riley! Very usefull stuff! =)
BY the way I was searching for your flashlite overlays... could you maybe tell me where or how () to get them?

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rileyman:

Empty Set-as-Prop

That would be so useful for those scenes where people are moving out and then in somewhere else. . .great work riley!

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The first time i touched this application i was a little confused (what's new there). but after i started on using it, i realised this is going to be a true modders tool. It offers more possibilities to modders in set creation, imaging making the diner set into a bedroom.

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Thanks all.  :)

It's actually possible for me to create new bedroom props (or props based on any other set, eventually) where a custom arrangement of furniture or other items are included.  Meaning, for example, I could have one wall plastered with pictures; one side of the room with a table and TV set; the bed in one corner; etc.  If you're filming your scenes on the bluescreen (so that you can get your actors wherever you want), it's actually better to make a single prop that includes everything in the room.  It avoids having to use loads of set dressing, and having to reposition them all every scene.  Plus, on the Plush Hotel Bedroom set, you get the proper reflection on the floor.  The one potential problem area is with lighting - but the game doesn't exactly light set dressing properly anyway.

Skelch, as in the starship bridges?  Which one, in particular?

And in response to TFD, here are links to my past overlay works:

Flashlight overlays:
http://downloads.riley-man.com/TheMovies/r3-flashlight-overlays.zip (9Mb)

Aspect Ratio overlays:
http://downloads.riley-man.com/TheMovies/r3-aspectratios-overlays.zip (5.3Kb)

And folks might want to look at my Scrolling Credits Demo on my studio page - a little technique for getting -quality scrolling credits.

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Riley Entertainment Website - Movies, Mods, and Modding Applications!
Riley Entertainment on TMU

thanks for the links and keep on rocking the modding community

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Great work rileyman!  This is kind of what I expected to find in S&E when it came out...  Really glad you are doing this!

One question though:  Your backdrop props... any chance the textures they have are linked to the Set's (changeable) backdrop?  Or do they have to have their own?  (This make sense?  I want a backdrop prop that I can change the image on within the game... and I'm not clever enough to do it myself!!)

Thanks!

Rileyman, well done on achieving this! It´s been a while since I´ve seen people getting further with modding innovations but this gives it a whole new edge. Who needs a set maker when you have an empty set to place props in? Yes, you may need to tweak it to make the animations work right but hey, it offers a whole new perspective. This in combination with texture modding and model implemention should make movies more fresh again.

Again, well done Rileyman.. I´ll be watching you

Regards,

Doc

Oh man!! Thank you so much This is perfect!

Thanks all.  :)

biggstrek, the backdrop props are, unfortunately, not tied to the in-game backdrop chooser.  As far as I'm aware, you can't make an image in a prop do that -- you always have to specify the image in the prop's mesh file.

What you *can* do, though, is make a collection of backdrop props with customizable images.  And since I know I'll be making use of such a thing in the future, here they are:

http://downloads.riley-man.com/TheMovies/modpacks/hotel-bedroom/hotel-bedroom-backdrops.zip (57Kb)

There are 5 individual props - each available with standard and dark lighting.  The image files you'll want to edit / replace are "bd_bedroom_c##.dds" in the "textures/backdrops/" folder.  You can also choose them as set backdrops if you wanted.

And a tidbit of information about the hotel bedroom backdrops...  The images should be an aspect ratio of 4:1 (1024x256 is the norm), BUT only the middle portion of it is used (meaning the actual aspect ratio is 2:1).

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Riley Entertainment Website - Movies, Mods, and Modding Applications!
Riley Entertainment on TMU

Late to participate in this thread, but that's an excellent job you've done here. And I've seen in the package you put a lot of work and dedication into that.

I do hope that, like Rysto, you won't stop at just one set and give us more pieces of sets in the future.

Bravo!

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INCIDENT AT OAK RIDGE
Download the file or install VeohTV player to watch the film.

Thanks -- and I've already been slowly plodding through the Suburban Living Room sets.  It's really unbelievable how much stuff is in those sets -- all sorts of pictures, posters, doilies, placemats, magazines (including some strewn on the floor), cushions, and plants.  They even have shelves inside the cupboards that are never seen!

I've also been working on some improvements to the application I wrote to do all this stuff.  I'm able to read the game's PAK files now, and I'm taking an interest in reading/manipulating set dressing INI files.  I'll let folks' imaginations lead them to where I'm headed... ;)

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Riley Entertainment Website - Movies, Mods, and Modding Applications!
Riley Entertainment on TMU

Just a little preview of what's coming with the Suburban: Living Room sets...

Would you say we have a... "plethora" of picture frames?
Why yes, El Guapo, sure we have a "plethora"!
(Believe it or not, this was not *all* the picture frames in the 80's Living Room...)

I've also taken out some of the furniture, lamps, and photos on the walls...  Note that the cushions seen here are separate props, so if you want to go to the minutia of arranging them differently, you can.

I still have some of the appliances, more furniture, some electronic equipment, ornaments, and possibly some plants / flora I plan to extract.  The sets themselves will also be extracted as props, in a variety of configurations: completely emptied, with appliances, with appliances and furniture, and of course the complete set without any scaffolding or surrounding lang.  As with the last pack, dark versions of the props will also be available.

Given my current pace (I only give myself about a half-hour a day to work on this), I'm thinking I'll have the complete living room sets mod-pack out sometime around Hallowe'en.  BOO!

Oh, and I'm also working on a prop-making program.  One with a Windows user interface that works a bit like the game's own AMM screen when placing set dressing.  But I'm sure nobody wants to hear about that.  ;)

 

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Riley Entertainment Website - Movies, Mods, and Modding Applications!
Riley Entertainment on TMU

rileyman:

Oh, and I'm also working on a prop-making program.  One with a Windows user interface that works a bit like the game's own AMM screen when placing set dressing.  But I'm sure nobody wants to hear about that.  ;)

 

 

ARE YOU CRAZY I wanna hear about it. This is some very excellent modding. Great work But seriously though, I would love to hear more about the prop-making program. Sounds VERY useful.

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Wow! This really is some Great Work your doing here riley
That Fireplace will come in very handy in dressing up some other Sets.
Along with the Multitude of other ies..
Thanks for taking the time to do this exceptional extractionism!
(Is that a Word...?)

Nice stuff Riley! Looks real useful.

frosty_frost09:

rileyman:

Oh, and I'm also working on a prop-making program.  One with a Windows user interface that works a bit like the game's own AMM screen when placing set dressing.  But I'm sure nobody wants to hear about that.  ;)

I wanna hear about it.

I second that.

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I forgot about these... Three pieces of fences (short piece, long piece, corner piece), the house/building entrance, a mailbox, two (slightly different) pillars, and some ornament holders (the wood things on the wall in the kitchen).

Kwistufa, I'm pretty sure I've heard Dubya use the word "extractionism" in a speech. 

Frosty, I was being facetious, of course.    I'm a fair ways off from finishing it still, but I now have every confidence that I can do it -- and have the will to finish it.  I need it for my next major movie project (Public Transit, which you can hear me talk about on the August 19th Ken & Roger show).

The idea is...  These days, many people are using the Blue-Screen and sets-as-props to make large parts of their movies.  The problem with that approach is you have to move your props around the actors.  Fine if all you need are the default sets-as-props.  But what if you want to really customize your surroundings?  You'll be stuck having to move around every single prop, eyeballing where each should be in the next scene.  It's the one big thing that MovieStorm has over The Movies.

That's what I'm working towards...  The program in question will have a game-content browser, letting you open any prop, set, or facility installed with the game (or any custom content you've since installed).  You'll be able to place them and move them around in a manner similar to the way you place set dressing.  The only difference is you start with an empty space, instead of placing objects into an existing set.  When you're done, it will let you export it as a prop.  Now you'll only have the one prop to place in the game.

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Riley Entertainment Website - Movies, Mods, and Modding Applications!
Riley Entertainment on TMU

Now all I need to do is master the fine art of mouseclicking to dress sets and I'll be able to take advantage of your generous work here!

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TMU Blog * My Blog

Those are amazing!

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rileyman:

That's what I'm working towards...  The program in question will have a game-content browser, letting you open any prop, set, or facility installed with the game (or any custom content you've since installed).  You'll be able to place them and move them around in a manner similar to the way you place set dressing.  The only difference is you start with an empty space, instead of placing objects into an existing set.  When you're done, it will let you export it as a prop.  Now you'll only have the one prop to place in the game.

awesome It sounds like it's gonna be great. It could change teh way TMOers make movie I gotta keep an eye on this thread, once again, great work

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