Witcher 2 Redkit. Questions and answers.

[Antonsky07]

Witcher 2 Redkit. Questions and answers.

We have many threads on this subforum where we ask questions how to make this this and this and it is overall very messy. For example we have "make Witcher 2 modding great again" where we have started some great user initiatives like creating new redkit wikia or publishing models from witcher 3 that can be used in redkit, but there is also lots of information useful for modders. So in order to even know that this information is in it you would have to read whole thread (because name of the thread doesn't indicate that there are useful tips in it). I think that we need unified thread for all of these kind of posts. With this thread it would be easier for people looking for answers. I also can update this post with links to every question and answer in this thread.

---------- Updated at 03:51 PM ----------

My question is about creating open worlds in redkit. Maps in main witcher 2 game aren't that big and are very linear. So I have some questions. Witcher 2 is 5 year old game which means that most of the computers and laptops are able to run it almost perfectly (I have a medicore laptop and I can run it without problem). But the game's structure isn't made for open worlds. So my first question how large can the worlds created in redkit be to run without lag on most of the computers. Second question what is the in game units (like when creating a world you can choose how large world will be) to meters ratio is it 1:1 or something else. And last thing, I have a heightmap for my terrain. I know there is a way to use heightmaps to paint terrain with, but I want to aply heightmap to the whole terrain not just one part of it. So that's all i can think of right now, I'll maybe add something later.

 

[Stolarro94]

1st Question - I don't know where exactly is the border. Once I created a map, which size was 8000x8000 just for test. And that wasn't working ;p But 4000x4000 works good. I think that main problem in creating big worlds is good optimalization. If you plan your map very weel, you can create very big world. I'm working right now on a terrain, which is 3000x3000 and everything is good because I try to optimalize it. I use partition/streaming system and occluders. And one very important think - I work on ultra settings. My computer isn't very good, I'm able to play TW3 on LOW detail... So during creation in REDkit I'm basing on amount of FPS and I know when optimalization is needed
2nd Question - I think that REDkit units are close to be meters.
3rd Question - I don't know how to add heightmap :/ But I remember that on dead wiki was tutorial about it...

Can you say, how to add heightmaps?

 

[HarelMor]

When you create a world don't forget the set to offset to (size of the map)/-2 in both x and y axis

 

[Blafflamm]

Does anyone know if your presets in the gardener tool is kept as a physical and movable file somewhere on your harddrive? Or is it 'baked' into REDkit?

 

[Stolarro94]

It's movable file. This is file called 'REDkit.ini' and it's in folder 'bin'

 

[Benzenzimmern]

1st Question - I don't know where exactly is the border. Once I created a map, which size was 8000x8000 just for test. And that wasn't working ;p But 4000x4000 works good...

There is one problem with the world size that I ran into with Lykaon.. After 1024 in any direction from the 0 point, physics stop working. Npcs and monsters are stuck in the air when they are supposed to be ragdolls and Geralt's hair is stuck in its position.

 

[Stolarro94]

Oh, it's good to know... At the first moment you scared me, but happily my map isn't such a big. ;p

 

[Blafflamm]

Does anyone know if there is a maximum amount of entities that can be placed on a layer without issue? I might have run into this issue since i was decorating part of my level but added lots of things into a single layer which consequetly dissappeared. My other theory is that my HDD is so old that it basically cant save files properly anymore without fragmentation or corruption. Thanks in advance

 

[Nemomallo]

@Blafflamm
Hey I' ve run into simmilar issues, but I think mine were caused by not saving in a right way, or editing templates or meshes wiht a world open. The REDit crashed and afterwards I lost a cuple of files. So maybe the solution for you and (me and everyone) is the one we all know. SAVING SAVING SAVING! and Saving again. And somtimes close the world and load it new. Or even close the REDKit (after proper saving) and load the world new.
My harddrive is 6 years old, I don't know how old yours is.


For everyone
Hey I did not look into this topic, but does the Red kit save the files which are changed inside it allways in the AppData folder, because it has no writing rights for the the folders where the Witcher 2 is installed. This would be randomly something like C:\\Program Files (x86)\The Witcher 2\data\usw.
So my question is, is it possible to change the dircetory where changes inside the REDKit are saved? Because I want to move my files more freely and not to create manny of those link files which are produced if you change the the folder of your objekt like meshes.
Thanks in advance. Is the question even clear?
Nemo

 

[Benzenzimmern]

Hey, theoretically you can put as much as you want in a layer, but of course the more you put there, the more you lose if stuff goes wrong. I usually prefer to create quite many groups containing different layers for the purpose of organization, which can be especially important if you create a large level in Redkit.
Unlike Witcher 3, Witcher 2 has "manual" streaming. If you create a large level, it's a good idea to not have all layers loaded at all times for framerate reasons (in my case, I had 5 different versions of my level, so I had a short loading time every time I entered the town or crossed the river). So if your layers are neatly organized, it is easy to load and unload things using a quest.

 

[0248991]

Hi,
have several questions about working with redkit.

1)What exactly do you mean by "manual streaming" ?
Do you mean streaming the world to parts (heightmaps, textures and everything) - basically cutting the terrain and only load place where player is ?
In this case, how would you detect, player is coming to city to load it up ?
Or do you mean only quest related streaming - for example - if player gets quest to bring apple, layer with that apple loads only when quest begins ?

2)Inactive enemy
I searched asset browser for harpy and found 2 entity templates. First has icon with model(88.38KB), second has just some list of paper icon (6.31KB).
If I open any of them, it won't show model. There is just some point moving up and down- like harpy flying - so I guess that it contains data about harpy.
Tried to place both on layer. It shows models swinging their wings normally for both.
For the first I checked attackalbe, killable and so like attributes to true. When I run the game, it can be attacked and killed, but wont do anything - just fly in place.
Model even won't drop to ground - I can just deplete it's healthbar and that's it.
Am I missing something ?
Also, how can I control harpy daynight cycle - fly over place at day, sleep on ground at night, for example - just not to fly at one place all the time ?
Or even respawn it ? It needs to be spawned in community ?

3)Secondary questions
I am able to add dialog with NPC by scene in quest. So what about non-quest dialogues ? Should it be just to create scene file, then entity template from it and then place it to some layer to act as startup-script - basically load that dialog when loading map ?

Thanks for any responses

 

[Benzenzimmern]

1) The actual terrain and foliage will always be loaded. But you can put all meshes or entity templates on different layer groups and then load them accordingly. As an example, whenever I interact with the gate of a town, I load a blackscreen, then load all meshes I need in this town, unload the ones I used outside, and when it's done, fade into gameplay again.

2) You have to spawn all npcs (including monsters) using spawnsets (or specific monster spawners) or otherwise their AI won't work. This includes dying. So putting their entity templates on layers won't do the trick unfortunately,

3) There are ways, but it's very easy to just make a simple quest phase that contains all fluff dialogue. Alternatively you can create voicesets for npcs that work without a quest.

Ps: We're trying to get the Redkit wiki up and running again, so hopefully that might answer some questions in the future.

 

[Stolarro94]

Ps: We're trying to get the Redkit wiki up and running again, so hopefully that might answer some questions in the future

Omg, that's so good news!

 

[HarelMor]

Thank you so much for that.

 

[0248991]

Hi,
thanks for previous answer.
Good news about wiki. Is there any ETA ?

About that harpies spawning.
Important (f.e. quest related to kill) harpies spawning which won't respawn :
Let's say there is quest to kill harpy that flies over hill randomly.
Create community, define harpy entity, define it's spawn point that is placed in layer and then in quest file with StoryPhaseSetter block spawn it ?
So it will work (walk,fly, can die,..) and will move around that spawn point ?

Let's say there is quest - man says harpy is eating his horse. So, until player arrives, harpy is stuck in "eating horse" state.
Again community and harpy entity, but instead of spawn point define action point and select "Start in AP" and place AP in layer ?
Are there really AP for every possible action anyone can take ?
What would happen if I assign something like "man_bow" animation to that harpy to look like it's eating horse - animation won't probably look well,
as it is for different model, but that is how it is done, if there aren't many AP ?

Not important random harpies that can respawn :
Found some files, that maybe are it's spawners - f.e. harpy_nest or harpy_highspawn.
When placed on layer, it spawns harpy that again doesn't react, but can die and can be looted after.
There is also some red-text error message over that spawn object saying : "NPC on static layer somelayer.w2l ::harpynest1, AI disabled!"
Checked that layer but it has static set to false.
There aren't some intuitive spawners as it is with animals - x_manager, x_spawnpoint, x_area ?

Also, tried to spawn 2 cats.
It looks like I need 2 animal_managers to do that ?
Because animal_manager has property animalSpawnPointsTag - POINTS is plural - but it only seems to take one.
Tried syntax "point1; point2" as it is done with other tagging, but this doesn't seem to accept it, as after hitting ENTER or clicking away, it won't wrap with [] brackets ?

Maybe it's also worth mentioning that I don't "Play game" as there is black screen infinite, but only "Play on current layers.Fast".

Thanks for any help

 

[Nemomallo]

​Hey@0248991

​There is a tutorial for creating quests, where the play game problem is solved,. I think the most important things are shown the first 8 minutes https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=knqO4l4zBlI

​And to all, I did not update the mesh pack, I do not even know, if still sombody wants it, because activity is very low in the forum, but I want ot release it. I am aware that I said I will release it on some date. But I had to play the Witcher 3 and imported more meshes.
So I hope to update this soon.
​And here's a picture, do you recognize any buildings ?


Greeting
Nemo

 

[Blafflamm]

I do not even know, if still sombody wants it, because activity is very low in the forum, but I want ot release it. I

Very interested here! Have not been active in the forums or in REDkit in a while since my world broke again but i'm thinking of starting some new project, and more variety in the meshes are always nice. Your first pack was very nice aswell by the way. I should upload what i have to the nexus aswell in case someone needs it. A quick question aswell, do you know why it is that entities are not possible to save as a preset in the gardener tool but mesh files can be saved as a preset?

 

[Nemomallo]

Blafflamm

Hm ok REDKit is very anoying sometimes, especially when something brakes. And for all... the mesh pack is not ready, since I was lazy... no way to release it this year...
Regarding your question..... I don't have a clue! I don't know anything about stuff like that and just like to play around with the REDKit. Sorry!

Dear Modders and everyone else have a nice time at the end of the old year and the start of the new one!
Greetings Nemo

 

[davidmcclure]

Hi guys, a couple of quick questions:
1) I followed the tutorial video about adding communities - do I need to add each NPC as an individual or is there a way to reuse existing archetypes?
2) Does anyone have the encounter tutorial mirrored anywhere? I can't find anything online - the wiki is down and no one seems to have made an encounter setup video. If not, what are the basic steps to take to set up a new encounter?

 

[0248991]

I know only answer to your second question.

Right click in the scene - > gameplay - > encounter - > green area appears. This is encounter area.
You need to specify, what it will spawn. In asset browser, go to game -> gameplay - > monsters and select desired entity template.
Go to encounter area properties and add it to monster entries using green arrow.
You can also set some number properties, like how many will it spawn and frequency, but I dont really understand, which attribute means what.
Now if you enter area, monster will be spawned and if you leave it, it will despawn.

If you want effect, to see monster from distance, not only when you enter encounter area, you can use encounter activator.
Right click in the scene - > gameplay - > encounter activator - > green area appears.
Put tag of your encounter area in its properties and if you enter it, monsters in encounter area will be spawned.