DeveloperFAQ

From OpenArena

This is the developer FAQ for everyone who likes to contribute to OpenArena. Normal users can get info from the default FAQ

Contents 1 general questions 1.1 How can I contribute? 1.2 Anything I need to know before I contribute? 1.2.1 Licence 2 Textures/Graphics 3 Modeling 3.1 How do I export md3s in Blender? 4 Mapping 4.1 How do I setup GtkRadiant for OpenArena? 4.2 Links 4.3 How to make a curved platform 5 Coding 5.1 How do I compile the sourcecode? 5.1.1 Windows user 6 Music

[edit] general questions

[edit] How can I contribute?

You can post it on the Development forum, and i'll integrate it into OpenArena.

It is also possible to use Subversion:

svn co http://openarena.ws/svn/ /openarena-subversion/

usage: http://openarena.ws/board/index.php?topic=500.0

[edit] Anything I need to know before I contribute?

Altough OpenArena tries to replace the Quake 3 Arena content we are not bound to a certain style. Concepts would be loose, so don't expect a remake of Klesk in his original Klesk form, or any direct remakes of any map/weapon/model.

[edit] Licence

Don't forget this project needs open content! So don't add anything that is already copyrighted (like content from commercial games). Your contribution must be licensed under the GNU General Public License (GPL). No other licence will be accepted.

The GPL allows others to copy, change and redistribute your contributed work (like it is done in GNU/Linux). Please take take this in consideration before contributing.

[edit] Textures/Graphics

The art direction of Open Arena is about "double" as Quake III Arena:

• quadruple texture resolution, i.e. 512x512 as opposed to a 256x256
• double the polycount of models, instead of 700-900 you'll have 1200-2000 poly players
• Sound is probably mixed in 44khz rather than 22khz, but I dunno about that as 44khz seems to crash Q3A at this moment

Hopefully the detail should still be scalable with texture resolution and LoD's for slower computers (read: my p100 with voodoo2)

[edit] Modeling

[edit] How do I export md3s in Blender?

You can use the script found here. A few notes

• All scripts must be copied to the scripts folder
• To export an animated md3 you MUST load the md3 export script in the text editor then run it. Also you must select the last frame of animation your model has too
• Tags are made from empties.
• Work with your objects in 0,0,0 origin as much as possible. Moving them will cause the tags to be misaligned in export.

• an alternative exporter/importer based on the previous -> import/export ( which is more up-to-date ).

[edit] Mapping

[edit] How do I setup GtkRadiant for OpenArena?

Detailed article : Configure_GTKRadiant_for_OA

[edit] Links

• GTKRadiant : http://www.qeradiant.com/
• Tutorial on Blender 3D : http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Blender_3D:_Noob_to_Pro

[edit] How to make a curved platform

• First make a brush and curve->cylinder
• hit Q (QE, resize) and V (vertices), start to form the curve as you like by dragging the points
• When you're done, hit v again (to deselect vertices) and curve->cap selection, choose cylinder.

[edit] Coding

[edit] How do I compile the sourcecode?

The Open Arena source is located in a tar.bz2 file in the svn: http://www.openarena.ws/svn/source/ The 0.8.0 source is here: http://www.openarena.ws/svn/source/080/

If you have problems compiling the game look here. If nothing helps visit the forums.

On Debian, check for following dependencies :

• libsdl2-dev
• libopenal-dev
• libvorbis-dev
• libcurl-dev (there are different version, they should all work)
• and of course build-essential
• probably more ...

After that the compiling under Linux is as easy as typing 'make'

[edit] Windows user

1. Download an install OpenArena (the windows installer)
2. Subversion is used for acquiring the modified version of the id source code. As an alternative you can use the (old) sourcecode from here
   1. Download and install the program ("svn-1.4.X-setup.exe")
   2. Change into a directory that you want the tree to be kept in.
   3. Check out the source tree from ioq3: svn co svn://svn.icculus.org/quake3/trunk ioquake3
   4. look at oachanges.diff and make the needed changes in the code by hand (there is probably an easier way, but at least it works and gives you an up to date version)
3. Download and install MinGW (like "MinGW-5.1.3.exe") and MSys (like "MSYS-1.0.10.exe") from http://www.mingw.org/.
4. Download http://www.libsdl.org/extras/win32/common/directx-devel.tar.gz and untar it into your MinGW directory (usually C:\MinGW).
5. Start the MSys Terminal ( Start/Programs/MinGW/MSYS/MSYS )
6. Change to the directory where the source code is located
7. Run 'make'
8. a new directory named "build" should appear
9. copy all qvm files from build\release-mingw32-x86\baseq3\vm into your pak0.pk3\vm\ file (located in your openarena\baseoa\ directory)
10. replace the openarena\ioquake3.x86.exe with build\release-mingw32-x86\ioquake3.x86.exe

[edit] Music

Please keep in mind that we want to create content under the GPL. This means you have to provide a source of your work. The only format OpenArena currently accepts for music therefor is a tracker-format. For more information please use the forum.