[X3N0-Life-Form]

FSO should be able to support the following video codecs :
- Theora (in Ogg container files)
- H.264 (in MP4 container files)
- VP8/VP9 (typically in WebM files)

Playing cinematics at the beginning and end of missions should also be possible, but iirc it's some sort of top secret undocumented feature  that requires editing the mission file itself.

EDIT - hey, found some documentation : https://wiki.hard-light.net/index.php/FreeSpace_2_Mission_File_Format#.23Plot_Info

Code: [Select]

#Plot Info

$Tour: XSTR
$Pre-Briefing Cutscene: STRING
$Pre-Mission Cutscene: STRING
$Next Mission Success: STRING
$Next Mission Partial: STRING
$Next Mission Failure: STRING

EDIT 2 - or not, the one mod I know that uses these types of cutscenes doesn't use the format described on the wiki...

Code: [Select]

#Cutscenes
$Briefing Cutscene: episode_07_briefing_08.ogg
+formula: ( true )

$Debriefing Cutscene: hermes_outro.ogg
+campaign_only
+formula: ( is-event-false-delay
   "Player turned traitor"
   0
)

#end


[UndyingNephalim]

Code: [Select]

#Plot Info

$Tour: XSTR
$Pre-Briefing Cutscene: STRING
$Pre-Mission Cutscene: STRING
$Next Mission Success: STRING
$Next Mission Partial: STRING
$Next Mission Failure: STRING

EDIT 2 - or not, the one mod I know that uses these types of cutscenes doesn't use the format described on the wiki...

Code: [Select]

#Cutscenes
$Briefing Cutscene: episode_07_briefing_08.ogg
+formula: ( true )

$Debriefing Cutscene: hermes_outro.ogg
+campaign_only
+formula: ( is-event-false-delay
   "Player turned traitor"
   0
)

#end


Hmm this information is pretty vague. Where do these blocks of code go? the FS2 file? What folder do cinematic files go in?

I tried just putting an mp4 file in the same folder as the exe and I added this to a mission's fs2 file:

Code: [Select]

#Cutscenes
$Briefing Cutscene: test1.mp4
+formula: ( true )
)

#end
but no luck, the mission just crashes halfway through the loading screen.

[niffiwan]

I just checked the way Diaspora is setup - even though they're using a .ogg I'm pretty sure it  released R1.1 (that added the briefing movies) before mp4 support was added to the engine.

1) The movie file is in data/movies
2) the text is in the .fs2 file, before #Command Briefing and after $Variables, like the following

Code: [Select]

#Sexp_variables

$Variables:
(
...
)
#Cutscenes
$Briefing Cutscene: R1M3.ogg
+formula: ( true )
#end

#Command Briefing


[UndyingNephalim]

Code: [Select]

#Sexp_variables

$Variables:
(
...
)
#Cutscenes
$Briefing Cutscene: R1M3.ogg
+formula: ( true )
#end

#Command Briefing


I get a crash on t he loading screen:

[niffiwan]

Hrmm... one option would be to ask you to post the mission file, but in the event you don't want to share before release; you could check the Diaspora mission file I looked at. I played this a few weeks back and the movie worked as expected so I'm pretty sure it's setup OK.

https://pastebin.com/h2QKq6Va

[UndyingNephalim]

Hrmm... one option would be to ask you to post the mission file, but in the event you don't want to share before release; you could check the Diaspora mission file I looked at. I played this a few weeks back and the movie worked as expected so I'm pretty sure it's setup OK.

https://pastebin.com/h2QKq6Va

Ah ha I got it to work. I just deleted the variable section and it worked. 

[Nightmare]

"Oh what do we have here?"
"A mod that uses pre-rendered cutscenes for briefing."
"Well, how should I say it- *DAMN, THAT'S HOT!*

[UndyingNephalim]

Ehhh I decided to start updating some of the older models from 5 years ago, starting with the Cerinian Battle Mech

Hidden Text: Show

"Oh what do we have here?"
"A mod that uses pre-rendered cutscenes for briefing."
"Well, how should I say it- *DAMN, THAT'S HOT!*

Some of the briefings for sure, like the Battle for Sauria mission. 

[starlord]

By the way, did you ever get that rail shooter script from shadows of Lylat to work? Will you be using it in EH?

[Nightmare]

Ehhh I decided to start updating some of the older models from 5 years ago, starting with the Cerinian Battle Mech

Amazing stuff as always

[UndyingNephalim]

By the way, did you ever get that rail shooter script from shadows of Lylat to work? Will you be using it in EH?

I sadly never got it to work beyond the demo map that they released. I'd like rail shooter segments but I'll probably have to pass on the idea.

[Nightmare]

Well than ask other people ^^
Original StarFox team had many, many people from all dev-relevant aspects. I dearly hope that there are still enough people on HLP that 1 or 2 bother to help, like with the specific warpout/in SCP feature. But you probably have to run after them/ask them yourself, they don't enlist automatical.

[Kiloku]

Damn, I hate to be a critic, because it's clear that this is orders of magnitude ahead of what could/should be expected of a single person working alone and I also really wanted to like it but it just doesn't feel "Star Fox-y" to me.   
Some things that I think would help, although I know some or even most of them would require changing FSO's source code itself:

Aesthetic:
 - Brighter ambient light (in Star Fox you usually can see any ship regardless of lighting conditions. Though I guess this is also up to the player to try the lighting options in the launcher)
 - Brighter ship colors and light spots on most ships 
 - The Star Fox style targeting reticle which goes in front of the Arwing and kinda shows the path your shot will follow (Pretty sure that'd be super difficult, though) 
 - Star Fox style HUD (also difficult, I guess, with the health bar, score indicator and whatnot) 
 - Indicators for some specific ships (such as your squadmates, the transports and the boss)

Mechanical:
 - Faster projectiles for the Arwing (possibly for the enemies too)
 - Power-up items (No idea how you'd change the primary weapon mid-mission, though)
 - Rail segments (I know you tried and couldn't get it to work, but seconding Nightmare, I think that now that you have a solid first mission and most of your Assets done, it could be a good time to look for help from others) 
 - Handle multi-part enemies like in SF itself. Your fight with Granga looked nothing like a Star Fox boss-fight. He lost Hull Integrity regardless of whether or not you destroyed the barrier-blades, and you never actually shot at each blade, only at the core. It needs the whole weak-spot mechanic of Star Fox bosses and mini-bosses. I'm pretty sure that this is supported in FSO, where you can make the ship immune to damage but the hardpoints damageable.


Again, your work is amazing and what you did is extremely cool, I'm sorry to criticize it, but I hope at least some of my suggestions are easy enough for you to do (if you agree, of course).

[Rhymes]

I think most of the HUD stuff is very doable, with the possible exception of the moving reticle. Projectile speed is controllable through the weapons table. Power-ups and health bars have both already been implemented elsewhere--Axem's Just Another Day 2.2X has both of those things. I'm pretty sure it requires a fair bit of scripting, but it's definitely achievable. Multi-part enemies is definitely achievable in FRED through careful use of SEXPs (ship-guardian and self-destruct sexps ho!) The colors/lights is doable on a per-asset basis, but I think ambient light is a launcher-side control only.

[Colonol Dekker]

Could you not make the reticle part of the fighter model?

[Nightmare]

Could you not make the reticle part of the fighter model?

If it has homing primaries it's probably not the way to go; it could be scripted though.

[UndyingNephalim]

Damn, I hate to be a critic,

No worries.

- Star Fox style HUD (also difficult, I guess, with the health bar, score indicator and whatnot)

This is all planned, it's just been really low priority.

- The Star Fox style targeting reticle which goes in front of the Arwing and kinda shows the path your shot will follow (Pretty sure that'd be super difficult, though) 

The SoL team figured this out, but again scripting wizardry that I don't comprehend. I'm an artist not a programmer. It is possible though.

- Indicators for some specific ships (such as your squadmates, the transports and the boss)

I would love this, it's actually the very first question I asked yeaaarrsss ago on the very first page of this thread. I was told it was impossible to do, but maybe someone figured out something in the last five years.

- Faster projectiles for the Arwing (possibly for the enemies too)

Maybe im just terrible at the game, but I already find it really difficult to outrun secondaries and weapons with the current speeds.

- Power-up items (No idea how you'd change the primary weapon mid-mission, though)

I attempted to get Silver Rings to work several years ago, but no success.

- Handle multi-part enemies like in SF itself. Your fight with Granga looked nothing like a Star Fox boss-fight. He lost Hull Integrity regardless of whether or not you destroyed the barrier-blades, and you never actually shot at each blade, only at the core. It needs the whole weak-spot mechanic of Star Fox bosses and mini-bosses. I'm pretty sure that this is supported in FSO, where you can make the ship immune to damage but the hardpoints damageable.

I would like this if I could figure out how to get it to work.

If it has homing primaries it's probably not the way to go; it could be scripted though.

Primary weapons can home in?! When was that added in? How do I do that?!

[Darius]

- Indicators for some specific ships (such as your squadmates, the transports and the boss)

I would love this, it's actually the very first question I asked yeaaarrsss ago on the very first page of this thread. I was told it was impossible to do, but maybe someone figured out something in the last five years.

I've got something which may do this. This was done by editing Axem's Markbox script and using a lua sexp to allocate which ships I want marked.






If this is the effect you're looking for, I can send the files your way.

[UndyingNephalim]

If this is the effect you're looking for, I can send the files your way.

That would definitely be useful. Ideally the best thing would be something like from the Star Fox games:

Hidden Text: Show

[Colonol Dekker]

Axem has working power ups.  Guessing it's all proximity based in Fred.