Hard Light Productions Forums

Modding, Mission Design, and Coding => The Modding Workshop => Topic started by: Kazan on March 07, 2009, 05:23:49 pm

Title: Calling Expert PCS2 Users (PCS2 Walkthrough/Helpfile Authoring)
Post by: Kazan on March 07, 2009, 05:23:49 pm: So all of you who use PCS2 a lot and ever wanted to contribute BEYOND sending in bug reports, helping drive feature requests?

I see the program from the data side of it anymore, it has been a long time since I made any serious attempts at modeling. I need you to take the tips and tricks of modeling and the usage of the features of the program you've learned over the years and write a beginners guide to PCS2 and then intermediate guides, faqs, etc. Pictures to help with explanations are very desirable.

Once this is all compiled it will be put into HTML format and included with PCS2 as the official help documentation.
Title: Re: Calling Expert PCS2 Users (PCS2 Walkthrough/Helpfile Authoring)
Post by: Bobboau on March 07, 2009, 05:31:26 pm: maybe a wiki would be good?
Title: Re: Calling Expert PCS2 Users (PCS2 Walkthrough/Helpfile Authoring)
Post by: Kazan on March 07, 2009, 05:34:47 pm: we could put on the wiki as well.. but i intend to distribute the documentation with it as well
Title: Re: Calling Expert PCS2 Users (PCS2 Walkthrough/Helpfile Authoring)
Post by: Bobboau on March 07, 2009, 06:08:27 pm: I mean use the wiki so a whole bunch of people can work on it at the same time then pull the wiki pages into some sort of distributable form.
Title: Re: Calling Expert PCS2 Users (PCS2 Walkthrough/Helpfile Authoring)
Post by: Kazan on March 07, 2009, 06:12:19 pm: ooh yeah thats a good idea
Title: Re: Calling Expert PCS2 Users (PCS2 Walkthrough/Helpfile Authoring)
Post by: Water on March 07, 2009, 06:59:34 pm: It might be helpful to start with useful keyboard shortcuts.

Quote from: Water on May 26, 2008, 04:55:17 am
Minimal Help Text
------------------------

View:
L Mouse
R Mouse - Rotate view along Z (long) axis
Shift + L Mouse - Pan view

Zoom:
Shift + R Mouse - Zoom Fast
Mouse Wheel - Zoom Slow

Move:
Ctrl + L Mouse - Move item around in blue plain (dual axis)
Ctrl + R Mouse - Move item along red axis (single axis)

(http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/ee67/waternz/mesh/icons5a.gif)

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Using these icons to replace the existing ones makes the help file easier to explain, and allows you to drop the X, Y and Z axis lock icons. So instead of 3x3 button variations. Just three are all that is needed for both dual and single axis use.
Title: Re: Calling Expert PCS2 Users (PCS2 Walkthrough/Helpfile Authoring)
Post by: Kazan on March 07, 2009, 07:07:17 pm: FS2 Wiki area to put stuff in

http://www.hard-light.net/wiki/index.php/POFCS2Help/HelpHome
Title: Re: Calling Expert PCS2 Users (PCS2 Walkthrough/Helpfile Authoring)
Post by: pecenipicek on March 07, 2009, 07:15:36 pm: my tutorial might help a bit too
http://www.hard-light.net/forums/index.php/topic,56047.0.html
Title: Re: Calling Expert PCS2 Users (PCS2 Walkthrough/Helpfile Authoring)
Post by: Kazan on March 07, 2009, 07:20:52 pm: move it into the wiki... this is community cooperative authoring... don't need me holding your hands i'll check in every so often
Title: Re: Calling Expert PCS2 Users (PCS2 Walkthrough/Helpfile Authoring)
Post by: Talon 1024 on March 07, 2009, 07:23:22 pm: And there's a tutorial linked from my signature for turrets on angled surfaces...

http://www.hard-light.net/forums/index.php/topic,60327.html (http://www.hard-light.net/forums/index.php/topic,60327.html)
Title: Re: Calling Expert PCS2 Users (PCS2 Walkthrough/Helpfile Authoring)
Post by: pecenipicek on March 07, 2009, 07:52:35 pm: i'll wikify my tut when i get the time :p
Title: Re: Calling Expert PCS2 Users (PCS2 Walkthrough/Helpfile Authoring)
Post by: Vasudan Admiral on March 08, 2009, 12:19:21 am: http://www.hard-light.net/wiki/index.php/POFCS2Help/BlenderToPOFConversions

Far out that took all day! :\
Title: Re: Calling Expert PCS2 Users (PCS2 Walkthrough/Helpfile Authoring)
Post by: Bobboau on March 08, 2009, 12:39:22 am: very nicely done :D
Title: Re: Calling Expert PCS2 Users (PCS2 Walkthrough/Helpfile Authoring)
Post by: Vasudan Admiral on March 08, 2009, 10:01:23 am: Thanks. :)

I've written it to go hand in hand of a PCS2 version of your 'learn to use PCS' guide - which I must say was ages ago unbelievably useful for me when learning PCS in the first place. :D

So anyway, the things I'd say the documentation still needs is a central features guide (like 'learn to use PCS', but with details on auto-pathing, auto MOI, glowpoints, cache clearing, importing/deleting subobjects and most importantly the whole WYSIWYG location editing thing) and a couple more DAE or COB conversion setup guides from different programs points of view - at least 3DS max as that's most commonly used, and the process is still not well known for DAE conversions.