Cutscenes Part 4: Extras

NOTE: This article is under construction until this NOTE goes away.

Embellish the Ending

Download the file [snitch4.zip.txt], remove the ".txt" from the filename, and extract it into your Doom 3 folder. This includes our Snitch work from Parts 1, 2, and 3.

Open snitch4.map in Dark Radiant.

The bulk of the conversation is now in place. It's a bit strange that the actors stay by the bulletin board after they're done talking, so let's make them walk away to end the scene. What we want to see is both actors walk away, a shot of the guard walking toward the camera as he says his final line, then a shot of the informant walking toward the camera as he says his final line.

Create Destinations

The guard can walk back to the path_corner where he started. The informant, however, needs somewhere to go.

• Create a path_corner on the informant's porch. Give it the name "EndMarkInformant".
• Create a camera to give us a shot of the guard as he walks away. (Camera8 and target_null_8.)
• Create a camera to give us a shot of the informant as he walks away. (Camera9 and target_null_9.)
• Add the property "trigger" "1" to each camera.

The Guard Leaves

Now we're ready to add to the conversation, starting with having the guard walk away.

• Bring up the Conversation Editor.
• Select Snitch and click the Edit button.
• Click the Add button.
• In the Edit Command window, set these:

• Actor: SnitchGuard
• Command: WalkToEntity
• Entity: path_corner_2
• Distance: 0 (this is how far from path_corner_2 the guard needs to be before he stops walking)
• Uncheck "Wait until finished".
• Click OK.

Guard Walks Away

This adds a new command at the bottom of the command list. But it's not where it needs to be in the sequence. We have to move it up.

• Select this new command.
• Click the Up button enough times to move the command to just below "talk snitch_guard_5".

Now the guard will say his final line to the informant, and turn to walk away.

Until now, we haven't bothered with the "Wait until finished" checkbox. We want it unchecked for this command, however, since we don't want to wait until the guard reaches his destination before running the next command. We need the informant to leave, both actors to say their final lines, and give control back to the player.

The Informant Leaves

Next, add the command for the informant to return to his porch, and position it just below the guard's command to leave. Remember to uncheck the "Wait until finished" box.

The Final Shots

Now we want to add the camera shot of the guard walking away and saying his final line. This will require four new commands:

• Trigger Camera8
• Wait 1 second
• Guard says line snitch_guard_6
• Wait 1 second

When run, this changes the screen to a shot of the guard approaching, then there's a slight pause, the guard says his line, and then there's another pause.

• Click the Add button on the Edit Conversation window.
• In the Edit Command window, set these:

• Actor: SnitchGuard
• Command: ActivateTarget
• Target: Camera8
• Click OK.

Starting Camera8

• Move this new command up below the command for the informant to leave
• Click the Add button on the Edit Conversation window.
• In the Edit Command window, set these:

• Actor: SnitchGuard
• Command: WaitSeconds
• Seconds: 1
• Click OK.

• Move this new command up below the command that triggers Camera8.

The next command in the sequence should be "talk snitch_guard_6".

• Create a second "WaitSeconds" command and position it below the snitch_guard_6 command.

Repeat these instructions to add this sequence:

• Trigger Camera9
• Wait 1 second
• Informant says line snitch_informant_8
• Wait 1 second

At this point, the new commands you added should look like this:

Guard and Informant Leaving

Taking another look at Return2Player(), we see that it's been changed to have Camera9 turn itself off and return control to the player:

void Return2Player()
{
   $Tport2.activate($player1);  // Put the player back on the porch
   $Camera9.activate($player1); // Return control to the player
}	

Save, build, run, and press button 2 on the porch. Now, near the end of the scene, the actors turn away, say their final lines in separate camera shots, and control returns to the player.

TO BE CONTINUED

Wrapup

In Part 4, we finished the conversation for our scene, learning how to add extra camera shots, animations, and sound effects.

Alongside snitch4.map and snitch4.script, which we've been using above, you'll find snitch4a.map and snitch4a.script, which include the conversation from this lesson. You can build and run snitch4a.map and compare it to your own work.

In Part 5, we'll examine the cutscene from the ending of Somewhere Above the City.

Cutscenes | Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5