Prefab Comments

With most prefabs, it is self-evident what they are but when submitting your own prefabs for use by others it is occasionally helpful, even essential, to add comments. As there is no easy way to include this with the prefab, please add your comments to this article.

When loading prefabs, depending on your editor version, you need to take care:

1. Check changed entity names against any bind, frob_peer, lock_peer used_by spawnargs etc.
2. If rotating, check the whole prefab has rotated and how. Model doors may be OK but brush doors you might find they now open the wrong way.
3. Add complex prefabs to groups (DR=layer) if your editor provides them to make it easier to move, rotate, retexture, etc. later.
4. Disable any filtering so you don't overlook, eg, caulk, nodraw textures.

For general information about prefabs see Prefabs

Architecture

Fireplace/Chimney

Prefab : architecture\fireplaces\fireplace_humble_corner_double.pfb

• Can be retextured as a whole (ideally while still selected as a prefab)
• Place between between two walls where the caulk indicates or discard one side and use as single.
• Note multiple edge bevels and patches if cutting/reshaping.
• It is likely that some bevels will pass through into different visportal areas in your mission. This is likely to corrupt the texture rendering even though it looks fine in Dark Radiant. Solution: Clone offending bevel(s) and resize to fit either side of floor/ceiling etc. so each bevel is fully within one visportal area. See Patch texture rendering error.

Texture aligns all round except for...

• one small horizontal line at one side of one of the fireplaces - not too noticeable.
• Horizontal line where vertical chimney starts on two sides only. This will be next dividing wall on one side anyway so only affects one side and this will generally be lost in ceiling hopefully. Not severe.

Rooms, corridors

Rooms, corridors - these should not be used exactly as they are. We don't want lots of mission lookalikes. Instead use them as a start point then adjust, resize, and retexture. Add new features, remove old ones.

Steps & Stairs: Spiral

These consist of a main module:

(architecture\steps,stairs\spiral_stairs\stair_spiral_192_main.pfb)

which is stackable to any number of floors each 192 units high (add a few steps in a corridor if your floors are a little different) plus one top model:

(architecture\steps,stairs\spiral_stairs\stair_spiral_192_top.pfb)

At the time of writing, multiple patrolling AI might get stuck at the foot of the stair. This appears to be an AI intelligence issue rather than an actual obstacle. I found if I placed a path_corner at the foot of the stairs, directly opposite the bottom step and targetted from above (ie, its preceding path_corner that targets it being place on a floor above) then the AI were OK. I had three AI patrolling and passing one another on the stair for a long time without problems this way.

architecture\steps,stairs\spiral_stairs\bc_spiralstair_clip.pfb

...is for use as monster clip for AI pathfinding with various models in:

models\darkmod\architecture\stairs\

Steps & Stairs: Stepladders

At this time there is a problem with adding the collision model to new maps even though the stepladders work fine in the test map. More later...

Doors

Manhole for sewer etc.

'manhole_round_tiny_rusty.pfb is a general purpose sewer entrance. Note that the brush opening is lined with non-solids so the manhole seem a more narrow gap.

manhole_round_tiny_rusty_windup.pfb is the same but with an internal rotary control. This means the manhole cannot be opened or closed from above so the player has to find another route inside but can escape through this route. An alternative is to use a normal locked version of the firt example above and let the player find it inside.

This version might be modified as a pressure hatch in a chemical plant, underwater facility, submarine, etc.

Trapdoor with padlock

doors\trapdoor_wood_crude_padlocked.pfb includes three hasps: The openable part of the padlock, one that is bound tto the door, and one that you need to pplace on your frame/floor.

The padlock can be relocked. If the trapdoor is open then it locks when next closed onto the padlock. Not entirely logical but the alternative would close it when closing the padlock.

The padlock is not a moveable.

Don't overlook the padlock key which is close by.

Mechanical

Clocks

There are 4 large plain grey clocks that keep real game-time. They are not very fancy but are meant to be put high on buildings where they cannot be reached. But the time-keeping methods can be applied to fancier clocks.

Prefab: mechanical\clocks\clock_nostrike_big_plain_grey.pfb

Prefab: mechanical\clocks\clock_nostrike_huge_plain_grey.pfb

These are big and bigger clocks set at midnight by default and facing west. Works immediately with no script needed but nothing fancy, does not strike the hour, etc. but just shows the time. Includes a clock tick sound which can be deleted if too high on a building to hear. The clocks can be rotated to face any direction with no problem. And of course, you can rotate the hands to set the start time if you don't want midnight. Try 6 degree movements then finer if needed.

Prefab: mechanical\clocks\clock_scriptevents_big_plain_grey.pfb

Prefab: mechanical\clocks\clock_scriptevents_huge_plain_grey.pfb

These require a script. One is provided that keeps time and rotates the clock hands, and optionally can trigger any entities at any selected time plus a script that strikes the hour. See Clock-Triggered Game Events for how to set it up.

Miscellaneous

Player drop start delay

Many Dark Mod FMs will begin with the thief dropping down from a wall, etc. At game start there seems to be a tiny delay (0.25 seconds?) before the view is rendered so the player only sees the end of the drop, maybe none of it.

'misc\player_drop_start_delay.pfb provides a player start with a platform that is removed after 0.25 of a second. Reduce delay for lower heights.

Readables

There is an extensive selection of readable books, scroll, sheets, etc. For details see Readables Prefabs