pick6's FieldBuilder framework

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pick6
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Re: pick6's FieldBuilder v4

Postby pick6 » Tue Aug 09, 2016 4:18 am

Austinmario13 wrote:You know how in the super bowl there's a logo at each of the 25 yard lines? You should add that as an option.

That's a good point! I was going to suggest using the existing NCAA 25 yd placeholder (which should be big enough), but it's likely too near or far from the sideline. I'm not gonna investigate further though, as I don't play NFL any more myself. If anyone else wants to create it, I'll certainly include it.

Re: pick6's FieldBuilder v4

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Re: pick6's FieldBuilder v4

Postby pick6 » Wed Oct 12, 2016 8:55 am

The FieldBuilder framework has just undergone an exiting new development! :D Not yet included in the current release as still some finalizing to be done, but you can read all about it in my NCAA 17 FieldBuilder thread in this post HERE, which also contains some screenshots.

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Re: pick6's FieldBuilder v4

Postby pick6 » Fri Oct 14, 2016 7:50 pm

I managed to finally iron out some errors in the new half-field TMdl so that it now gives a perfect representation in-game! :D I then tested to see if the Use of endzone2 = bug! (TEZ2) would still be present if I left the regular field in a TEZ1 slot as before, but put the new half-field in a TEZ2 slot (instead of temporary midfield slot). (I vaguely remember testing with different things in the past and coming to the conclusion that the bug was not in the endzone TMdl as you'd expect.) Anyway, there is still some slight but noticeable warping present across the width of the field when the two fields are used like this (including along the goal-line), so I still don't think that the TEZ2 slot is usable for anything precise. What that means though is the FieldBuilder framework will continue to use TEZ1=84 & TEZ2=0, but the new half-field must go in the midfield slot, and the midfield logo must then go in the ST35 slot (as that is the uppermost layer on the field).

If you don't follow any of this, don't worry. I'll upload a new version of FieldBuilder in the next week or so and explain how to utilize the new half-field. It will just be a case of using a different set of values in the roster, and no more complicated than before. The new version will also be completely backward compatible, meaning any existing .tpf's that rely on FieldBuilder will still work just fine. S'all good. ;)

(Except for .dat-lovers, that is. This doesn't help you at all. Not trying to rub it in or anything, but for me it's just yet another reason for sticking with TexMod. We can now have .tpf fields that contain two TrueTurfs back-to-back, giving full-field dimensions of 4308x2513 with no warping or in-game stretching anywhere. And that is an unlimited number of unique fields, for every team.)

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pick6's FieldBuilder v5

Postby pick6 » Mon Nov 21, 2016 7:15 am

VERSION 5 IS NOW AVAILABLE FROM THE FIRST POST!

PLEASE NOTE, VERSION 5 RELEASE NOTES ARE IN THIS POST ONLY.

This has significant changes to the way it's used, so I'm gonna leave the text of the first post as-is, and explain v5 in this post. However, if you're new to all this, please make sure you understand the first post fully before reading this post!

In the previous versions, there was always only ever one TrueTurf field per .tpf (Madden of course would duplicate it and flip it 180 degrees in-game). Version 5 now uses two TrueTurf fields, which means both endzones are now painted directly onto these two field-halves, as well as the conference logos also. The separate midfield logo can still be used as usual.

Backing up a bit, Madden has different areas in the FIELDART.dat file for the different components (endzones, midfield, 25yd logo). Obviously those components never overlap, but if you tweak them so they do, you'll find that they appear in this order (highest to lowest):

Code: Select all

  DEFAULT
LAYER ORDER      FieldBuilder v4 (old)      FieldBuilder v5 (new)
=================================================================================
25yd logo        endzone2 OR 25yd logo      MIDFIELD
midfield         midfield                   field left
endzone1         field                      field right
endzone2         buggy, avoid! TEZ2=0       buggy, avoid! TEZ2=0
"ghost lines"    hidden                     hidden
field            hidden                     hidden

I'll summarize this briefly:
Whatever you place in the slot originally used for the 25 logo, it will appear above whatever you place in the midfield slot etc.
Next, the "ghost lines" are very thin white lines that Madden draws on top of the field's hash marks, for clarity in the distance. However, for correct and accurate NFL and NCAA fields, they need to be removed or obscured. Therefore, the field texture must be placed in a slot that will appear above the ghost lines in-game.
I avoid the endzone2 slot completely due to the TEZ2 bug which I've covered in detail in a separate thread.
Finally, note that with v5 the midfield logo is no longer placed in the midfield slot. Since only the top 3 layers are really usable, the midfield has now been bumped up a layer to the 25yd logo slot (called the ST35 slot).

So with v5, there are only 3 memory addresses you need:

0x5D8F4982|TrueTurf right.png
0x1C36B06A|TrueTurf left.png
0x4AE4AE75|midfield.png
(the order in a TexMod definition file doesn't matter of course)

The "TrueTurf right" is the exact same as in previous versions, and actually covers both halves of the field as before.
The "TrueTurf left" only covers the left half of the field though, and so covers half of the regular field.
The midfield address is the exact same, but now must be accessed in the roster by using a ST35 value instead of the regular TMFL (midfield) value. Previous versions had 7 different midfield sizes, but really only sizes 3-7 were the most useful, so I've duplicated just those midfield templates for ST35 access.

So here's the values you need to set in your roster:
TEZ1=84 (field right)
TEZ2=0 (to eliminate TEZ2 bug)
TMFL=100 (field left)
ST35=20 (midfield size 3)

(ST35 can be set from 20 to 24 for midfield sizes 3 to 7. However, size 3 should be fine in 99% of cases)

I've left all the other v4 placeholders in place, meaning that existing .tpf's that were build on the v4 framework will continue to work just fine.

It's also worth pointing out that with v5, the midfield logo can now be painted directly onto the field for a smoother join. Especially so if the logo's border is not white, as Madden doesn't do a good job rendering colored borders (they don't look as good in-game). Painting the midfield directly onto the field takes a bit more time, but looks way better. To do this, the midfield logo must be split in half, and each half painted onto a separate field-half. It won't always line up first time, so it may need some tweaking. Check out my OHST and MICH fields in my NCAA 17 FieldBuilder mod, which both have painted-on midfields.

TIP 1: It's worth mentioning that for OSHT and MICH (with painted-on midfields), I chose to leave the ST35 at 20 (for midfield size3), but then used a blanker .png to hide it in-game. This is because the ST35 slot is now used for the midfield logo by all the teams in practice mode. If I set OHST's ST35 to 0, that only changes their stadium (not the practice fields). By using a midfield blanker .png for OHST and MICH, practice mode continues to work correct for all teams.

TIP 2: I found that I sometimes got a thin light-colored line running through my painted-on midfield before realizing it was something to do with bleed from my light-colored concrete perimeter at the very bottom of the field textures. For some reason, making the very bottom part of the field textures green again eliminated this bleed so that the red of OHST's block O remained pure. Open up my OHST .tpf to see for yourself.

Finally, the reason the midfield halves don't always match up is
Spoiler:
to do with the way either Madden or TexMod (I don't know which) draws the field art. Even with 2513x2154 field dimensions, there is a very gentle compression and rarefaction (like a slinky) repeated across the whole width of the field which is barely visible. That means sometimes one pixel is slightly wider than another when they need to match up. For anyone interested, color a .tpf endzone with alternating vertical stripes 1 pixel wide blue and purple (not black and white). You will observe a repeating pattern of ever so slightly wider, then slightly narrower areas. This also explains why the sidelines don't match up identically, and why the endzone area of my TrueTurf field is 1441x263 instead of completely accurate 1440x264. I will not be entering into any further discussion about this though! Anyone who has difficulty accepting this should really consider actually testing it fully first, or you will just end up blowing your cover! 8-)

To see the FieldBuilder v5 framework in use, download the latest verson of my NCAA 17 FieldBuilder mod. All 10 teams now use 2 field-halves. Some great screenshots in the first post of that thread too.

Please note, I'll be wrapping up for good on Dec 3, so if you've any questions, now is the time to ask! ;)

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Re: pick6's FieldBuilder v5

Postby mee » Mon Nov 21, 2016 5:15 pm

pick6 wrote:Please note, I'll be wrapping up for good on Dec 3, so if you've any questions, now is the time to ask! ;)

Sure :)

1) Completely off topic, but can you upload the 25 yard logo template you mentioned you had?

2)
I found that I sometimes got a thin light-colored line running through my painted-on midfield before realizing it was something to do with bleed from my light-colored concrete perimeter at the very bottom of the field textures. For some reason, making the very bottom part of the field textures green again eliminated this bleed so that the red of OHST's block O remained pure. Open up my OHST .tpf to see for yourself.

On the bottom of the TrueTruf right and left? Or something else? I feel like I don't understand this paragraph... Anyways I'll probably stick to separate midfields anyway, but in case I ever do get there and want to know, you'll be probably gone...
So the Giants traded Beckham....

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Re: pick6's FieldBuilder v5

Postby pick6 » Tue Nov 22, 2016 5:37 am

mee wrote:Completely off topic, but can you upload the 25 yard logo template you mentioned you had?

Not off topic at all; glad you brought it up. To clarify, the template I started was for the separate standalone 25yd logos. With v5, it's actually no longer necessary as the logos can now be painted-on (and will blend in better). However, the standalone template is not actually compatible with painted-on logos anyway! That's because anything painted-on has been based on the TrueTurf dimensions where 1yd = 27 pixels. The standalone template was based around my "Better Midfields" template, which in turn was based on computer-friendly "256" type dimensions, along with whatever real-life widths seemed relevant. The two are close, but not identical. So the point is a 25yd logo that is made perfectly correct with my standalone template will not appear correct if it's then painted-on after.

This was actually part of the reason it took me so long to convert the fields in my NCAA 17 FB mod to two half-fields, as I had to re-make all the 25yd logos! Going forward, it would definitely be better for folks to make any new fields using the v5 framework. It makes the whole process more consistent, would be easier, and gives extended possibilities that v4 cannot give. However, I deliberately chose new values for v5 so that it's still backward-compatible with v4, meaning existing .tpf's will continue to work just fine without needing any re-working. But I won't be uploading the template now, as it would just encourage folks to continue to use v4 instead. Before anyone asks, I don't have any 25yd logo template for v5, but it's really not necessary any more. It's a lot easier to make 25yd logos for painting-on simply by measuring the yard lines on the TrueTurf field. I can say that with confidence because (see spoiler)
Spoiler:
when you (mee) made your standalone BIG12 logo for OU, it was approx 10,000 pixels wide(!), which seemed to suggest some confusion on your part. When I made my painted-on BIG12 logo for BAY, it only needed to be 136x80 and measuring between the yard lines to get this was a cinch. Admittedly this is slightly lower quality than my v4 standalone BIG12 logo (154x91), but painting it on does mean there is now the same level of definition consistently throughout the field (including midfield and endzones), as well as the BIG12 border also blends in better with the field itself. As long as care is taken to tidy any straight lines (and clouding added for grass), then I feel it looks the part.

mee wrote:On the bottom of the TrueTruf right and left? Or something else? I feel like I don't understand this paragraph... Anyways I'll probably stick to separate midfields anyway,

This was really just a quick heads up in case anyone else decides to go down that route, but I'll explain in more detail. Backing up completely, it started with the OHST midfield logo, which is a red block O with a black border (not white like many teams!). I remembered having problems with non-white borders of standalone midfields in the past, so I thought this would be a great time to experiment with painting it directly onto the field, since it's a simple and symmetrical image. After comparing, I decided this gave a much better result, so I really wanted to keep it at all costs!

But when I switched my OHST to two half-fields, I noticed a thin white/gray line had now appeared through the middle of the painted-on midfield (running along the 50yd line). At first I thought it was a new type of "ghost line", or a side-effect of my hex-editing, before I realized it may be something to do with the light gray concrete perimeter that is behind the player areas and goal-line in real-life.

I don't know why it is happening, but somehow there must be some bleeding effect from the very bottom of the field texture (which had that gray running horizontally across the texture, and all the way around the endzone). When I removed 10 pixels (random number) of gray at the bottom so that the green turf showed through instead, the gray doesn't appear through the painted-on midfield. I still don't know why this is, but I don't feel the need to explore further. Bottom line is if you have a light-colored concrete perimeter all around your field, and a painted-on midfield logo, just remove some gray from the bottom and all will be good. (That section will never be visible in-game anyway as it's so far back.)

It's worth explaining all this because if I hadn't found this workaround, I would have been forced to stick with the regular standalone midfield, and Madden's poor "non-white border" rendering.

I think I'm gonna have to post the OHST screenshot here again, simply because there's so much going on it that it's a minor miracle it turned out so good! Actually, here is the higher-resolution screenshot (1280x720) instead. I think this is about as perfect a field I could ever make, and that's all made possible due to the v5 framework. Don't go back to v4; go forward! :D

Image

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Re: pick6's FieldBuilder v5

Postby mee » Tue Nov 22, 2016 10:34 pm

pick6 wrote:not off topic at all; glad you brought it up. To clarify, the template I started was for the separate standalone 25yd logos. With v5, it's actually no longer necessary as the logos can now be painted-on (and will blend in better). However, the standalone template is not actually compatible with painted-on logos anyway! That's because anything painted-on has been based on the TrueTurf dimensions where 1yd = 27 pixels. The standalone template was based around my "Better Midfields" template, which in turn was based on computer-friendly "256" type dimensions, along with whatever real-life widths seemed relevant. The two are close, but not identical. So the point is a 25yd logo that is made perfectly correct with my standalone template will not appear correct if it's then painted-on after.

Ya I understood that..It was off topic because I wanted it for dat form purposes... Sorry..
As far as the spoiler, ya I was mega-confused. Basically, I saw it was 10.111 yards, so I said "I don't want any decimals! Give me a Somethingx10111 and then the logo will be a perfect amount of pixels!" :) Dumb I know... :D

pick6 wrote:I think this is about as perfect a field I could ever make, and that's all made possible due to the v5 framework. Don't go back to v4; go forward! :D

As you say, why say its the best you could make? AIM HIGHER! :D
Hopefully... Anyway new fieldart.dat for FF mod coming up soon, so sadly no more texmod work :(
So the Giants traded Beckham....

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Re: pick6's FieldBuilder v5

Postby pick6 » Thu Nov 24, 2016 7:52 am

mee wrote:I wanted it for dat form purposes...

No chance. I have no desire to upload something that may well confuse folks into thinking that I somehow advocate .dat-based graphics. I chose to always aim high throughout this process and I see no reason to change now.

EDIT: to put it a different way, the template was designed to line up with TrueTurf .tpf fields, but no longer has any purpose in that situation. If I was to upload it, it would be as a .tpf template for a now-obsolete part of FieldBuilder, that instead would be used for a .dat-based field. Since it would require resizing (and squashing) for .dat-insertion anyway, and given that the lines on a .dat-based field may not match up the same in my template, it would serve you better to create your own one from scratch. It's something that could potentially cause confusion for others regarding the FieldBuilder framework, and what I envisaged the template to be used for. Sorry, but no.

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Re: pick6's FieldBuilder v5

Postby madden07eurocat » Thu Dec 22, 2016 2:47 am

I have to admit that everything that you have built looks outstanding!!! Your tutorials, not just the FieldBuilder series, are in-depth and and I'm planning on starting to create stuff with the knowledge that you have been willing to share. I am trying to put together an updated TV Network Mod that includes tpf's and the one piece that is missing is the 25 yd line playoff logos (wildcard, divisional and conference). There are now 5 versions of this Fieldbuilder and 6 webpages of information to read through. Not that I mind reading through the info and creating stuff, but I don't want to duplicate stuff that is in an earlier version when all I really need is the 25yd line logo stuff for my video journal. Can I build just a logo or do I have to build an entire field? I really don't want to create new fields , not right now anyway, since the ones in the XVI mod are good for the season that I'm in. What is your suggestion?

Edit: For some reason I keep getting this error when I try to open the roster files. I am trying to open them with Open Office!
Image
Don't sweat the petty things, and yet don't pet the sweaty things! ;)

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Col. Trautman
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Re: pick6's FieldBuilder v5

Postby Col. Trautman » Sun Dec 25, 2016 8:22 pm

madden07eurocat wrote:I have to admit that everything that you have built looks outstanding!!! Your tutorials, not just the FieldBuilder series, are in-depth and and I'm planning on starting to create stuff with the knowledge that you have been willing to share. I am trying to put together an updated TV Network Mod that includes tpf's and the one piece that is missing is the 25 yd line playoff logos (wildcard, divisional and conference). There are now 5 versions of this Fieldbuilder and 6 webpages of information to read through. Not that I mind reading through the info and creating stuff, but I don't want to duplicate stuff that is in an earlier version when all I really need is the 25yd line logo stuff for my video journal. Can I build just a logo or do I have to build an entire field? I really don't want to create new fields , not right now anyway, since the ones in the XVI mod are good for the season that I'm in. What is your suggestion?

Edit: For some reason I keep getting this error when I try to open the roster files. I am trying to open them with Open Office!
Image


Let me know when you get the new mod completed as the Fox Conference mode has a small bug, I played as a QB with the Chiefs and when I set up the Conference Championship, it showed the N for NFC instead of an A on the logo. Immersion dropped with that ;)
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