Architect Archive
Thread: For Decorators: Macros that re-build that fishtank for you while you watch the items move.
Page 1 of 2
Moolyssa
Mon Sep 06, 2004 8:47 pm
#1
Sorry for the re-post. This is copied directly from my post in the Game Guides forum. It's a cheap way to get more exposure I know but I really want this info to reach other decorators and I know quite a few frequent this forum.
Original thread:
http://forums.station.sony.com/swg/board/message?board.id=game_guides&message.id=217684#M217684
Now that we have the /move up command it is possible to write a macro to re-build a multi-item design automatically.
Some designers might get upset at me for macroing what should be individual works of art, but that is why I'm sharing this information for anyone who wants to use it. The demand for multi-item decor is insane and there are far too few of us to meet it. I think macros can revolutionize swg decorating and make it more accessible to everyone.
I'm hoping that seeing this work will be exciting enough to make you interested in trying to write decorating macros on your own. So I decided to provide an example of a working macro that would be easy to try in your home. This macro will build a trophy case: Here's a finished screenshot ofa smaller onebeing used in a house:
http://www.keltlore.com/furnished.jpg
To build this you will need:
8 cheap cafe tables named "Shelf"
2 of the matching square gray chests named "Chest"
1 of any kind of chair named "Chair"
Get as close to the wall where you want it as you can, and drop the cafe tables and chests all in one spot. Drop your chair to the left of this pile, and turn the chair to face to the right, facing the pile. Also, make sure the chests and tables are facing the way you see them in this picture. Turn each item by hand if you have to.
http://www.keltlore.com/setup.jpg
You need to sit in the chair before you hit the macro. I'm sure most of you are familiar with using a chair to help you move items straight in the direction you want them to go. If you aren't, you can read an explanation at http://www.keltlore.com/swgdesign/chair.htm
Here's the /target macro. You can shorten it to /tar, and abbreviate the item names too if you want.
/tar chest;
/pause 1;
/move forward 100;
/pause 1;
/tar shelf;
/pause 1;
/move forward 22;
/pause 1;
/move up 94;
/pause 1;
/tar shelf;
/pause 1;
/move forward 22;
/pause 1;
/move up 134;
/pause 1;
/tar shelf;
/pause 1;
/move forward 22;
/pause 1;
/move up 174;
/pause 1;
/tar shelf;
/pause 1;
/move forward 22;
/pause 1;
/move up 214;
/pause 1;
/tar shelf;
/pause 1;
/rotate left 180;
/pause 1;
/move forward 80;
/pause 1;
/move up 94;
/pause 1;
/tar shelf;
/pause 1;
/rotate left 180;
/pause 1;
/move forward 80;
/pause 1;
/move up 134;
/pause 1;
/tar shelf;
/pause 1;
/rotate left 180;
/pause 1;
/move forward 80;
/pause 1;
/move up 174;
/pause 1;
/tar shelf;
/pause 1;
/rotate left 180;
/pause 1;
/move forward 80;
/pause 1;
/move up 214;
After you run this macro here is how it should look:
http://www.keltlore.com/finished.jpg
To save on item space you can make a shorter 8-item version of this case just by removing the 2 items that form the top shelf. Here's a picture of the shorter version being used in a house:
http://www.keltlore.com/furnished.jpg
The reason why I said this macro was simple is it is really just 2 dimensional... you only had to move items in two directions: forward and up. Usually you will want to build something 3 dimensional.
The chair tool is what will let you extend this macro into another direction. You can write a /stand... /target chair... /rotate (insert angle)... and /sit into your macro to turn your chair, and make you sit in it again and face the new direction.
http://www.keltlore.com/fireplace.jpg
Here's a fireplace I built with a macro, I needed to turn the chair by 90 degrees in the middle of the macro, so it basically got built in 2 stages.
First to set it up I dropped all the items in one spot, kinda away from the wall since this macro needs room to work... actually it needs exactly 465 /forward units away from the wall so I measured it first, heh.
screenie of the fireplace setup:
http://www.keltlore.com/allset.jpg
The first thing this macro will do is turn the chair and sit me down in it, so i'm actually ready to hit the button now...
http://www.keltlore.com/step1.jpg
Here's the first step, the macro just moved each item forward, and /rotated them to the final angles they needed to be, next it's time to turn the chair and move all the pieces one more time...
http://www.keltlore.com/step2.jpg
The second step is moving the items forward, and moving them up.
Notice how in the second step i'm starting with the items that are closest to me? every single one of those brown toolchests has the same name... "Fire Brick". /target automatically picks the closest one to me, so it's ok to name the same kind of item the same way as long as you plan ahead. I just needed to make sure that I moved each piece far enough away so that when it says "/tar fire brick" again, it picks up the next one instead of messing with the ones i've already positioned. THAT is why this whole thing needed to be 450+ away from the wall... to give me room to put the items out of reach of the macro while it worked.
finished... about one minute after hitting the macro button.
http://www.keltlore.com/complete.jpg
Both the fireplace and the trophy case are linear macros... you start with your chair off to one side or one corner, and push the items forward in one or two directions.
When I first realized macroing designs was possible, I wrote a macro I would call radial instead of linear... which was actually a lot easier to figure out than the fireplace was. I made it to replace the candles in a chandelier back when i thought they were going to go out.
http://www.keltlore.com/chand.jpg
This one worked by dropping all the candles together with my chair all in the same spot. Then I'd turn the chair to each angle in the circle, and move the candles forward and backward--like spokes on a wheel-- for each chair rotation.
I've already written a pretty lengthy explanation of radial macros, and using a chair in general... on my site in the techniques section.
Please visit:
http://www.keltlore.com/swgdesign
for more info
FeydSWG
Tue Sep 07, 2004 4:27 am
#2
Wow... I've been an architect since way back in beta days and I'd never thought of automating the decoration process... that's an ingenious approach to something that can be a time consuming process. Myhat is offto your resourcefulness in putting this together. 
DJ_Chief
Tue Sep 07, 2004 6:17 am
#3
Wow, that is great.
I love the website and it has given me some great idea's 
I don't suppose your willing to take on an Apprentice are you ?
I'll get my coat
Pawlin
Tue Sep 07, 2004 10:16 am
#5
Wow. Nice work.
Your site has some really great designs on it too.
LadyIllyria
Tue Sep 07, 2004 10:51 am
#6
Wonderful job. It almost makes me want to start decorating again. I will definitely be attempting some macro writing myself to decorate my guild's city. Loved the kitchen in the medieval castle, do you mind if I steal your design?
Mistress Kyphi Makarha
Mistress, Manager and Mayor of Makarha's Estate
Bria Server, outside Mos Entha, Tatooine 1620 1310
Role-play friendly
Nadiel26
Wed Sep 08, 2004 8:42 am
#8
could you posts more macros? i'm gonna try to make some of my own but i really like the fireplace. could you at leas list everything used? i can tell what most of the items are but not all. i'm new to decorating
YDI-Inc
Wed Sep 08, 2004 4:54 pm
#9
Rotate a chair and then sit in it. Holy crap! That idea is so simple and yet it has escaped me this whole time. I've been using shft-cntr-G and bringing up the world information window. Thank you so much. That one tip alone is worth 5 stars.
PsychoticChipmunk
Wed Sep 08, 2004 8:02 pm
#10
A friend of mine wants me to make one of my bigass insignias for their home so I'm going to try and figure out a macro to do it Zel, figure I'll probably make a few of these, so you'll finally be able to talk about it and I'll understand a bit better I might even try an imperial one.
I might even try an imperial one.
Moolyssa
Wed Sep 08, 2004 9:54 pm
#11
Kurrin: It's funny you should meantion the imp symbol.. I actually spent all day yesterday writing a newmacro formy camera/desklampimperial symbol. It's 53 pieces, 46 for just the symbol. Here'sthe lil stand-alone table it makes:
http://www.keltlore.com/imptable.jpg
I'm really glad you are gonna write some of these macros. It's so lonely over here at the psycho end of the pool, hehe.
btw I saw your full-wall red clothing rebel symbol in a screenie you posted somewhereof thatcity hall. Looked awesome I must say.
Mal'Kai: Don't feel bad it took me 5 months of decorating before I realized I could just sit in a chair. I never used the world information window cuz I noticed that i could turn myself by several taps before the numbers would change...Instead I wouldlook at the pixelized edges of objects and try to turn my camera manually so the edgeslooked straight... I even made a structural module named "Zelly's Straightedge" that i'd rotate and then turn my camera to match... Then one day I was looking atmy ruler tooland wishing I could sit on it and thensuddenly Iwas pissed at myself for not realizing 5 months before.
Nadiel: I'm not willing to post the complete fireplace macro here since I sell them regularly but I would trade that or any of my other macros in exchange fora macro writtenby another designer. Esp if it moves the same number of items. The fireplace is 20 items total:
2x armoire style 2 named Fireplace
2x bookcase style 2 named Moulding
6x short toolchest named Fire Brick
2x cafe table 2 named Mantle
a cabinet named Chimney
a droid detection device named Hearth
3x torches any name
3x travelpacks named Log
2x bookcase style 2 named Moulding
6x short toolchest named Fire Brick
2x cafe table 2 named Mantle
a cabinet named Chimney
a droid detection device named Hearth
3x torches any name
3x travelpacks named Log
In fact I'm thinking of posting on the arch forum an invitation for an arch to gather the supplies for one of the macros on their server and I'll come out w/ my lil noob self and put it together as a demo for the ppl who are interested on that server. Person who does this keeps the design of course but Iwon't want to repeateach macro more than onceon a diff server just to show off... really ^.^
Kyphi: Yes feel free to re-create and probably improve on anything i've done. I'm happy to hear you may try your hand at the macro writing too. Trying out a decor macro that someone else wrote would make my day.
Pawlin: Ty for the kind comment, and for looking at my site too. It's about time I did a september update for it. Maybe I'll use that as an excuse to bump this thread later... but things do seem to stay put alot longer on this forum. It's such a nice contrast to the continual seething of the bloodfin forum.
DJ_Chief: Thanks, dunno about an apprentice but if i'm online don't hesitate to start up a conversation or ask questions. I'm always interested in talking to other decorators and i'd especially love the chance to explain the mechanics of how these macros work in greater detail.
cgdarkbolt + Feyd. Thanks for thepositive comments/feedback. But cut it out! It's too damn addicting and I'm starting to basemy self worth on how often I get nice posts like these.Jk... I think. Thanks for taking the time to say something nice =).
Nadiel26
Thu Sep 09, 2004 4:13 am
#12
i made a decent looking fireplace not using all the ones you did. tried making a macro but ended up sitting there for 30 minutes just moving stuff 
could you post more pics or PM me a link with pics so i could get more ideas? it's more fin trying to figure out myself how it was done reminds me when i was younger playing with legoes and trying to build the set without instructions and just using the pic on the front of the box archie is fun again
could you post more pics or PM me a link with pics so i could get more ideas? it's more fin trying to figure out myself how it was done reminds me when i was younger playing with legoes and trying to build the set without instructions and just using the pic on the front of the box archie is fun again
Page 1 of 2