4 replies to this topic

[ladyofpayne]

Guys do you know some good tutorials for Stages? At least one of them.

[MerAnne]

You've asked this question in a number of places, but I'm going to consolidate into one response 'here'.

 

http://social.biowar...index.php/Stage  This is a link to the only stage tutorial that I'm aware of.  I consider it to be woefully inadequate and learned what little I know through trial and error.  It is a good starting place, but not enough for more complex issues.

 

In one place you mentioned that you thought you had done something wrong, but you didn't give details so I don't know what you are specifically trying to do.

 

In response to the dynamic/static stage question....

--- static stages are stages that are tied to one location.  The don't have some of the 'problems' that dynamic stages have, but you need to be the owner of the area that the stage is in.  Or you have to modify Core resources which I try to avoid.  The only place that I used a static stages in my mod was for Fade Nightmares.

--- dynamic stages are for conversations that occur 'at this location'.  The only example that I can think of in DAO is the conversation with Ser Gilmore in the Human Noble Origin.  These stages are very flexible because you don't need to be the owner of the area.  However.  They also don't allow some seemingly simple things like having more than two participants in a conversation without the GW and NPCs changing locations

 

If you have a specific issue/question, let me know and I'll try to give a better answer.

[ladyofpayne]

 

 

It is a good starting place, but not enough for more complex issues.

Is there more about it?

[MerAnne]

I only know of that one tutorial - so I learned mostly through trial and error.  Lots and lots and LOTS of errors!

[Truckee_Earl]

Stages, where to being?

 

My thoughts:

 

First, IMHO, all conversations (.dlg files) should use a stage for cinematic purposes, if you are creating and 

 

using conversations without stages, you are limiting the quality of your work.

 

For discussion purposes, there are two general types of stages, dynamic or static. You may create your own 

 

stages, or use a Bioware stage.  If you don't know how to create your own stage, I suggest you learn how.

 

 

"Dynamic" Stage: this is a stage that is not associated with an area.  Dynamic stages are flexible, i.e., they will 

 

not "jump" the "actors" to a specific location when the conversation begins. But, since they will run anywhere, 

 

you can't have the actor doing something like getting out of bed, sitting in a chair, etc. Bioware uses them in the 

 

kissing cutscenes, for example.

 

 

"Static" Stage:  a stage that is associated with an area, and is used for cutscenes that have the actor 

 

interacting with the environment, such as opening a door, etc.

 

 

BY CONVENTION, ADDING A STATIC STAGE TO A BIOWARE AREA IS NOT DONE. The issue involves 

 

conflicting mods, both adding stages to the same Bioware Area and distributing duplicate modded areas in their 

 

mod. As a mod developer, you must use dynamic stages for Bioware areas.

 

 

Adding a stage to a conversation is either simple or complex depending on the type of stage: dynamic or static. 

 

 

To add a "dynamic" stage to a conversation, at the first dialogue line in the .dlg resource, you select the stage 

 

from the picklist and check the box "At current location".   You then identify which creatures are which actors.  

 

The editor will automatically add the stage to each following dialogue line.  Check the dialogue back into the 

 

database, and export your .dlg resource

 

 

To add a "static" stage to a conversation, you have additional steps.  First, you have to add the stage to the 

 

area, and then you can add the stage to the conversation.

 

This is how I do it (adding a stage to an area):

 

First, I create the stage.  I do not attempt to reuse a static stage, I abandoned my attempts to do so long ago.  If 

 

I create a stage by duplicating an existing stage, I delete whatever area is named in the area variable, so I have 

 

a stage that is not connected to an area.  I check the stage into the database.

 

Then I open up the area and place the stage where I want it.  IF I AM GOING TO USE A CUTSCENE, I DON'T 

 

PLACE THE STAGE EXACTLY WHERE MY CUTSCENE TO RUN. That's because in the cutscene 

 

editor, the stage actors and cameras interfere with my view of my creatures, cameras, placeables, etc. in the 

 

cutscene. I move the stage a little bit away. I check the area back into the database and export my resource.

 

Then I reopen the stage and add the area to the stage.  I know that I have the stage in the area because the 

 

stage, which was a black screen, now shows the area and, if I look close, I can see my stage actor(s) and 

 

camera(s).  I check the stage back into the database and export the resource.

 

Now, I am ready to add the stage to the dialogue:  I open up the picklist (again at the first dialogue line) I select 

 

the stage from the pick list and then add it's name to the "tag" field.  Again, I check my dialogue back into the 

 

database, and export the resource.

 

 

My most common reason the above doesn't work first time?  I fail to export all the resources.

 

 

If you are going to continue on and create cutscenes, I suggest, that before you do so, you get everything 

 

discussed above working first.

 

 

I myself, do not distribute mods that include dialogues without cutscenes, but before I add my cutscenes, I test 

 

the dialogue without the cutscene(s).  This serves the purpose of making sure I have all the branches of the 

 

dialogue working correctly. Before I start on the cutscenes. 

 

Some modders do include dialogues that do not use cutscenes.  Whatever works.

 

 

But I do sometimes use cutscenes without stages.  Yes, cutscenes don't need stages to work. For an example, 

 

look at the cutscene "leliana_hf" in the database.  

 

 

Good Luck!