Week 1

Getting started and Folder Structure

• Exporter and build folder must be set up properly in order for editor to function. 
• Create new file- Notepad --> user.cfg -- This is for adding comments.
• Tools folder- Exporting textures -- settingmgmt.exe- there must be a green light for it to work properly, to fix this you must point it to the build folder (compiles cgfs) (helpful tips, articles and guides on sdk.crydev.net).

Exported plugins for sandbox

•  Manually go into Bin32 folder- select/ copy zlib1.dll, Libtiff3.dll and jpeg62.dll and paste to root of photoshop. Must also copy crytiff plugin into it.
• If your photoshop is 64 use Bin64 folder of CryEngine. 

Overview Of The CryEngine 3 Sandbox User Interface

• Perspective- viewpoints- right click or F3- access different modes e.g. wireframe.  
• Show safe frame- Locks specific aspect ratio. 
• Moving the roll-up bar affects the resolution (the roll up bar is on the right)
• To isolate an object/ entity, type in the name of the entity --> Anything with that contains that word will be isolated e.g. Rock, will isolate all the rocks or things that contain the word rock. -- result is that everything other than that word in the level is hidden.
• At the bottom- the number .1, 1 and 10 increases the camera movement/ speed. 
• Terrain button- click it- can't move through the terrain- only works for terrain.
• ctrl g- enters game mode.
• Go to position- exact world camera position. 
• Console allows you to input comments and search certain functions.
• Roll up bar: 

1. Create tab- creates entities 
2. Modify tab- terrain, vegetation, layer painter
3. Hide categories
4. Layer Management

•  (Under the file tab) Generate surface textures --> Works for terrain- changes to be reflected in the game.
• Exported selected geometry to OBJ- First Tab: solids- creates boxes- blocks out levels. 
• Group- Group function/ selection of objects or entities into a group- it helps keep it organised.
• Prefabs- if you edit one component it will edit the others.
• Tools- customise keyboard --> Allows reload specific stuff into levels- Debugging errors
• View- Open view pane- All panels are there.
• Layout- Configuring interface- save layout.

Customising The Editor

• M- Brings up material editor 
• DB- Database flow
• FG- Flowgraph
• For the three editors above- drag and drop them one into another to merge them together- this helps ease of moving between editor and keeps the workspace more organised.
• Tools- customise keyboard opens customise window. Click new- creates new empty toolbar. Comments- Drag and drop onto toolbar and it appears in the toolbar. 
• Options- select it- shows shortcut keys on screen tips e.g. Move item can be quickly accessed by pressing 1 on the keyboard. 
• Keyboard- Creates hot keys- assigns keys (shortcuts)
• Viewports- General- Highlights selected geometry.
• Under the tools bar- Configure view commands- Panel on the side with the most used commands/ functions. 

Viewports

• W= Fly forward 
• S= Backward 
• A= Left 
• D= Right 
• Right mouse button allows you to look around 
• Middle mouse allows you to pan around 
• Moving forward + shift- to move faster 
• Forward and backward- use mouse wheel 
• Alt + middle mouse- rotate camera and middle of screen 
• Go to position- allows you to know where you are in the level --> Copy position and paste to go to the position you want.
• Save camera tag points- Ctrl F1- Saves camera position and Shift F1- Goes back to the save camera position.

User Interface Panels- Overview

• Select object panel (ctrl T)- list all the objects in your scene and allows you to search and select certain entities. 
• Bring asset into scene- roll up bar- create tab- explore assets. If you want an actual window instead of the list --> Open asset browser (on the toolbar) - allows you to browse assets but also browse textures and sounds. Presents all assets in the build (not just scene). Drag and drop assets into scene. You can also search textures e.g. Rock textures.
• Database view (DB- toolbar)- Entity (advanced brush) library: you can change values of the entity. If you want to physicalise an entity- you just change values so you can pick it up etc. Library of prefabs. Vegetation- change categories- manage vegetation that you have loaded in scene. Shift space (turns on helpers).
•  Lighting panel- change time of day, sun direction, hour of sunset, dawn time etc.
• Time of day editor (view tab)- change time of level. Toggle advance properties- different parameters you can change- gama, saturation, ocean, fog colour etc.
• Flowgraph (FG)- tool where you script your levels -- triggers, tag points etc. Add nodes (visual scripting). 
• Track view (view- open view pan- track view)- animation, cinematic -- key frames, animate camera (point a to b).

Reflection on lecture

• This week's lecture gave a clear insight to what I was to expect from this subject, this was made apparent when the past students work was shown. This also gave me a lot of ideas and inspiration to how I should approach my assignments/ experiments. By also seeing Russell's and the two tutors works I was able to gain an insight into the skills that they have and how they can help me throughout this course.