Sidewinder

This is my next map, which for the most part is complete. Here's what I've got so far.
One screenshot shows the general map, while the other shows a nut like object, which has fallen against a wall. The only major piece remaining is the centerpiece.

Mapping

In my last map I used some blinking objects. This "blinking can only be accomplished by using dynamic color, not an easy thing to learn. So I'll post what I know (this comes directly from my Tankgalore map file found here as well as .

for my own, or others' future reference
========================================
[channel]
*channel= alpha, red, green, or blue
========================================
[channel] sinusoid [period] [offset] [weight]
*sinusoid= sine wave
*period= time between waves aka time before it goes back to it's starting value. it starts automatically at the maximum value
that's a mathamatical period at least (trig)
*offset= delay before cycle starts (helpful for the alpha channel)
weight= time spent at max
========================================
[channel] limits [min limit] [max limit]
*min limit= minimum saturation of a channel (at the wave's max; wave=sine wave)
*max limit= maximum saturation of a channel (at the wave's min; wave=sine wave)
========================================
[channel] sequence [period] [offset] [list of states...]
*period= see def. earlier
*offset= see def. earlier
*states= 0-active clamDown 1-no clamp 2-active clampUp
========================================
[channel] clampUp [period] [offset] [width]
[channel] clampDown [period] [offset] [width]
I don't really understand these yet
========================================
here's an example.
For a blue flashing object that doesn't disappear use this as the dynamic color:

dynamicColor
name bisodc
green limits 0 0
red limits 0 0
alpha limits 1 1
blue limits 0 1
blue sinusoid 4 0 3
end

the sinusoid implies that the cycle takes 4 seconds, has no delay when you join, and stays at it's max/min for 3 seconds. I hope this helps you.

Mesh

*old post from an old blog (posted Jan. 25 2010)

This is for the people who tried to follow the instructions given on the bzflag wiki.
Some of you may have tried to make a mesh in this way, but found that some of the sides acted like they didn't exist in certain directions. What you may not realize is the wiki is right, and it will work. What you don't realize is that it is quite easy to fix. the mesh face will face the direction in which the vertex winding order is counter-clockwise.

example:
a box like mesh, in which the "[]" is a vertex. Vertices 0-3 have a z value of 0, while vertices 4-7 have a z value of 15. the x and y value do not matter right now.
(0/4) (1/5)
[]=====[]
|#######|
|#######|
[]=====[]
(3/7) (2/6)

North is the direction up here in this page.
Example face of this mesh
(if you want the top face to face north this is how it is done)
The top face is in zeros and ===
face
vertices 0 4 5 1
matref your_matref
endface
(this next face is if you want the same face to show south, which would be toward all of the "#'s")
face
vertices 0 1 5 4
matref your_matref
endface
(now you know how to make a face)
(a face like the previous one would have no effect on tanks or their projectiles that view it from north) aka the face would face the center of the mesh

textures

*texture post from an old blog (poste Feb. 4 2010)*
Comments on which textures of each set are better?