HavvicGames on 23/2/2025 at 18:50

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KCTools is a collection of tools for working with NewDark fan missions (1.27 and 1.28 tested, equivalent SS2 versions should also be supported). Currently there are two tools, a lightmapping tool, and a .BIN model export tool.

Downloads:
(https://github.com/JarrodDoyle/KCTools/releases/download/v1.2.2/kctools_1.2.2_win_x64.zip) KCTools Full v1.2.2 (Windows)
(https://github.com/JarrodDoyle/KCTools/releases/download/v1.2.2/kctools_1.2.2_linux_x64.zip) KCTools Full v1.2.2 (Linux)
(https://github.com/JarrodDoyle/KCTools/releases/download/v1.2.2/kctools_1.2.2_dromed_win_x64.zip) KCTools DromEd v1.2.2
Additionally you can find the source code (https://github.com/JarrodDoyle/KeepersCompound.Lightmapper) here, and all previous versions and changelogs (https://github.com/JarrodDoyle/KeepersCompound.Lightmapper/releases) here.

The DromEd release is intended for NewDark 1.28 and above. Full release includes an additional lighting GUI app which is unneeded on 1.28 due to DromEd integration.

Lighting:

* Replicates all existing DromEd lighting functionality
* Massively improves lighting times
* Better light culling, improving performance in large-scale city maps and eliminating object lighting errors
* Provides additional warnings to mappers highlighting mis-configured light settings
* Generally produces more accurate shadows
* Direct integration with DromEd in 1.28 and above


The lighting tool is intended to replace DromEd's lighting step (especially in later stages of mission development where lighting becomes very slow). DromEd's built-in lighting is single-threaded, has a number of minor bugs and scales extremely poorly with lightmap scale and complex large open spaces (e.g. modern city missions). KCTools lightmapper takes advantage of modern CPUs with a multi-threaded approach and improves lighting times, reduces lighting artifacts, and has the potential to improve in-game performance in some complex scenes.

https://i.imgur.com/X02RZQS.png

The primary way to use the lighting tool is with NewDark 1.28 and the DromEd version of KCTools. NewDark 1.28 adds the ability to disable the lighting stage when portalising, and to run external tools, allowing KCTools light to be ran from within DromEd and replace DromEd's lighting stage. Assuming the DromEd basic toolkit is being used (and files haven't been moved around too much), simply extract the contents of the DromEd release into the root of your Thief/SS2 installation.

If you're still using NewDark 1.27 DromEd, or don't want direct dromed integration, use the Full release. Lighting can be ran either via command line (run "kctools.exe light --help" in the command line for instructions) or via the GUI executable.
https://i.imgur.com/692IgFy.png

Model Export:

* Export specific models, or every model as a binary glTF
* Embeds and correctly palettises required model textures
* Respects object hierarchy for easy use in custom animations


Available on the command line, run "kctools.exe model export --help" for instructions. Currently this is a pretty simple tool, but is likely to be expanded in the future.

Contact:
I don't use TTLG much, so I'll probably be slow to any responses. If you need help or something seems broken the best place to contact me is the (https://www.ttlg.com/forums/showthread.php?t=150598) DromEd discord server, my username there is Jayrude.

PinkDot on 24/2/2025 at 22:00

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Congrats! Amazing job and important milestone for the community!

HavvicGames on 18/3/2025 at 21:01

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I don't have a ShockEd setup to test with, but it may already work. If you try it/have already tried it and encounter issues could you share them?

If it's incompatible then there's three areas where I could imagine the incompatibility existing:
1. Configs. SS2 might be using some config stuff I don't know about and the game resources get loaded incorrectly
2. Properties. I know SS2 has some differing object properties, but I haven't looked into whether any of them would affect lighting
3. File formats. If there's any major differences to the parts of the various file formats I read/modify then parsing them will fail

Depending on how much work resolving the problems is (assuming it is incompatible) I can look into adding SS2 support soon.

Kubrick on 23/3/2025 at 22:28

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As a total newbie, I'd really benefit from a small tutorial video on how to use. I tried it when it was first released but I shamelessly failed to use it properly the few times I tried.

HavvicGames on 2/6/2025 at 19:59

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There are unfortunately issues with the dromed integration scripts. They work on linux via WINE (after fixing some filenames), but on windows they're a no-go. Working on some alternatives that will hopefully be ready soon.