Episode: 3729
Title: HPR3729: Contributing to SuperTuxKart
Source: https://hub.hackerpublicradio.org/ccdn.php?filename=/eps/hpr3729/hpr3729.mp3
Transcribed: 2025-10-25 04:43:06

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This is Hacker Public Radio Episode 3,729 for Thursday the 17th of November 2022.
Today's show is entitled, Contributing to Super Tux-Cart.
It is hosted by Celeste and is about 15 minutes long.
It carries an explicit flag.
The summary is, Explaining the Warplow to Contribute to this FOSS game with Media Assets.
Okay.
Hello everyone.
This is a bit of an experiment of recording experiment.
As I usually tend to make way too long audio messages while I drive,
I put the phone in recording mode to a friend of mine,
and when I stop the car, I stop the recording and my friend does that too.
So, we exchange these long messages.
So I thought, hey, let's make a car rumbling podcast while I drive,
and I will stop the recording when I reach the destination.
So, about 15 minutes, I guess.
Right now, as a traffic light.
So, today's topic is about how to contribute to Super Tux-Cart.
A game which, from now on, I will call Super Tux-Cart,
because, you know, I'm Italian and saying the U-A is so strange.
It sounds so bad to me.
I will name the Penguin Tux, not DAX.
So, Super Tux-Cart.
For those who don't know it, it's a 3D racing game, mainly for Gnolidux,
under a free end-up in source license, and not only the engine is free end-up in source,
but also all the assets.
So, I think it's a great opportunity for those of you who are interested in 3D graphics or audio production,
or they are 2D artists, even, to join making some improvements to the game.
Obviously, you can also contribute to each programmer in C++.
But, you know, you expect that a software needs programmer,
but a video game also needs artists from every possible spectrum, every possible subject,
from graphics to 3D graphics to audio.
Animation to animation is a really difficult part for artists.
So, if you know that, or you're studying animation,
it's a great contribution you can give to the project.
So, about this stuff, I want to say that you will have to release your work under
a creative commos, share like, or similar, one of the creative commos licenses.
So, that first, the artwork can be incorporated into the main game, or in the Adon's website.
And secondly, you will probably, you're encouraged to share not only the end result,
but also the project files.
I'll try to explain it.
When you build some assets, being that audio, or a picture, you have two files.
One project file, for audio, it would be an art or maybe audacity project.
While for 2D drawing, it may be a CRETA project, or GIMP, Inkscape, or 3D Blender.
So, the original source file, so that others can make changes and adapt it.
On the other hand, you don't include the Blender file in the game.
You will include only an exported model in a specific format that the game wants.
Same for the textures, you won't include the CRETA file in the...
Sorry, a friend calling me with the old Nokia tune, and that's part of the show, I guess.
I will cut it.
Okay, the call is finished.
What I was saying, yes.
So, you don't include the CRETA project or Inkscape file into the main game.
You will include probably a PNG, probably scaled, because you won't include a 4K resolution PNG into the...
into...
into a small texture that it's used in a little part of the model.
It's a completely waste of resources, and it will slow the game, or it will make it
load so much stuff in the RAM that it won't run on lower devices.
So, you will have the source files at full resolution with the license that others can...
so that others can edit it and change it, and the production file.
So, to guide you, there are two repositories.
One for the code, it's called SDK code on GitHub, and one on the SVN.
Yeah, it uses SVN, which is called the media label, which only has every possible source file of the tracks, of the tracks, of the car, of the arenas.
Everything is there, and you want that.
Why don't you load the entire media label with the source file?
The answer is that, if you are creating a track,
you will be able to import or readymade props or readymade trees, benches, houses, maybe some skydome.
The skydome is a closed area, which represents the sky in video games.
I don't know how to keep a better idea. It's like a sphere, but seen from the inside, and it acts as a proxy of a sky.
So, I was saying, you don't include the real source file with the game.
You will include only the production file.
Which tools will you need to contribute in some way?
So, I was saying, one of the benefits about trying to contribute to the assets, maybe with a character.
You learn the workflow of a real game by doing so.
You learn that you will have to interact with the already existing style.
So, if you are an artist, you will be forced to match the style of the rest of the game.
So, it keeps, it maintains the consistency.
Also, you will be able to publish your and product, maybe your character with the card, or in the main game,
or if it's not possible in the main game, you will be able to publish it in the add-on website.
So, Secret X Cartamont takes these big add-ons website, where everyone cannot start, and it's directly integrated into the game.
So, from the main screen of the game, there is an add-on section.
And if you are connected to the internet, you can download what you want from that without the event opening a browser.
And it's very convenient that people will be able to find out your and even rate your product, your creation.
So, this is also useful if you are starting as a curriculum as a portfolio of your work to show to an employee or an employer
to showcase, hey, I can do this, I can do 3D model, I can animate it, I can do textures, I can do...
I can integrate into a bigger environment with different tasks for every person.
I'm able to do that, I'm able to do that.
And I think it can be appreciated because it's also published on the internet and can be verified by the employer.
I always confuse employee employer, sorry, employer, I would say.
Okay, so, if you are making 2D or 3D stuff, the process changes a bit.
It's a lot easier for 2D stuff, so you just have to pick up gym or create if you are hand-drowing something.
And that's it, you don't need any other software or plugin.
It's a different story if you are talking about 3D, then you need Blender, you need to read the documentation on the Super Tax Card website.
They give you the link to a plugin for Blender that acts as a metaware between the Blender file and the Super Tax Card format that will be used in the game.
So, it adds a new export option and it lets you edit the metadata of your creation.
For instance, if you are creating a track, you can specify the name, the preview picture and similar stuff.
You can also specify the checkpoint on the track so that when you fall down the track, you are reset at the checkpoint.
And, sorry, there's a cross scene.
Okay, part of the car driving podcast problem.
Anyway, I forgot what I was saying.
Okay, I was talking about 3D on Blender.
So, you can edit all the metadata, you can add the wheels and tell the game that this 3D model is a wheel for a cart.
This 3D model is the frontal light of the cart, this 3D model and so on and so on.
You will specify all things that the game needs to know to properly function.
And then you export the project and you can unload the exported stuff, you can load the exported stuff to the Adon's website.
This is a general idea of how it works so you can get started.
If you are starting with 3D, not problem.
If you are starting with 3D, I highly suggest you to begin by making a character or simply opening the existing source file from the media label.
And then trying to make the character because it's much easier than a track.
The track is really more error prone.
There is so much going on, you need to specify the track, you need to specify the path in order to guide the AI.
The characters on the track, you need to specify some way, some out the collisions, you need to...
So, it's much more complex and it's much more difficult to travel shoot too.
I mean, the developers tried to make a 3D track editor, but they also stayed in the documentation that it's completely broken.
So, I would say like that, try with Blender, try to make a character, explore the existing projects, explore the existing source file and only after that, maybe try to make a track.
Anyway, remember to thinkar, we did try and let me know how it goes.
Maybe we will see new characters from HPR, HPR listeners, who knows.
It's all from me today and see you next time.
You have been listening to Hacker Public Radio at Hacker Public Radio does work.
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