Kaneva Game Platform Troubleshooting and Tips

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Kaneva Game Server Troubleshooting

Kaneva Game Studio User Interface

'The 3d device could not start. Please update your graphics drivers and try again. If problem persists, contact your software provider.'

There's several reasons why you might see this message when starting Kaneva Game Studio:

• DirectX 9.0c is either not installed, or the incorrect version is installed on this system.
• Your hardware acceleration settings are not set at a level usable by Kaneva Game Studio. To verify the correct level of hardware acceleration:

To verify that your Windows system is at the appropriate level of global hardware acceleration for Kaneva:

1. Open the Display control panel: From the Start menu, select Control Panels > Display. The Display Preoprties control panel appears.
2. Click the Settings tab, and then click Advanced.
3. Click the Troubleshooting tab.
4. Move the Hardware Acceleration slider to the fourth notch.
5. Click OK, then Close. There may be a moment where you display blanks out as Windows readjusts your settings.
6. Some systems may require a restart or reboot.

'There is no script engine for file extension ".vbs"'

You may receive this error when you load a game and your computer has Visual Basic Scripting (VBS) disabled.

To allow scripts with a .VBS extension to run:

1. Log on as an Administrator.
2. On the Desktop, or in Windows Explorer, right-click My Computer.
3. Select the Tools menu and then select Folder Options.
4. Select the File Types tab. Your window should look like this:
   
   
   
   
5. Can you find the 'VBS : VBScript Script File' in the list of registered file types?
   
   Yes, I see the VBS file extension:
   1. Choose Change. Windows displays the Open With dialog.
      
      
      
      
   2. Verify that that program used is ‘Microsoft (r) Windows Based Script Host’.
      If it’s not, select Browse and select C:\Windows\System32\Wscript.exe, verify that ‘Always use the selected program to open this kind of file’ is enabled, and click OK.
   
   
   No, I don’t see the VBS file extension listed here:
   1. Click New. Windows displays the Create New Extension dialog.
   2. Type VBS for the File Extension.
   3. Click Advanced.
   4. Select VBScript Script File. Your window should look like this:
      
      
      
      
   5. Click OK.

Gameport is black or uniform color

There's several possibilities depending on the context:

• If the gameport blanked out after you unlock your workstation (as in returning from a screensaver or if your Windows system requires a password to access the desktop), try resizing the gameport until the image reappears.
• Be certain you've generated the collision map for the zone. This may be obvious if your actor placement looks like it's approaching the zone and then goes blank, indicating that it fell through a land mesh absent a collision map.
• Verify that you placed an axum_male (or equivalent) actor above the land mesh (otherwise they'll 'fall' forever). Use the View Runtime Stats dialog to verify that an actor is in scene and at some coordinates that correspond to your land mesh.
• If placing an actor doesn't seem to work, place a camera actor and navigate the zone (use the View Runtime Stats dialog to determine your position) and locate a good actor placement location.

Menu image control doesn't allow texture choice

Symptom: The Game > Menus command panel for the image control lists [Default] for the texture name in the Select Textures dialog, and no other textures can be added to the list.

Resolution: The textures you want to use for your menus must be present in your game's GameFiles\Menus folder prior to choosing the texture for the image control.

"Please select an actor" or "An invalid argument was encountered" message in Missions > NPC Configurations panel

Changing an actor in the NPC Configuration command panel displays the "Please select an actor" or "An invalid argument was encountered" message when there is no generated global inventory.

Resolution: Select 'Generate from Actor Database' in the Objects > Global Inventory command panel.

"Object not found" when selecting the zone object name

This is a known benign error and can be ignored. Instead, double click the base object or trace (the portion of the zone object name beginning with TRC_) to display that object's properties.

Kaneva Game Platform visual and sound effects

No textures appear in scene

Before you export a mesh, you must place the texture and image files in your game's MapsModels folder.

Go to the toolbar and choose Initialize Textures. If a character displays an incorrect texture, update the character's runtime using Objects > Actors > Runtime/In Use > Update Actor.

If the game client displays incorrect textures, be certain that you've updated the Texture database in the Objects > Textures command panel. Use Reinit from Disk to guarantee that you're using textures as they're defined in storage, and not just in resident memory. Add any missing textures manually using the Add Texture tool. Then save the texture database in the GameFiles folder and add a 'Load Texture Bank' event to your game or zone startup script.

"The following textures were not found..."

This error can be ignored, since it refers to obsolete textures and doesn't affect the application or your game design.

Explosion fails to fade out

The "Set Fade At" function does not apply to explosions that use skeletal systems.

Character cannot fire weapon while in a particular animation state

The first person visual system requires both a stand animation and a fire (or use) animation in the most minimal case. Additionally, a walk/run animation and a jump animation are typically added. Often the .ARB file used for the stand animation can be reused for the jump animation.

Animation of the third person visual system is much simpler, as most of its motion is directly inherited from the equipped character’s animation. However, a stand and a fire animation are still necessary.

Note: Characters cannot fire while in the "Crouch" animation state. This is presently a hard-coded limitation of the Kaneva Game Platform.

Startup events fail to load

• Verify that the appropriate XML script exists in your game's GameFiles folder. Do not move this script to another folder.
• For Game, Client, and AI Startup Scripts, remember to click the Build Startup Scripts button to save your events to the appropriate startup file.
• Make sure the startup event exists in the appropriate startup script. For example, events relating to Kaneva Game Studio and the Kaneva Game Server belong in the Game Startup Script. Zone-related events (such as specialized textures specific to the zone) belong in the Zone Startup Script.
• If you include an event that's not appropriate for a script, then it will be ignored. A warning that the system is skipping these events appear in the appropriate log file. Log files are located in the ...\Kaneva\Platform\log folder.

Distant textures and meshes disappear or don't appear

Portions of your meshes start to disappear, exposing the zone's background color.

Problem: Your actor's camera is rendering beyond the clip plane of the viewing frustrum, at which point it will only render your background color. For performance, the camera has a max distance that it will render, which is represented by the clip plane.

Camera Clip Plane set too low
Camera Clip Plane set correctly
Where to set Clip Plane in Camera Settings dialog

• Resolution 1: Change the clip plane for the camera you are using to a larger value. One problem with this approach is that your visuals may experience z-fighting on the objects that are very far away.
• Resolution 2: (better choice) Add fogging at very far distances, or choose a background color that blends in with distant images.

Cannot add sound to Sound Database

Check to make sure you selected the proper file and it is in the correct format. KGP will only accept mono .WAV files for sounds, but Soundtracks can be either mono or stereo. For sounds, 22 and 44.1 kHz, 16-bit mono WAVs seem to work fine.

KGP Build 99 has an issue when selecting a WAV file from outside of the Sounds folder.

Sound fails to play in Kaneva Game Studio or Kaneva Game Client

The Sounds.SBK file must be present in the GameFiles folder. Individual sound clips (.wav files) must be present in the Sounds folder.

Game in play or in scene does not display correct graphics or textures

Verify that the Objects > Texture command panel is up to date by performing a Reinit from Disk operation, contains all textures, and then save the current texture database to a file.

Be certain to load the texture database file using a Game or Zone startup script.

AI in game appears to be attacking nothing

An actor runtime (invisible to players) was saved in the zone, and the AI recognizes it as a enemy. The solution is to remove all actor runtimes from the zone and resave:

1. In Kaneva Game Studio, load your game and zone.
2. From the Objects > Actors command panel, expand Runtime/In Use and choose Refresh.
3. Highlight each runtime actor and click Deactivate Actor. Repeat until no actor runtimes exist (use Refresh to verify that no more actor runtimes remain).
4. Select Zone > Save.

Actor 'falls' through land mesh

The most common reason an actor falls through the land mesh is an absent or inaccurate collision map. Other reasons include degenerate (flat) land meshes and non-default settings for collision filters on either the zone object or actor.

Try checking these items to resolve your issue:

• Build the collision map. Choose Bld Coll Map from the Zone > Zone Objects command panel and click OK to the detault settings.
• The combination of land mesh and zone objects in scene must be taller than the tallest actor in your game. For example, if you import a flat land mesh, then there's no Y (height) component to the collision map, and your actor needs at least its height to react for collisions. Modifying the land mesh to contain some elevation taller than the actor, or adding a rock or building that's taller than the actor would resolve this issue.
• Determine the height of your land mesh by navigating it with the camera (camera_per) actor. Place the camera in scene, navigate to the surface of the land mesh where you want to drop the actor, select the camera actor from the Objects > Actors > Runtime/In Use command panel (you may need to use Refresh to see the camera runtime listed), and then select the View Runtime Stats button. The Runtime Actor Info dialog shows you the camera's current position. Record the XYZ position and place your actor with a Y value that exceeds the Y value at the land mesh surface.

Verify the following settings from the Zone > Zone Objects command panel:

• Filter Collision settings must be disabled for the object group containing the land mesh. Select the object group containing the land mesh, click the Group Modifier button to display the Group Modifier dialog, and verify that the Filter Collision settings are all unchecked.
• Collision Filter must be disabled for the land mesh zone object. From the Visuals in Group list, select the trace (begins with TRC_) corresponding to the land mesh, and then click Object Properties to display the Zone Object Properties dialog. Verify that the Collision Filter check box is unchecked.
• Mesh radius for the land mesh must encompass the land lesh dimensions. This setting is available from the Zone Object Properties dialog (see previous item). For example, if the land mesh is 2000x2000 feet square, the mesh radius should reach from the center of the mesh to the corner, or approximately 1415 feet (x/2)*(sqrt(2)).

Verify the following settings from the Objects > Actors command panel:

• Mesh Clip Radius must be consistent with the actor dimensions. Select the trace corresonding to the actor, and then click Actor Properties to display the Actor Properties dialog. For example, axum_male is 7 feet tall, and the Mesh Clip Radius is 7.00.
• Actor visual system settings in the Visuals System Editor > Collision > Required for Collision Calculations section must be correctly set. To reach this dialog, select the actor name (such as axum_male, not the TRC_ trace) and select Edit Visuals from the Visual System command panel. When the Visuals System Editor dialog appears, go to the Collision tab. Verify that the Bone, Calculation Radius, and Enable Collision System settings are correct in the Required for Collision Calculations section. The Bone must be set to a valid bone on the actor, the Calculation Radius should encompass the area around the actor (for example, axum_male is 7 feet tall in the longest dimension, so the radius could be set to 4 to encompass the actor), and the Enable Collision Settings check box should be set.

Actor placement (runtime actor) isn't as expected

Here's a few guidelines for handling actors:

• If your actor seems to be 'flying' and not respecting gravity or collisions (such as moving through the land mesh or through building walls, and if you can't switch to a third person view, then you've probably chosen the camera actor. Because the camera actor is the first listed actor by default, choosing the toolbar button acts as a "Place First Actor" command. If you want a 'solid' default actor, you'll need to choose axum_male (or a similar actor) from the Objects > Actors command panel and perform a Place Actor from the command panel (not the toolbar).
• The Place Actor button on the Objects > Actors command panel is not the same as the identically pictured button on the toolbar, which places the first actor in the list. Learn this and it may save you from a little confusion.
• Just because the Runtime/In Use list on the Objects > Actors command panel is empty doesn't mean it really is empty. Don't be afraid to use the Refresh button liberally to keep this list up to date.
• When in doubt which runtime actor is which, don't hestiate to deactivate (delete) all of them and place one you know is up-to-date in your zone. If you've got a lot of investment in your runtimes (such as equipping/arming them, etc.), then you can select a specific runtime from the list and then select the Refresh button. The viewport will reset, showing the view of the actor you refreshed.
• If you've made any changes to your actor, remember to refresh your actor runtime to see the results.
• Use the Refresh and Update Actor commands frequently, and often.

Zone objects aren't appearing

There's a few things you'd want to check when importing zone objects:

• Perform the export operation using default values and the Export to Directory option. Then use the Kaneva Game Studio's Import command to import the mesh.

• Is your object in alignment with your ground mesh? For example, if your land mesh is centered at (0,0,0) and your object was created in isolation at (-50000...), then it'll appear a long distance away, and not where you'd expect it to appear.

• Did you create your mesh in 3ds with an assigned material? If the mesh has no texture, then there's a chance that it won't show up. You could either assign a material in 3ds, or assign it later using Kaneva Game Studio's Material Modification dialog.

• Did you build the collision map? Click Bld Coll Map and accept the default settings from the Zone > Zone Objects command panel.

• Double-click the TRC_ that corresponds to the visual and check the popout box values. It ought to be compatible with your zone's coordinates, or you can experiment by making it visible over a large range (for example, -50000 to 50000).

• Make sure that the camera's clip plane as listed in the Objects > Cam/View command panel is sufficiently large for what you're viewing. For example, the default value of 30000 may not be sufficient if you're viewing from 35000 feet.

Reference objects (generally large ones) disappear while in view

• Verify that there are valid values for the popout box and the clip box.
• From the [[KanevaEditorReferenceLibrary][Reference Library Editor], use the Reinit Clip Boxes command to adjust the visual boundary for the object.
• If applicable, verify that the LOD meshes display correctly and have appropriate activation settings.

Objects in game appear to 'shake' when viewed

A collision calculation issue may occur when a player moves close to an object and cause it to shake up and down. In some situations, this behavior may force the player through the land mesh.

Resolution: Create a simple version of the complex object so that there are fewer calculations when computing collisions. For instance, if you're modeling a ball, then also model a cube around it. Export both objects. Import the ball, open its object properties and set its collision to false. Now import the box, set its render to false and collision to true. The collision for the ball will now be a box instead of a complex object that sometimes will cause the shaking.

Object Exports and Imports

Character export error "no bones found"

Verify that nub bones have no influence.

Character import error

Make sure that no duplicate names exist in the visual system.

Kaneva Game Studio crashes after character animation import

Make sure that all of your animation files (.ARBs) have more than one frame (e.g. a frame range of 5 – 5 is not valid).

3ds max crashes during character export (Kaneva Exporter plugin)

Make sure that the animation.txt file does not have any extra blank lines (vertical spaces between entries).

Make sure you have the latest version of the plugin. Older versions might crash if a mesh didn't possess a texture, such as what you'd create for a collision map.

Make sure that none of the mesh names in scene contain any special characters. Mesh names cannot contain characters that are not valid in Microsoft Windows file names (invalid characters defined as \ / : * ? " < > | ).

A single mesh object is exported as multiple meshes

The most common example is when you're exporting a bounding box and the Kaneva Exporter creates six files, one for each side of the box. This occurs because each side of the box (or each face in the mesh) is set to a different Material ID. The example at right is for an actor object composed of multiple meshes.

To resolve this issue:

1. In 3ds max with your object in scene, choose Select Object and select the mesh.
2. Right click the mesh to display the Transform menu, and then choose Convert To > Convert to Editable Mesh.
3. On the Command panel, locate the Selection section and choose the Face Selection option.
4. Select all faces by pressing Ctrl-A.
5. Expand the Surface Properties section. In the Material section, type 1 next to the Select ID button, and then click Select ID. 3ds max changes the Set ID to 1.
6. If your object consists of multiple meshes, then repeat these steps for each mesh.
7. Save your object and export the object to Kaneva Game Studio.

'Load of locale file failed'

The KEPlang_ENU.xml file in your game's lang folder is missing. This often occurs when migrating old game designs to newer versions.

To resolve this issue:

1. Locate or create the lang folder in your game's root folder.
2. Copy the KEPLang_ENU.xml file from Kaneva Game Platform's \bin\lang folder (by default, at C:\Program Files\Kaneva\Platform\bin\lang) to the lang folder you created or located in step 1.
3. In Kaneva Game Studio, reload your game by selecting Game > Open.

Kaneva Game Client (kepclient.exe) Troubleshooting

Client stops at 'Loading' screen

This is a known error in the KGP Beta 1 (build 77) version that occurs with some incompatible video cards. The issue should be resolved with the October release of Kaneva Game Platform. Please let us know if you are still experiencing this issue with KGP Beta 2 (build 99+).

'Connection Time Out'

There's a bunch of reasons why this occurs. Most of them have to do with the Kaneva Game Server, which is why you'll find more information here.

NPCs fail to interact

• In build 99, the two quest menus are missing and are required for the quest system. You can customize these menus for your game design, but the menu (or its menuID) needs to exist.
  
  Resolution:
  1. Download the files from http://www.kaneva.com/community/973.storeItem.
  2. Install the lua file in ..\Program Files\Kaneva\Platform\Templates\GameFiles\MenuScripts (for the Kaneva Game Studio) and your game's GameFiles\MenuScripts folder.
  3. Install the xml file in ..\Program Files\Kaneva\Platform\Templates\GameFiles\Menus (for the Kaneva Game Studio) and your game's GameFiles\MenuScripts folder.

• Interaction with an NPC requires that both the initiating actor and the NPC possess a nonzero clip radius set in the actor properties. The game compares these spheres to determine who the initiator is talking/interacting with.

Client only displays the LoginMenu and StartWorld zones

The default game that comes with Kaneva Game Platform is coded to only load these zones. You must either delete these zones or change the coding to display your custom game world and zone. See Starting Kaneva Game Client with Your Zone for detailed instructions.

Skill Error 435

The skill the game was referencing was not found.

Related topics

Kaneva Game Studio Good Habits