Basic Usage

This section covers the core workflow for using the Decal Spline Tool to place decal patterns along spline paths.

Getting Started

Opening the Tool

1. In the World Editor, locate the mode bar at the top

2. Click the Decal Spline mode button

3. The tool window will open with a row of buttons at the top

4. The first button is “Add New Decal Spline”

Create a New Decal Spline

1. Click “Add New Spline” in the tool window

2. The mouse cursor sphere on the map will change from red to purple

3. Left-click on the map to place nodes and draw the spline path

4. Continue clicking to add more nodes - the spline will appear as the user draws

Basic Editing

Moving Nodes

• Mouse method: Click and drag nodes directly on the map

• Gizmo method: Press ALT to toggle the gizmo, then use the translation gizmo handles

Adjusting Spline Width

1. Select a node on the decal spline

2. Look for the rib handles (left and right controls at the node)

3. Drag the rib handles in or out to adjust the spline width

4. This affects the spacing and positioning of decals along the spline

Node Editing

• Select node: Click on any node (it will be highlighted)

• Drag node: Click and drag nodes to move them around the map

• Adding new nodes: Hover over free space on the map to add nodes to either end of the spline (whichever is closer)

• Inserting nodes: Hover over the spline to see a highlight sphere and text hint - click to insert a node

• Delete node: Select a node and press DEL

Spline Operations

• Looping a spline: Drag the start or end node close to the other end - a hint line will appear with text markup. Hold SHIFT and release to create a loop

• Joining splines: Drag the start or end node of one spline onto the start or end node of another spline of the same tool type - a hint line will appear. Hold SHIFT and release to merge them into one spline

• Splitting splines: Select a node on the spline, then click the “Split” button under the spline list to divide the spline into two separate splines at that point

• Simplifying splines: Use the “Simplify” button to reduce the number of nodes to a minimum while preserving the core shape

• Flipping splines: Use the “Flip” button to reverse the order of nodes in the spline, effectively flipping the direction. This will also flip the decals left to right

Working with Decal Components

Selecting Decal Components

1. In the Components section, select from the available decal materials

2. The tool supports up to four different decal components

3. Click on a component to select it for the spline

4. The selected component will be highlighted in the list

Managing Multiple Components

1. Component List: Shows all available decal components

2. Enable/Disable: Check or uncheck components to include/exclude them

3. Component Order: The first component determines the base spacing

4. Mixed Decals: Combine different decal types for variety

Setting Up Decal Distribution

Adjusting Spacing

1. Find the Spacing slider in the tool window

2. Drag the slider to increase or decrease the distance between decals

3. Lower values = decals closer together

4. Higher values = decals further apart

5. Watch the decals update in real-time as the user adjusts

Managing Distribution

1. Even spacing: Decals are distributed uniformly along the spline

2. Component-based: Spacing is calculated based on decal component size

3. Custom spacing: Use advanced controls for irregular distribution

4. Start/end positioning: Control where the first and last decals appear

Adding Variation

Scale Variation

1. Each component has its own Scale slider to adjust the size

2. Use the scale slider to make decals larger or smaller as needed

Tiled Decals

1. Enable Tiled Decals for repeating pattern effects

2. Rows: Set the number of rows in the tile pattern

3. Columns: Set the number of columns in the tile pattern

4. Frame: Select which frame to use from the tile set

Rotation Variation

1. Use the Prerotation radio buttons (0°, 90°, 180°, 270°) to set the base orientation, per component

2. 0°: Default orientation

3. 90°: Rotate 90 degrees clockwise

4. 180°: Rotate 180 degrees around Z-axis

5. 270°: Rotate 90 degrees counter-clockwise

6. Jitter Slider: Adds small random Z-axis rotation for natural variation

Decal Visibility and Performance

Camera Distance

1. Move closer to see decals clearly

2. Many decals are only visible when very close to the spline

Spline Management

Enabling/Disabling Splines

1. In the tool window, find the spline list

2. Use the enable/disable toggle for each spline

3. Disabled splines: No nodes visible, but content still shows

4. Enabled splines: Full interaction with nodes and editing

Profile Management

1. Save profile: Click the “Save Profile” button under the spline list to save the current spline’s properties to a JSON file

2. Load profile: Click the “Load Profile” button to load a previously saved profile from disk

3. Profile contents: Profiles contain spline properties (component selection, spacing, jitter, scale, prerotation) but not the geometry itself

4. Copy profile: Use CTRL+C to copy the selected spline’s profile to the clipboard

5. Paste profile: Use CTRL+V to paste a copied profile to another spline, inheriting all properties while keeping the target’s geometry

Export to PNG Mask

The tool includes an “Export to PNG Mask” button in the top button row. This exports the entire tool session to a grayscale 16-bit PNG mask, useful for third-party software importing and exporting.

Next Steps

Once comfortable with these basic workflows, the user can explore:

• Custom decals and patterns
• Complex decal layering techniques
• Integration with Master Spline Tool