Help Please O_O

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Nano_Lite
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Help Please O_O

Post by Nano_Lite »

Hello everyone...I'm a big fan of Vega Strike, and have several works in progress(ships) to be exported, but I can't seem to get the Wings3D plugin to export to XMESH.....I know it's a nooby question, but I'd really like to get some ships in Vega Strike. If you're a Wings 3D whiz, please explain to me IN DETAIL how exactly I get my little ships into Vega Strike.
Thank you :D

By the way, I HAVE read the wiki on this subject.
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Oblivion
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Post by Oblivion »

Hmm. I'm not exactly a wings techie. But I suggest you get the Wings Object export-import add-on (if it's not already built-in). Then export the models as .obj and .mtl

You can take care of converting it to bfxm later.

BTW: xmesh is no longer the current mesh format used by VS, but .bfxm. Try to read the wiki articles on using the mesher app. I'm currently finishing up a new howto that will include the mesher procedure in detail. I may eb able to post that next week.

if that was confusing, :wink: . Here's what I'm suggesting:
1)Export as .obj and .mtl
1a)OPTIONAL: Edit the material references to correctly point to the 4 standard textures in use by VS now: the map itself, the specularity map, the damage map, and the glow mapm respectively.
2)Use mesher to convert the .obj files into bfxm.
3)Use mesher again to convert the bfxm file to xmesh, then edit the materials used, add LODs, add animations,etc.
4)Finally reconvert the xmesh back to bfxm and test it ingame.

Good luck with the modeling, and welcome to Vega Strike. :D
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Post by Nano_Lite »

Thanks :D I already have the export plugin, but I was trying to export directly to xmesh for later conversion into bfxm. It's just that xmeshes are a lot easier to edit.
But, I'll try it with mesher, going through .obj.
If I can find a place to download mesher.....O_O
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loki1950
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Post by loki1950 »

@Nano_Lite you might have to get the latest version it's in the bin folder of data4.x in the SVN repository that's for XP if you are linux user you will need to build it from source 8) check the wiki on getting the SVN to check-out.

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Post by Nano_Lite »

Thanks :D I'll check out the one I've already got....

LATER: OMG HELP!!!!!!! I don't know how to start up mesher! O_O I know, n00bish, but at least I'll get one step closer to my first ingame ship. Anyone who uses Windows XP and uses the version of Mesher in 0.4.3, PLEASE HELP THANK YOU!!!!!
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Post by ace123 »

HowTo:Create_Models#The_Mesher_program has a list of forum topics about using the mesher.

You need to use it from a command prompt (cmd). cd to the correct directory (cd C:\blah\Vegastrike\data4.x\bin), then run mesher with the correct arguments.

Code: Select all

mesher --help
should give a list of commands or how to use it.

You run it with

Code: Select all

mesher INPUT.ext OUTPUT.ext xxx
The xxx are three letters.
The first x is the first letter of the input extension ('b' for bfxm, 'o' for obj, 'x' for xmesh.)
The second x is the first letter of the output extension, as above.
The third x is the command (usually use "c" for convert)

In your case, you want to do:

Code: Select all

mesher ship.obj ship.bfxm obc
mesher ship.bfxm ship.xmesh bxc
# Edit ship.xmesh in a Text or XML editor.
mesher ship.xmesh ship.bfxm xbc
Last edited by ace123 on Sat Oct 07, 2006 9:24 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Nano_Lite
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Post by Nano_Lite »

OMG Thank you!! :D Hopefully, I'll git 'er done before long, and then I'll post screenshots for everybody to see. If I have any troubles with units.csv or any of the coding bits, well, I'll just ask again. You guys have been so nice and helpful, thank you. :D
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Phlogios
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Post by Phlogios »

Is this possible on a Mac? I never seem to figure out how to convert the .obj files to bfxm. I have lots of ships, but I want to test them in-game too. I don't know if the mesher program works on the mac.
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Post by loki1950 »

Phlogios you would need to build it from source for OSX same as the linux folks 8)

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Post by Oblivion »

... :wink: reminds me of my first meshin' days... :P

reality check.. that was only a month ago. lol :lol:
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Post by Nano_Lite »

I'm glad that this thread, which I started for me, has turned around to help others...:D I've been on a quick vacation, and I should get that ship in soon. After that, I've got a lot of WIP ship models to finish and import...plus a bunch of nearly finished ones.
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Phlogios
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Post by Phlogios »

@Loki: How exactly am I supposed to do that? I know nothing about cross-platform-superhyper-fancy-binary-compiling. :oops: I know I'm supposed to get some kind of SVN thing but I feel stupid just thinking about it. I don't even understand a fifth of it.
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Nano_Lite
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Post by Nano_Lite »

Hey everybody...

I converted my model to BFXM. Anyway, was there some way to get the MTL file into the BFXM as well, or did it just go along with the OBJ?

I'm really confusibobilated. :(

Also, what other files do I need? And do you have any tips on units.csv and the master part list?
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Oblivion
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Post by Oblivion »

Just place the obj and mtl files together in one folder when converting it o bfxm.

you dont need to do anything with the .mtl file, it sticks to the .obj as long as you keep them in the same location.

Just convert the obj to bfxm using mesher.
then convert it to xmesh, you'll see one or all of the following at the top block.

'texture="bla.png" texture1="blaPPL.png" texture2="blaDMG.png" texture3="blaGLO.png">

etc..
That's the materials. You can change that as you wish.
jpegs and png's are the formats accepted, since they're pretty low-space-takers. But png is preferred, as it has a bit higher quality and can support transparencies.
Please keep the ff naming convention:

shipname.png = main texture (color map)

shipnamePPL.png = specularity texture (per pixel lighting)

shipnameDMG.png = damage map. Just play around with the main texture with burn tools to get a nicely crisped ship. :P

shipnameGLO.ppl = glow/luma map. designates areas which "glow". that is - areas unaffected by shadows. Ideal for lights, ambient glows (like engines for example), windows, etc.

and that's it. Edit the material lines to correctly follow the order (texture1, texture2, texture3). You can find examples of this in the VSWiki HowTo Add Ships.

In order to test your ships ingame quickly, just place the bfxm file inside one of the existing ships folder and edit the units.csv entry of the ship to point to the new bfxm instead of the original.

Example. Copy the correctly textured Newship.bfxm into the llama's folder. Open up the units.csv in a text/spreadsheet editor (you can get Galex's in the tools and utilities section of the forum). Find the llama.begin's entry and find the mesh field. change the original entry to Newship.bfxm. Start the game. The starting llama's model is now your ship.

If you don't see your ship, or something goes wrong with the uv mapping or texturing, it is most probably a problem with your mesh itself. What program do you use for modeling? In 3dsmax, most of my problems are caused by improper exporting, and my failure to convert the model beforehand from editable poly to editable mesh..

hope that's not too complicated. :D
For a simpler take on this subject read HowTo add ships.

Adding the ships ingame.. i.e. having it available as a new ship is trickier, and I don't know all the answers to questions bout dat. :wink:
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Songs of thoughts only I can hear,
Leave me be to sleep forever,
To dream my dreams,
And sing my hymns,
Of things that will never be...
Nano_Lite
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Post by Nano_Lite »

THANK YOU!!!!! :D Though, all my uv maps are bitmaps (.bmp), so I guess I'm stuck till I get GIMP. :(
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Phlogios
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Post by Phlogios »

I want to compile mesher from source, as you said, so it will work on my mac. How do I do it? I can't find the source, and I don't know how tho compile the source. Help please?
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loki1950
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Post by loki1950 »

hi Phlogios this should help http://vegastrike.sourceforge.net/wiki/ ... ode_HowTos and http://vegastrike.sourceforge.net/wiki/ ... ile_on_OSX

Enjoy the Choice :)

ps PM me if you need more help
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