Replacements For Current Generic Base (Download!)

Oblivion · Post by **Oblivion** » Thu May 11, 2006 12:27 pm

Grrrrr.

BBCode has a limit of 1mb for zip files. But no limit for docs.

So.. changed the extension to .doc.

Just rename this file to whatever.zip after you've downloaded it.

Read the Base Backgrounds thread in the artworks forum to see how these look like.

BurninLeo · Post by **BurninLeo** » Fri May 12, 2006 3:14 pm

Excuse me, if this sounds stupid - but once for non-developers:

What exactly does this file do?

Kangaroo · Post by **Kangaroo** » Fri May 12, 2006 3:35 pm

Supposed to be replacement for current generic planet landing. How to use it - I'm not sure. I don't have VS currently installed

Oblivion · Post by **Oblivion** » Sat May 13, 2006 11:20 am

It replaces the random base backgrounds that you land on.

Here's how they look like, just follow the instructions included in the zip properly:

Oblivion · Post by **Oblivion** » Sat May 13, 2006 11:32 am

Here is the Artemis Mesh aa well as the .max file. All zipped for anyone who'd like to use them. Though I doubt anyone wants them anyway.

Here's how it looks like again.

charlieg · Post by **charlieg** » Sun May 14, 2006 2:15 pm

The capship looks very good there. Hopefully it'll make it into the game!

Oblivion · Post by **Oblivion** » Tue May 16, 2006 11:35 am

The capship looks very good there. Hopefully it'll make it into the game!

trying.. trying..

Unfortunately, both Kanagroo22 and I are still noobs to 3d modelling for ingame objects. Can you convert .3ds to .obj? So they could be opened in blender?

charlieg · Post by **charlieg** » Tue May 16, 2006 12:38 pm

http://www.blender.org/cms/Import___Export.5.0.html

charlieg · Post by **charlieg** » Tue May 16, 2006 12:41 pm

Google for '3ds import blender' and it gives you plenty of options.

Oblivion · Post by **Oblivion** » Tue May 16, 2006 12:44 pm

I'm on 3dsMax 5.1 Maybe Kangaroo22 could use that. He's on Blender. He can't seem to open my .3ds file. Well, got to go now, it's getting late.

Kangaroo · Post by **Kangaroo** » Tue May 16, 2006 6:31 pm

Oblivion wrote: I'm on 3dsMax 5.1 Maybe Kangaroo22 could use that. He's on Blender. He can't seem to open my .3ds file.

When I try to import the 3ds, I see an error in the Python console, saying that an object in the file is missing.

Oblivion · Post by **Oblivion** » Thu May 18, 2006 11:15 am

Still hadn't made progress learning how to convert my 3dsmax models to formats usable by VS. I've found a plugin for 3dsmax 5.1 that exports to Wavefront. obj and .mtl but I can't seem to be able to convert it to .bxfm and .xmesh using the mesher.exe included in VS.

I did everything from past discussions, but it always returned errors. output files are made but all 0 kb.

Has it something to do with the mesher itself?

And several questions regarding ship modelling:
1.Turrets - turrets have separate meshes right? So do I still need to make individual turrets, or do I just model the mounts?

2.Textures. How do I export the textures along with the .OBJ? As I don't have Blender or wings, I can't open the .OBJ and .MTL file formats to see if they really look like my models in 3dsmax.

3.Multiple meshes? My ships have a tendency to be composed of a lot of parts. See the new Artemis tanker variant, as well as the Dodo meshes with different number of cargo attached.

THE NEW DODO:

The Dodo. Know that ship? The ugly one that has a fairly large cargo space, abyssmal flight control, etc. I can't reconcile the fact that it's made by Dgns and Shapers but is ugly as a gnat. Shapers are beauty-conscious right? Why would they allow their Dgn "subordinates" to create such a ship? Since, the Dodo was marked as ingame but needing replacement in the Ships.pdf inside /stats, I decided to try to model it. Unfortunately, I forgot to bring the renders!!!

Bangs head on floor

I get really forgetful sometimes. But take my word, I based it on the original Dodo design but improved it a bit, so it's not actually ugly anymore. It's utilitarian purpose is MUCH more obvious. A tractor beam that will justify it being a TUG. And removeable cargo/cargo train at back. Plus two basic gun mounts and two turret mounts.

So I'll attach the .max, the .3ds, the. obj and .mtl files here.

Anyone wants to help me with them?

BTW: I propose naming this ship SKATE or even MANTA. But I like SKATE better. MANTA is suitable for larger ships. DODO as it's name implies is too stupid.

Shaper ships are named after relations (?), Dodo is not related at all. I suggest naming Dgn ships with fishy names. Whatcha think?

I know it has been changed to Dodo , from Wayfarer (which is much better). But Skate sounds nice too. Aside from the fact that it now looks like a Skate.

Halleck · Post by **Halleck** » Thu May 18, 2006 11:20 am

Mesher is awfully picky. Right now, I think it's tailored to work best with obj files produced by blender.

You could try importing it into blender and then re-exporting.

Also, klauss is investigating a similar problem I'm having. Dunno if they're related or not, but if he fixes the issue I was running into, there's a slim chance that it might fix this one as well.

You should look at the alternatives to mesher listed at Development:Scripts & Tools. In particular, there is a python script that ostensibly can convert between 3ds and xmesh...

You may also try the wings xmesh plugin, but I've never been able to make it work properly. (I've heard reports of success, though.)

Oblivion · Post by **Oblivion** » Thu May 18, 2006 11:25 am

I haven't got blender or wings.

It's much to big for me to attempt downloading it.

So, how do I use this script?

Oblivion · Post by **Oblivion** » Thu May 18, 2006 11:32 am

EDIT: DOUBLE POST

Halleck · Post by **Halleck** » Thu May 18, 2006 11:36 am

Cool!

I reccomend you just download wings if you want to try the xmesh plugin. Unlike blender, it's a rather small download at around 3 MB for the binary.

I don't know how to use the script, never had the occasion to.

BTW, to answer your specific questions from earlier:
1. Turrets are seperate game units with seperate models. You could model turret mounts, but they might look a bit funny if you don't have any turrets attatched. Most ships just have convenient places for turrets to be placed, which are specified later in units.csv.

2. Are the textures external? (I.E. can you edit them with another program, and cause them to change in MAX?) If so, they should export fine, and will be included in the MTL file.

3. Yeah, multiple meshes are fine, it just makes it slightly more complicated to make a BFXM. (You have to append the additional submeshes to the BFXM.) LODs are good too!

Oblivion · Post by **Oblivion** » Thu May 18, 2006 11:49 am

As well as an Artemis Variant. This time a tanker.

I think Artemis would do fine as the model for the Forsaken Catfish.

The problem with mesher.exe is that it doesn;t work too when converting from existing .bxfm back to .obj, .mtl, and .xmesh.

With a merchant logo

Some more variants

Kangaroo · Post by **Kangaroo** » Thu May 18, 2006 12:47 pm

Halleck wrote:You could try importing it into blender and then re-exporting.

This is what I get when trying to re-export the obj file, cause it doesn't work for me too.

Oblivion · Post by **Oblivion** » Sat May 20, 2006 10:11 am

I think I fouled up exporting the textures.

Will do better with new stuff. And I've got new stuff. A Homeland Sec Probe and The aforementioned replacement for the Dodo.

Will post links here later

Oblivion · Post by **Oblivion** » Sat May 20, 2006 11:34 am

Models galore.

But stilll no way to have them ingame.

For the textures, go to:
http://vegastrike.sourceforge.net/forum ... 5961#65961

lee · Post by **lee** » Sat May 27, 2006 7:48 pm

Oblivion wrote:Here is the Artemis Mesh aa well as the .max file.

It looks great, but the files are not readable. Wings3d says

Failed to load "/home/lee/3d/vegastrike/ArtemisFreighter/ArtemisMeshes/FX3_PANE.JPG": Files of type .jpg are not supported
Failed to load "/home/lee/3d/vegastrike/ArtemisFreighter/ArtemisMeshes/FX3_PANE.JPG": Files of type .jpg are not supported

Blender, dunno, I tried to no avail.

lee · Post by **lee** » Sat May 27, 2006 7:52 pm

Oblivion wrote:As well as an Artemis Variant. This time a tanker.

Great

Can you add some lights at the back? Ships might have position lights, green and red, like ships here on Earth have.

Halleck · Post by **Halleck** » Sat May 27, 2006 9:09 pm

Yes, he needs to add some texture target polies though. See the recently commited ishmael cruiser for a demonstration. http://vegastrike.sourceforge.net/forum ... php?t=6828

I'll try getting these in myself... got nothin' to do until strangelet responds to my request for re-exported turrets.

FYI, single diffuse maps are almost always preferable to multiple textures. They load faster and save on resources... unless the goal is to have re-usable textures, like some of these could be.

Halleck · Post by **Halleck** » Sat May 27, 2006 10:33 pm

I got the mesh converted with no geometry issues, but there are some UV issues.

This is what happens when I try to apply HSProbeDiffuseMap.jpg as the texture for HSProbe2:

Looks to me like your UV coordinates didn't get updated when you generated the single texture.

And this is what happens where I use HSProbe1:

After inspecting the materials, it appears as if FDR.JPG is missing.

Halleck · Post by **Halleck** » Sun May 28, 2006 2:25 am

Also, could you post the textures for the artemis? That would be awesome.

Vega Strike Forums

Replacements For Current Generic Base (Download!)

Replacements For Current Generic Base (Download!)

Dodo Replacement