[Kazan]

well im going to do what i am best at - telling other people how to do things

start submitting questions for the model Conversion HOWTO

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"Why Climb it?" - "Because it's there."
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FreeSpace 2: The Babylon Project Effects Nerd and Programmer.
Alliance Productions

['Captain' Nick Brown]

1: Using the Pof editor in the FSMM, what's the best way to make a path?

2: What are the steps that you have to do to make a fighterbay (Using the pof editor in FSMM)?

3: Is a path what is used for ships on a docking run?

4: Can you add any subsystem to a ship (like a computer core, bridge, cockpit, energy core, etc)?

5: How do you add textures to a ship and how do you assign the textures to the right places (does it have to be done in TS or a similar program?)?

6: If you assign a docking point without a path, will it still work ok?

7: Are there different kinds of docking points on a ship, or does that get determined by the .tbl files (ie: transport, capital, fighter, etc)?

[This message has been edited by 'Captain' Nick Brown (edited 08-19-2001).]

[Kazan]

 

Originally posted by 'Captain' Nick Brown:
Using the Pof editor in the FSMM, what's the best way to make a path. And what are the steps that you have to do to make a fighterbay (Using the pof editor in FSMM)? Is a path what is used for ships on a docking run?

makes several questions

Q) What is a path?
A) Literally what it's named, a path for the AI to follow.

Q) Using the POF Editing program how do you make a path.
A) You create a path and then create the individual points in it (normally furthest from dest to closest)

3) How do you make a fighterbay
A) First you go into the subsystem editor and create a "$fighterbay" subsystem in the correct location.  After that you go to the path editor and create 4 paths named "$bay01" through "$bay04" their parent object is the LOD0 main object (name not number), fighterbay paths normally have 4 points - furthest to closest, and the radii are 1000,100,10,1 (furthest to closest) normally.

[edit] After Nick's edit

Q) Can you add any subsystem to a ship (like a computer core, bridge, cockpit, energy core, etc)?
A) You can add any subsystem you want, but only the hardcoded names will automatically affect things.  The things you named would have to be ran via sexps (note: "energy core" is the same as "reactor")

Q) How do you add textures to a ship and how do you assign the textures to the right places (does it have to be done in TS or a similar program?)?
A) Texturing is part of the modeling process, so it must be done in a modeler.  However you can reskin a ship by changing the texture names in the Texture Editor


Q) If you assign a docking point without a path, will it still work ok?
A) No, it will crash freespace 2, and possibly fred2

Q) Are there different kinds of docking points on a ship, or does that get determined by the .tbl files (ie: transport, capital, fighter, etc)?
A) Yes, normal ship-to-ship and cargo docks.  Naming a dock "cargo" makes it a cargo dock, otherwise it's a normal dock.  Note: All docks must have 2 points - the main point then another point translated by the vector (0, 0.1, 0.3)




[This message has been edited by Kazan (edited 08-19-2001).]

['Captain' Nick Brown]

 

Originally posted by Kazan:


3) How do you make a fighterbay
A) First you go into the subsystem editor and create a "$fighterbay" subsystem in the correct location.  After that you go to the path editor and create 4 paths named "$bay01" through "$bay04" their parent object is the LOD0 main object (name not number), fighterbay paths normally have 4 points - furthest to closest, and the radii are 1000,100,10,1 (furthest to closest) normally.

Thanks Kazan. I've been fiddling around with the POF editor in FSMM over the weekend. That fighterbay/path stuff is just too confusing for me, so I think I'll leave it to the experts... Thanks.

[Kazan]

just so you dont ask yourself "shouldn't he call it a FAQ" yes _this_ is a FAQ but it's the FAQ that'll be part of the Conversion HOWTO  

[Bobboau]

I would like to know all the information regarding the auto-generation code, ie all the things that can presently be generated by an auto-gen and how to work them,
perhaps this would be a good thing to wright up into your web page.

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Bobboau, bringing you products that work.............. in theory

[Kazan]

Q) What is, and how does POF Constructor Suites's "AutoTurret" feature work?
A) AutoTurret is a comprehensive hierarchy extension to support all features of turrets.  AutoTurret automatically sets up subsystem data, and TGUN data for turrets (both stationary and rotating).  The system is activated by naming the (statationary) turret "Turret[NN]" where '[NN]' is the number of the where - ie "Turret01" is the first turret.  Rotating turrets are "Turret[NN]-Base" and "Turret[NN]-Arms" for the respective parts. (Note: You can append more text - such as LOD letters to the end of the names without breaking the system).  AutoTurret also features the ability to define firepoints (and thereby the normal) via a light.  You place the light where the firepoint should be and name it "Turret[NN]-FP[II]" where once again [NN] is the turret number and [II] is an ID number for the firepoint (PCS doesn't use it, inserts them in the order it finds them).  When (a) firepoint(s) is/are defined PCS automatically figures the normal via the "average location of the firepoints relative to the center of the parent object."  (Watch out - calculus ahead!)
In other words if you have two firepoints at v1(5, 50, 0) and v2(-5, 50, 0) from the center of the parent object the math would be as follows:

Code: [Select]

v1 + v2 = v3(0, 100, 0)
normal = u(v3) = (v3 / | |v3| |) = (0, 1, 0)
AutoTurret is designed to save a lot of time in conversion by letting them modeller define this data, and you do not have to re-enter [or sometimes recalculate] the data when you compile a new version[/i]

Q) What is, and how does POF Constructor Suites's "AutoEngine" feature work?
A) AutoEngine is a convention for position firepoints in the modeling program - you simply place a light named "EngGlow[NN]-[II]" where [NN] is the engine in the FUEL chunk and [II] is a numeric identifer [once again not used by PCS]

Q) What is, and how does POF Constructor Suites's "AutoInsignia" feature work?
A) AutoInsignia is a feature that allows INSG data to be created in the modeling environment by creating a PLANE (make sure it's a plane), triangulating it (make sure it's triangulated).  The modeller should then texture it with a 'generic squadlogo' the way they want it to look at group it with a light and name it "InsgLOD[UU]" [UU] is the LOD number of the insignia and IS USED.  Once you have all that done simply place the insignia where it goes on the hull and glue it on [like a LOD or a debris piece]

[This message has been edited by Kazan (edited 08-21-2001).]

[This message has been edited by Kazan (edited 09-20-2001).]

[Jabu]

(just reading it)

Invaluable stuff, really. I hadn't even tried the AutoX stuff. Should help me out, especially with the glowpoints  

Oh, and any info on how to get rotating bits working properly?

[This message has been edited by Jabu (edited 08-21-2001).]

[Kazan]

feed me questions

[Joey_21]

How do you get PCS to automatically detect the mass of an object?

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Creator of the Table Edit project.
IRC: /server twisted.ma.us.DAL.net /join #Deneb
Visit The Deneb System.
Balance?! Don't you talk to me about balance when you've seen all the Sathanases the Shivans have!! - Joey_21
Checkout the System Madness II campaign

[Kazan]

it always does - it's a volume mass calculated off the outermost bounding box

[Kazan]

*hauls this baby to the top of the list*

[Sandwich]

What purpose do these serve in the game:
- Spline paths
- Lights
- Specials

Also, if I put the conversion scaling factor down to 1, will trueSpace's meters correspond exactly to in-game units?

FYI, the installer has a bug of sorts. If you choose to install into a different dir from the default, it adds "Alliance Productions's FreeSpace 2 Kit" to the end. The bug is that there is a space after the last word, which prevents the deletion of that directory by any means other then deleting the parent dir.    

EDIT: Oops, I guess those aren't really conversion questions per-se, but I figure you'd be the one to know the answer.  
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"He who laughs last thinks slowest."
"Just becase you're paranoid doesn't mean they're not out to get you."
"To err is human; to really screw up you need a computer."
Creator of the Sandvich Bar, the CapShip Turret Upgrade, the Complete FS2 Ship List and the System Backgrounds List (all available from the site)

[This message has been edited by sandwich (edited 08-26-2001).]

[Kazan]

 

Originally posted by sandwich:
What purpose do these serve in the game:
- Spline paths
- Lights
- Specials

Q) What is a "Spline Path" (in the docking editor)?
A) A numerical reference to a path in the PATH chunk (start counting paths at 1)

Q) What are "Lights" (HDR2)?
A) Type 1 are muzzle flashes Type 2 are a different type of engine glow (or perhaps the other way around)

Q) What is a "Special" (SPCL)
A) A subsystem - ie a special named "$weapons" is the 'weapons' subsystem

------------------
"Why Climb it?" - "Because it's there."
-----------------
FreeSpace 2: The Babylon Project Effects Nerd and Programmer.
Alliance Productions

[Bobboau]

are you going to make more auto-gen features like firing poins docks and paths (I would kill for auto-gen paths)
firing points wouldn't be too hard but the others may be hard
docks you could use two infinant lights (be sure to make sure they are the apropriate distance apart)
and paths could be a bunch of lights glues to each other
[path01]
|-(loclight)point01
|-(loclight)point02
|-(loclight)point03
|-(loclight)point04

point01 wouls have a radius of 1000
the last point would have a radius of 1
all points in between would be scaled evenly (2 would be 100, 3 would be 10)



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Bobboau, bringing you products that work.............. in theory

[Kazan]

i could be pestered for further auto-generation features in the future.. but not right now.. im trying to do four semesters of CCNA classes in two semesters time

[Top Gun]

Does it matter if objects overlap whilst Modeling in TS?

Is there any quick way to round off sharp corners of objects in TS?



[This message has been edited by Top Gun (edited 08-26-2001).]

[Kazan]

those are modelling, not conversion

[Sandwich]

More info about spline paths please. What effect do they have in the game, etc?
 

Originally posted by Bobboau:
(I would kill for auto-gen paths
...
point01 wouls have a radius of 1000
the last point would have a radius of 1
all points in between would be scaled evenly (2 would be 100, 3 would be 10)

Nahh, no reason to constrict things needlessly. Just have those lights be named point01-{radius}. Assuming Kazan ever manages to find the time... :-/


------------------
"He who laughs last thinks slowest."
"Just becase you're paranoid doesn't mean they're not out to get you."
"To err is human; to really screw up you need a computer."
Creator of the Sandvich Bar, the CapShip Turret Upgrade, the Complete FS2 Ship List and the System Backgrounds List (all available from the site)

[Bobboau]

well thats how they work generaly
and there used by AI ships to atack things.

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Bobboau, bringing you products that work.............. in theory