[JGZinv]

I found it easier just to copy the point location data, spawn a new point, paste the data and delete the old
point.

[chief1983]

That's actually what you needed to do?  Just flip normal data from positive to negative numbers?

[JGZinv]

Well I can't even see the normal data, the darn field is squashed so much.
I'm running 1280x1024, normal font and dpi, and it still looks like that.


I probably could edit it, but then I'd have to readjust the thruster position likely.
Anyway I didn't realize normal = rotation again, that keeps skipping my mind.

[attachment deleted by Tolwyn]

[chief1983]

Make the window bigger/widen the pane then.

[JGZinv]

That has no affect on the field... You can even maximize the window with no change.

I mean sure it'll make the fields wider... but doesn't help the height issue.

[chief1983]

Actually the default for me is often that the text boxes are squished but adjusting the pane width has always fixed this for me, that's why I suggested it.

[FreeSpaceFreak]

- Is there a non-painful way to, for example, add debris or LODs to an existing model? The only way I can think of is reconverting it with everything on, and doing a global import from the old model to salvage as much from it as possible - still, though, you'd  have to set up all of the subobject movements and properties, as these don't seem to be "globally imported".

- Is it possible to rearrange the order subobjects and turrets are listed? This is a pain as well when importing from an existing model; if they're listed differently, the turret data importing goes all wrong.

[JGZinv]

Anyone mind telling me if this is generally correct for subsystem descriptions of how they function?

Engine - is your engines, if this is taken down to 0 health in game, your ship will cease moving.
Weapons - if these are destroyed you won’t be able to shoot anything.
Sensors - radar and similar targeting systems will no longer function.
Communication - won’t be able to call reinforcements, issue orders, etc.
Navigation - allows the ship to make hyperspace jumps.
Fighterbay -mainly capital ships,  tells the game what part of the ship acts as a fighter bay, and also sets up for use for making it usable for related fighter bay features.
Bridge - mainly capital ships, tells the game where you have a bridge, as a place that can receive damage and be targetable.
Reactor - mainly capital ships, ship’s energy source.

Working on the tut.

[JGZinv]

Ok can anyone tell me what these are for, and what options the program will accept?

Glow points -

Displacement Time (No clue here)
On Time (time in seconds? Does On 1 and Off 0 mean a constant glow?)
Off Time
Type  (I know there's supposedly 0 and 1, but what does what? Does 2+ do anything?)

Does the normal matter with a glowpoint? What purpose would it serve?

Syntax for the $glow_texture=texturename.???
or
$glow_texture=texturename
with no extension?

Edit - never mind, Angelus filled me in.

[Scooby_Doo]

Displacement - amount of time it first waits to go on.  i.e. an offset.  You have two glowpoints  (glowpoint 1: displacement 0, on - 1 off - 1, glowpoint 2: displacement 1, on - 1 off - 1) glowpoint 1 will blink on for one second then turn off, then glowpoint 2 will blink for one second then turn off

On time - amount of time the glowpoint is active
Off time - amount of time the glowpoint is inactive

Type - dunno
Normals - leave as is  (i think it's so you can have glowpoints not always face towards you)

[JGZinv]

I'm on the IRC room, and got Angelus's version from which I wrote this:

Displacement Time - Is the amount of time, in milliseconds, between blinks of your glowpoint.
This is your spacing essentially. Do note that these are milliseconds, so it’s a measure of 1/1000th of a second. Entering a value of 1000 here, would give you a 1 second pause between flashes of the glowpoint. 500 would be half a second between blinks, and so forth. If you are just making an “always on” glowpoint, leave this field set at 0.

On Time - The amount of time, in milliseconds, that the glow is “on” or displayed.
So if you want to glow to be shown for 4 seconds, enter 4000 into the field. This filed should not be blank or 0, otherwise your glow won’t show up.

Off Time - The amount of time, in milliseconds, that the glow is “off” or not displayed.
You might think at first glance that this is the same as displacement, it is not. You might have a situation where you could have 4 seconds ON, 4 seconds OFF, and 2 seconds pause in between before the sequence starts again. Essentially this is like animation key frames.

Parent Subobject - this should be set to the mesh of the object you are attaching the glowpoint to.
So if it was for a rotating sensor antenna, you’d want to attach it to the name for the mesh that the antenna. In this case we only have a fighter model with no moving parts, and no separate sub objects. So it should go on the mesh detail0.

LOD - should always be set to LOD0. There might be a rare case where you’d want glows to appear on a LOD1 or 2 maybe if the object is huge and blinking is important when viewed from a distance. Otherwise in 99% of the cases, you probably want this set to LOD0.

Type - No one really seems to know what options work for this field. It’s experimental. In almost all modder made models, it is set for option 0. From research there is also an option 1. But no one knows what it is for. Leave it at 0 unless you know what you’re doing.

Is it correct? If not I need to fix it before I mess people up.

Also what type of textures are acceptable for the texture field?
I assume DDS (dxt 1) and PCX. Any other requirements like 255 color?

[Spicious]

I don't think the textures have any special limitations.

Type 1 is a searchlight style glow. The only place I've seen it used was one version of the Ulysses.

[JGZinv]

I think I've got the rest of this figured out, but one last thing.

What are the currently available options for dock types?

Bob's old tutorial says this:

# $name=rearming dock
# $name=cargo dock
# $name=dock
# $name=whatever you want
remember that the name you give it will determine what type of other docks can use this point

PCS2 uses $name=Docking Point


So has docking point replaced these other types, and if not, can we double up our dockpoints in the same locations
and just rename the properties field and save some time?

[Vasudan Admiral]

AFAIK the SCP removed the limitations on what could dock with what a while ago, so you can call it whatever you like now.

[Scooby_Doo]

I don't think the textures have any special limitations.

Type 1 is a searchlight style glow. The only place I've seen it used was one version of the Ulysses.

Could you explain this one more, I'm kind curious about it now.

[Goober5000]

AFAIK the SCP removed the limitations on what could dock with what a while ago, so you can call it whatever you like now.

We did, but not in the way you think.  It used to be that a cruiser couldn't dock with a destroyer, or a freighter with a supercap.  Those restrictions have been removed.  But it's still the case that you can only rearm at a rearm dock and carry cargo at a cargo dock.

[JGZinv]

So can I make copies of my dock points in the same location and just name each set rearm dock, repair dock, docking point, etc?

It'd help if I had a list of valid dock types.

[Goober5000]

If it has "cargo" in the name, it's a cargo dock.  If it has "rearm" in the name, it's a rearming dock.  Any other name is a ship-to-ship dock.

[JGZinv]

Thanks, that's what I needed to finish the tut.

[Bobboau]

do you people really not know what the type flag in the glow points does? it's exactly what it sounds like it is the glow point's type. type 0 is a 'point' type, 1 is a 'beam' type (unless they are broken). have you never just put a bunch of numbers in and seen what they did? or look at the source. I ****ing hacked SSM tables out of the original FS2 exe with a damned hex editor, you have the source code freely available to you and 'no one knows' ? really?

also normal is for which direction the point is visible from, so you can have points that are only visible from in front or the side ect..., they are also used as the second point for the beam type glows