[FUBAR-BDHR]

They should but there are some like the ones on the side of the nova that look like multi part but aren't. 

[The E]

Depends on whether or not they work in fs2_open.

[Dragon]

They do.

[boewolf]

New weapons as in new weapons.  Same turrets but they fire a new beam type using 3.6.11 code features. 

Might as well pull up the old pics:







Most of those were work in progress and I don't think a decision was ever made about nameplate style.  The one in FRED + a nameplate is probably closest to what it is. 

Just out of curiosity are these new skins available yet?

[FUBAR-BDHR]

No the original nameplate scheme had issues and was redone leaving the demo version of the textures pretty useless.  It's not hard to redo and I do have it on the list.  Only a couple of things ahead of it. 

[boewolf]

I personally don't like the nameplates over the semi organic hull.  Besides the Nova, are there any semi organic skins for the Midwinter and the EA fighters?

[FUBAR-BDHR]

No but that could be done. 

Nameplate is optional.  The default is no plate. 

[Slasher]

Weird.  Just earlier today I was experimenting with the Shadow textures and I got the animated one overlayed on the Thunderbolt's standard texture.  I threw in a shinemap for good form, but the effect needs some tweaking.

[FUBAR-BDHR]

I think someone already did a shadow one.  I'll have to look but check in Zathras. 

Besides without a link to the texture we can't test it

[boewolf]

Well, I have started some freding.  Not that these missions are going to be overly balanced...  Yet...  Given its going to be younger races vs EA Shadow tech.  Will get harder once its EA Shadow vs Minbari then Drakh and Centauri.  Maybe even EA Shadow and the Shadows chasing the Vorlon out of the galaxy.

[Slasher]

I can upload what I have now but the effect isn't up to what I'd like at the moment:

- The effect is too dark for my liking, and you can barely tell the texture is moving unless the environmental light source is shining directly on it
  (gamma in screenshot isn't representative of what I see in-game).

- There's a single frame at the beginning of the animation where I erased the Shadow skin over the cockpit windows when I was planning on animating the
  shine map too.  This is a simple fix and barely noticeable as is, but still needs to be addressed.

- I didn't modify the T-bolt2a texture, which covers the engine cowlings.  As such you can still see some green on the model.  More noticeable than the above
  point, but not hard to correct either.

- I increased the brightness/contrast on the base T-bolt texture to make the paneling stand out more but neglected to gray out the green decals.  At this
  point I might just leave that bit, since the green doesn't show through the Shadow skin anyway.

- That little break in the cockpit window on the shinemap is GLARING (literally).

- Would like to modify the model file itself to give the thing some treadmark Shadow spikes.  Not too many though.

- Anything else I can nitpick.

The effect is basically identical to the standard Shadow skin: 20 frames ran at 30 fps.  I haven't found anything in the Zathras .vps that would imply a Shadow skinned EA fighter yet.

[FUBAR-BDHR]

One thing to keep in mind when doing textures:  There will no longer be b c and d lod versions.  I've already removed almost all of the ea ones.  Just a few caps to do.  This will be in the next Zathras. 

[Slasher]

Do you have any timetable for the next Zathras because I'm sitting on several other texture jobs in various states of completion and four new music tracks.  All are in need of testing.  I was going at a decent clip until classes started then work on my TBP campaign went into molasses mode.

[edit]  Didn't know that about the LOD textures.  Do you have any details on how that works now?

[FUBAR-BDHR]

Timetable = soon.  It will be 3.6.13 compatible as 3.6.12 and 3.6.13 need different table entries do to a SNAFU in the warp code backporting.   As soon as I get the remaining EA ships re-LODed and debris done if needed.  You can see the progress here:  http://hard-light.net/mantis/view.php?id=509

Crew shuttle/support ship already has the LODs done just need some debris.  That covers almost every species support as well.
 

[Slasher]

Here's the link for the new music.  Two were drawn from the canceled Into the Fire game, specifically tracks B and the Intro.  One was drawn from various The Lost Tales samples, and the fourth was composed from elements of The Long, Twilight Struggle suite.  They're in .ogg format with an accompanying .tbm file, if you plan on testing remember to extract to a mod folder or make a new one. 

I want to work on the transitions a little bit to make them smoother, and I was planning on adding at least one briefing track from ITF - E.  There might be enough stuff in The Coming of Shadows for a fifth track too, not sure yet.

I'll resume work on the textures as time allows.  Not having to do b, c, and d textures for the LODs is going to save serious time.

[FUBAR-BDHR]

Great I'll get them tested.  I warn you I don't have an ear for this kind of thing so feedback from others will be the way to go.  My job is just to see if they work.  I will rename it to Slasher.vp just to make it easier to keep track of and update. 

[boewolf]

I can upload what I have now but the effect isn't up to what I'd like at the moment:

- The effect is too dark for my liking, and you can barely tell the texture is moving unless the environmental light source is shining directly on it
  (gamma in screenshot isn't representative of what I see in-game).

- There's a single frame at the beginning of the animation where I erased the Shadow skin over the cockpit windows when I was planning on animating the
  shine map too.  This is a simple fix and barely noticeable as is, but still needs to be addressed.

- I didn't modify the T-bolt2a texture, which covers the engine cowlings.  As such you can still see some green on the model.  More noticeable than the above
  point, but not hard to correct either.

- I increased the brightness/contrast on the base T-bolt texture to make the paneling stand out more but neglected to gray out the green decals.  At this
  point I might just leave that bit, since the green doesn't show through the Shadow skin anyway.

- That little break in the cockpit window on the shinemap is GLARING (literally).

- Would like to modify the model file itself to give the thing some treadmark Shadow spikes.  Not too many though.

- Anything else I can nitpick.

The effect is basically identical to the standard Shadow skin: 20 frames ran at 30 fps.  I haven't found anything in the Zathras .vps that would imply a Shadow skinned EA fighter yet.

I'm not yet in a big hurry.  Feel free to take your time to get the effect you desire.  It doesn't seem to hard to change a set of textures later.  If I get around to making a spiked T-Bolt I'll pass it on to you.

[wesp5]

I know this is kind of impolite , but seeing this is the most active thread here, may I ask what can be done about the 3D jumppoint effect? There was some discussion but then it fell dormant. I'm still thinking that the 3D version is too long and the 2D version is too short and a middle solution with the flash at the end would be perfect. Just play the Shadow Dancing mission of Star Fury Pilot with all the jumppoints opening around you, and you will notice what I mean...

[FUBAR-BDHR]

Really at this point not much.  Changing the size of it or location of the center would break almost every mission ever made.  Maybe additional effects will be possible via code at some point. 

[wesp5]

Changing the size of it or location of the center would break almost every mission ever made.  

I don't think that this would happen. The ships emerge from the flash which is rather in the middle of the 3D cone and I suspect this is the coordinate where the jumppoint is placed. What I would like to see is the much too long cone after the flash being moved to end exactly at this point. The 2D version does this but is too short at the front, just imagine left from the flash of the top picture with right of the flash of the bottom picture, merged together at the ship end.




If you could point me to the tools needed to edit FS2 models I would try to take a look myself. I used Blender to look at Bloodlines models a long time ago once...