Hard Light Productions Forums

Modding, Mission Design, and Coding => The Modding Workshop => Topic started by: Razor on February 18, 2003, 12:36:02 pm

Title: Model manipulation question
Post by: Razor on February 18, 2003, 12:36:02 pm
I have a question here about Freespace models.
I want to remove the engine burst part of the model. The one with thruster textures on it but I don't know how. The 3d tools I have: Lightwave modeler and 3dS Max 4.2. How can this be done?
Title: Model manipulation question
Post by: Shrike on February 18, 2003, 01:21:34 pm
Moved to FS modding. :nod:
Title: Re: Model manipulation question
Post by: Nico on February 18, 2003, 01:46:10 pm
Quote
Originally posted by Razor
I have a question here about Freespace models.
I want to remove the engine burst part of the model. The one with thruster textures on it but I don't know how. The 3d tools I have: Lightwave modeler and 3dS Max 4.2. How can this be done?


well, in max, click on the thruster mesh, and push "del" on your keyboard :D
Title: Model manipulation question
Post by: Razor on February 18, 2003, 03:27:10 pm
Quote
Originally posted by Shrike
Moved to FS modding. :nod:


Sorry I had to put you through that trouble. It is just that I needed a quick answer and fortunatelly people visit the HLP forum first. :nod:

For Venom:
I will try that one and see if it works.
Title: Model manipulation question
Post by: Darkage on February 18, 2003, 03:36:43 pm
The same with lightwave:) select the thruster and press "Del":D
Title: Model manipulation question
Post by: karajorma on February 18, 2003, 04:06:35 pm
Do you actually need it gone? Couldn`t you just paint it with the invisible texture and just make it invisible.
Title: Model manipulation question
Post by: Razor on February 18, 2003, 05:26:28 pm
Quote
Originally posted by karajorma
Do you actually need it gone? Couldn`t you just paint it with the invisible texture and just make it invisible.


What invisible texture? Where can I find it? Sorry for asking this, but I am really a noob when it comes to modeling, rendering and all 3d stuff. I begun rendering in Lightwave just 1 month ago.
Title: Model manipulation question
Post by: Razor on February 19, 2003, 03:52:49 am
OK I've done what Venom told me, but it seems that when I convert it to LW model format, the ship acts kinda weird. For instance, when I want to move the ship, it doesn't stay in the center of X Y Z axes, it is just too far away. What the hell happened?
Title: Model manipulation question
Post by: karajorma on February 19, 2003, 10:22:19 am
Quote
Originally posted by Razor


What invisible texture? Where can I find it? Sorry for asking this, but I am really a noob when it comes to modeling, rendering and all 3d stuff. I begun rendering in Lightwave just 1 month ago.


What I`m talking about is simply editing the pof file itself without having to export it to lightwave.

All you do is open the .pof in modelview or PCS (or whatever pof editor you prefer) and simply change the texture name from thruster01 (or 0x) to invisible. Then save the pof.

What it does is paint the thruster flame of the ship with the invisble texture that was used on the orion fighter bay etc.

The thruster flame is still there (which may mean you can score hits by shooting it) but it's invisible now.
Title: Model manipulation question
Post by: Bobboau on February 19, 2003, 10:39:07 am
you could open the pof in a hex editor and find the OBJ2 chuncks for the thrusters and manualy remove them
Title: Model manipulation question
Post by: Nico on February 19, 2003, 10:48:26 am
Quote
Originally posted by Razor
OK I've done what Venom told me, but it seems that when I convert it to LW model format, the ship acts kinda weird. For instance, when I want to move the ship, it doesn't stay in the center of X Y Z axes, it is just too far away. What the hell happened?


you used LW, that's the pb :lol: ( just joking ). If it works fine in max, why not just using max? :)
for the others: AFAIK he means for rendering, not ingame.
Title: Model manipulation question
Post by: Bobboau on February 19, 2003, 10:55:07 am
doesn't LW have a recenter axes tool?
Title: Model manipulation question
Post by: karajorma on February 19, 2003, 11:36:10 am
Well then it's really a question for the art forum rather than the modding one :) No wonder I got it wrong :)

Although if you did paint the thruster faces with a completely transparent texture you might get the same result in the same way. That said if you are going to put the model into a 3D program it's probably more sensible to follow Venom's advice :)
Title: Model manipulation question
Post by: Razor on February 19, 2003, 03:53:12 pm
I think that painting the thrusters with the invisible map would work. I just gotta play a bit with Model Viewer and see how it works..I guess. Anyway, thanks for your suggestions guys. :)
Title: Model manipulation question
Post by: Razor on February 19, 2003, 04:22:11 pm
Ok people here is what I have done so far. The good news is that I mannaged to rename the thruster 01 texture to invisible so the burst is invisible now in MOD VIEW but when I converted it toa COB file using an old converter, it said that it couldnt find invisible.pcx texture. I looked inside all VPs and I couldn't find it. Maybe I am missing something here, but I gotta admit that I suck when it coms to modding job. :no: So can anybody be kind to upload this particular texture or to tell me where to find it or how to create it.  Pretty please. :sigh: :(
Title: Model manipulation question
Post by: Galemp on February 19, 2003, 05:22:28 pm
It doesn't matter, just so long as there is an invisible.pcx. The game will see it as invisible anyway.
Title: Model manipulation question
Post by: Razor on February 20, 2003, 02:08:01 am
I get that but I don't need it for a game. I need it for rendering. Sorry, if I am missing your point here.
Title: Model manipulation question
Post by: karajorma on February 20, 2003, 03:46:17 am
Razor my advice was for if you wanted to make the plume invisible in game. It won`t work for rendering because there isn`t an invisible.pcx file to texture the model with.
Title: Model manipulation question
Post by: Razor on February 20, 2003, 05:08:26 am
Quote
Originally posted by venom2506


you used LW, that's the pb :lol: ( just joking ). If it works fine in max, why not just using max? :)
for the others: AFAIK he means for rendering, not ingame.


I can't render in MAX. Just looks too complicated. Lightwave reminds me more on FRED.