Hard Light Productions Forums

Modding, Mission Design, and Coding => The Modding Workshop => Topic started by: Unknown Target on September 18, 2004, 04:23:32 pm

Title: Need help converting.
Post by: Unknown Target on September 18, 2004, 04:23:32 pm
Hi all. I've got a semi-high poly model (2000 something polies), and tried running it thru both Modelview beta 5 (with the upgraded counts), and COB2POF, but I still can't get it right. It comes out with screwed up smoothing, and crashes the game whenever I load the model.

I've tried POF constructor suit's conversion, but I get this error:

[qoute]
Stack overflow protection was engaged,
Please contact Kazan and provide a copy of this model.
Compile aborted after GenerateBSP reached a depth of 1000 recursions.[/quote]
Title: Need help converting.
Post by: magatsu1 on September 18, 2004, 05:49:59 pm
sounds like there's a pretty fatal error, probably in the geomertry.

Care to post piccys ?
Title: Need help converting.
Post by: Omniscaper on September 18, 2004, 05:55:36 pm
Use the PCS auto-facet version and make sure your hierarchy is setup the way this tutorial says so

http://freespace.volitionwatch.com/blackwater/fstut/fstut_index01.htm

Your problems are the MAIN REASON I enthusiastically embraced Styxx's 3dsmax exporter.
Title: Need help converting.
Post by: Unknown Target on September 18, 2004, 07:07:57 pm
I searched thru the forum and found the auto-facet build, but I can't run it cause I get a missing file error.
Title: Need help converting.
Post by: Kazan on September 18, 2004, 07:12:22 pm
www.sf.net/projects/alliance

that error occurs when you use non-supported modeling environments and they generate improper data leading to one or more polygons with duplicate centroids (almost certainly means duplications of polygons)
Title: Need help converting.
Post by: Unknown Target on September 18, 2004, 07:17:45 pm
I used Milkshape 3D to model, and Lithunwrap to convert. Would that have done it?

EDIT: Tried the version you gave me, same error.
Title: Need help converting.
Post by: Kazan on September 18, 2004, 11:42:39 pm
milkshape 3d is the problem
Title: Need help converting.
Post by: magatsu1 on September 19, 2004, 05:58:02 am
what format does milkshape use, just out of interest ?
Title: Need help converting.
Post by: Unknown Target on September 19, 2004, 10:42:52 am
.ms3d, but Lithunwrap can open that and export it to .cob.
Title: Need help converting.
Post by: karajorma on September 19, 2004, 10:58:44 am
Ummm. What version of Lith are you using? There is a version of 1.3 that exports very dodgy cobs. Have you downloaded the version from IP Andrew's Ship Creation Guide? Cause I know that that one is good.
Title: Need help converting.
Post by: Unknown Target on September 19, 2004, 01:35:34 pm
I dunno, I'll download it just in case. Link?


EDIT: Found it, hold on...

EDIT2: Tried it, no luck. Same problem.
Title: Need help converting.
Post by: Unknown Target on September 19, 2004, 02:37:18 pm
But get this, before, I could export it to pof, and then reconvert it back to cob, and then convert it back to POF, and it'd WORK, no smoothing problems, no crashes, etc. Only problem is, there's no textures or subobjects, and you can fly thru it in-game.
This was done with COB2POF and/or Modelview.


Now, I can do the same thing with PCS, but, I still get smoothing errors. However, it converts properly, AND still has textures and submodels. Unfortunately, however, it still crashes the game :(

Any suggestions?
Title: Need help converting.
Post by: Liberator on September 19, 2004, 02:57:18 pm
Um...just out of stupidity, why not just DL TS3.2 and use it to stabilize the COBs before opening in PCS(whatever build)
Title: Need help converting.
Post by: Unknown Target on September 19, 2004, 06:30:30 pm
I use TS5.2 or somethign to stabalize them, except when exported none of the submodels or anything stay intact :(
Title: Need help converting.
Post by: Taristin on September 19, 2004, 06:34:30 pm
TS was never very good at 'stabillizing' models, in my experience.
Title: Need help converting.
Post by: Unknown Target on September 20, 2004, 11:10:58 am
Like I said, it works in a limited fashion.

This is what it ends up like in-game (both fighters were converted using the above method of exporting, importing, exporting):

(http://mods.moddb.com/images/mods/gallery/16123img.jpg)
Title: Need help converting.
Post by: Kazan on September 20, 2004, 11:38:41 am
im going to make some alterations

add an algorithm that detects duplicate polygons (including ones that have been duplicated then "Flipped")
Title: Need help converting.
Post by: aldo_14 on September 20, 2004, 11:57:33 am
Quote
Originally posted by Kazan
im going to make some alterations

add an algorithm that detects duplicate polygons (including ones that have been duplicated then "Flipped")


Sometimes people flip & duplicate polys for the purposes of 2-way transparency, though.
Title: Need help converting.
Post by: StratComm on September 20, 2004, 12:33:33 pm
Yeah, my jumpnode mesh is full of flipped polygons.  There are a number of instances where you want to be able to use them.
Title: Need help converting.
Post by: Unknown Target on September 20, 2004, 01:00:44 pm
Yes, my model has flipped polygons (for two-way transparancy). That might be the error Kazan. When would it be possible for you to release that next build for testing?
Title: Need help converting.
Post by: Kazan on September 20, 2004, 02:07:55 pm
flipped polygons will have duplicate centroids - therefore they violate the BSP data constraints


whoever created the transparency feature obviously doesn't know how BSP works... or forgot to think about it

polygons with duplicate centroids and then having points superimposed on each other will be deleted -- that's REQUIRED for it to be BSP'able

if you want to do "two-way-transparency" you're going to have to slighlty offset the faces -- 0.01 should do it, but you will have inefficiencies in the bsp, 0.1 would do it better (still inefficiencies, but less)

[edit]
when? soon
Title: Need help converting.
Post by: Unknown Target on September 20, 2004, 02:19:36 pm
So basically the model will convert properly if I simply make the inner faces slightly smaller than the outer ones? And I won't have to open it up in Truespace?
Ok, so why does it work then if I import to pof, export to cob, open it up in Truespace, save it from Truespace, and export it back to pof (I don't recall it working if I did not FIRST export to POF, then from POF to COB).
Title: Need help converting.
Post by: Kazan on September 20, 2004, 02:28:49 pm
no - you have to move them - if the centroid is the same then the polygons are the same as far as the BSP tree is concerned

import to pof? with what program? cob2fs2? he 'fudged' a lot of things and that's why collision doesn't work ,etc
Title: Need help converting.
Post by: Unknown Target on September 20, 2004, 02:44:09 pm
Cob2FS2, yes, or Modelview (which uses a derivitave).
Title: Need help converting.
Post by: StratComm on September 20, 2004, 03:17:34 pm
"inner faces slightly smaller" from a modeling perspective simply means scaling all of them down together; the result would be an offset so it would actually be fine.  Wonder why my jump node works though.
Title: Need help converting.
Post by: Kazan on September 20, 2004, 04:18:24 pm
it wouldn't result in an offset of the centroid

if your jump node is the one being used - it's because the two faces are at an offset
Title: Need help converting.
Post by: aldo_14 on September 20, 2004, 05:04:44 pm
I'm positive I actually converted a model with dual-faced identical polys with PCS, though.  The Orc, IIRC - the girder subobjects had a crude transparency on them, so I made all polys on them effectively 2-sided.
Title: Need help converting.
Post by: Unknown Target on September 20, 2004, 07:16:03 pm
So how could I fix it Kazan, if resizing the inner polies won't work?
Title: Need help converting.
Post by: Kazan on September 22, 2004, 03:24:11 pm
you have the _MOVE_ them, even if slightly