Hard Light Productions Forums
General FreeSpace => FreeSpace Discussion => Topic started by: ph03n!x77 on January 30, 2006, 09:58:53 pm
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Does anyone know where I could get my hands on a 3D map or a ".3ds" model of the subspace nodes / star systems in freespace 2? I am considering using some of the starsystems in a hyperspace map for a movie thing I am making... does anybody know if the stars in the game are in their actual positions that they are in space?
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The stars are not in the right places I'm afraid.
The node map shows where the nodes are as clearly as possible. It's in no way related to a real 3D map of space.
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Ok, I just figured that the developers of the Freespace series might have tried to get the authentic locations of each of the star systems (seeing as they are all real stars bar vasuda)... ah well. It would still be great if I could get my hands the 3D map used in the Freespace 2 Command briefings (already have the fs1 map in 2D). Thanks for your help!
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As a matter of fact, I believe some are indeed fake, while Vasuda is real (although a different name of course). Regarding a 3D map, I believe a screeny of one was posted over on the BWO Forums a while ago...
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Raa and Galemp have one each. I definately have one of them. I'll dig it up later if no one else has a link.
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Ok, I just figured that the developers of the Freespace series might have tried to get the authentic locations of each of the star systems (seeing as they are all real stars bar vasuda)... ah well. It would still be great if I could get my hands the 3D map used in the Freespace 2 Command briefings (already have the fs1 map in 2D). Thanks for your help!
Someone did make a 3d map (Raa? or Sandwich?), but thanks to the buggered up search function I have no idea if it's still available. It's worth noting the stars don't have to be in their actual positions in terms of FS1/2 maps, because subspace doesn't have links between every star and subspace distance may not be relative to actual 'realspace' distance (i.e. so the nodemap could be a bit like one of the underground train maps). Of course, you have a slightly larger problem in that quite a few of the FS systems as shown in game don't correspond to their real-life counterparts....
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The one shown off in the BWO forum is the one I made. Ace editted it to include their systems and hostilities.
I didn't make it publicly available, IIRC... but I did give it to a few people.
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Sandwich made one where he painstakingly reproduced the 3D positions of the systems from the command briefings. :)
I have it back at my apartment; I can upload it if anyone wants to use it.
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Okay. Now I'm wondering who is responsible for this.
[attachment deleted by admin]
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If it's from Max, I'd presume Raa. AFAIK Sandwich made his back when he was using Rhino.
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Yeah, that's Raa's. The system images and text look almost exactly like the one that BWO had showcased a while back.
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Yes, that's mine.
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Yup, we're using the map made by Raa. I've made quite a few tweaks, including a new nebula background and plenty of post-production effects.
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I thought that was Raa's but with him claiming he never released it I couldn't be sure.
IIRC when Sandwich or Galemp made their map Raa got annoyed that no one was using his. I pointed out that as far as I was aware he'd never actually released it and he got annoyed and posted it. At which point I quickly downloaded it before he could come to his senses :)
Hmmm. Maybe I should try needling him for some of his other cool stuff ;)
Oi. Raa.........
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Umm. How could I get annoyed that no one was using the one I never released? :confused: I got annoyed with people complaining that the placement wasn't 100% as Volition did it. IIRC that was part of the reason I didn't release it publicly for a while. I think I eventually did link to it somewhere though.
It's my other models that I'd like to see used more, but sadly they're all for/in stagnant/dead campaigns...
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Well I might be remembering it wrong but I got the impression that at that time you thought it had been released.
Is there anything in particluar you'd like to see used? I've got no use for your new races ships but I could probably find a use for other things.
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Neh. Not anymore... pretty much gave up >..>
Y'know.. I got to the point where I would reread my replies and think "My god. How childish..."
So yeah..... nah.
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soo... could i get a copy of the .max file or a .3ds file raa :) As for most of them being fake names... Im not to sure on that theory... from cross referencing with some 3d galaxy program (ie. celestia, 3dstar)and a couple of star gazing manuals, Dubhe, alphard, mirfak, beta cygni, delta serpentis, are pretty much real star names in fact there are only two in the Fs1 universe that i couldn't find Vasuda (for obvious reasons) and larimus...
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http://game-warden.com/raa/meh/
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Ta Mate... if i ever do an authentic star location (ie actual space coordinate relative to sol) i'll be sure to post a link or something... :yes:
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The trick I've seen with any reference to FTL travel is that unless the ships are actually measuring distance in light years per jump (Ala Battletech), the jump nodes are placed such as to make an interesting plot, or even picked at random.
A good example is the game Fading Suns, which uses a very similar style of space map as FreeSpace 2... In essence, the distances mean nothing, and the planets are linked by set jumps.
This frees up the author from having to be 100% accurate with true distances and space limitations on a map, although it also inadvertantly makes it nigh-on impossible to crete a "true" map.
Also, using hyperspace gates or the like introduces the theory of "lost" planets, and it is a heavily used plot device whenever planets are such linked.
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I guess what i'm trying to do with a realistic distance map for the movie / game (whatever it is gunna be) Is not somuch distance doesn't matter but time rather doesn't matter. With Hyperspace travel it has been theorised, acording to realativity, that it either would take no time for the the traveler and time in real space would pass normally (Ie "Wing Commander the Movie" style) or it would take time to travel in hyperspace but it would appear instantanious to the observer in real space (Ie "Contact" style). I think I am going for the latter so it might take a while for the travelor but it would be instantanious in real space. So basically i'm trying to get everything authentic down to the no sound in space and writing the events to fit the actual locations.
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If you want something similar to what he's described, Independence War 2 comes the closest to that, as any game I have ever played (though I never played elite so it may be closer).
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Mission Critical (awesome '95 adventure game) has a 3D starmap at one point in the game that appears to be pretty accurate as far as the distances go.
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If you want to get real good and accurate information, you can try Celestia. (Google search it, should be among the first results). You could use it to find distance, direction, and loads of astronomical information for stars and planetary systems, even galaxies. You can even simulate travel to other stars and planetary systems, in real-time and 3D.
The problem is that I'm just not sure if that would help you with what you're looking for or not. Oh well, good luck with your project. :)
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I've tried Celestia... It gives distances but no angles/bearings (that i know of) or X,Y,Z coords. It did however give me a rough gestimate as to where earth is supposed to be in the milkyway. I found a program named "stereo stars" which is fairly helpful but its still isn't what i need but it will o for now. Sadly most of the stars we know of are local (ie. in the orion wing).
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Just recently I was going through an old hard drive and found some very detailed maps. These aren't official maps and a good large percent is custom but it looks good.
This was originally Su-tehp's for the "Rock and the Hard Place" Campaign which I dunno if it ever got off the ground or not.
Here's a link to where you can download them if you want.
http://www.savefile.com/files/8803753
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Oh yes that's way better than the other one that's in that help file.
Thank yoooou!
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:welcome: