Hard Light Productions Forums

Modding, Mission Design, and Coding => The Modding Workshop => Topic started by: Raptor on May 19, 2006, 06:46:24 am

Title: Original BSG mod development...
Post by: Raptor on May 19, 2006, 06:46:24 am
AS IPAndrews requested it, here is a thread for my Original BSG TC.  Still very much WIP and early days, but things are progressing...  Oh, and feel free to get into a 'Original BSG Vs NuBSG' disscussion.  Just no insults please ;)

First off, the star of the mod, the Viper.  Here's those comparison's with your Viper you asked for IPA.
(http://img77.imageshack.us/img77/9369/vipercompare016xa.th.jpg) (http://img77.imageshack.us/my.php?image=vipercompare016xa.jpg)
(http://img98.imageshack.us/img98/1976/vipercompare024cl.th.jpg) (http://img98.imageshack.us/my.php?image=vipercompare024cl.jpg)
(http://img130.imageshack.us/img130/3562/vipercompare030ec.th.jpg) (http://img130.imageshack.us/my.php?image=vipercompare030ec.jpg)
(http://img212.imageshack.us/img212/1760/vipercompare042ro.th.jpg) (http://img212.imageshack.us/my.php?image=vipercompare042ro.jpg)

The two Vipers are actually the same size, it's just Modelveiw.  I was thinking about using a modded (fused UV mapped) version of your Viper as a lower LOD for mine IPA.

(http://img95.imageshack.us/img95/2816/guardian022df.th.jpg) (http://img95.imageshack.us/my.php?image=guardian022df.jpg)
The Guardian as it is in game...

(http://img130.imageshack.us/img130/8547/guardian014zl.th.jpg) (http://img130.imageshack.us/my.php?image=guardian014zl.jpg)
And in TS, with all the hi-poly details added.  Need to a) add the details that go inside the 'arms', & b) cut away some polys.  May even remove some detail objects too...

(http://img103.imageshack.us/img103/8873/guardian033uo.th.jpg) (http://img103.imageshack.us/my.php?image=guardian033uo.jpg)
One of the few shots I got of the Guardian firing it's lasers.

Not to be out-done, the Cylons also have their Raider, and these:
(http://img54.imageshack.us/img54/5449/baseship048hd.th.jpg) (http://img54.imageshack.us/my.php?image=baseship048hd.jpg)
(http://img159.imageshack.us/img159/8113/destroyers8ac.th.jpg) (http://img159.imageshack.us/my.php?image=destroyers8ac.jpg)
Base Star and Destroyers, respectfully.

The TC needs lots more work...
Title: Re: Original BSG mod development...
Post by: IPAndrews on May 19, 2006, 07:02:11 am
Wait a minute, my Viper doesn't have 14 textures  :wtf:. You're using an old version aren't you. Both my Viper and Raider are one texture. Your shape is better than mine I think anyway. Although i'd recommend you remap your Viper to use the texture from my latest Viper as my textures look better. I say "my" textures. To clarify they are Andy (XWA BSG mod) and Maudib (Starshatter BSG mod)'s textures mixed. Makes the Viper more dirty/grungy and looks better in-game.
Title: Re: Original BSG mod development...
Post by: WeatherOp on May 19, 2006, 08:03:53 am
(http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a120/weatherop/VIPERDUDE.gif)

 :D
Title: Re: Original BSG mod development...
Post by: Raptor on May 19, 2006, 10:42:13 am
Wait a minute, my Viper doesn't have 14 textures  :wtf:. You're using an old version aren't you. Both my Viper and Raider are one texture. Your shape is better than mine I think anyway. Although i'd recommend you remap your Viper to use the texture from my latest Viper as my textures look better. I say "my" textures. To clarify they are Andy (XWA BSG mod) and Maudib (Starshatter BSG mod)'s textures mixed. Makes the Viper more dirty/grungy and looks better in-game.

Yea, I think that Viper came from your first working release. So... where are those models?  And I freely admit my viper texture needs more work.  But as for remapping it...  :shaking:

I would have some new pics of the Guardian and Protector for you guys, but I can't get the .cobs to convert.  'Stack Overflow protection' and 'Polygon > 20 points'.  I don't really understand the first and I'm too tired to hunt the offender for the second ATM...

Nice Viper WeatherOp, though one thing you need to do is round off the nose (where the top meets the sides) It's looking a little box-like ATM.  Mine use to have a pilot too, but Killfrenzy (the guy I kinda started this TC with) told me to remove him.  Still have the model though.
Title: Re: Original BSG mod development...
Post by: IPAndrews on May 19, 2006, 10:56:28 am
'Stack Overflow protection' and 'Polygon > 20 points'.

First one means PCS has falled over. Possibly due to a geometry problem in your mesh. Possibly due to two polygons being absolutely identical. IIRC. Second one is self explanitory. Somewhere you have a polygon with >20 points on it's border. Find it, chop it in half so you have two polygons with 10 points on their border. PCS will be happy.
Title: Re: Original BSG mod development...
Post by: Raptor on May 20, 2006, 04:31:14 am
Find it, chop it in half so you have two polygons with 10 points on their border. PCS will be happy.

Ah, but that's the key point.  Finding the little bugger.  I'll be hunting it today.
Title: Re: Original BSG mod development...
Post by: Raptor on May 20, 2006, 10:47:45 am
Finally, after much agro and fustration, I managed to get both ships ingame, though I had to cut off a LOT of the detail I was hoping to include.  The Guardians not much different...

(http://img167.imageshack.us/img167/4289/protector059se.jpg)
Not much to look at, but it is a nice long shot.

(http://img276.imageshack.us/img276/8196/protector069vc.jpg)
And here she is giving someone both barrels ;)  Cause we all love beams.

Still needs more work, and a proper texture... (hint)
Title: Re: Original BSG mod development...
Post by: Killfrenzy on May 21, 2006, 08:17:16 pm
Ah, so it's resurfaced..........:)

A while back I got permission from the guy who made the Tiger-class Colonial destroyer. We can model it and use that in-game as long as we credit him.

The Guardian looks sweeeeeeeet..........

Going to be hard to go up against the GINA mod.........
Title: Re: Original BSG mod development...
Post by: Raptor on May 22, 2006, 04:06:35 am
Ah, so it's resurfaced..........:)

By the Lords of Kobal! :eek2: He's back!

Long time no hear Killfrenzy!

The TC's been slowly ticking along

Quote
Going to be hard to go up against the GINA mod.........

Only while it's still me working on this single handed.  I swear Omni must be some kind of machine to work so fast.  Either that or he's working on it 24/7...
Title: Re: Original BSG mod development...
Post by: Killfrenzy on May 22, 2006, 09:48:59 am
I've always been here! :D Just not in a posty way!

I believe Omni is a professional 3D artist (if I'm wrong, enlighten me) so his working speed is somewhat unsurprising.

Still, he is very, very talented. :)

I may try and throw a Tiger-class destroyer together at some point. A lot of my usual tools are on an older PC (using a newer machine now, with an Athlon 64 FX-57 in it, 1GB RAM and a GeForce 7800GTX so I've got plenty of power) so I need to do some salvage work. That, and reinstall FS2 on this machine after I hook my sidewinder up again.
Title: Re: Original BSG mod development...
Post by: Lt.Cannonfodder on May 22, 2006, 12:58:52 pm
I swear Omni must be some kind of machine to work so fast.  Either that or he's working on it 24/7...

Omni is insanely fast and dedicated, but he does have a few little helpers that try to contribute as best as they can  :)
Title: Re: Original BSG mod development...
Post by: Raptor on May 23, 2006, 12:39:17 am
I've always been here! :D Just not in a posty way!

I believe Omni is a professional 3D artist (if I'm wrong, enlighten me) so his working speed is somewhat unsurprising.

Still, he is very, very talented. :)

I may try and throw a Tiger-class destroyer together at some point. A lot of my usual tools are on an older PC (using a newer machine now, with an Athlon 64 FX-57 in it, 1GB RAM and a GeForce 7800GTX so I've got plenty of power) so I need to do some salvage work. That, and reinstall FS2 on this machine after I hook my sidewinder up again.

Figures. about Omin that is.

I know what you mean about salvage work.  I recently upgraded too (to an AMD64 3700+ with 1gig of RAM and a 256mg geforce 6200 turbo) so I was doing salvage/transfer stuff for a while.  You never realise just how much stuff builds up until you have to transfer it all by disk!
Title: Re: Original BSG mod development...
Post by: Killfrenzy on May 23, 2006, 09:44:49 am
I'm tempted to just put the old hard drive into this machine. :) Saves faffing about with disks. :D
Title: Re: Original BSG mod development...
Post by: redneckf15 on May 25, 2006, 01:16:37 pm
 :yes: Awesome models! I've been a lurker in these forums since I discovered them a few months ago and this one made me register.

Are you going to release a model pack? I hope so, I downloaded FS2 Open and am waiting with HUGE anticipation.

Well done and thanks for working on this for us!

Title: Re: Original BSG mod development...
Post by: Raptor on May 25, 2006, 04:53:56 pm
Are you going to release a model pack? I hope so, I downloaded FS2 Open and am waiting with HUGE anticipation.

Well done and thanks for working on this for us!

Models, missions... full TC package (at least, that's the plan... ::))
Title: Re: Original BSG mod development...
Post by: Getter Robo G on May 27, 2006, 09:21:30 am
G;ad yo see you gto teh Protector(or was it defender?) in game.. Was one of teh crude raw models I sent ya in the mod pack.  How long till you get Tiger and the others in? Can't wait to see the Jugeernaught bomber.
Title: Re: Original BSG mod development...
Post by: Roanoke on May 27, 2006, 03:39:46 pm
I don't recall the engineso n the battlestar being that tall.......
Title: Re: Original BSG mod development...
Post by: Killfrenzy on May 27, 2006, 07:30:02 pm
That might be because it's not a Battlestar, but another design of (unofficial) Colonial Warship. :)
Title: Re: Original BSG mod development...
Post by: Raptor on May 28, 2006, 05:14:08 am
That might be because it's not a Battlestar, but another design of (unofficial) Colonial Warship. :)

Indeed.  Infact there's another design of his (the guy who designed the Protector and Guardian) that uses two vertical engine blocks, and was used by the effects/cgi team on GINO in the last show of series 2!  It had about 5 seconds on screen, but it's clearly his design...
Title: Re: Original BSG mod development...
Post by: Mefustae on May 28, 2006, 05:19:07 am
Indeed.  Infact there's another design of his (the guy who designed the Protector and Guardian) that uses two vertical engine blocks, and was used by the effects/cgi team on GINO in the last show of series 2!  It had about 5 seconds on screen, but it's clearly his design...
(http://img142.imageshack.us/img142/6695/capture219vw.jpg)
Title: Re: Original BSG mod development...
Post by: Raptor on May 28, 2006, 05:41:26 am
That's the one.  Bottom right.

His design drawing:
(http://img91.imageshack.us/img91/5748/image0157hs.jpg)

There's a hanger pod hang between and below the two arms that hold the engines.

And SteveW's UBER model of it:
(http://img146.imageshack.us/img146/9842/defenderrender1lv.th.jpg) (http://img146.imageshack.us/my.php?image=defenderrender1lv.jpg)

That guy's worse than Omni!

Weblink ot his ships designs:
http://ravensbranch.allen.com/colonialshipdescriptions.html
It's all for a table-top 'Babylon 5 Wars' TC, but I figured we can easily use them in FS2 (and yes, I already have permission)
Title: Re: Original BSG mod development...
Post by: DaBrain on May 28, 2006, 08:29:19 am


That guy's worse than Omni!



You think so? Keep in mind Omniscaper is restrained by the game performance... ;)
Title: Re: Original BSG mod development...
Post by: Raptor on May 28, 2006, 10:27:51 am
You think so? Keep in mind Omniscaper is restrained by the game performance... ;)

True, but then SteveW modelled Atlantis (as SG1's Atlantis) and that was reaching over half a million polys! :eek2:

And each of his BSG ships are in the region of three-fifty thousand... :nervous: :shaking:
Title: Re: Original BSG mod development...
Post by: Roanoke on May 28, 2006, 11:41:14 am
ah, right. Wasn't paying attention.

Y'know for render work, half a mill isn't such a big number. There's no real limit other than what's pratical for the pc to work with. I always found lighting made the largest dent, performamce wise.
Title: Re: Original BSG mod development...
Post by: Lt.Cannonfodder on May 28, 2006, 01:20:32 pm

And each of his BSG ships are in the region of three-fifty thousand... :nervous: :shaking:

Make that sixty-seventy.
Title: Re: Original BSG mod development...
Post by: karajorma on May 28, 2006, 03:11:03 pm
It should be a crime to make a model of that quality and then cut and paste it onto a stock background :D
Title: Re: Original BSG mod development...
Post by: DaBrain on May 29, 2006, 09:07:37 am
You think so? Keep in mind Omniscaper is restrained by the game performance... ;)

True, but then SteveW modelled Atlantis (as SG1's Atlantis) and that was reaching over half a million polys! :eek2:

And each of his BSG ships are in the region of three-fifty thousand... :nervous: :shaking:

That's nothing. Watch out for my upcomming model.

Battleship Sphere!

"Omg it's sooo smooth!!!

Incredible how 100 million polys can be put into almost good use so quickly. :)


... ok... I guess you shouldn't compare models, that are ment to be for games, with models that aren't.
Title: Re: Original BSG mod development...
Post by: Getter Robo G on May 29, 2006, 05:54:11 pm
Back to work on Star Fox (TM) you!...

  (Jibber Jabbing about 100 million poly spheres no one can ever use)...  :D

 

Title: Re: Original BSG mod development...
Post by: Raptor on May 30, 2006, 04:41:48 am

That's nothing. Watch out for my upcomming model.

Battleship Sphere!

"Omg it's sooo smooth!!!

Incredible how 100 million polys can be put into almost good use so quickly. :)


... ok... I guess you shouldn't compare models, that are ment to be for games, with models that aren't.

Yea.  Since his are for renders, they are made so badly (by FS2 standards)


Not that they are poor models, just that the poly use is nuts... :nervous:
Title: Re: Original BSG mod development...
Post by: Flipside on May 30, 2006, 04:35:07 pm
I think that increasing the polycount, even on a flat surface, will increase the effectiveness of the rendering. Not sure with the level of Renderer they use in BSG though, but often a 2 polygon surface that is too big can start to look a bit telltale in the lighting effects department, even professional renderers like Lightwave and 3DS Max can suffer from this sometimes :( By sudividing the body up particularly when using polygon shaders, you can improve the look of the lighting whilst making no difference to the 'look' of the mesh itself at all :)