Hard Light Productions Forums
Modding, Mission Design, and Coding => The Modding Workshop => Topic started by: Getter Robo G on February 16, 2007, 06:28:33 pm
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Ok, you may be wondering what this is.
This is the "Secret Project" I had mentioned months ago. I am forced to come forward due to reaching the limit of my skills at this point.
This is NOT a table edit, what this is are new models of Bases, Arms, and Barrels both assembled and in pieces to mix and match like Mr potato head!
What this does is exponentially increase the amount of new combinations for better looking turrets for FS2 ships.
How often does someone release a great ship only to have it's quality lowered a bit by using the same old "Boxes of Doom" (TM)
Now this project is two-fold.
First to get help in taking the models I have in my possession (Thanks to Axel of HW2 Modding) and making them game ready. (in particular the area I suck at the MOST, axis...)
Second to generate interest in getting modelers to donate their custom turrets for use both whole and in pieces (as a Base, Arm, or Barrel) thus ever increasing the amount of variety better quality turrets people can put on their ships.
So even though I am not finished with the files I have now, say I have 10 bases, 9 barrels, and 5 joints = 450 different possible turrets...
The goal is to use these low poly pieces to make turrets 200-400 polys each.
Now for render purposes if you go all out and use entirely high poly pieces you can easily make turrets 1100+ polys
Here is a LP example (226 polys) for a reasonable turret, note that all three pieces can be switched out...
(http://img161.imageshack.us/img161/2930/turretexamplele9.jpg)
Like I said the models are gathered, some need to be reduced slightly but mainly I just need to texture them (no big) but the critical part are the axis. If they are not done right you get off center barrels in combat that slide off the ship or turret.
Anyway... If someone is interested in helping out this effort (which surely would be front page news once released due to its importance?) OR willing to donate their own turrets to be dissected for incorporation into the project, PLEASE let me know!
I've been working off and on for months on this project as things get done slowly.
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hold that thought, im working on scripted modular turrets :D
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Does this mean my efforts have been redundant???
(if you need to keep some aspects quiet PM me)
I am still finishing up the sorting phase on parts.
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well the idea is to run turrets entirely off of the sripting system. youl still need turret models, but they need not be compiled into the model. instead they will be their own pofs. somehow il need to define hardpoints of the ship. il probibly tag it onto the ship name. like gtf herc#thp-0-10-4. i can look for the #thp, and convert the numbers to a vector object. i already got script to override turret operations. i dont intend it as a replacement for your regular turrets, but rather as a supplement.
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oh ok, I understood some of that :)
Will I still have to have axis defined on the turret arms?
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does a door need a hinge?
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Not if it's a sliding door..
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"Vorlon you two are not..." :D
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my point was a turret is a mechanical device and theres always a center of rotation. two actually. i see many instances where people fail to set up their subobject centers then wonder why they dont rotate properly.
anyway my system will require a regular turret, set up same as if you were doing it for a ship, complete with filled in turret chunks. will require a ship table, most can be left blank but youl need a subsystem for the turret. hell you can give em shields too if you want shielded turrets. you can make a sub-base, or just use an invisible object for your hull. il be using mn.createShip() to spawn them.
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Hmmm, an alien race with organic ships that respawn turrets until you take out the turret spawning subsystem... That would be nasty to play against.
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so, in theory, one could have a system where the weapon that is chosen in Fred could change the turret model to one corresponding to that weapon? :nervous:
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now im talking about a system where you can install and swap turrets on the fly :D
anyway ive had good luck with storing variables for script in the name string on weapons. when you use the # sign in a weapon name, it blanks out everything past it, so you can have things like cyclops#short. so what if i want to add special features to a weapon i can tag a variable like #var15, and with some basic string manip, i can get the number from that. i can even chain vars in there and get 3 or 4 numbers out of the line.
with ships i can store and retrieve vars in the short name field, for example. as far as i know its only used in fred and that makes it a perfect place to store vars, such as where turrets may be placed. so at least in theory what im thinking is possible. if i can figure out how to run a little interface within the loadout screen, i can create a turret list from which you may pick a turret to mount.
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Interesting, kind of similar to using the weapon models on ships, it could work very well if you could build up a central repository of turrets. Maybe the coders could be talked into changing the subsystem part of the table so that the weapons could be added in the same style as player-ship weapons are?
What would be ideal, in my opinion, would be to be able to place only a single polygon called, for example 'turret01' on the ship model when you make it, and it modifies the turret (the model being specified in the table) normals using the normal of that polygon. That would, however, not only take a change to the model file, but would also need some way to auto-compute the turret alignment code once it gets commited rather than doing it manually using scripts.
I may have some interesting turrets available soon. Now I just need to figure out whether you can get a 2-barrel gatling gun turret mount to rotate each cluster of barrels individually....
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Cool
I'll keep trudging along then as I was (although a **** ton of RT stuff just came my way I'm back into)..
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if you can find one of the nukemod dumps, not sure where i uploaded em too, there are a number of textured and untextured turrets.
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Awesome! I'll raid it later... I got a filing system for parts that includes 3 letters of the artist who made them. So for nuke a turet's pieces would be like: nukbarrel1 nukjoint1 nukbase1
The readme contains a complete list of who the acronyms belong to.
axl = Axel and this first "pack" will be made up entirely of his turrets and then in expansion packs content from others will be included just like I posted for set up that way there is never any overwriting no matter how you combine things and everyone is credited appropriately! (So you can combine pieces from 3 diff authors and we all KNOW who made them!) :D
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Does this mean that Trashman's upgunned ships won't work?!
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This is a resource I am putting together for the community, so when they make New Ship Models (or pof to cob old ones and remove the old style "low poly box turrets") They can arm it with slightly better looking custom turrets like a mr potato head, but for cap ship guns! (or bombers)...
Understand? :D
This is something I've wanted not only for myself, but for everyone else since like 2003.
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Hmmm, an alien race with organic ships that respawn turrets until you take out the turret spawning subsystem... That would be nasty to play against.
What a Nightmare. :nervous:
Okay, lame joke.
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Respawning turrets would be perfect for the Nightmares.......
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Start running Snail... (Gets Frozen Tuna Bat) "Now look what you did!!!" ;7
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And an animation code to make them fold over themselves... :P
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You know, I had a similar plan to this. Built up a number of turret parts, with which I then arm my ships. Course, it's all defined at the modelling stage, but It does give varity. I had/have seperate barrels for plasma pulse, flak and railgun type weapons (Beams are a pain, and generally I try to have those in 'gunport' type turrets) Hell, I have a TS scn that is just filled with all sorts of turrets I've made, from really low poly ones to more modern poly hungry beasts.
Some of my returreted ships (aeolus, Deimos) use an older version of this, and the Hera uses the latest set.
Yell if you want screenies...
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Hummmaaaa Kavuuuuuuuulaaaaaaaaahhhh!!!!
(that's a yell)
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:nervous: Nice yell...
Anyway, yeah Raptor please post! Would you be willing to donate them to the project? I'd suggest file renames of RAP-barrel, -joint, -base. any such additions would of course increase possible combinations exponentially.
Have to slow down a bit first on my end though, some serious RT stuff came my way an iIm hip deep in planning with the Modeler (screen name: Models Please)...
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That was quick Snail :D Considering that I've already done turrets for a couple of other people, do you really think I wouldn't donate? ;)
Here are some of the highlights...
(http://img81.imageshack.us/img81/3460/shivanturretsxq0.th.jpg) (http://img81.imageshack.us/my.php?image=shivanturretsxq0.jpg)
First up we have a study of Shivan gunport type turrets from a couple of years ago. More concept than anything else.
(http://img338.imageshack.us/img338/3047/turretpartswb8.th.jpg) (http://img338.imageshack.us/my.php?image=turretpartswb8.jpg)
Here we have the older set of interchangeable parts. The first seris used the flater turrets to the top/rear, while the slightly newer ones are to the front. The three barrels themselves are on the lower left, and are (from left to right) Railgun, Plasma pulse and flak. The two quads are a bit more recent. I was considering replacing the block turrets on the Hecates 'wings' with these (and maybe some of those on the sides when Goober's advanced turret code comes in...)
(http://img299.imageshack.us/img299/5012/tinyturretsdr8.th.jpg) (http://img299.imageshack.us/my.php?image=tinyturretsdr8.jpg)
This shot shows the two tiny turrets I've made, intended for samll ships mounting fighter guns. They are scaled so that the barrels match those on the Perseus
(http://img299.imageshack.us/img299/2640/heraturretsap6.th.jpg) (http://img299.imageshack.us/my.php?image=heraturretsap6.jpg)
Ah... the good ones. These are the multiparts I used on the GTD Hera. All of them (apart from the vulcan) use the same base, even the 'smaller' one ;7
(http://img182.imageshack.us/img182/6052/neworionvo5.th.jpg) (http://img182.imageshack.us/my.php?image=neworionvo5.jpg)
This is the latest, still a little work in progress. It's intended to replace the Orions huge triple turrets on the HTLOrion I've been working off and on with.
I also have a few others (low poly or gunport type), including BSG type turrets, but I figured you'd rather have good FS only ones.
You know, I really ought to finish that total turret weapons pack I've been working on for the last couple of years (the set of barrels in the interchangeable set are meant for use with that pack). Got all the stats done in a spreadsheet, just got to compile the weapons.tbl...
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Awesome... (Especially that Orion triple!!!)
Though the pack is primarily intended for the base/barrel (with or without connecting joint as preferred) concept, there is no reason why other type of turrets can't be included (like single parts). This is NOT limited to turrets that specifically fit in the FS2 universe. Gundam, Starblazers, etc have wonderful types of turrets that would cross over well into Fs2 for user ships for example.
However, a specific type of, say "pulsar", turret name would be redundant cause if we added your parts we'd have like 700-1000 combinations of turrets all of which could be called "pulsar" based on the desire of the person using the pack. Just as I intended, to let people use inspiration to find a look they like and are not limited to just a few styles or worse, "the boxes of doom(TM)"
Custom ships would have whatever people liked on them named as they will.
Now I'd like to eventually see an "official" turret upgrade project later on and like your Orion turret begin choosing a new set of turrets and upgrading all the offical FS2 universe meshes. (then in that context saying "This is the new FS2 pulsar turret (Cap and Fighter) versions."
Got to thinking... maybe after getting the Turret Project's first pack released maybe we can start a Missile Construction Pack (same concept). Missiles/bombs would be made of three parts (Cones - with and without fins, mainbodies - with and without fins, and thrusters - with or without fins)
(http://img228.imageshack.us/img228/9417/missilepack1oz7.jpg)
This one came from a sw mesh off a DL site so instead of a name I'd use show like sw-cone1/sw-mbf1/sw-tr1 short for: Star Wars Cone (model1)/Star Wars main Body - with Fins (model1)/Star Wars Thruster (model1)
In this case if the other two pieces had fins, they would be labled as -conef# & -trf# respectively...
Once the model is assembled you can name it whatever you want, long as the individual pieces are not reanmed, to maintain full credits.
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I'm already ahead of you with the missile thing... sort of.
I started to remodel the missiles (if you look back far enough, you might just find my posts) Someone else has since remodelled some of the warheads too, and I think those are in the Media_vp. But I was first :pimp:
Anyway, was messing about with my Ursa Mk 2, working on the missile capacity (which is INSANE right now!), and I looked at the original Ursa, to see if the afore-mentioned INSANE payload was in the right ballpark... ended up completely redoing the Ursa's payload (along with the Zeus and Medusa - need to alter fire points on the Medusa).
As part of this whole missile rejig thing, I decided to group missiles by size (and get payload values by model size) and now I have to decide what to do with the Harbinger and the Harpoon/Rockeye/MX-50/Interceptor group... as well as the Tempest.
Oh, pictures tell a thousand words:
(http://img267.imageshack.us/img267/6187/missiles3vv9.th.jpg) (http://img267.imageshack.us/my.php?image=missiles3vv9.jpg)
In order from left to right:
Bottom Row: Original Tempest, Hornet, MX-50, Rockeye, Interceptor, Harpoon, Trebuchet, Tsunami, Cyclops, Harbinger, Helios
Top Row: Perseus, My Hornet, Phoenix V (needs retexturing), Trebuchet, Cyclops, Harbinger (UVmapped, just needs lods and texturing), Helios (needs UVmapping), Titan Missile (it's the really long range missile my Hera destroyer fires. Was intended to be a cluster warhead... It's so big it doesn't fit in the shot!)
And before you all ask, yes I know the new Cyclops and Helios models are smaller than the originals. It's because the original models would not have phsyically gotten out of the missile ports on the bombers! Worst case of that was the Medusa launching Tsunami bombs, with Cyclops a close second. And with the new HTL versions with modelled in ports, It seems more sensible to have missiles that would actually fit through said ports!
Also, those monster sized warheads just looked stupid :ick: (I mean, the original Helios is the size of one of the Perseus' engine pods! :wtf:)
The new models were based on the loadout animations. Simplfied a bit, of course.
I've also a few original missiles in that scn too, which I could throw into a 'Missiles Project Pack'...
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"Realism"??? Oh you did not just say that! :P
Hehe... Fine, you started the missile thing then, but I definitely remember being the one who started screaming about crappy turrets (talking retail) in 2003ish. :D
Either people are reading my mind long before I come up with this stuff or...
I'm reading THEIR minds long after they thought of it, but didn't know it yet!!!! :nervous:
(Actually, I know all about the story of the telephone and similar incidences, so this was just to be humorous...)
Sounds Great Raptor!!!!
It'll be a long while before I'm ready to take on any of that though. I got some video issues I'm trying to work through that's really pissing me off atm. My priority is the current RT surge and testing (there's a LOT of stuff comming down the pipe that should have been gotten to long ago by others), then when that slows down get back to the turret project. I got it started pretty well though considering my skill level. :nod:
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Oh I lamented the brick turrets... I just didn't say anything ;)
To be fair it doesn't help that I tend to have 'bursts' of activty, then dissappear for months on end. The Ursa Mk2 is a prime example. I did a lot of work on it in a few days a couple of months ago, and nothing since... yesterday morning.
And your nudging has meant that I've rebuilt the interchangeable barrels to be more friendly to scaling, so all this can only be good.
FYI, Harbinger's all done. Just gave it a test run... nice. Now I've got to UVmap that Helios... :nervous: Plus the couple of dozen other things I need to do... :sigh:
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this looks nice. "now all we need is a primary mass driver/balastic cannon set"......
or a guide on how to make decent .tbl entrys for secondarys.
or even better, mass driver/balastic turrets! on bombers! and controllable too! (a sort of gunner mode?
all of which i am fully cabable of! (cept for gunner mode. we need a scripter for that)
mind if your turret upgrade expands into a full fledged weapons pack?
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In a way I do....
What you're talking about is needlessly complicating a base concept.
Let me re-iterate: "To give people more visually exciting options on their turret models". PERIOD.
What other people do with the pack afterward is not my concern (long as they credit the authors).
So this has nothing to do with tables. IF you want custom tables. alter the core ones.
Plus you're mixing terms. Primary? Are you talking about FIGHTER weapons? These can be used for fighters as TURRETS but probably with some tweaking, could be used as primary weapons, but again you could unknowingly use the wrong build and instead of just adding a barrel you add the whole thing and triple the poly count of the fighter weapon models needlessly...
But yes, I have been "working" on several missiles and other type weapons based on general Public Domain Links off the net. I have literally thousands of models on my drives over the years and now that I've gained a tiny bit of ability I have been screwing around and thus a missile pack following the turret pack philosophy of interchangeable parts will be made in the future (no set date except AFTER the initial Turret Pack)
Axel created such cannons as you described in your first line, I have stripped off all such descriptions and names of files so individual people can determine what they want to call/use the models for. All I have really done is orient/paint, and rename the files to my system.
Previously the models were listed as : Pulsar, Projectile, AA Defence (Flak), Auto Cannons, Particle cannons, etc.
Unless adopted by the community, no single model will be called a type "X" turret anymore. 100 people could use turret 1 for a ballistic type cannon or each for a completely different type weapon and it wouldn't matter, it's personal choice.
The pack is meant to make the turret part of shipbuilding quicked and less painful with pre-fabricated higher poly turrets of various configurations or freeform you put together at will. Depending on the parts you choose initial impression visually could eb of the types you described, if it already LOOKS like a ballistic weapon to you then use that model, or choose another , in the end it makes no difference at all.
Has this clarified this project for you?