Hard Light Productions Forums
Modding, Mission Design, and Coding => The Modding Workshop => Topic started by: TrashMan on October 20, 2007, 09:58:08 am
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Ya, I was thinking of something and ATM I?m not sure if it's possible.
Basilcy, since I'm spiffying up some ships, I'm also working on the Galaxy carreir. I got most of the work on it done (damn mapping! Got totaly screwed).
Now I'm thinking of adding a internal hangarbay model. Is it even worth it?
My idea was to have a insidemodel as a detail box (never tried em before, would have to check how that works) and the doros as a separate object. By defaul they would be allways closed.
When a player lands then it should be opened via SEXP (can it even be done?)
Is it worth tinkering at all?
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i've got a destroyer with primitive internal bays and doors. the doors do open at launch and sometimes they close afterwards then open again for landings...i think there is still a glitch in the animation or im just not using it right cuz sometimes my doors always stay open after launch...might have to ask Bobboau about that one. point is, it does work. is it worth it? I say yes. for starters its a nice bit of eye candy for player launches. secondly it gives the ship personality, it kinda makes it feel like home if your using it as the players home base, kinda like the "neat, i live here!" feel, and kinda makes me at least more willing to defend my home base, a little detail goes a long way. thats just me though.
i've got the latest version of the galaxy you posted at hades and its a good candidate for internal bays...it has the room, and it would be a kick a$$ upgrade both visually and feel wise. on top of that i've always liked the idea of a mission where the player has to snake his way into a large carrier and drop like a mine or bomb something, to kill it...one of those desparate plans. so a detail like that would work both ways.
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Now I'm thinking of adding a internal hangarbay model. Is it even worth it?
Well, that's a question of your personal hang to realism and the joy of creating one :)
Modelled hangarbays like in WCS add a lot toward the realism for the player IMO and bring him closer into the game(IF you launch inside a carrier/destroyer at the start of a mission). But besides that effect, adding fighterbays are not really necessary for the gameplay, use up polygons and memory and take their time in modelling. But they give a nice WOW-effect for the player
However, I for myself like doing fighterbays a lot, and I love to see them ingame. :) I like it, when things are "complete"
Hint : I have even modelled an internal bay for our fralthi II class kilrathi cruiser, but I have no idea someone even dared to fly into that monster. :)
http://wcsaga.hard-light.net/team/Starman/pics/fralthi-hangar03.jpg
http://wcsaga.hard-light.net/team/Starman/pics/fralthihangar01.jpg
http://wcsaga.hard-light.net/team/Starman/pics/fralthihangar02.jpg
http://wcsaga.hard-light.net/team/Starman/pics/fralthihangar03.jpg
http://wcsaga.hard-light.net/team/Starman/pics/fralthihangar04.jpg
http://wcsaga.hard-light.net/team/Starman/pics/fralthihangar05.jpg
(Ignore the strong lights, I don't think that was the final glowmap ) . To answer your question, I think adding fighterbays is worth it (and can be done pretty quickly actually ) :nod:
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hm... A FIGHTERBAY IT SHALL HAVE THEN! :nod:
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Don't forget :D
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v356/Shodan_AI/tigerclaw9.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v356/Shodan_AI/tigerclaw10.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v356/Shodan_AI/tigerclaw11.jpg)
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That could be a friggen main hall with better textures... :eek:
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That could be a friggen main hall with better textures... :eek:
That's what I was about to say. There should be more main halls in circulation! :doubt:
Those fighterbays seem WCS-like(do they come from WCS?), so I don't think they're fine in a FS environment.
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The GTD Titan and GTD Raynor have fighter bays . And they look pretty good for those ships ( in the Blue Planet campaign at least ... ) .
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BEHOLD! :eek:
MY first attempt at an internal fighterbay:
(http://img256.imageshack.us/img256/2927/hangarbay1xo1.th.png) (http://img256.imageshack.us/my.php?image=hangarbay1xo1.png)
entering the bay
(http://img141.imageshack.us/img141/6818/hangarbay2uk3.th.png) (http://img141.imageshack.us/my.php?image=hangarbay2uk3.png)
Transparent hull to see better
Now can someone tell me how to make it so that the doors open when the player is about to land.
It has two doors, once should slide to hte left, otehr to the right.
Can this be triggered by a SEXP?
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Can this be triggered by a SEXP?
Doesn't need to. Use the 'door' animation code (ask someone. I'm not very good at the Animation Code, the only thing I can do is point turrets around).
I don't know if it is possible for the player to be retrieved using the door, but you can set the distance SEXP to a higher value so that the door never needs to be opened for the mission to end.
BTW - Me likes the cargo containers in the first image. Nice touch.
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I'll need to do something about that blue light strip...have to decide what to replace it with..hehe :)
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b.t.w. - do you think I should do that for the OTHER fighterbays (teh ships has 4 more... :blah: ), or is this enough?
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b.t.w. - do you think I should do that for the OTHER fighterbays (teh ships has 4 more... :blah: ), or is this enough?
It is perfect!
No need to do the other fighter bays.
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b.t.w. - do you think I should do that for the OTHER fighterbays (teh ships has 4 more... :blah: ), or is this enough?
Having only one would be weird if you're talking about the same ship. Just copy + paste, no one will care. :blah:
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Cand...other fighterbasys are very differently placed...Hm...I'll think of something.
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Nice! :yes: Now when can we do the Galatea and Bastion and the FS2 ships that you stay on? XD
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Added two more fighterbays...the two rear one are being a pain tough...boolean suddenly refuses to work properly, so its hard to carve out the ships innard...
will put up pics soon..
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(http://img85.imageshack.us/img85/7026/hangarbay3yp9.th.png) (http://img85.imageshack.us/my.php?image=hangarbay3yp9.png)
(http://img85.imageshack.us/img85/8030/hangarbay4qb3.th.png) (http://img85.imageshack.us/my.php?image=hangarbay4qb3.png)
PCS2 hates me...converts the model but chrashes on save :(
the 2 rear fighterbays aren't truly done. Red is what I have done, blue is what I have planned (joinin them into one fighterbay) but I'm runing into problems.
Next I might add some random grebling, but with normal maps I don't thnk thats necassary anymore.
So a few details were smoothed out, the ship got a better mapping job, internal fighterbays, destroyable engine all new turrets.. Got any more suggestions ppl?
Maby a radar on the comamnd tower? :D
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(http://img85.imageshack.us/img85/7026/hangarbay3yp9.th.png) (http://img85.imageshack.us/my.php?image=hangarbay3yp9.png)
(http://img85.imageshack.us/img85/8030/hangarbay4qb3.th.png) (http://img85.imageshack.us/my.php?image=hangarbay4qb3.png)
PCS2 hates me...converts the model but chrashes on save :(
the 2 rear fighterbays aren't truly done. Red is what I have done, blue is what I have planned (joinin them into one fighterbay) but I'm runing into problems.
Next I might add some random grebling, but with normal maps I don't thnk thats necassary anymore.
So a few details were smoothed out, the ship got a better mapping job, internal fighterbays, destroyable engine all new turrets.. Got any more suggestions ppl?
Maby a radar on the comamnd tower? :D
I like the updated Galaxy. The bays look good. If you can, make the back bays large. One thing, I never liked the blue windows, so maybe a different texture? Really good though, and it will match the Archangel (I even noticed they're sharing a nameplate).
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Next I might add some random grebling, but with normal maps I don't thnk thats necassary anymore.
Buh?! Nononono that's not what they're meant for at all!
Large overtiled polys will still look very much like large overtiled polys, no matter how good your normal map is. Normal mapping is intended to accentuate the existing greebles, NOT replace them.
Besides, the ship is texture tiled - not UVmapped. The main benefit normal mapping will provide to texture tilers is that the hull plating texture tiles will look better up close. At range, you're still very much relying on good greeblage to make your ship look real.
From looking at your ship there, I'd estimate the main hull has a polycount of approximately 2000ish? For a carrier sized vessel, that gives you a greeble poly budget of potentially 10-20 000 or more. Use it! :D
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I like the updated Galaxy. The bays look good. If you can, make the back bays large. One thing, I never liked the blue windows, so maybe a different texture? Really good though, and it will match the Archangel (I even noticed they're sharing a nameplate).
Yeah, I may end up replacing those windows with something else. Looking for a good texture to do that..If not, I'll have o make one :P
Buh?! Nononono that's not what they're meant for at all!
Large overtiled polys will still look very much like large overtiled polys, no matter how good your normal map is. Normal mapping is intended to accentuate the existing greebles, NOT replace them.
Besides, the ship is texture tiled - not UVmapped. The main benefit normal mapping will provide to texture tilers is that the hull plating texture tiles will look better up close. At range, you're still very much relying on good greeblage to make your ship look real.
From looking at your ship there, I'd estimate the main hull has a polycount of approximately 2000ish? For a carrier sized vessel, that gives you a greeble poly budget of potentially 10-20 000 or more. Use it! Big grin
2160 polys not counting the engines and antennas for the hull.
8545 total with all the turrets and internal fighterbays and destroyed engine submodel.
Yeah, I know I got the budget, I just have no idea WHAT to add. It will come to me...
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How about adding destroyed subsystem models? (sort of like the Boadicea... Closest we can get to geo-modding I guess)
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I added destroyable engines, but I guess I cna add more...
Atm I'm not sure how to proceed, so I'll prolyl convert it now to have this version for usage, and I'll see about adding additional stuff later.
I kinda like the armored feel of the Galaxy and Archy and lots of grebling would only ruin my conception...unles I cna think of some really good looking and belivable grebling.
Yeah, I know - coolness factor > reality.
Meh.. I don't care.. will ponder on it some more.
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How about some separation from the two main hull textures (the blue one and the grey one)?
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Yeeees....that could work.
I'll experiment with some grebling to see what "works" and what not...but I'll leave that for version 2 :P
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the blue and grey separation doesn't work well...it's the placement of hte texttures..if culd work if I made the colo scheme a bit different, but since it's mostly around some edges hten beveling/extruding doesn't look good.
(http://img117.imageshack.us/img117/7086/galaxynewyt3.th.png) (http://img117.imageshack.us/my.php?image=galaxynewyt3.png)
But how bout this? ;7
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Trashman, you amaze me every time i look at one of your models :D
Keep up the good work