Hard Light Productions Forums

Modding, Mission Design, and Coding => The Modding Workshop => Topic started by: foolfromhell on June 17, 2008, 06:24:51 pm

Title: How do I add ships? And Shields?
Post by: foolfromhell on June 17, 2008, 06:24:51 pm
I wanted to add the vipers from the BtRL demo in FS2, but I am not sure how. Especially to make it playable.

And, is there a way to add shields too? Along with the shield animation graphic? This is for both capital ships and fighters?

Thanks.
Title: Re: How do I add ships? And Shields?
Post by: colecampbell666 on June 17, 2008, 08:06:40 pm
From the appropriate BtRL .VP (not sure which) extract the maps, the .POF, the .ANIs associated with the Viper.

Find the table info on the ships.tbl, and copy all the viper info into a Notepad. Save it as viper-shp.tbm, making sure to select "All Files" below the save file thingy.

Any .POF files go into /mediavps/models
Any .TGA, .DDS, .PCX, .ANI files go into /mediavps/maps
any .TBM, .TBL files go into /mediavps/tables. You should not use .TBL files, as they will not generally include table entries for other custom ships you may have added. Simply open the table in Notepad, copy the info for the ship you want into another blank Notepad, and save it as "<ship name>-shp.tbm". Then put it in /mediavps/tables.

As for the shields, you need to create a mesh (model), and an ANI. (or use an existing .ANI)
Title: Re: How do I add ships? And Shields?
Post by: foolfromhell on June 17, 2008, 08:21:12 pm
From the appropriate BtRL .VP (not sure which) extract the maps, the .POF, the .ANIs associated with the Viper.

Find the table info on the ships.tbl, and copy all the viper info into a Notepad. Save it as viper-shp.tbm, making sure to select "All Files" below the save file thingy.

Any .POF files go into /mediavps/models
Any .TGA, .DDS, .PCX, .ANI files go into /mediavps/maps
any .TBM, .TBL files go into /mediavps/tables. You should not use .TBL files, as they will not generally include table entries for other custom ships you may have added. Simply open the table in Notepad, copy the info for the ship you want into another blank Notepad, and save it as "<ship name>-shp.tbm". Then put it in /mediavps/tables.

As for the shields, you need to create a mesh (model), and an ANI. (or use an existing .ANI)

What's the program to open VPs?

I know it has to do with descent...
Title: Re: How do I add ships? And Shields?
Post by: Water on June 17, 2008, 08:38:58 pm
What's the program to open VPs?

I know it has to do with descent...
There are 4 linked here
http://www.hard-light.net/forums/index.php/topic,54519.0.html (http://www.hard-light.net/forums/index.php/topic,54519.0.html)

I'd suggest using VP Viewer at the start. (Maja is better for making VP's though)
Title: Re: How do I add ships? And Shields?
Post by: blowfish on June 17, 2008, 08:40:15 pm
VPView, but I would recommend Maja myself.  And Cole forgot, at the beginning and end of a modular ship table you have to have #Ship Classes and #End (enclosing all ship entries).  And I'm not sure BtRL had any hud/loadout anis.  Since there are no shields, the game can generate them itself.  You will need to create the hud ani yourself (ask someone who knows...).
Title: Re: How do I add ships? And Shields?
Post by: foolfromhell on June 17, 2008, 08:56:14 pm
VPView, but I would recommend Maja myself.  And Cole forgot, at the beginning and end of a modular ship table you have to have #Ship Classes and #End (enclosing all ship entries).  And I'm not sure BtRL had any hud/loadout anis.  Since there are no shields, the game can generate them itself.  You will need to create the hud ani yourself (ask someone who knows...).

So, I will add those entries.

The shield envelopment in-game would automatically be added?

And on the HUD, will the ship have the shields on each side?

And, BtRL does have a different HUD, so how do I add that?
Title: Re: How do I add ships? And Shields?
Post by: blowfish on June 17, 2008, 09:07:00 pm
The shield won't be generated.  All I was saying is that the game can generate the HUD icons in BtRL, since there are no shields (it can't generate the shield shape on the icon).  You will have to add a shield mesh to the model yourself.  And generate the HUD icon.  Get professional advice on how to do this.
Title: Re: How do I add ships? And Shields?
Post by: ssmit132 on June 18, 2008, 03:11:52 am
If you want to keep it easy, however, you can use the flags "surface shields" and "generate icon" in the table, they'll allow shields without a mesh and a rudimentary HUD icon, respectively. Although making them yourself looks better.
Title: Re: How do I add ships? And Shields?
Post by: Wobble73 on June 18, 2008, 04:36:15 am
If you want to keep it easy, however, you can use the flags "surface shields" and "generate icon" in the table, they'll allow shields without a mesh and a rudimentary HUD icon, respectively. Although making them yourself looks better.

Yeah, cos otherwise you get a saucer shaped shield icon! ?
Title: Re: How do I add ships? And Shields?
Post by: foolfromhell on June 18, 2008, 11:01:04 am
Well, there is a folder called /hud and it has all the HUD anis. Should I include that too?

Should I also export over the weapon tbls, etc?

And, mediavps/tables or mediavps/data/tables?

same with models. mediavps/models or mediavps/data/models?
Title: Re: How do I add ships? And Shields?
Post by: foolfromhell on June 18, 2008, 01:01:16 pm
Okay, I managed to get the ships in there. But how do I get the weapons in there? I cant start the mission without weapons.
Title: Re: How do I add ships? And Shields?
Post by: colecampbell666 on June 18, 2008, 01:08:54 pm
Copy the weapon effects and make a weapons table in the same manner, except that you call it <name>-wep.tbm
Title: Re: How do I add ships? And Shields?
Post by: foolfromhell on June 18, 2008, 01:50:50 pm
I did that and now I get an error.

Before, i could go to the briefing screen but couldnt choose any weapons, so I couldnt start the mission.

Now, It wont even let me get into the briefing screen. I get the following error.

(http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c234/Foolfromhell/Error-1.png)
Title: Re: How do I add ships? And Shields?
Post by: colecampbell666 on June 18, 2008, 02:09:28 pm
VPView, but I would recommend Maja myself.  And Cole forgot, at the beginning and end of a modular ship table you have to have #Ship Classes and #End (enclosing all ship entries).  And I'm not sure BtRL had any hud/loadout anis.  Since there are no shields, the game can generate them itself.  You will need to create the hud ani yourself (ask someone who knows...).
I assume it's the same with weapons.