Hard Light Productions Forums
Modding, Mission Design, and Coding => The Modding Workshop => Topic started by: aldo_14 on March 19, 2002, 04:07:48 am
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anyone wants to do conversion work for my models?
Cos if someone could edit the pofs once they're compiled (or even glue the Turrets...gah!), i could churn out a lot more stuff..
;7
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If you get someone to do it, I throw myself throught the window. I asked for that countless times and never got any reply :p
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Originally posted by venom2506
If you get someone to do it, I throw myself throught the window. I asked for that countless times and never got any reply :p
No harm in asking, though :)
Besides which, you obviously got someone, in the end....
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Originally posted by aldo_14
Besides which, you obviously got someone, in the end....
me :D
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Originally posted by Woomeister
me :D
but you were there from the begining, it's different :)
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Originally posted by venom2506
but you were there from the begining, it's different :)
True, but I'm not as desperate or in as much of a hurry as you were.... I can at leats do this on my own, I just cant_be_arsed ;7
(actually, i have loads of work to clear for uni)
Anyway, i shall be offering fresh sacrifices to the relevant deities. :devilidea :headz:
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i can add guns, but i dont under stand truespace so turrets are not coming from me, i can also add subsystems and trusters (not the model but the coordinates stuff). What i cant do is paths or dockpoints, but i could if someone would explain them.
Dont know if thats what you're looking for, but if it is, sure, send em over.
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Originally posted by LtNarol
i can add guns, but i dont under stand truespace so turrets are not coming from me, i can also add subsystems and trusters (not the model but the coordinates stuff). What i cant do is paths or dockpoints, but i could if someone would explain them.
Dont know if thats what you're looking for, but if it is, sure, send em over.
Well, I really need someone to do all the pof stuff - turrets, paths, et al. I can tutor you in it if you want to help, though.
It'll probably be a while before I need major help,anyway - need to sort out UV im MAX4.
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ya, that would be good, im just starting to learn pof conversions, i dont even know what paths are. Turrets mean truespace, and i hate truespace, but i need to learn it sooner or later, now would be a good time. So yes, i want to help, it'll take my mind off of my own terribly floundering campaigns.
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Originally posted by LtNarol
ya, that would be good, im just starting to learn pof conversions, i dont even know what paths are. Turrets mean truespace, and i hate truespace, but i need to learn it sooner or later, now would be a good time. So yes, i want to help, it'll take my mind off of my own terribly floundering campaigns.
ok....I've got to go to a lecture in a few mins, so I'll be brief here.....
turrets are pretty simple... at the mo i just need someone to work on them with the pof editor, but I can explain that to you...
PAths are used for 3 things. 1 - a flightpath to a dockpoint, or 2 - a flightpath to a point where a susbsytem can be attacked, or 3 - a fighterbay exit / entry path. Paths can have 1+ points (1 point, the computer simply flies to there and that's it - more, it flies point to point).
Simple enough. Each point - vertice - in a path has a radius. This is basically how close a ship has to be for it to be 'on' that point. If you look at a model, the path is effectively a 'cone', narrowing towards the last point in it. This is useful, because it gives the AI more freedom, and prevents it having to follow a set of rails to the target.
With docking points, it's simple - the computer follows the path to the last vertice (smallest radius), then docks (moving directly to the dock point). The path is just an approach vctor.
Similar for susbsytems, except (once at the end point) the ai is free to attack and fire away. For subsystems, you need a path if you want the AI to attack it (i.e. engines, turrets, etc). Generally, I ignore turret paths, as most ships have 20+ turrets, and is unlikely to require disarming.... if you want to disarm a ship, all turrets need attack paths for the AI to attack.
Note that a good path for a susbsytem should take into account the turrets around it. I'm not 100% sure on how the path object boxes work, though.
subsystem for the path is defined by the 'parent' box.
finally - fighterbays. The path here is a simple exit, leading out the fighterbay. I've had 1 or 2 probs with some ships doing loops on the first vertice, admittedly, but it's fairly simple. Main thing is that you need to give specific names - $bay01, etc, and have 6 paths (up to 6 in a wing). Bear in mind that each path needs to give ships room to move, so they don't collide. The will follow that path, even if it ends up in them colliding with other exiting ships.
(if you only have 1 path, all 4 fighters collide trying to use it simultaneously. amusing, but pretty sloopy).
Tghats the long-winded basics behind paths. Once you start understanding the basics of them, you can start to make 'em.
i'll try and post more info later on.....
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Originally posted by aldo_14
Note that a good path for a susbsytem should take into account the turrets around it. I'm not 100% sure on how the path object boxes work, though.
subsystem for the path is defined by the 'parent' box.
The turret entry seems to be connected to targeting priorities. Just gives the turrets "hint" that there's a fighter there, and they may fire at it.
I haven't seen any hint of real, solid effect they have on anything. Not that it matters, since in the current pcs versions Kazan still has ui bugs in the program that pretty much nullify all the attempts to even input them.
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If this does not require any work in actual modeling program and just requires MV/PCS to do it, I could do the stuff. :) I will agree to do it if someone agrees to build a modified capital ship for my campaign. (slightly change around one of the default designs based on some sketches) How does that sound? ;7 ;)
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Originally posted by Eternal One
The turret entry seems to be connected to targeting priorities. Just gives the turrets "hint" that there's a fighter there, and they may fire at it.
I haven't seen any hint of real, solid effect they have on anything. Not that it matters, since in the current pcs versions Kazan still has ui bugs in the program that pretty much nullify all the attempts to even input them.
i thought it could be something to do with that... maybe the turrets who can fire at that particular vertex point. Certainly, it would make sense if the paths were autogenerated along with the turret FOVs and firing points, etc - from the hideously large numbers used in V model paths, I think they were.
The only other thing I could think of was that it was some sort of point of reference (i.e for some triangulation calculation), but that doesn't really make much sense to me.
I could just be a code artifact to do with turret Ai... i remeber soemthing about that in the FS2 developers logs on :V: s website.
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I would like to help...... .......... but I probably shouldn't :( Mabey this summer when I have more time :nod:
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Well, I'm sure with significant goofing around I will be able to make a few paths.
The only thing I am having real problems with is turreting. I almost have it figured out. I can get autoturret to generate the turret, but I don't think I'm gluing it all together right, because it doesn't show the turret as a seperate subobject. i.e. in modelview, I click on 'Turret01' subobject, and the whole model is still showing. :mad:
The same thing happens when I click 'Hull_Detail0'
ah well... (counts # of times he has asked about this...runs out of fingers...)
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well, im worried about dock points because so far the only people that i've talked to who know how say that everytime they add one it the game crashes
But heck, i'll have a go at it if you dont mind
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Originally posted by LtNarol
well, im worried about dock points because so far the only people that i've talked to who know how say that everytime they add one it the game crashes
But heck, i'll have a go at it if you dont mind
I think you need a path and a dock point
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Originally posted by Analazon
I think you need a path and a dock point
A path and a dock point entry with 2 actual points to be exact.
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Originally posted by LtNarol
well, im worried about dock points because so far the only people that i've talked to who know how say that everytime they add one it the game crashes
But heck, i'll have a go at it if you dont mind
well, you need a dock pint entry with 2 ,llocations (defining how the ship lines up with the dockping point... sort of like a plane). Obviously, a neanme for that (duh!)
Then create a path leading to it, and set the dock (whatever its name is) as a parent - add an integer afterwards to denote the specific point.
i.e. a path to point 1 on 'dock01' has the parent $dock01-o1 IIRC
Other thing is to go back to the docking points entry section, and your dock entry, and make sure it has a path specified. The path number is the number of the path you just created-1. So the path at location 1 in the paths editor seciton (the drop-down list), is referenced as '0' in the docking points editor.
Presumably, the paths are referenced as an array (starts from 0 in C), and this saves processor time compared to minusing 1 from the 'true' path number.
One of the most common causes of crashes will be forgetting to assign a path to the DP -I did it myself with the Claymore Mk.1. :)
I'm almost done texturing a new model. give me a couple of days, and I'll try and put together a tutorial on DPs with it.
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Originally posted by venom2506
If you get someone to do it, I throw myself throught the window
Quick, quick! Someone! ANYONE!!! :D
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Does it have anything to do with this (http://www.hard-light.net/forums/index.php/topic,6156.0.html)? :p ;)
Do we get to see a render of you throwing yourself out the window? If so, go for it! ;)
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if you wanna drive setekh crazy, all you gots ta do is zis:
;7;7;7;7;7;7;7;7;7;7
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That can be used to drive anyone crazy. :D
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Autoturret? ... Did I miss something?
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Originally posted by Starfury
Autoturret? ... Did I miss something?
PCS automatically recognises objects named 'turret' as being, well, turrets. Plus there's some othe fandoogly sutff with lights to set firing points and normals, that I never use. The only prob is that it also seems to set debris sub-objects as turrets, cos they're called turretxx-destroyed. Really annoying.
Incidentally, I'm still working on that tutorial, just got some problems with the thrusters to work thorugh, and I'm also going to figure out insignia. :)
Once I've done the fighter, I'll make a turreting, fighterbay & attack paths and debris objects addendum for my big new destroyer.