Hard Light Productions Forums
Modding, Mission Design, and Coding => The Modding Workshop => Modding Tutorials => Topic started by: bigchunk1 on June 04, 2012, 02:23:12 pm
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This is a tutorial video series on the topic of freespace modding. The general topics covered include file management, tabling and pcs2. Specific topics covered for each video are listed under the link for that video.
Note: This series avoids covering FRED, however it is recommended that every FSO modder take time to learn FRED as well.
File Management:
Freespace File Management Overview (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=csseKT3eiaE)
- Different file types in a freespace2 folder.
- Builds VS. data
- Contents of a mod folder.
- Opening/Editing files using notepad.
- clarification of previous points.
- .VP files.
How to create a mod folder (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oELAvuOC2fE&feature=youtu.be)
- why mod folders are important
- creating a mod.ini
- creating a logo
- mod file priority and hierarchy
Tabling:
Introduction to Tabling (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sXClThmOMwg&feature=youtu.be)
- What's in your mod folder by default.
- importing a table file into your mod folder.
- editing numerical values the weapons.tbl
Adding Table Entries (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=On682bWFWs8&feature=youtu.be)
- Creating new lines of data in a table
- the weapons.tbl wiki
- Optional subentries e.g. +SwarmWait:
- ;; commenting in tables
Importing Mod Assets (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4QwCcGtarQ&feature=youtu.be)
- Introduction to the ships.tbl
- Mod asset content
- .tbm files
- organizing data for assets
- Selecting mods using the launcher for FRED
Adding new weapons, Flags, and general weapons.tbl format (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FvT2yqMsusM&feature=relmfu)
- general format of the weapons.tbl
- creating a weapon in a tbl file
- weapon flags
- creating a weapon in a tbm file
nocreate and choosing effects to draw (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vlr5PQbnEhg&feature=youtu.be)
- +nocreate table feature
- TBM priority over TBL
- How to add or modify effects
PCS2:
Intro to .pof files (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2jmyk_tETZU)
- Information contained in a .pof
- How table entries relate to their referenced .pof file
- types of .pof files: capital ships, fighters, cruisers, skyboxes, missiles
Creating .pof files (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NGwJxqgglno&feature=youtu.be)
- pitch for blender
- pre-export checklist
- getting and using a .dae exporter
- what is a .dae file?
- converting .dae to .pof
- recommended format for maps
- changing the .pof reference in tables
Rigging fighters using pcs2 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s-If7_IN3Cg)
(part1):
- overview of rigging a ship
- pcs2 general user interface
- Scaling models in pcs2
- placing eyepoints in pcs2
- setting weapon banks and weapon points in pcs2
(part2):
- how weapon banks impact the ships.tbl
- setting thruster points in pcs2
(part3):
- loading docking points from other models
- loading docking paths from other models
- loading shield meshes from other models
Subsystems and turreting of capital ships (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oFkWlMX3zwI&feature=youtu.be)
(part1):
- Adding subsystems in pcs2
- subsystems in the wiki
- Adding subsystems to the tables
- generating paths for subsystems
- turret hierarchy and 'children'
- removing subobjects
- loading geometry from other objects
- Adding turrets to a model
(part2):
- Positioning turrets
- turrets and levels of detail
- things to check before testing .pof files
- final thoughts: modding and debugging
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You should make one on modeling
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You should make one on modeling
There are tons of those, for every single modelling app you could ever dream of.
Lern 2 google.
Modelling is not specific to FSO, rigging is, but rigging for FSO is trivial, and 90% of it can be done in PCS2 even -> there's a video (planned) for it right there.
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Well maybe some tips specifically for making a model that will work well in FSO
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Erm, basically, any model that works well in a last-generation video game? There are tons of general tips on the wiki.
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Don't need a video for that, read this (http://www.hard-light.net/forums/index.php/topic,37158.0.html). It's stickied for a reason.
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The PCS2 part is what I'm going to be glad to see. Rigging a ship and getting it ingame remains a mystery to me. Thanks for this. :yes:
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@bigchunk1 if i was some higher-up guy around here i'd award you a gold star for this.
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Sounds like a great idea, and I am sure I will find this useful
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I'll keep uploading videoes as I come up with them. Let me know if you like the idea or if there is something you feel ought to be covered.
I very much like the idea.
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I'll keep uploading videoes as I come up with them. Let me know if you like the idea or if there is something you feel ought to be covered.
I very much like the idea.
I like it too, thx :yes:
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Nice work Bigchunk.
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The second topic is up. Next video is where the fun starts.
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Very usefull for new people to modding, keep going please :yes:
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A suggestion:
It might be useful to have a more detailed bullet point list in your post with what your videos are about. The idea is that later forum searches would pick up those keywords and lead people to this thread.
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Introduction to tabling video is up. More tabling videoes to come. Any advice on what aspects of tabling should be covered is welcome at this point.
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As we were discussing on IRC, made a wiki page (http://www.hard-light.net/wiki/index.php/Video_Tutorials) for these so they don't get lost if the topic slides down the page. :)
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pin
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pin
Did think about it, but the modding board is very crowded with sticky topics - I'm hoping Herra or Snail might clean it up at some point in the not too distant, and we can reconsider what gets stuck up there. In the meantime, I've linked them from the pinned tutorial topic.
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Next video is up. Sorry, it does not cover the ships.tbl The next one will in a big way.
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@bigchunk1
Amazingly good idea. :nod:
As a new fan of Modding i have often wondered the last few months why there wasn't a complete video tut yet. (i guessed mainly because of the work involved?)
I have already read most of the great and very extensive tut's here and at the wiki but an additional video tut will be very good as a complementary tool.
So i really support you in this great effort. Very very nice. :yes:
By the way i did find a few vid's on Youtube:
http://youtu.be/TGoU712oe2A
http://youtu.be/kpG8iAxoohs
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How to import mod assets tutorial added. Next we will get into more advanced tabling features, eventually we will see a whole lot more types of tables.
@Blazar Yes, I saw those videoes after I started making this video series. I plan to complete the series anyways and go from there.
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Two more videoes are up. Making new weapons and Selecting effects to draw.
If there's anyone new to modding and following along, is everything is making sense so far? Even though I hope you are trying things out on your own as well, I want to make sure this series is more or less complete.
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It is exceptionally clear, you are very good at explaining :) Thank you so much again for making these!
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Modding kind of forks from here in terms of topics. One could cover the sounds.tbl and other .tbl types, but I decided to start getting into .pcs2 since it was specifically requested. There's a good chance I will go back and cover other topics later.
@wookieejedi That's very encouraging to hear, thanks.
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New video up for anyone following the series. This one covers how to create a .pof file. Next video will cover editing of .pof files using .pcs2.
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Great! That's something I don't have much experience with yet.
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Finally got a tutorial out on editing .pof files using pcs2. Here we cover the basics of rigging a fighter. Turrets, normals and subsystems will be covered in a later capship rigging video.
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Awesome!
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The last of the tutorial videos I had planned is now complete. This last one covers subsystems and turreting in pcs2. I may or may not make additional videos. We'll see.
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Keep up the good work! :nod:
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A suggestion:
It might be useful to have a more detailed bullet point list in your post with what your videos are about. The idea is that later forum searches would pick up those keywords and lead people to this thread.
I finally took your advice and modified the original post. Hopefully it looks more clean and organised now.
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bigchunk, you are the best! couldn't for the love of god find out how to scale a ship before i watched this
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OMG.... How did I not see this before!! Your vids are so tremendously helpful... Favorited! Btw can we has this stikied now? pretty pls?
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Nah, it'd be better if it was linked in that (http://www.hard-light.net/forums/index.php?topic=70249.0) stickied thread.
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But it is. The "sticky thread" links to the wiki page about it. Perhaps it should also link to this thread. Also, the wiki page is outdated.