[Nightstorm]

The Thunderbolt model itself is from a model pack I downloaded back in 2001 in MAX format.  I still had them on my drive and decided to see if I could get it to work.  After extensive modifications and trial and error, I succeeded.

The original model was created by Conor Clancy back in 2001.  It was released for free use to the public back then but I none the less attempted to contact him at the hotmail address in the readme.  No reply was received.

From that read me:

"This Model is not for sale and should be distributed freely

This model was created for love, not money. So please don't sue me Joe

Babylon 5 and Crusade are copyright © and trademark & trade; 1992-1999, PTN Consortium."


The table file is a full replacement for the default ship.tbl that was included in v3.73 of The Babylon Project.  BACK UP YOUR ORIGINAL PLEASE.

The ONLY changes to this table file from the default are with the missile racks on the Thunderbolt, the standard EA and PSI both have three racks now like the bomber versions had, and the thrusters.  The thrusters were never completed in the original ships.tbl.  I adjusted them to work correctly with this new model.  Beacuse the new model has three missle banks, the ships table MUST match or the game will crash.

The reason I ended up with a replacment tbl file instead of an add on tbm is that for some perplexing reason, the thruster locations were being read from both the original tbl and the updated tbm file I was testing at the same time.  So that resulted in "ghost" thruster points being created that I couldn't get rid of without commenting them out in the original file.  I figured if I had to do that, might as well just replace it.

So, here we are.

25 different variant combinations between nose art and color plus the Psicorps versions.

I also included an options folder with various maps and a readme to explain it along with the PDN templates I used for both the TBolt and it's cockpit maps.  And another cool feature of using those options files is that the color you choose will also be used by the Thunderbolt cockpit mod.  So that what you see inside matches the outside

Enjoy!

-Nightstorm

Screen shots and cockpit mod here:

https://www.hard-light.net/forums/index.php?topic=96828.msg1901165#msg1901165


Download Link:   https://www.dropbox.com/s/2uc7i1iwhlcuyel/Thunderbolt_Update.zip?dl=0

[emi_100]

Well done. Looks really good. Maybe I can do some normal map textures when I back to the TBP.
I have the Babylon 5 Station update model if you want to work with it.





Let me know.

[Nightstorm]

Heck yea!  My next project was to work on you Hyperion for those glow maps and name plates.  There's something more immersive to me when you fly up on a ship and you can read it's name.


I don't think there's a good list anywhere of name/registries for them.  I've seen some names, but when it comes to hull numbers etc, artistic license may come into play.

[0rph3u5]

The ONLY changes to this table file from the default are [...] and the thrusters.  The thrusters were never completed in the original ships.tbl.  I adjusted them to work correctly with this new model. [...]

The reason I ended up with a replacment tbl file instead of an add on tbm is that for some perplexing reason, the thruster locations were being read from both the original tbl and the updated tbm file I was testing at the same time.  So that resulted in "ghost" thruster points being created that I couldn't get rid of without commenting them out in the original file.  I figured if I had to do that, might as well just replace it.

Probably could be fixed by just adding an +Index to the ships.tbl and the then forcing the model change and new thruster data through a tbm.
https://wiki.hard-light.net/index.php/Ships.tbl#.24Thruster:

The ONLY changes to this table file from the default are with the missile racks on the Thunderbolt, the standard EA and PSI both have three racks now like the bomber versions had, [...] Beacuse the new model has three missle banks, the ships table MUST match or the game will crash.

Is there any material reason not to cut the third secondary bank from the fighter variant? - Fighter and Bomber variant are seperate model files, so cutting them from the fighter shouldn't affect the bomber.


Let me just try and whip that up...

[0rph3u5]

So, the +Index thing didn't pan out -- all it did is giving me errors about the index being invalid; I'll give it another look when I have the time (which is not soon)


... and I got a "null moment of inertia"-error for the .pofs

[Nightstorm]

Hmmm, I wonder what happened there.  Yes I see that the MOI is all zero's.  That would likely be the nul error.  I'll fix that and update the download.


As to the secondary bank, no, they could be cut from fighter version if desired.  Or have the default load out set to "none" for the third bank.  All four versions are the same model, just with different textures applied.

All that really matters is that then number of banks in the pof have to equal what's in the table.  I think it does look cool with three missiles under each wing though.

[emi_100]

Heck yea!  My next project was to work on you Hyperion for those glow maps and name plates.  There's something more immersive to me when you fly up on a ship and you can read it's name.


I don't think there's a good list anywhere of name/registries for them.  I've seen some names, but when it comes to hull numbers etc, artistic license may come into play.

Good to hear that the Hyperion will receive some love.
Please check your PM

[Nightstorm]

So, the +Index thing didn't pan out -- all it did is giving me errors about the index being invalid; I'll give it another look when I have the time (which is not soon)


... and I got a "null moment of inertia"-error for the .pofs

MOI issues corrected and tested.  Upload updated, same link above.

[Nightstorm]

Based on some feedback I've included options for different missile configs.  These options require a matching pof model file and a tbl file.  The pof's go in the data\models folder and the tbl into the data\tables folder.



The options are:

2 Secondary Banks 8 missiles
2 Secondary Banks 12 missiles (This is now the default)
3 Secondary Banks 12 missiles

If you swap between 2 and 3 secondary banks you need to replace the models.  You'll get a crash that tells you what's wrong if you don't.
The model does not need to be changed from default if you swap the 2 secondary bank table files.  The game will simply ignore the extra four missile points in the model.

The Bomber variants are still defaulted to 3 secondary banks 12 missiles.  This allows for a greater variety of missiles to be chosen if flying the bomber version.

The download archive has been updated in the first post.

[wesp5]

So will this go into core TBP?

[Nightstorm]

So will this go into core TBP?

I have no objection to that.  Use whatever you want.  Though, I don't know who is in charge of making that call.

[wesp5]

I think OverDhill and Karajorma are the only ones who can to that. Also while checking this out, I noticed that the additional secondary bank led to some HUD overlapping, which I fixed. So if this updated model is included into core TBP, the attached HUD table should be included as well!

[attachment deleted to save space]

[Nightstorm]

Thank you

If anyone figures out how to make the TBolt ship data a TBM and have the thrusters work, that'd be sweet.

[0rph3u5]

The memory efficency of the model(s) might be an issue before inclusion into the core; including the LOD1+ and debris textures each model clocks in at 18 individual textures, which is not optimal according to the rules outlined over here: http://www.hard-light.net/forums/index.php/topic,37158.0.html

[Nightstorm]

Yea it would be nice to have the textures more consolidated yet still detailed.  I don't currently possess the knowledge to accomplish that task.  It would obviously require retexturing the models.

[Nightstorm]

Correcting missing textures in LODs.  Archive updated.