[Getter Robo G]

Checks sig, Checks date of this second thread as original was an idea thread and then bled into Omni's thread...

"Yes, I'm making a Star Trek TC..."

Welcome to the HLPBB!   

I was once offered hosting but never could get a cohesive team together so I turned it down at the time. Since then HLP soon stopped taking on new projects so I let the idea thread "die" and made ONE thread for each of my projects and when something happens I bump them with photos and some update dialog so people know it's still alive and what's what...


Have you seen the "Weapons Test" vid on Youtube?

Back on Track, I found an old model on my drive by Skinman!!!

I kept it around cause there was something about it that called out to me.

I messed around and here is the result, the Tholian DevilFish! Haven't decided if it's gonna be a fighter or SMALL Frigate (Patrol ship) yet.






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[Getter Robo G]

Need some priority help:

After a long extensive search I finally found a model I felt was appropriate for the name TITAN (and thus Captain William T. Troi's [Riker's] ship), as I despise the Luna class concept. The Titan is second in the new Aegis class line. The prototype was called the USS Patriot.

I had received permission from the BC modeler who created it but it sat on my drive for about a year until PCS2 was able to convert it for use. I just made teh glows and they need tweaking, but for now it's workable.

One major problem, it's fighter sized. I increased the size of the .cob but it causes pcs2 to crash. This is opposite of what pcs1 used to do (crash when you made a cruiser sized object a fighter sized one.)

I do not know if this is a direct mesh issue, but I need someone who's willing to look at it (nothing else unless they want to).

The main reason I am asking is because this ship is critical to my FANFICTION and I describe meshes in my scenes and post screenies as action stills. I can fudge things and move the mesh around to offset the size disparity but it would be nice to have the right sized mesh in game.

The Yamato/Argo, from Star Blazers has entered the Fed Sector 001 and Troi (Riker) is about to make first contact...

IF any modeler responds I will post the mesh.

Sneak Peek USS Titan:


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[Water]

I can take a quick look.

[Getter Robo G]

Appreciated, file link PM'ed...

[Water]

There are quite a few parts where you can see gaps. I don't believe the modeler made those errors. Possible conversion problems?  Do you have an original source file? and if so, what format is it in?

[Getter Robo G]

The original format is Bridge Commander .NIF used milkshake 1.710 to make into a .3ds file (only a few other choices like .lwo 5.6 or .obj, .vrml, .dfx,  for example, cannot go directly to .cob)

Used 3dexploration 1.88 to save .3ds into .cob. Works in game no crash on destruction, just resized pof (bigger) crashes.

I can get you the original .nif or a resave into one of the formats I mentioned.

[Water]

The original format is Bridge Commander .NIF used milkshake 1.710 to make into a .3ds file (only a few other choices like .lwo 5.6 or .obj, .vrml, .dfx,  for example, cannot go directly to .cob)

Used 3dexploration 1.88 to save .3ds into .cob. Works in game no crash on destruction, just resized pof (bigger) crashes.

I can get you the original .nif or a resave into one of the formats I mentioned.

3ds should be fine. Are you aiming for 700m length? or a different size

[Getter Robo G]

Interesting you should mention that number. I arbitrarily chose 735m for TMP Connie and thus sized all other craft according to that. (rough conversion of all trek ships I have done is about 2.5 times book value due to FS2's perspective problem. Also I park shuttle craft next to the hangars, if they cant get in I make the ship bigger!).

I looked at .3ds and the model is see through also so I went back and reconverted from scratch and made a .lwo and .obj also

The .lwo was blank, and holey, and .obj LOOKED solid! when you render it in TS3.2 it looks holey but otherwise appears solid so I converted it and it was already larger! (don't know why I did nothing different this time).

I tested it and it works in game fine, I also parked next to the front shuttle hangar and it's a good scale (1065m) so I'm not messing with size. I DID notice a few holes like the rear torp tube borders, but since it didn't crash, unless you stay just off the hull at that area you're probably NOT going to notice it.

Would you like to look at the Yamato for me? This is a WWII based Star Blazer (Anime) ship. I have one in game (Heru), but the one I have by Atra-Hasis is a more complex mesh? Swamp thing claimed to have converted it np with PCs1 2 years ago, but never posted the .pof. I have failed in every attempt using diff tools.

I totally screwed up the turret upgrade on the Heru one and the gun axis are fubared, so in other words I have to redo the ship anyway.

Pic of me in Enrinyes II at hatch for scale, FS2 fighters are often way larger than Trek shuttles/small craft, so this will work!



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[Water]

Would you like to look at the Yamato for me? This is a WWII based Star Blazer (Anime) ship. I have one in game (Heru), but the one I have by Atra-Hasis is a more complex mesh? Swamp thing claimed to have converted it np with PCs1 2 years ago, but never posted the .pof. I have failed in every attempt using diff tools.

Ok I had a look at the Yamato. (you posted in pcs2 thread)

Most of the problems are the same. Look at the first picture on this page.
http://www.blender3d.it/index.php?filename=lab/nonmanifold.html
Basically the inside and outside get mixed up around these types of mesh joins.

Now your sig says you're not a modeler. With the meshes you are sourcing, being able to edit, at the face and vertex level and having good uv tools is a must for sorting these "render models" into gaming models.

So what modeling and uv tools do you use? and are you willing to learn more?

Fixing these problems is not hard -- just time consuming.
A tool to find these problems is http://meshlab.sourceforge.net/

Render>shaders>xray - and then
Render>colour>colour Non Manifold faces.

That red patch in the centre is 4 faces messing up what PCS2 thinks is the inside/outside. In this instance, the faces will never be seen from the outside, deleting them would solve the problem.

The one at the tail would require a small rebuild. It would require adding extra faces, deleting the bad ones, and a small change to the uv map. The one at the bow is messed up -  probably from a boolean operation.

So yes I can fix this one, but the ideal solution is for you to be able to ID and fix them. 

[Getter Robo G]

Ideal yes, but I'm not going to try riding that horse again.
I think I'll make a prophesy and await the "Chosen One", a young buck who can absorb knowledge like a sponge and sick him on the meshes... [Insert a Yoda Smiley Here]

I did DL Meshlab though (TY for the link!). usually I only use the following tools:

Preconversion/Extranction: MilkShake/Gmax saved to a 3DEploration friendly format.

.Cob Conversion from outside format: 3DExploration

Orienting, minor texture painting/changing: Truespace 3.2

Other Image/Texture change stuff: Irfranview

That's my process.  On occasion I have gotten enough nerve to try a few Kitbashes (most of them have been well received for the CONCEPTS, not the Execution though - too sloppy)

I have my hands full as it is Running a few projects and helping out a few more (like SG-1), and I am very comfortable with the fact I am limited (even if by choice). It still hasn't diminished what I have done over the last Five years.  I definitely have improved since the first day I got here regarding conversions. 

[Water]

Ideal yes, but I'm not going to try riding that horse again.

Ok, no problem. It should be back to you in a week. pm me if it isn't.

[Getter Robo G]

Origonally a cruiser, this actually came from a vf-22s jetpack!

Thanks to Kt'Hyla I have a made a few variants out of it, this is the Gunboat one.

No official name yet, but it is a JDF concept (Joint Defense Force) way post Nemesis.

 2 underside torp launchers, 7 scattered phaer mounts, 2 medium disruptors on sides but forward facing.

I will also be retexturing it to conform to FS2ish type ships as this reminds me greatly of a Zeus type bomber...





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[Hades]

Hey, are you making the Arrow?
Arrow:
And can it be high poly?

[Getter Robo G]

No, I think three others are tying to tackle it, (but my money's on MARKYD) as poly reducing models over 100k is something I am not very good at. And once I screw up and delete the wrong face I need later on I have to start all over again (or from my last save, assuming I didn't save a screw up).

[MetalDestroyer]

Will you try to put Normal Maps ? ^^ And then show it/them to us

[jr2]

That sucker doesn't look like it'd need much in the way of normal maps.. looks like a Blackbird.  ( SR-71 )

[Getter Robo G]

I have no idea what you call a normal map. The textures I see on models look pretty normal to me. 

Read my siggy people!!! I don't do anything! 

Anyway I did find one on my drive but it's lile 299k polys. check back in 6 months. MARKYD already gave me permission once he gets done with it (He's back from IRAQ for the holidays.) He started it almost 2 years ago so try to be patient. He's building it for SFC3.

[MetalDestroyer]

Normal Maps are another texture layer (just add -normal to the dds).

Without Normal Maps you get this :



With Normal Maps you have this :


For the explanation, just look to DaBrain post
http://www.hard-light.net/forums/index.php/topic,25406.820.html

[Hades]

Release those ship already!

[Getter Robo G]

my comp cant handle the new video cards, so if I need any shader crap other than what a generic ati 256mb 9250 can handle I am SOL... I got a floor fan blowing on my comp to keep it from shutting off and my sound card is almost dead (I need to use line out to hear)..

I bought a powerball ticket though... 

Seriously in 2 years things should get back to normal, I hope...
 (wont have a car payment then and not renewing my health insurance for a year or two).