[Nuke]

Oh, i see...so that the ship can have different guns mounted (even physically/visually) if the mission designer chooses, Nuke?

pretty much, you can say swap a 6 barreled minigun with a 3 barreled autocannon for example.

[Unknown Target]

Small update. Nailed down the geometry pretty much - reduced polycount from 9000 to 4800.

I know some people are into these things, so here's a wireframe

[Taristin]

And no noticeable detail loss.

[Mefustae]

It's okay, but i've got to agree with nuclear on the nose gatling. It just looks odd recessed all the way back there. Now, if it extended from where it is now all the way to the end of that little recess...

[Getter Robo G]

Not my cup of tea but it IS a really interesting design (in fact I think I've seen an anime with courier ships that look similar to that.)

I think the lower hull testures are too HW2ish or "noisey" but that's just my opinion.

[Unknown Target]

Problem is I can't get it out of Sketchup and save the smoothing groups...does someone have Max? I heard that that would work, maybe I could send it to you if it does?

[Nuke]

this is one of the reasons i dispise format hopping. models contain data sections for everything from virtices to poly defs, uv tables, point normals, ect. and if it passes through a format that doesnt have one of them, or the converter code lacks support for those sections, they get tossed.

[Unknown Target]

Well it'd be super nice if we could get an updated POF converter that could run something more industry standard, like .3DS or .OBJ, but that's just me.

[Nuke]

how about one written in lua?

been thinking about writing one, would run right in the game. would also allow me to use the actual game engine to render the models. im learning about 3d programming and it would be something that would help the community. would have the added bonus of being written my somone with of modeling / modding expierience. it would also be multi-platform so linux and mac people could mod.

not sure how il pull it off, il probibly just port the pcs converter code for actual model conversion. then code in support other formats. there are some problems with the lua interface, lack of keyboard support being the main one. thinking about just using a text based data sheet that lists data for all the chunks. it will be of work, but it would be cool.

[Unknown Target]

That would be neat - dunno how possible that is, though. It would be better if it was stuck in FRED though, since that's already a windowed environment (as opposed to running through the game). I think that's not possible though, right?

[Nuke]

a converter done in lua is certainly possible, an actual editor interface would be hard. it would have a mission, with a ship at 0'0'0. i think theres a model replacement function, if not i can always use the render tech model thingie. right now im limited to a point and click interface. i could probibly code functions for number and vector boxes, dropdown boxes, ect. would be awesome if i could get lua access to the lab window funcs. i can render points and such on top of any model, ive written code to rotate and project vectors in 3d. the trick is getting my projection to lign up with the ship. the file i/o would probibly be the hardest part. porting the pcs converter would be my best bet. ive done fairly simple file i/o with my mouse script. but those were text based and pofs are binary. it would be a challenge.

[Unknown Target]

All I'd really want is a .3DS or .OBJ converter - if we can't have an editor in LUA that's fine - there's always Modelview . I'm just tired of having to run through Truespace every time I want to make a model, I hate that godforsaken program
If you really want to open up Freespace 2 modding, you'd make a (whatever Blender's file is) or Sketchup converter. Those are free, so everyone can get them, and if there's a direct converter, they don't need more expensive software.
But I'd settle for a .3DS or .OBJ coverter

[Nuke]

truespace likes to rape smoothing to hell and its not the most convertable format either. unfortunately trusepace -> pcs is the most stable means to create a pof right now. as im using max more theese days im starting to see the problem with that. the max plugin has some heirarchy limitations that im not to happy with. it cant deal with more than a couple layers of heirarchy. not to mention the shield bug.

im not too fond of 3ds format either. the format has various versions which are not all 100% cross compatable with eachother. i can never get truespace 3ds import to work. and it has a way of screwing things up.

more format support is the way to go. the more formats you support, the bigger chance there is that theres one you can go through. i like to be able to set up all data chunks in the modeling program, so that reconversions can be made faster. in reality id rather not go through a converter/editor at all, but instead save as pof from the modeling program. thats why i like the max plugin, despite its countless flaws.

of modeling programs have built in script interpreters, max and truespace has em, not sure about blender or sketchup. porting pof output code to those script systems might be a good idea. i want to learn more about file i/o and model representation, and making a converter sounds like a way to do both

[Unknown Target]

Sketchup has a built in Ruby scripting system, if that helps any.

[neoterran]

Sketchup has a built in Ruby scripting system, if that helps any.

I know ruby..... i can help out if we use this...

[Unknown Target]

Maybe you could take a look into seeing what you can do with it?

[Nuke]

you know i talked to kazan about this, and he hates the idea. i think i should do it now

[Sandwich]

I know ruby.....

Oh, goodie. Explain it to me... what the heck is it??

[Nuke]

nother scripting language as far as i know.

[Flipside]

I wish I knew LScript, Lightwave was hopefully going to get an exporter with PCS 2, but now Mikhael has left here, I'm about the only person who uses Lightwave to model with