[Bigoudi]

OK hi guy im French i folow this FS2 convertion for a long time becose im a old lover from B5 to.

Im a old 3D modeler to but not a modder :\. But i have try the last vertion 3.4 just like it FS2 engine give the best space fly feeling.

My prob is the EA starfury the mostly used ship in TBP so it look like a BOX dont want be wrong with the orinal crafter from this optimised model but i cant like any more this model.

So many nice job around and this box ship stay here dont know why.

So i got many many original model's from B5 like high and very high poly model's (i have etract the EA sf from my personal collection ^^ collected around the net.)
 
There can DL a pic a fast little scene render just make it for fun.

http://www.uploading.com/files/S7CU424A/board.jpg.html

On segond pic can see after 2 day litle worked on flat shading VS the real model B5 series (41415 face for half).
to 2373 for my half started model on low poly.

http://www.uploading.com/files/YFO2UV7V/preview01.jpg.html

Ok i have try to see pof file in modviw32 & vpview20 to open VP to see how its going, many prob i got i have never try to mod any game i dont know many thing about, texporter DDS make me sick i dont know how to make this file and for what its exactly use i juste know is texture / how to name exactly object / what is
exactly texture max size for the FS2 engine 256x256 hope more / how to place point and dummy for ship modul and name it / the ship optimisation when it is far from camera i dont know to how to turn this / i have for sure look many tutorial in forum from FS2 but im french and i dont understand all so english forum its a bit hard
for me.

Im using 3dsmax 5 i got a example file to help me from the FS2 forum and all soft need to make this all (POF exporter) (but know nothing about DDS).

ok if my litle actualy work enjoy pple to help me to make a new EA sf for TBP wellcome. 

[IPAndrews]

I really don't have time to deal with this, is there another experienced modder reading who can follow this up?

[karajorma]

The max texture size you can use in FS2_Open safely is 2048x2048 but you shouldn't be going anywhere near that high for a fighter.

If you're having trouble with DDS get it working with TGA textures and then someone can talk you through DDS later (The game will quite happily use TGA as long as you've ticked the option in the launcher).


That's the best I can do with my limited modding knowledge.

[IceFire]

Just for some history...back when we did the original models for the MOD we didn't have SCP and the poly limits were something like 400-500 polys and that was absolutely pushing things too far already!

Now thats good for a wing pylon or something

[Bigoudi]

OK hi again  .

Understand me pple i dont try to converting the real series model but to modeling a new, great new model with really many less poly.

there is 2 new pic of this ship, about how modeling is moving.

http://www.uploading.com/files/EH1BOAE0/preview04.jpg.html

http://www.uploading.com/files/36572NHM/preview05.jpg.html

on pic can see now a flat and smooth side, this all thing on screen use now 8376 poly the real one use 90000.
(i got some litle wrong smooth part but i correct this later).

for now i modeling ship with many detail, if can enjoy in game with this all detail it will be wonderfull but i have sure let me some way to fastly change many ship part, if modeling is to heavy for the FS 2 engine.

im slowy understanding how the POF exporter work aparently dont need use texporter and thanks for ur help karajorma i want use jpg file i see in FS 2 launcher is option JPG & TGA.

IF is realy a limit number of poly use for a model for FS2 engine, pls say me what is the max limit i want try out this model under 10000 poly.

i have try to export the simple body ship with texture it day in POFcontructorSuite no any prob for now is worked, for sure ship move slow in 3D viewport ^^. uhm.

now my prob is i think when the pof is fuly exported so can enjoy in VP file there is the prob with name of the ship and map part need to be exactly same of the first i supose but i will sure have more map and more part so i hope dont enjoy to many ****.

Tks again for any help and futurer help.

[karajorma]

10,000 is very high for a fighter. I can't think of anyone going over 5,000 with 2000-3000 being much closer to the acceptable limit.

Bear in mind that the hard limit is much higher than that. The limit most people use is a performance based compromise.

[Bigoudi]

Yes yes sure 10k face for a fighter is realy to high, but i have open the VP & 3.4 in modelview32 and finaly is there many ship over 5000 face and game runing perfectly, after see that i think so why not try a good modeling for the EA sf.

my PC is a AmD XP 3000+ real speed 2.17GHz    768 mo and a geforce 7600GT on AGP slot i dont have a PCIE system. thats not a recently comp i mean so many pple there have beter comp or same.(game run perfectly in any scene so why not make a wonderfull EA sf, anyway wee see this ship every where i dont want play with a box anymore).

well actualy model got 10642 face but i have abused with edge chamfer on weapong can see on pic .
tomorow i try to get down many face and let see how is going. This is the bigest one model is the mother base modeling, after sure need drop some face and dont need objet.

http://www.uploading.com/files/TWK2CQ9L/preview06.jpg.html

[IPAndrews]

Oh god not this again.  I'm sorry but I've been through this so many times with different people, but for the sake of the new arrival... here we go again.

Yes you can have a Star Fury with 10k polys. You can have a Star Fury with 100k polys. It'll work fine in game. The problem comes when you have lots of Star Furies with 10k polies!. Supposing you have a few wings of them on screen, maybe Babylon 5 in the background. Suddenly your on-screen poly count is into the hundred thousands and your game isn't running as well as it used to. Oh and whilst reading this remember that TBP is all about rock and roll action. That means having lots and lots and lots of ships on-screen at the same time. Do you see the problem?

Now someone please pass me a shotgun I can stick in my mouth. Thank you.

[IPAndrews]

so many times

I feel like I didn't stress this enough. Let's try again.

SO MANY TIMES!

[Bigoudi]

UHM funy pple here > hi

sure i know when is more of 20 fury on screen this turn hard zzzzzz.

anyway i feel no one will help me with thing here ok np i try alone at all.

last count 6112 face.

[Bigoudi]

Ok guy's dont know if any like what i try to do.

for a first try i close model to 5746 face.

cant use texporter to hard for me for a first time with this model or i need some week to learn it.

ship is textured only with uvwmap in max i hope this dont cause any problemes later.

http://www.uploading.com/files/L8QJK8CX/preview07.jpg.html

[0rph3u5]

anyway i feel no one will help me with thing here ok np i try alone at all.

Don't misunderstand everyone --- I guess those still following TBP's progress with much exitement are now waiting for your ingame ready HT&L StarFury ... but those numbers grew short

I cannot help you as modeler... but I would do some testing if needed;
and if you are willing to model more for TBP I'm looking for someone to help me with something (but finish the fury first)

[Bigoudi]

Well sure i dont want misunderstand anyone here np about this.

For sure i want to post a screen with my ship in game but i got now a wunderfull prob with this.

i can only extract a file from the B5 3.3 core archive but NO way cant replace a new file and deltree a old file.

so same as else i have read many thing in forum around this dont find any soft like modelview32 vpview and else same thing no way i cant put my new ship in any vp file.

my idea in a first time was to name my new ship with the old name dont know if this work but i dont have any another way.

i have correctly named ship dummy and helper in max my POF file work greatly if POFconstructor suit and in modelview32.

ok if any know what is the way to put my new ship in the VP core realy tks.

i wait for this now or my ship will be stand in B5 station for ever .

[0rph3u5]

For sure i want to post a screen with my ship in game

don't forget about adding the "-fps"-flag (without "") to the flags so we can see the FPS the new model is causing

i can only extract a file from the B5 3.3 core archive but NO way cant replace a new file and deltree a old file.

there is no way to do so.... but the engine preferes newer files outside the .vp---
so if you just create a folder \models in your data folder and place the starfury there named "aurora.pof" (I guess; haven't checked) -- but you came to that one already yourself
OR
you could you a modular table file (ships.tbm) to edit the ships.tbl to use your model; but I'm not quite sure about the syntax of the .tbm file in question, it would be something like:

$Name:  EA Aurora
+ No Create
$Pof_File: <HTLAurora.pof>

ps. could someone with more knowledge about .tbm/.tbl editing please check the second solution

[tomcat]

Now you see what you've did ???? You killed IAN.
Listen dude, our numbers for a darn fighter are 2000-3500 Polys...  Wanna have it in game.... obey that ... simple as that..
Don't **** with me .... 

Ian I think I'll install the 3dmax once more and maybe have time for redoing some of my older ships...

 

[Bigoudi]

hi ha hi ha uhm

Oki realy tks for the last to comment sure now i need help.

becose tryed to place my ship in this VP 3.3 finaly dont work game crashed yes yes i found this fille need to open
the vp archive damn VPmage finaly i got it.

but this dont really help me i need aparently for now make a new ship witl all new that was bored i need now learn outside modeling it will take long zzz  >>>>"-fps"-flag (without "")<<<< where why wee when im fully new with this thing. >> ship.tbm tbl << W w W w yes yes i have now to learn how to make a full mod only for that ship.

omg yes and another question is there a map size like 256x512 or 512x1024 can use this resolution or it must be sure 512x512 or 256x256 or can go less than 128x128.

tomcat lol ^^ i will drop face for sure i feel 5700 its to heavy

[Col. Fishguts]

You don't need to put your files in the VP, just put yout stuff in the proper /data/ subfolder.

Also, for texture size you can use any combination of 2^n size (like 128x1024).

I have a hard time understanding what exactly your asking, but I might be able to help you, just try to formulate short and clear questions.

Lastly, ignore tomcat ... for your own mental health.

[Mungrel]

Under 3000 would be good. Like to see it anyway 

[Bigoudi]

Ok realy tks for this help but i mean any way if i make a new VP file with my model and maps inside need to
edit the tbl from B5 3.3 core with a new name.
Or ship is probably not in game that my problemes i dont know anything yet about tbl.

But i got now a wonderfull problemes i have yesterday formating my computer becose bad bad virus reset every 10 seg after resarting widows. before this the pofexp.dle work fine on my max 5 now i got a big prob
 >DLL failed to initialize < when i try to start max with this plugins i have see 32 page in a forum about this problemes many talk about it but no one know why.

im now carefully fuked cant export anything more if any know something about this tks.

[IPAndrews]

You do not need to put your files in a vp.

Call your model aurora.pof, place it in data/models.
Place your textures in data/maps