[origin]

I have made a ship model and converted it to a POF but I don't know how to load it into FS.  There seems to be some conflicting information out there.  I have read that I need to put the ship in data\models and the textures in data\textures.  There is a data folder but no models folder.  I have not looked in the .vp files much becasue I have read not to change those.   So I am confused and probably making this harder than it needs to be.   So I could use any help anyone could offer.

Thanks.

[Jeff Vader]

I have made a ship model and converted it to a POF but I don't know how to load it into FS.  There seems to be some conflicting information out there.  I have read that I need to put the ship in data\models and the textures in data\textures.  There is a data folder but no models folder.

That is correct. The vp files are sort of container files. They include a \data\ folder, which in turn contains subfolders. \freespace\data\ folder gives you a clue of what's going on.

That information is correct. Models go to \data\models and textures to \data\maps. If these folders don't exist, just create them.

I have not looked in the .vp files much becasue I have read not to change those.

You can safely use a tool like VPView to browse through vp files and see just what they hold inside. It's just that if you open files inside vps, don't change them. If you want to do editing, first extract the desired files out of the vp and edit those. Then, again place them to an appropriate subfolder in the \data\ folder.

[Getter Robo G]

If you're just starting out (especially to test just a few minor things) it's very wise to pretend VP's don't exist.
In fact the only people who should mes with them are entire MODS.

Just make a mod folder with relevant copies of the data folder in it, copy any other mods ini and settings files and alter them to fit your "mod", find your mod folder in the launcher and mod away till your heart's content. That way if you screw something up it only affects your "mod" etc...

You still can disable it and go back to normal or another mod etc...

I usually only use the media vp's setting and make my own banner for the mod pic. I usually use the smae launcher settigns (aside from folder of course) for ambient light, spec, glows, etc...

[origin]

Thank you for your help and thanks for not pounding on me for asking questions that have probably been asked 1000 times.  With that said here is one more question - to get the model to the point where I can test in FRED I need to put the model in the ships.tbl I believe.  Where is the ships.tbl, how do you edit it, should I copy a ship that I think is close to what my model is and change the name to my models name?  I have seen the wiki site that discusses the ships.tbl I just need the general mechanics of how to change it.

Thanks again.

[Jeff Vader]

You can either add the ship entry to the ships.tbl or you can create a .tbm, a modular table file, that will sort of add stuff to the tables without the need for actually editing the existing table files. The FreeSpace Wiki article on tables files may be enlightening, as well as Karajorma's FreeSpace FAQ (link in my signature).

The ships.tbl is located in the Root_fs2.vp. To get it, you'll need to extract it with a vp viewer. There are download links for such in the Wiki. VPView, or is it VPViewer, is recommended since it is the least likely to break something accidentally. The .tbl file, as well .tbm files, opens with any text editor, like Notepad.

[origin]

Again thanks for everyones help.  Unfortunately I am relatively dense and cannot see how to load the .tbm file I have made.  Clearly, I think, it should go into the tables folder in the root.vp but when I open the vp file with vpview I do not have the option to add the file.  I certainly don't just dump it into the .vp file, so what do I do? 

As I may have mentioned I am feeling rather dense...

[blowfish]

No, you don't.  Put the TBM file in data/tables/ (either of your main Freespace folder or of whatever mod you are using).  You should never have to modify VP files.

[origin]

Geeze, that makes sense!!!

Thanks so much!

All you guys are very helpful and don't even make us newbies feel like maroons..

[Jeff Vader]

No, you don't.  Put the TBM file in data/tables/ (either of your main Freespace folder or of whatever mod you are using).  You should never have to modify VP files.

I might have explained it in an unclear manner. Pardon. But that is also what I meant. Don't tamper with vps. Extract stuff and place the extracted stuff to either \freespace\data\ or \freespace\modfolder\data. Luckily you were using VPView that doesn't give you the chance to place stuff inside a vp. Otherwise you might have broken something.

All you guys are very helpful and don't even make us newbies feel like maroons..

Aye. Most, if not all, of us despise the whole "stfu n00b lol rtfm ftw" attitude on certain forums. We try to differ from such attitudes and instead are always ready to help people with their problems.

As I may have mentioned I am feeling rather dense...

This is the first time I've seen the word "dense" used in such a context. Oh well. You live and you learn. Luckily Wiktionary helped out or I probably would have questioned your insanity.

[karajorma]

All you guys are very helpful and don't even make us newbies feel like maroons..

Aye. Most, if not all, of us despise the whole "stfu n00b lol rtfm ftw" attitude on certain forums. We try to differ from such attitudes and instead are always ready to help people with their problems.

We all started out as newbies. Some forums tend to forget that.

And as I've said before sometimes you have really great modders get stuck on simple things when they first get here.

[origin]

Thought I was gone huh?  No such luck.  I have one small problem - my ship is invisible.  I had a realtively complicated ship so I thought maybe I had something messed up, so I made a cube with a tube.  Well it works fine but it is invisible.  I assume it is a texture problem but I don't know what it could be.  I can hear the darn thing flying around and see it shooting at me.  I even have the hud draw abox around it but no ship can be seen.

In the data folder I have:
\models\box.pof
\Tables\box.tbm
\testures\ the 2 .tga files that I used to texture it with - I used UV in truespace.

So any thoughts, help?

[Galemp]

er, make sure they're in the maps folder.

[origin]

  So I have been banging my head on the wall all day because I loaded the textures in \textures and not \maps.  Is there a profanity filter on this forum?!?  Well I don't need to cuss, I need to say thanks for the info... so thanks!

[Jeff Vader]

So I have been banging my head on the wall all day because I loaded the textures in \textures and not \maps.

Models go to \data\models and textures to \data\maps. If these folders don't exist, just create them.

Well, it wasn't that big a mistake. Some people have dumped stuff into the \data\ folder and not in any specific subfolder. Same result. You live and you learn.

And I believe we should skip the discussion about the profanities this time. In short, yes, there is a filter and you can disable it from your account settings.

[Getter Robo G]

So lets see it already