[origin]

I find this whole discussion confusing, so I will ask.
Is it now possible to make viewable cockpits instead of just the HUD, during the inflight portion of the game?
What are the steps to make a cockpit, if it can be done.

Thanks.

[Snail]

You can.

Place an eyepoint inside the cockpit.

add "show ship" to the $Flags: of the table of the ship in question.



Yeah it's probably a lot more complicated than that but that's my understanding of it.

[Dragon]

You mean something like this?
Yes it's possible and as simple as Snail said.
You just need to place eyepoint where pilot's eyes would be (ships that have cockpits in mediavps have their eyepoints est like this, just like most of user made models) and add "Show Ship" flag to flags in ships.tbl or in approbate .tbm .

[Scooby_Doo]

Here's the basics for the DAE converter (the pof version is very similar)

You have your ship mesh (detail0)  You also have a separate mesh object for the cockpit.  Link the cockpit to detail0 (link, don't attach, they must remain seperate objects).  As for the glass, look up transparency.

And for the table the "show ship" has already been explained.


There is also another , and would be even better way for cockpits, unfortunately it's currently broken.  A separate model that contains the cockpit and viewable external areas.  This way you could have even higher detailed cockpits.  Unfortunately there is much z-buffer fighting and looks completely messed up 

[origin]

The first 2 replies seem to indicate I have to model the cockpit inside the ship model - which sounds impossible.

Scooby_Doo I have no idea about the DAE converter, but you say the POF is similar so... 

You must set up a mesh object for the cockpit - I assume this is a mesh that is little more than a box that looks like a cockpit from the inside.  Then I need to link it to the ship.  How?  Link it in PCS, link it in the mesh program before compiling as a POF or what?  And where do I put the eye point?  Where does the cockpit mesh go, in the ship?



Thanks

[Dragon]

Unless you want to make separate cockpit model, you have to model the ship with cockpit in it, just look at HTL fighters from mediavps, Steve'o's fighter pack or pretty much any user made HTL model. It's not only possible, but also widely used and nearly standard for HTL fighters and bombers, at least Terran ones (though we already have a few Vasudan cockpits in FS2 HTLs, there's also one recent Vasudan fighter made by Aldo_14 that has it).

[origin]

Oh I think I get it  - stick a light on the mesh and link to the ship and put the eye point in there right?

[Scooby_Doo]

The first 2 replies seem to indicate I have to model the cockpit inside the ship model - which sounds impossible.

Scooby_Doo I have no idea about the DAE converter, but you say the POF is similar so... 

You must set up a mesh object for the cockpit - I assume this is a mesh that is little more than a box that looks like a cockpit from the inside.  Then I need to link it to the ship.  How?  Link it in PCS, link it in the mesh program before compiling as a POF or what?  And where do I put the eye point?  Where does the cockpit mesh go, in the ship?



Thanks

Correct, for the method that currently works, the cockpit must be modelled into the ship, just like in real life.  You also want to place a eyepoint where your head would be in the model.  Remember polygons are onesided ingame.

For the second part, I don't remeber what tool i used in truespace, trueview??? to link the pieces together.

[Col. Fishguts]

There were some experimental builds that allowed seperate cockpit POFs to be defined... anybody know what happened to that development?

[Scooby_Doo]

Thats the alternative method, and it appears to be currently broken (unless someones fixed it)

[origin]

Thanks for the help - it is a little tricky trying to get everything lined up, but I am slugging through it.   Am I right in assuming the only way you can check you progress is to start freespace and look at the work in game.  Of course I am using a test mission with just the ship in question.

[Dragon]

Am I right in assuming the only way you can check you progress is to start freespace and look at the work in game.

Yes.