[Crossbow]

In the wiki under ship tables for the entries $Closeup_Pos: and $Closeup_Zoom: the first sentence reads:
How the model will show at tech room and briefing screen animations (assuming a pre-rendered animation is not specified).

The text in brackets indicates to me that it is possible to replace the rotating models in the tech room with a pre-rendered animation.
Furthermore it is possible to do this under 'ship selection' with the entry $Ship_Anim:

I would like to know what entry is required to specify a pre-rendered animation or image replacement for .pof models in the tech room ship list.

[Nightmare]

Wookiejedi altered this a bit ( https://www.hard-light.net/forums/index.php?topic=95756.0 ) but the wiki apparently didn't got updated.

[0rph3u5]

$Ship_Icon/$Ship_Anim/$Ship_Overhead are for the Loadout Screens in missions - they do not relate to the techroom.

$Closeup_Pos/$Closeup_Zoom is for the techroom (according to the description given) or the little window that pops up if you click on briefing icon.


But there is also this bit in $POF_file_Techroom, you should take note of:

$POF file Techroom:
Filename of the model file (.pof) at data/models folder; used only in the weapon loadout screen

(emphasis mine)

That implies the terminology for this kind of stuff is ... off.

[Crossbow]

Unfortunately $POF_file_Techroom only changes the model in the weapon load out screen, not in tech room, and it only accepts .pof (not .png).
So unless someone wants to code a new feature, changing a tech room model to a pre-rendered animation or static image isn't an option.

If this is true, then the wiki description should be edited for $Closeup_Pos/$Closeup_Zoom.

[Nightmare]

I'll ask Wookiejedi about this, there was a discossion on Discord about the same thing.

[wookieejedi]

Ah yes so many of those names are a bit tricky to understand at first. I didn't actually change much, other then fix a bug involving the weapon load out screen icons (now if you specify an icon it will actually show up).

$Tech Model: used within the weapons table only affects weapons in the mission weapon load editor, not the techroom. +Tech Anim: in the weapons table is what affects the techroom animation for the weapon.

As for ships, I think there must be a way to set it to use a pre-rendered animation (ani file at least) but perhaps that functionality never got added. $Ship_Anim: as you noted only applies to the ship loadout editor iirc.