Need people who are skilled in AC3D (any other Programm like 3ds max and/or Blender)

C

ColonelFireball

Spaceman
Hello!

As you know I am creating a Wing Commander Mod for the Game "Galactic Civlizations 2" together with "Marc".

http://www.crius.net/zone/showthread.php?t=19666

We made some good progress with Shipmodels,... thanks to Marc! ;)
(Very special thanks!!!)

For the Admins: This is a "Help and recruiting"-thread so please do NOT close it!

Now my "Problem":
The Models need something that is called "Hardpoints"
Those Hardpoints are needed that you can place things like Weapons and defenses on the Shipmodel. It's to support the "Shipbuilder" which is a nice and important feature of the game.

I only know that those "Hardpoints" are created with "Dummys" if you use 3ds max.
But Marc is using AC3D and so there are no "Dummys". If you are using AC3D and you know how to resolve this problem, please let me know!

If you are using another programm and you may knwo how to place those "Hardpoints" then you could help us by joining the team.
Would mean we send you the models (usually *.3ds files) you place the hardpoints and convert the model to *.x

Here a picture that shows some progress. Marc has much more Ship Types!

Snap02.jpg
 
Looks very neat! Let me first say that I have no idea how to do what you've asked and so I'm probably not going to be very helpful to your quest. However, I know that with other games (I'm thinking mainly of Freelancer and Starlancer), hardpoints usually are single polygons placed on or around your mesh and then labelled as a hardpoint for the game engine to recognize. These hardpoints serve as reference locations for the game to know where to place guns, engines etc. Having never used AC3D I can't comment, but I would assume it shouldn't be that hard to create a single polygon? Or am I way off base here?
 
As far as I know dummys in Max are helper objects that can be used for different things. They don't have any visible geometry and from what I read they can be used together with scripts to controle animations and other things.
In other software packs they are refered to as null-objects I think.
 
Good to hear you like it, but Credits to Marc fpr the 3d models.

@ Mr. Striker: Yes, the Hardpoints must be as you arer describe them.
But Marc has difficulty using/placing such a thing in AC3D, that's the programm he is using.

Well, you suggestion are o.k. but what I/We (Marc and I) need is someone that knows how you could create such "Hardpoints" in AC3D.

Or if you use programm like 3ds max you could help us.
Marc is converrting them in 3ds, which can be imported with 3ds max and someone else is placing the hardoints.
But if it works with anotehr programm and you are able to use it and you know about the "hardpoints" then use that one as long as it helps. :)

But maybe Marc can post it more clearly what help he needs that you can also tlak with him. I have about "0"clue using 3d programms. :(
 
Yeah, maybe he can explain further. I googled for AC3D and "null objects" and came up with several forum threads with good information for exporting objects. That might be helpful for him...
 
Maj.Striker said:
Yeah, maybe he can explain further. I googled for AC3D and "null objects" and came up with several forum threads with good information for exporting objects. That might be helpful for him...
Click to expand...

That's good I don't know even what to search for.
So post/link whatever you think that could help.
As long as Marc can use it, it's also fine for myself. :)
Thank you!
 
Waaw, this looks great !
question : will this mod be working with a demo/sharewareversion of the game or do we need to buy the complete game just to play this mod?
 
Confed said:
Waaw, this looks great !
question : will this mod be working with a demo/sharewareversion of the game or do we need to buy the complete game just to play this mod?
Click to expand...
I bet you'll need the full game.
 
@ Maj.Striker: Have you find something useful? Still looking forward to you links you have found.

@ All interest people: It's good to hear you are interested and you like it but you help me much more if you discuss it in the Thread for my mod, this is a help thread that is needed to make a better and faster progress for the project (if there is help)

If you like to talk about my mod and the Pros and Cons then please go here:
http://www.crius.net/zone/showthread.php?t=19666

So hope you understand it.

Thank you! :)
 
Ok, haven't logged on in a bit and I now see Col.Fireball has gotten things rolling quite nicely :)

Well let me just get to the gut nature of the problem. the hardpoints.

I have no problems modeling and importing stuff inside the game.
However I haven't got a clue as to how to make a "hardpoint" using AC3D so the game can understand it.

At this point, I should say that Galactic Civilization use X.file as models.
Now here's the kikker, AC3D let's me export files in X format.. but it doesn't let me import them! So I can't study the original game models and replicate them accordingly.

This is the game shipyard window. this is where you can build new classes of ship (or else you're stuck with the first four default ship type for the rest of the game)
snap032en.jpg

See those nice little red arrows on the surface of the origial space ship? those are the hardpoints. They let you mount equipment on the ship... stuff like engines, weapons, armor, shields, cargo ad-ons and the likes.

Now this is what happens when I import one of my models. ( I'll use the hornet as an example)
snap045vn.jpg

See how all the red arrows that where so nicely placed on the original craft now go absolutely bezerk? And I didn't even model any hardpoints on the hornet in the first place... they just appeared like that.

Well that's the problem.
Now I've found a file inside the game model folder named "hardpoint". At first I thought this was the solution. so I replaced the orinal harpoint model file with something I could manipulate in AC3D and placed them on my models. the result:
snap050vn.jpg

That blak mass on the wing was supposed to be a hardpoint. It doesn't work. dam.
The fact that i replaced the hardpoint model file doesn't change anything on the original models- they still work fine.
Now I've tried renaming the harpoint object a dozen different names like: hardpoint01, or dummy01... stuff lyke that... no joy.
I've tried making the hardpoint object into lines... nothing.

Now the fact that the hardpoint on my Hornet model are all over the place doesn't mean they're useless. Equipment can still be mounted on them and it'll work fine. The thing is you end up with a Hornet with a gun placed
about 50 meter away hanging in space... doesn't look quite right.
snap061zx.jpg


****help whanted.
 
I have found an example file in the GalCiv forum that was made for max and also had *.X files with it.
Opening the files with wordpad I found this -> Frame Dummy380
Maybe thats what it has to be named.
Also before and after that where a lot of numbers and I would guess that these are coordinates.

Don't know if that helps just thought I post it.
 
Good that Marc has posted the problems form his side. As he is the "3d Artist" of the project he can bring the problem to the point. :)

@gevatter lars: What file is it? It COULD help, depends how hard it is to find the right coordinates.

@thedott: No clue,... maybe Marc can work with it. What have you tried so far?

But thanks to all who like to help! It's great! :)
 
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