STNG Ship Set Available.
 

I made a ship set today using the TMP race as a template. I added five TNG ships and their bmp images to the new ship set. The models all opened correctly in the X viewer and look good.

As far as I know the set should work, but whenever I try to use it, the game crashes.

Can someone take a look at what I have and tell me what the problem is? Thanks

If you want to download the completed set, click this LINK RIGHT HERE for version 1.1

Re: Trying To Add Ship Set, Keeps Crashing the Gam
 

At where is the FedTNG_Ships_XFileClasses.txt? Also I notice some the sizes of the pics aren't matching the ones in stock. But I would start with the missing file then troubleshoot from there. As soon as you get this working sign me up for a copy! Can you PM me with a copy so I can have the privileged of saying I tried it first? http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...es/biggrin.gif

Re: Trying To Add Ship Set, Keeps Crashing the Gam
 

I have updated the files. I was missing some images. However now the game will load, but WON'T use any of my models. I suspect this might have something to do with some obscure setting or something.

Re: Trying To Add Ship Set, Keeps Crashing the Gam
 

Ok I got everything to mostly work. However my ships are really really small. I need to fix this.

Re: Trying To Add Ship Set, Keeps Crashing the Gam
 

Here is the revised set. It works in the game but the ships are really really really really small.

I don't know how to make them larger. I need help here.

Re: Trying To Add Ship Set, Keeps Crashing the Gam
 

Ok, I figured out how to adjust the size of the ships, however the orientation is off. They are nose down. Man this is a lot of work!

Re: Trying To Add Ship Set, Keeps Crashing the Gam
 

That is why you are the master. Next you will need to write instructions. So when can I start playing with the finished product? Who is next the Klingons or the Romulans?

Re: Trying To Add Ship Set, Keeps Crashing the Gam
 

Ok, I have the size and orientation fixed, however now all of the firing arcs are all screwy. Now I am at a loss as to how to fix this.

I have literally no clue how to go about fixing this.

Re: Trying To Add Ship Set, Keeps Crashing the Gam
 

What firing arcs? Shots should be heading at the enemy no matter what direction they are and the shots should originate from the center or near center of the model. At least that is what I am seeing with the stock models.

Re: Trying To Add Ship Set, Keeps Crashing the Gam
 

Here is the latest version. This one has the screwy firing arcs.

Re: Trying To Add Ship Set, Keeps Crashing the Gam
 

Here is a save game. I have already designed the ships. This way all you have to do is load the save game and then run a simulated battle using whatever ships you want to see the crazy firing arc problem.

Re: Trying To Add Ship Set, Keeps Crashing the Gam
 

To be safe, add a generic 360 degree firing point (or two complementary 180 degree points to be safer) in the middle of your model.

Once you've got the safety backstop there, then you can add more firing points on your ship's gunports with logical arcs to make it look better in action.

Re: Trying To Add Ship Set, Keeps Crashing the Gam
 

Ok I think I might have the firing arcs figured out somewhat.

I set them to 0-90 90-180 180-270 270-0 This seemed to give the ships the correct firing orientations. I am testing now.

Re: Trying To Add Ship Set, Keeps Crashing the Gam
 

Ok now I see what you mean by the firing slots being screwy. Wow! Anyway the slots are going to need cleaned up too. And is there anyway to add some details to the model in the ship design screen? That Star Fleet primer gray looks odd under the slots.

Re: Trying To Add Ship Set, Keeps Crashing the Gam
 

The firing arcs are a real PITA. You have X Y Z values that are seem to be near impossible to calculate. I speculate that 0 represents the center of the ship. And that X Y and Z represent the value to where you can move the starting point of that arc. I just haven't figured out which one moves the firing point forward and back ward, are they positive or negative numbers, which one moves the firing arc up and down, and which moves it side to side.

Seems like every change I make, apart from what I did in my previous post thank to SJ's help, just results in an unwanted reaction.

To answer your question PES, I am working on it. I had to use DOGA to make those images because I couldn't get a large enough TOP DOWN view of the ships. They need to be 512x512 jpeg's and the best I could do was mid 200's. If I enlarged them they looked like crap. (I can darken the grey if need bee, but given what the stock ships look like, I thought it would work.)

Re: Trying To Add Ship Set, Keeps Crashing the Gam
 

Look in your modeller to find where you put the 0,0,0 origin.

The firing point coordinates will be relative to that. If you can point your mouse at a location and pull coordinates off that, it should make your life much easier.
You may or may not have to multiply the above coordinate by the scaling factor you specified in the text file.

Re: Trying To Add Ship Set, Keeps Crashing the Gam
 

From this thread: link

Engine Glows and Weapon Flares

Getting the engine glows and weapon flares placed on your model can be extremely frustrating. Hopefully this will make it a little bit easier for you.

Assuming that you are using a test mod to check out your new ships (highly recomended) add a Pictures folder and then an Effects subfolder in it. In the Effects folder add copies of "EngineGlow.bmp" and "weapon_flare.bmp." In your test empire folder add a copy of "BitmapEffects_Combat.txt" and the shipset viewer. Edit the "BitmapEffects_Combat" file so that only the entries for Engine Glow and Firing Flare remain.

Once you've done all that go into the "_Ships_XFileClasses.txt" and find your ship. Change the number of Engine Points to 1, set all the coordinates to 0 (including the offsets,) and make the glow radius 0.9. Save and open the viewer. Go to your ship, zoom in a bit, and press "G" to make the engine glow brighter. To get a really good idea of where the glow is at you may want to zoom in very close and spin the ship.

Now you should have a good idea of which direction you need to move the engine point. In the "_Ships_XFileClasses" file the coordinates are laid out like this;

* x = left and right, positive is right and negative is left
* y = front to back, positive is front (away from the camera) and negative is back (towards the camera)
* z = up and down, positive is down and negative is up (yeah, that's backwards from any 3d I've ever worked with too)


The offsets are just to move the glow off of the model, you can choose to use them or just make the engine points equal the glow points. Once you've got the first one set where you want it you can add the second one and so on. The weapon flares can be done the same way.

It takes some (a lot) of trial and error so you'll find yourself bouncing in and out of the veiwer often but at least it loads quick.

Hopefully this'll help someone out. Any questions please feel free to post them here or pm me. Now, back to working on my set!

[Edit] If you have a hard time finding your engine glow you can always use a weapon flare slot to help you pin down the location. Set one to a 90 degree arc and the arc lines will form an arrow for you. Once you have it nailed down you just put those coordinates back into the engine glow slot. Hope that makes sense!

Re: Trying To Add Ship Set, Keeps Crashing the Gam
 

Thank you for that information, I have one question though, the viewer?

Re: Trying To Add Ship Set, Keeps Crashing the Gam
 

The shipset viewer.

Re: Trying To Add Ship Set, Keeps Crashing the Gam
 

Ok found the viewer file. Can you tell me what a bounding box is, and how do I adjust it. In the viewer mine are not placed correctly. Instead of being even and encompassing the ship, they are centered but facing up and down.

I have included an image.

Re: Trying To Add Ship Set, Keeps Crashing the Gam
 

Yuck, use the hex or square instead and turn off the centering lines. You'll get a much better idea of scaling and centering problems that way.

Re: Trying To Add Ship Set, Keeps Crashing the Gam
 

I don't know how to turn on the hex thing. I am getting the firing arcs down though. (Thank you.)

About that bounding box.... what the hell is it, and do you know how I can adjust it? Could it be for the shields???

Re: Trying To Add Ship Set, Keeps Crashing the Gam
 

I have made some progress.

Re: Trying To Add Ship Set, Keeps Crashing the Gam
 

I have discovered that with some models the X Y and Z are different.

For the ones I am using, the Z = forward and back. The X = left and right, and Y = Up and down.

Re: Trying To Add Ship Set, Keeps Crashing the Gam
 

Hit "H" twice to get the hex.
The bounding box is based on the model's dimensions and spatial coordinates. Haven't a clue if the game actually uses it.

The first two ships in your pic, did you rotate them in your modeling program or in the XFileClasses file?

Re: Trying To Add Ship Set, Keeps Crashing the Gam
 

The hex is just to help show scale. It's size is constant so I use it to compare a new model to the same class of stock in order to get my new one to be of a similar size.

Re: Trying To Add Ship Set, Work In Progress
 

Well it took me all day to do this, but I am finally done. The set is completed. It is my first set so please keep that in mind. I hope you enjoy it.

Link To Download

Re: Trying To Add Ship Set, Work In Progress
 

Atrocities please see attached file. Load it into your ST:TNG set and look at the Destroyer hull size. That is all I had time to do this morning. If you like I will work on the rest after getting home. Now time to go taint some young minds to the Space Empires series; and you know teach them some social science crap too. But mainly Space Empires! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...es/biggrin.gif

Re: Trying To Add Ship Set, Work In Progress
 

Congratulations Atrocities!
Now that the ice is broken I am eager to see your other 99 races adapted to SE V. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...es/biggrin.gif
One small problem I encountered: there seems to be no AI design creation.

Re: Trying To Add Ship Set, Work In Progress
 

This is the fully working set. I have done all the sips slots. They didn't come out even across the sizes but the models themselves aren't even. I decided to go with the models instead of some kind of gradual increase in number of slots. The way I think of it with three decks the actual number of slots per deck shouldn't matter. I also got the ones like drones and fighter that weren't showing up fixed. Hope you like it. It is in zip format this time so you know what to do with it. Unzip and replace the file there.

Re: Trying To Add Ship Set, Work In Progress
 

The slot issue that caused some of the slots to not show up was that I had not renamed them. You can use PES's file or if you like you can use the corrected file I have.

LINK to Download

Re: Trying To Add Ship Set, Work In Progress
 

I have also updated the ship set with the correct file.

Re: Trying To Add Ship Set, Work In Progress
 

Hay AT I am so sorry, I hope I didn't just offend you. I have pulled the file as it was only meant as a little help. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/fear.gif

Re: Trying To Add Ship Set, Work In Progress
 

No not at all. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif I am thankful for all your help. I was in a huge hurry earlier today and was working off of an email about the slot issue. To be honest I hadn't read your post until after I posted, so I went back and did a quick edit. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

I didn't mean for it to come across or seem like I was angry. In fact very far from it, I was excited that you helped me. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

Hey if any of my things have problems that are keeping people form enjoying them and you can help fix them, please by all means do so. I can always use the help. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

Re: STNG Ship Set Available
 

Well, I'll give the updated shipset a try later
Good work though AT, I presume as you get used to the new modding options, you will be doing a full ST conversion down the road?

Re: Trying To Add Ship Set, Work In Progress
 

Did you get a chance to see what I did with the slots? If not have attached the copy again.

Re: Trying To Add Ship Set, Work In Progress
 

I haven't had a chance too look yet PES. I will download it now and take a look later tonight. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

I am working on the Klingon set now.

I have a new image for the federation race portrait, but don't know how to over lay it against a nice back ground. Also I am having a problem finding decent racial portraits for the Borg, Breen, Romulans, Cardassians, Ferengi, 8472, Sona, and so on.

I have one for the Klingons already, but need them for everyone else.

Re: Trying To Add Ship Set, Work In Progress
 

I think the race portraits you used for SE4 are perfect. Picard is great he only needs that blue background replaced by a black one. That should be easy enough...

There ya go my friend please see attached!

Re: Trying To Add Ship Set, Work In Progress
 

As we speak I am uploading v1.1 with a few changes.
1. Added PES's slot layouts. (THANK YOU)
2. New Federation racial portraits.
3. Added General, speech, and design name files.

Re: Trying To Add Ship Set, Work In Progress
 

Just so you know...

I know you probably don't want to go though another labor of love porting a mod that seems MUCH harder to create than in SE4 but I think ST is one of those mods that an entire community would be willing to pitch in for... I have very little modding experience but I am about to take some time and crack apart the AI files and design, so hopefully in a week or so I could try to help out with some ST AI files if you manage to come around to spearhead another effort...

That said, I (along with probably most people here) would totally understand if you just said the hell with it. But I hope you don't.

Re: Trying To Add Ship Set, Work In Progress
 

Also, a little off topic (it's late and I'm sleepy) but I was looking at Atrocities' post count and did some math - talk about records that will never be broken! Basically:

Mathematically, he has posted almost 7 times PER DAY FOR OVER SIX YEARS. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/shock.gif

Wow.

Here's to you, sir. [img]/threads/images/Graemlins/icon48.gif[/img] [img]/threads/images/Graemlins/icon48.gif[/img]

Re: Trying To Add Ship Set, Work In Progress
 

If At ever needed any help building the files I would certainly be there.

Re: Trying To Add Ship Set, Work In Progress
 

Fyron has me beat by over 3,000 posts and he started a year late. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif And 99% of his posts are on topic, informative, and generally lack any BS. You take away all of my OT posts and my BS/hissyFit posts, and I would be about 5,000 posts or so.

The first step toward creating a Star Trek Mod is under way. We have to have ships. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

I am working on the Klingons now. I just finished up the Flags, and all other images, say for the ships. I am using some of the models from one of the other races to save save on work. No sense in rebuilding things if you don't have too. I just hope they work right. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif I have the ships all picked out and just finished porting the Cruiser and setting it up for SE V.

After all the models are made, I then need to make the 512x512 and 128x128 portraits, easy, then set up the ship list thing, (42x42 I think). From their I have to make the TOP down views for the slots, that might be a PITA, but I will try.

Once all the images are in place I can load the empire and start the sizing, placement process. Then the slots, and tweaking come into play.

I hope to have them ready by the end of the weekend if nothing goes wrong.

Thanks PES for offering to help, you can bet you will be the first person I send this set too. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif Thanks again for the slot layout help with the TNG set. How do you like the replacement race portrait?

Re: Trying To Add Ship Set, Work In Progress
 

The replacement pic is nice, very cool! I shouldn't have doubted you about a replacement for Picard. I should have known you wouldn't have replaced him unless you had something better. I will be more than happy to help with the slots or anything else that I can, you should have my email so just send it over to me.

Changing gears... Nothing wrong with BS and piss fit posts. It just makes you more human, it lets the community see who you are and how you feel. Frankly I wouldn't consider you such a dear friend or have such deep respect for you if all your posts were limited to dry facts. No offense Fyron, I understand dry is who you are. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...es/biggrin.gif

Re: Trying To Add Ship Set, Work In Progress
 

Just to let you know AT, the latest version of the Federation shipset seems to be missing boxes for Weapon Platforms

Re: Trying To Add Ship Set, Work In Progress
 

Your using ship models from other races? I can't believe that there isnt a wealth of models available that you can use for any and all levels of ships. Especially for the Klingons. If you are looking for something specific, just give a shout, and I'll see what I can find, or that I might have...I assume you are still using MOD files?

Re: Trying To Add Ship Set, Work In Progress
 

Ok, thanks, will check it out and fix ASAP. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

Re: Trying To Add Ship Set, Work In Progress
 

Pfft, IRC is better for dicking around. AT's 99% estimate is a little on the high side though...

Re: Trying To Add Ship Set, Work In Progress
 

Re: Trying To Add Ship Set, Work In Progress
 

Mmm, let me see my notes... yep everything is crossed off except "wp". So the only one I didn't do slots for are warp points. Ahh... weapon platform!

Here is the corrected version, download, install, and enjoy!