Custom Ship Pics

[bearclaw]

I'm interested in trying my hand at making some ships for the game. X-wings and Y-wings in particular. Where do I begin?

[Suicide Junkie]

First thing would be to get a 3D mesh model of the ship.
Render an overhead Black&White view at resolutions of...
80x102 - for the mini status window (shieldlayout_X.bmp)
548x700 - for the big spacedock view (shipportrait_x.bmp)
350x210 - Full color, shallow side angle view with the ship facing the bottom left. (ShipportraitProfile_X.bmp)

Then you convert the model to or export it as a .X file

...That's about where my knowledge ends, we'll have to wait for a guru to come wandering by...
At this point, what you'll probably end up with is a ghost-white ship of the correct shape at least. The gurus will help you make it look pretty.
It does pick up again once you've got all the model and texture files done.

Go into your SpaceObjects_XFiles.txt file.
Copy an entry, and change the values to suit.

Someone suggested making a little ball in your modeler, moving it to where you want, and then reading off the coordinates in your modeler to get the numbers you need for the XYZ coords of firing points, engine flares and other bits that go in here.

Download my slotmodder from http://imagemodserver.mine.nu/starfury OR Just skip this, and use one of the existing slot configs, such as the "Terran Destroyer Layout"
1) Fire it up.
2) Under the Background menu, load your big shipportrait that you made earlier.
3) Click add new slot. (CTRL-N)
4) Click and drag the slot around over top of your portrait and place it in a nice spot.
5) Fill in the slot info starting with Slot Name, and going down to the hardpoint/arc entries.
If you aren't sure about a slot name, make it the same as the comp type.
The hardpoints are the ones you made earlier in the spaceobjects_xfiles.txt
6) Go back to step 3 and repeat until you have enough slots.
Be sure to have at least one engine slot.
7) All done with the slots?
Choose a name for this layout, preferably one that won't overwrite an existing ship layout.
8) File -> Save (NOT Export)
This opens a nice familiar dialog box. Find the main_componentconfigurationslots file you want to add this to, select it and hit save.
9) Add some more hulls if you like, or File -> Open to look at some other ship layouts.

Now you've got a slot layout, and a model.
We can now put those together to make a ship.
Choose from main_purchaseshipsEnemy, purchaseshipsPlayer, and StartingPlayerships.

Copy an entry, and fill in your name description, etc.
Be sure to change the spaceobject Xfile name to match what you gave it in the spaceobjects_Xfiles, and the configuration slots should match the name you saved in the slotmodder.
Set the pictures to the names you rendered at the beginning.
Set the sellers to the places where this ship should be buyable...
Fill in all the basic stats...
Set the viewing distance for the camera views...
And then finally tweak the starting configuration slots to match the types of components you want to be standard on this ship with the slots you want them to be in.

For a startingplayerships ship, you MUST have at least one component, or its instant death since you have no hitpoints without components.

Load and play.

[ December 12, 2003, 02:33: Message edited by: Suicide Junkie ]

[Wydraz]

The methodology I have used to successfully create models for SF follows. Your mileage may vary.

I cannot teach you how to model or make graphics, but I can tell you the programs I used and the proceedures to get the files you need.

Anim8or is a free download at http://www.anim8or.com
Get the free Version of LithUnwrap at http://files.seriouszone.com/download.php?fileid=198

In Anim8or:
View >All
Create a box or other shape
Tip: Double-click the object to set size (and to add subdivisions for a box).
A Length of 1000 (Z-axis) is about the size of a destroyer, but this size is unwieldy in Anim8or; use 1/10 scale (length of 100). We'll scale it up before exporting later (you can also rescale in SESF SpaceObjects_XFiles.txt).

Create the model (the hard part).
Tip: Build >Convert to Mesh.. to edit shape using object editing tools.
Tip: Options >Grid: Enable Snap.. to Grid with Spacing of 5.

Save your model.
When it is ready:
Edit >Rotate >Rotate Custom >x-axis: enter -90 (or you can rotate in SpaceObjects_XFiles.txt).
Click the UV button in the toolbar to make the yellow ring appear around your model.
Edit >Scale >Scale Custom: 10x (this will fill the screen with the model, and you may want to re-adjust the camera views).
Object >Export.. model from anim8or as 3ds file.

In LithUnwrap:

File >Model >Open.. your .3ds
Select >All
Tools >UV Mapping >Box (check apply spacing)
If necessary:
View >Zoom >Free
Edit >Scale >Free.. to fit the model map into the square.
File >UV Map >Save.. your bitmap

Expand the Material branch in tree in right panel and double-click default material;
(Material Properties) Select Bitmap under Diffuse Map, click Properties;
(Diffuse Map Properties) click change, select your bitmap.

File >Model >Save.. your model as .x (text, uncheck compressed).

In your Text Editor:
Edit the SpaceObjects_XFiles.txt file to give the ship the proper hardpoints and engine glows.
(so far, this as been trial and error for me)

In your Paint Program:
Change bitmap to suit.
Reload model in LithUnwrap and Preview.

Once the model looks as you prefer, copy the .x file to the XFiles folder of your mod, and the texture .bmp file to your Images folder. You now have a new ship! You'll need to edit the ship data files, of course (such as the Main_PurchaseShipsPlayer.txt or Main_StartingPlayerShips.txt, at least). Good luck!

I copied a lot of other ship text files to make the ship playable. SJ's Slot Modding Utils is really useful here.

[bearclaw]

Thanks. Gives me a place to start at least. But I couldn't download the LithUnWrap program anywhere. The link goes to a description but no download option.

[Phoenix-D]

That would be because its been replaced by a pay progam. You can still find the free Lithunwrap, but you have to dig a little more..lost the link or I'd send you right to it.

EDIT: and, um, if you check that link you'll see several download mirrors..scroll down.

[ December 12, 2003, 22:59: Message edited by: Phoenix-D ]

[Ed Kolis]

Have you tried a program called simply UV Mapper? There's a free Version and a pay Version... it's fairly old and it only works on .obj files, but it's worth a look: www.uvmapper.com