Some more Kilrathi previews
- Thread starter Eder
- Start date
Eder
Mr. Standoff
After finishing modelling and texturing it, I imported it into the game, only to see that it had some nasty collision trouble. I redid the model once or twice, but nothing would solve the problems (they made the bridge nearly indestructible) so I had no choice but to try a different design altogether. 
Eder
Mr. Standoff
First I load up Rhino, and make the model itself in it. After all the triangles are in place, I have to separate them depending on the texture alignment they'll use... so I basically divide the triangles in 10-20 layers, depending on the ship, and export this layered file to Truespace.
In Truespace I choose the correct texture alignment for each of the layers, and save the model with some placeholder textures... Then, in Photoshop, I draw the textures themselves, and save them on top of the placeholder files. At this point, if I open the file in Truespace again, it already looks the way it will look in the game.
Now I open the model in 3d exploration, save it in .cob format, so I can group all of those layers together again (the whole ship must be a single object in WCP/SO). The exception are capships: for capships, I just group each component to a separate layer, so the .cob file ends up having 3 or 4 layers instead of a single layer. Once this is done, I save each layer to a separate .peo file. So now it's time to import these .peo files into the engine, finally.
First, I convert all the textures: reduce them to 256 colors and save them as .mat files. Now, I convert each component. Open the .peo in peoviewer, export it to ModelC, open ModelC, scale the model, save the collision detection file, and compile to iff. Open the iff up in Hardpoint editor and Collision sphere editor, set up the hardpoints and collision radius, save, exit. Then I repeat these last steps for any other components the ship has.
Finally, in WCPPas, I create the ship file, which is just a script with the ship stats, and "assembly instructions"
- things like telling the game which hardpoints to attach turrets to, which hardpoints to attach subcomponents to (by giving the filenames of each component's iff file), and which iff file to use as the main hull. From the third paragraph down, it's a very tedious process 
In Truespace I choose the correct texture alignment for each of the layers, and save the model with some placeholder textures... Then, in Photoshop, I draw the textures themselves, and save them on top of the placeholder files. At this point, if I open the file in Truespace again, it already looks the way it will look in the game.
Now I open the model in 3d exploration, save it in .cob format, so I can group all of those layers together again (the whole ship must be a single object in WCP/SO). The exception are capships: for capships, I just group each component to a separate layer, so the .cob file ends up having 3 or 4 layers instead of a single layer. Once this is done, I save each layer to a separate .peo file. So now it's time to import these .peo files into the engine, finally.
First, I convert all the textures: reduce them to 256 colors and save them as .mat files. Now, I convert each component. Open the .peo in peoviewer, export it to ModelC, open ModelC, scale the model, save the collision detection file, and compile to iff. Open the iff up in Hardpoint editor and Collision sphere editor, set up the hardpoints and collision radius, save, exit. Then I repeat these last steps for any other components the ship has.
Finally, in WCPPas, I create the ship file, which is just a script with the ship stats, and "assembly instructions"
- things like telling the game which hardpoints to attach turrets to, which hardpoints to attach subcomponents to (by giving the filenames of each component's iff file), and which iff file to use as the main hull. From the third paragraph down, it's a very tedious process 
Eder
Mr. Standoff
Can't be sure yet. The number of turrets will, of course, be based on the WC1 stats, but since I don't have any novels which mention these ships, I'll probably have to use my judgement when it comes to which turret types to use. The Snakeir will probably have only lasers, with maybe the occasional Flak gun, to match the Concordia-class carriers. The Fralthi might get some mass drivers, since the Waterloo also has them.psych said:
More or less. Turret coverage is an issue we have to worry about in Standoff, but Origin didn't have to worry about in WC2 (since they were using sprites and all). I might have to add some extra turrets, if after applying the standard formula the ship still has major blind spots. I'd say that in this example, the Fralthra could end up with anything up to 4 Flak and 8 Standard turrets (including mass drivers, lasers, etc).psych said:
