Karronade Soft BC Modding

[Villain]

I'm planing a 2001 Shippack with the Discovery, the Pod(s), the Monolith, Aries 1B Lunar Shuttle, Orion III Spaceplane, Moonbus,
Orbital Themonuclear Bombs, Starchild, the 2001 Earth- and Jupiterset.

@ King Class Scout: Yes the movie is about 40 years old but it is a classic. If you are a fan of Sci-Fi you should know it. ;)

To anyone who doesn't know this movie you can watch it on YouTube already:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2DXMVG8fo3g&feature=related

Did not know it was up on youtube, would be foaming at the mouth if I didn't buy it as my first dvd when i got that old player   I'd cookie you again for the tip but I have to wait before I can again! The pack sounds like an amazing idea, and gives me a few of my own (retextured slipstream *Cough* )

[Karronade]

THX for your Cookie . I knew it since some days ago after finding some free 3D models on the internet. I looked around for the music sequences shown in the film and I found the complete movie on YouTube. I've already recorded the music sequences from there ;) .

[Mario]

So, the Wrait Cruiser is out now and will be downloadable in a few hours.

I hope you will enjoy the new features I added to this ship ;) .

This brings me to the next point on my list: The Valentine an Yamato. The Valentine actually doesn't have an ablative armor on the Stardrive Hull, although there is a correct named Hulltemplate and this template is correctly named in the ships plugin-file:

Code: [Select]

Foundation.ShipDef.CKValentine.dTechs = { 'Fed Ablative Armor': {'Plates': ['Saucer Armor','Stardrive Armor']}}
Here is a screenie from the MPE with these two templates:

What did I do wrong??

Declaring a dictionary as an apple then re-declaring it as an orange, the apple will be lost in there.

Code: [Select]

Foundation.ShipDef.CKValentine.dTechs = { 'FedAblativeArmor': {"Plates": [ "Saucer Armor", "Stardrive Armor" ]}}
Foundation.ShipDef.CKValentine.dTechs = { 'Multivectral Shields' : 10 }

Line 1. Declare a dictionary dTech and add FedAblativeArmor tech, should work for about couple of milliseconds.
Line 2. Re-declare the dictionary dTech and add Multivectral Shields to it and dump what the dict had so far.

So in the end the ship ends up with Multivectral shields only.

For such matters you do have BCUT which does write proper code to do this stuff.

You could have either
1) added a new dict entry

Code: [Select]

# declaring the dictionary
d = { 'FedAblativeArmor': {"Plates": [ "Saucer Armor", "Stardrive Armor" ]}}
# adding a new entry
d['Multivectral Shields'] = 10
2) Declare the dict with both entries init

Code: [Select]

dict = { 'FedAblativeArmor': {"Plates": [ "Saucer Armor", "Stardrive Armor" ]},'Multivectral Shields' : 10  }


@ dEjavU: I think, this is a bit over my art at the moment. Maybe I'm able to correct the viewing points, but taken out the spinning effects during slipstream, I don't know how and when I find the specific lines in the programmcode, what will habppen when I simply delete them? maybe the game will cause a BSOD because something important is missing. Here I should write an extra script for that, something I'm not able to do at this point of my skill...

While it is absolutely okay and people are absolutely encouraged to provide plugins for mods such as Slipstream, DS9FX, Galaxy Charts, MVAM... Modifying their scripts and source code, then the inevitable redistribution of the modified scripts does require permissions from the people who wrote that code in the first place.

[Karronade]

Aha, THX for your solution for the Ablative armor issue on the Valentine . I will check this out now.

As far as the slipstream modification is concerned, I'm aware of getting permission from you. I only wrote, what I can technically do and not what I will do without your permission ;).

[Mario]

P.S.

Maybe I'm able to correct the viewing points, but taken out the spinning effects during slipstream,

Viewpoints are a bit tricky since they use random view selection which act much more like the flyby camera.

I don't know how and when I find the specific lines in the programmcode, what will habppen when I simply delete them? maybe the game will cause a BSOD because something important is missing

also there hasn't been anything more in development of further trying to rid that mod of the spinning effect when your inside the tunnel, I believe someone already managed to do this unfortunately that improvement never made it to the public.

This is actually the easiest part, the angular velocity of the tunnel objects must be disabled.

This I already posted long time ago and was and still is available to the public. There are 4 instances which must be disabled:

Code: [Select]

        # Get the ship and rotate it like the Bajoran Wormhole in DS9Set
        fTunnel = MissionLib.GetShip(TunnelString, pDummySet)
        vCurVelocity = App.TGPoint3()
        vCurVelocity.SetXYZ(0, 0.8, 0)
        fTunnel.SetAngularVelocity(vCurVelocity, App.PhysicsObjectClass.DIRECTION_MODEL_SPACE)

        fTunnel2.EnableCollisionsWith(fTunnel, 0)
        vCurVelocity = App.TGPoint3()
        vCurVelocity.SetXYZ(0, 0.8, 0)
        fTunnel2.SetAngularVelocity(vCurVelocity, App.PhysicsObjectClass.DIRECTION_MODEL_SPACE)

        fTunnel = MissionLib.GetShip(TunnelString, pSet)
        vCurVelocity = App.TGPoint3()
        vCurVelocity.SetXYZ(0, 0.8, 0)
        fTunnel.SetAngularVelocity(vCurVelocity, App.PhysicsObjectClass.DIRECTION_MODEL_SPACE)

        fTunnel2.EnableCollisionsWith(fTunnel, 0)
        vCurVelocity = App.TGPoint3()
        vCurVelocity.SetXYZ(0, 0.8, 0)
        fTunnel2.SetAngularVelocity(vCurVelocity, App.PhysicsObjectClass.DIRECTION_MODEL_SPACE)


[Karronade]

You could have either
1) added a new dict entry

Code: [Select]


# declaring the dictionary
d = { 'FedAblativeArmor': {"Plates": [ "Saucer Armor", "Stardrive Armor" ]}}
# adding a new entry
d['Multivectral Shields'] = 10
2) Declare the dict with both entries init

Code: [Select]


dict = { 'FedAblativeArmor': {"Plates": [ "Saucer Armor", "Stardrive Armor" ]},'Multivectral Shields' : 10  }

O.K., but why doesn't have the ship no Ablativa Armor now? Before that it had at least Saucer Armor

[Mario]

Post the code you used or the whole ship's plugin.

[Karronade]

Code: [Select]

#######################################################################################
#  Custom Ship Plugin                                                                 #
#  Created by BC - Mod Packager                                                       #
#  Date: 7/8/2006                                                                    #
#######################################################################################
#                                                                                     #
import Foundation
import App
#                                                                                     #
#######################################################################################
#                                                                                     #
abbrev = 'CKValentine'
iconName = 'CKValentine'
longName = 'CKValentine'
shipFile = 'CKValentine'
menuGroup = 'Fed Ships'
playerMenuGroup = 'Fed Ships'
species = App.SPECIES_GALAXY
#                                                                                     #
#######################################################################################
#                                                                                     #
# Mod Info.  Use this as an opportunity to describe your work in brief.  This may     #
# have use later on for updates and such.                                             #
#                                                                                     #
credits = {
'modName': 'CKValentine',
'author': '',
'version': '1.0',
'sources': [ 'http://' ],
'comments': ''
}
#                                                                                     #
#######################################################################################
#                                                                                     #
# This is the ShipDef that adds the Ship to the game... BC-Mod Packager has           #
# automatically generated the proper ShipDef Line for you.                            #
#                                                                                     #
Foundation.ShipDef.CKValentine = Foundation.FedShipDef(abbrev, species, { 'name': longName, 'iconName': iconName, 'shipFile': shipFile })
Foundation.ShipDef.CKValentine.dTechs = { 'FedAblativeArmor': {"Plates": [ "Saucer Armor", "Stardrive Armor" ]},'Multivectral Shields' : 40  }
Foundation.ShipDef.CKValentine.sBridge = 'galaxyrefitbridge'
Foundation.ShipDef.CKValentine.fMaxWarp = 9.99 + 0.0001
Foundation.ShipDef.CKValentine.fCruiseWarp = 7.00 + 0.0001
#                                                                                     #
#######################################################################################
#                                                                                     #
# Uncomment these if you have TGL  
Foundation.ShipDef.CKValentine.hasTGLName = 1
Foundation.ShipDef.CKValentine.hasTGLDesc = 1

# Otherwise, uncomment this and type something in:
# Foundation.ShipDef.CKValentine.desc = 'No Description Available'
#                                                                                     #
#######################################################################################
#                                                                                     #
# These register the ship with the QuickBattle menus.  Don't touch them!!!            #
#                                                                                     #
if menuGroup:           Foundation.ShipDef.CKValentine.RegisterQBShipMenu(menuGroup)
if playerMenuGroup:     Foundation.ShipDef.CKValentine.RegisterQBPlayerShipMenu(playerMenuGroup)

if Foundation.shipList._keyList.has_key(longName):
     Foundation.ShipDef.__dict__[longName].friendlyDetails[2] = Foundation.shipList[longName].friendlyDetails[2]
     Foundation.ShipDef.__dict__[longName].enemyDetails[2] = Foundation.shipList[longName].enemyDetails[2]
#                                                                                     #
#######################################################################################


[Mario]

Define does not have ablative armor...

Is the positioning of the hull props correct (xyz coordinates)?
Is Ftech installed and FedAblativeArmor script available on the installation?

[dEjavU]

..this I already posted long time ago and was and still is available to the public. There are 4 instances which must be disabled:

Code: [Select]

        # Get the ship and rotate it like the Bajoran Wormhole in DS9Set
        fTunnel = MissionLib.GetShip(TunnelString, pDummySet)
        vCurVelocity = App.TGPoint3()
        vCurVelocity.SetXYZ(0, 0.8, 0)
        fTunnel.SetAngularVelocity(vCurVelocity, App.PhysicsObjectClass.DIRECTION_MODEL_SPACE)

        fTunnel2.EnableCollisionsWith(fTunnel, 0)
        vCurVelocity = App.TGPoint3()
        vCurVelocity.SetXYZ(0, 0.8, 0)
        fTunnel2.SetAngularVelocity(vCurVelocity, App.PhysicsObjectClass.DIRECTION_MODEL_SPACE)

        fTunnel = MissionLib.GetShip(TunnelString, pSet)
        vCurVelocity = App.TGPoint3()
        vCurVelocity.SetXYZ(0, 0.8, 0)
        fTunnel.SetAngularVelocity(vCurVelocity, App.PhysicsObjectClass.DIRECTION_MODEL_SPACE)

        fTunnel2.EnableCollisionsWith(fTunnel, 0)
        vCurVelocity = App.TGPoint3()
        vCurVelocity.SetXYZ(0, 0.8, 0)
        fTunnel2.SetAngularVelocity(vCurVelocity, App.PhysicsObjectClass.DIRECTION_MODEL_SPACE)


USS Sovereign can you please redirect me to where you posted this fix or if not can you please further elaborate on exactly what you mean by "the four must be disabled"? I located the first two entries and removed them but that just made the ship bypass the slipstream all together  for some time I've been looking for a fix to this, can you please offer further assistance?

[Mario]

I posted information some years ago on these same forums -- post which may still or not be here -- that the following lines must be commented out from the slipstream in order to remove the tunnel rotation. I never posted any script modifications. The reason why the ship missed the slipstream is probably because of a syntax error caused by your editing. But this is not the place to discuss the slipstream problems.

[JimmyB76]

But this is not the place to discuss the slipstream problems.

Slipstream Forum

[dEjavU]

Okay, thanks guys.   

[Karronade]

Everything is setting up correctly. I'm using a KM 1.0 installation. I tried it on a second computer, where I have also installed STBC and changed the plugin-file for these ships as you told me. It works on this install now and guess what:

I copied these files (hardpoints and plugin-files) on my first install (the one I changed the scriptfiles the first time) and now it works on this install too. I don't know why but it works, I think, this is python .

[Mario]

Computers just do what the user tells them, same goes for the programming languages. They do what you tell them, this is a user error. Where did you go exactly wrong, only you can know.

[Karronade]

Hmm, the only difference I see is, that there are blank characters between [ ".... " ] in your code and FedAblativeArmor is in these: '...' and not in these: "..."

Code: [Select]

Foundation.ShipDef.CKValentine.dTechs = { 'FedAblativeArmor': {"Plates": [ "Saucer Armor", "Stardrive Armor" ]},'Multivectral Shields' : 40  }
and in the one I did not:

Code: [Select]

Foundation.ShipDef.CKValentine.dTechs = { "Fed Ablative Armor": {"Plates": ["Saucer Armor", "Stardrive Armor"]}, 'Multivectral Shields' : 40 }
Perhaps this the crux of the matter...

[Mario]

Try using BCUT and create a dummy plugin and verify the syntax BCUT creates for FedAblativeArmor entry. Check if the techloader keyname for FedAblativeArmor is with or without whitespace.
If it's with whitespace then the dTech sample I provided did not find a match and trigger the ablative armor script which in fact results to my error in keynaming and mystery is solved. If it's without then the problem lies elsewhere. Regardless spaces in strings make all the difference, I already stated that for such things you have BCUT which writes proper and verified code.

[Karronade]

Check if the techloader keyname for FedAblativeArmor is with or without whitespace.

Do you know in which file I have to look for that entry?

Edit: Ahhhh, I understand now which file you mean ;)

[Karronade]

So, here are some more Screenies, the Monolith is already done now. The Pod's HP is almost finished, only some templates has to be put on the right places, but I'm not quite satisfied with the textures, but I'm able to correct that:









I have already rawly installed Station V. I want that Station rotating Ingame. So I'm asking here:

What is easier: Rotation through script or through animation?

And I think it is better if someone helps me with the textures of the Discovery, Starchild (must be Grouped+mapped) and the Moonbus. There are released without textures. I can copy some Hullparts from Station V but thats all. If there is someone around out there who has the lark of doing these textures, let me know it. He's highly welcome .

[MarkyD]

Nice work so far mate.. although i never did understand that film