Sean's DEFIANT PACK

[Lurok91]

Follow-on from WIP thread:

Nearly complete and looking for beta testers.  No more than 3-4 (Nero is one).  One must have a KM-free install (please mention if do).  

Redone animations for bridge.  Deleted third extra crew (seemed too much activity, lol)  and remaining two now go to rear of bridge rather than front, which seems more canon.  And don't get in way.  

Red lights pulse at alert...will await feedback before decide if need brightening.  

Still couple of tweaks to do.

Couple of glitches:  door anims playing up and not closing when crew enter.  Have to check why.   Capt console arms and panels under helm and captain seat also pulse red. Probably because no lightmaps. Still awaiting response from Sean.  Panels not a problem but I'm sure console arms not supposed to flash  

(ps: I know I said no more bridge modding but I consider this finishing off existing rather than working on new   )

[Blackrook32]

Hey Lurok,

I'll toss my Beta testing hat into this. And I "definitely" don't have KM installed. Looks good from what I can see though.  -BR32

[Shadowknight1]

Dang, I have KM

[leemason]

As you know I have KM but I will help if you get no other takers. And I will give you a month before you give in and start another bridge  . By the way you have released 10 bridges in about 6 months from start to finish does someone know if this is a record, Jimmy?

[Lurok91]

So testers are: Nero, shadowknight, leemason (all KM) and BR (non-KM).  I only need one non-KM and BR is a skilled and experienced modder/tester so will give invaluable feedback.   I'll send link asap (maybe later today).  In process of sorting out door prob but the console arms will have to hang fire until hear from Sean.  

Bear in mind this will overwrite the stock KM Defiant (v3), so make a backup first...

And I will give you a month before you give in and start another bridge  . By the way you have released 10 bridges in about 6 months from start to finish does someone know if this is a record, Jimmy?

A month? Maybe    I'm doodling.  Just in no hurry to crank out another one, lol.  And to be fair, majority of bridges been revamps or variations on existing.  I still haven't made one from start to finish like Baz's TWOK bridge.  So it's been easier.  

[Blackrook32]

So testers are: Nero, shadowknight, leemason (all KM) and BR (non-KM).  I only need one non-KM and BR is a skilled and experienced modder/tester so will give invaluable feedback.   I'll send link asap (maybe later today).  In process of sorting out door prob but the console arms will have to hang fire until hear from Sean. 

Bear in mind this will overwrite the stock KM Defiant (v3), so make a backup first...

A month? Maybe    I'm doodling.  Just in no hurry to crank out another one, lol.  And to be fair, majority of bridges been revamps or variations on existing.  I still haven't made one from start to finish like Baz's TWOK bridge.  So it's been easier. 

Lurok, I maybe able to scare up another (non-KM) tester and fellow bridge fanatic.

I'll see if they are free. ;)

[Darkthunder]

Looks pretty accurate to me. Pity BC doesn't have the same amount of "bloom" to make the white lights appear properly at red alert.

[Morgan]

No more than 3-4 (Nero is one).  One must have a KM-free install (please mention if do).

Lurok you know me too well  

Set looks awesome from the pics.

P.S. my install is non-KM just an FYI, but if it's an issue I can always install it.

[Lurok91]

Lurok, I maybe able to scare up another (non-KM) tester and fellow bridge fanatic.
I'll see if they are free. ;)

Didn't realise Nero was non-KM, but another would be fine...

Looks pretty accurate to me. Pity BC doesn't have the same amount of "bloom" to make the white lights appear properly at red alert.

Couldn't agree more, DT :-(   Isn't lighting fx ones of the things they're going to improve in Excalibur?  

Lurok you know me too well  

Set looks awesome from the pics.

P.S. my install is non-KM just an FYI, but if it's an issue I can always install it.

Learn something new every day     Always thought you were KM.  Beginning to wonder if should de-install mine but suppose got used to it. Have a clean non-mod for SP, but not the same thing.  

Still trying to sort out door open/close anims. Seems to be timing issue when extra exits and may have to redo.  But tempted to get out to beta anyway and incorporate changes with any other feedback.   Not happy with all the crew arm anims and may have to redo some of those as well.

[007bashir]

i have a Km install. I wouldn't mind to test the bridge.

[JimmyB76]

Red lights pulse at alert...will await feedback before decide if need brightening.   

why not brighten them?  theyd stand out more vibrantly id assume?  unless it would make them look too "cartoony"?

one thing i always wished to do with the defiant bridge, and i have tried, is make those big white lights on the sides of the bridge (between the consoles and above the doors and the two in the back) turn red or reddish at red/yellow alert via map swapping...  i know, it isnt canon but i think it might make the bridge look "cool" lol 
never could get that to work tho...  no big deal just a personal curiosity of mine...

one thing i notice - in the 3rd pic, there seems to be a texture glitch to the left of the viewscreen?  it's tough to tell...

[Sean]

hi mate, looking at the pictures you have posted, doesnt seem like any of the lightmaps are appearing. Dumb question but have you checked the materials in max to make sure the LMs are set to channel 2 mapping and also ensured all objects have both channel 1 and channel mapping?

With regards to the red alert flashing, i've not used max for a while, but i believe it has something to do with the ambience/diffuse settings in material editor

[Lurok91]

why not brighten them?  theyd stand out more vibrantly id assume?  unless it would make them look too "cartoony"?

one thing i always wished to do with the defiant bridge, and i have tried, is make those big white lights on the sides of the bridge (between the consoles and above the doors and the two in the back) turn red or reddish at red/yellow alert via map swapping...  i know, it isnt canon but i think it might make the bridge look "cool" lol 
never could get that to work tho...  no big deal just a personal curiosity of mine...

one thing i notice - in the 3rd pic, there seems to be a texture glitch to the left of the viewscreen?  it's tough to tell...

Easy enough to do    But will await feedback.    As for 'glitch' - don' t think so, but let' s see what testers report. 

hi mate, looking at the pictures you have posted, doesnt seem like any of the lightmaps are appearing. Dumb question but have you checked the materials in max to make sure the LMs are set to channel 2 mapping and also ensured all objects have both channel 1 and channel mapping?

With regards to the red alert flashing, i've not used max for a while, but i believe it has something to do with the ambience/diffuse settings in material editor

Hi Sean.   All the lightmaps are in place. Will check channels, but from recall all on ch2 and all there.  Had enough experience with bridge modding now to get that right     The weird thing about the errors I pointed out is that they lacked lightmaps in orig model but even after adding still get that black effect.  But I'll go over the whole bridge again tomorrow.   Maybe overlooked something. 

[Bren]

Damn! That bridge is DANGEROUSLY sexy looking! It didn't seem possible to improve upon Sean's work on this model, but you've done it!

(ps: I know I said no more bridge modding but I consider this finishing off existing rather than working on new  smile )

I don't think you'll get any objections on that front!

Bear in mind

AHHH!!! Help! There's a bear in my mind!!!!

I'm doodling.  Just in no hurry to crank out another one, lol.  And to be fair, majority of bridges been revamps or variations on existing.  I still haven't made one from start to finish like Baz's TWOK bridge.  So it's been easier.  

To be fair TO YOU, noone has ever taken the idea of modifying existing bridges and run with it the way you have. Your output is SIMPLY STAGGERING, and even moreso given how short a period, and the improvement in your skills shown in that time!

We have now got bridges in the game that we thought we'd never see, or that we thought would sit on 3E's backburner forever!

You have shown, in the BEST tradition of this community, that the impossible or very difficult is in fact very achievable, given a new mindset or a new approach. In doing so, you've reinvigorated the Bridge modding scene, long maligned in the community.

Kudos to you, sir, you are a hero to the BC community. If you stopped modding right now (and I really hope you don't!) your legendary status would be secure til the time this community falls silent.
I really believe that. You've become one of the latter day pillars of the community.

[Morgan]

Learn something new every day     Always thought you were KM.  Beginning to wonder if should de-install mine but suppose got used to it.

Yup, my install is custom built from scratch.  KM is a fine mod don't get me wrong, but I prefer my own choices in terms of ships, hardpoints, projectiles, and scripts.  I've been thinking about trying out KM 2010.02, and testing this bridge may just give me an excuse to finally get off my ass and install it. 

[Bren]

Just noticed one thing - the MSD on the back wall is a bit squashed, horizontally, not sure what can be done there...

[Lurok91]

Just noticed one thing - the MSD on the back wall is a bit squashed, horizontally, not sure what can be done there...

That's one of those little things been bugging me as well    I'll see what testers think and will probably try and realign.  And thanks for kind words     As I said when started first bridge earlier this year, was inspired by many here like Bones and Barihawk, and appreciated early encouragement from Nero and Jimmy.  I've always liked a challenge and learning new things and this was ideal.  Plus it seemed crazy to have a great game called Bridge Commander that was actually missing some key bridges    The best thing of all though has been seeing Baz get his original bridge ingame and Picky return to modding.

[Lurok91]

hi mate, looking at the pictures you have posted, doesnt seem like any of the lightmaps are appearing. Dumb question but have you checked the materials in max to make sure the LMs are set to channel 2 mapping and also ensured all objects have both channel 1 and channel mapping?

With regards to the red alert flashing, i've not used max for a while, but i believe it has something to do with the ambience/diffuse settings in material editor

Double-checked and all as should be.  I never export to nif with lights, so if no working lightmaps then bridge would just be dark.  It may be you're surprised how lightmapped bridge looks ingame as compared to max render?    Anyway, still doesn't solve the big missing-lightmap problem    I think you did something with the ambience/diffuse settings (which isn't really needed, imho)  on those model parts which I can't change.  I've tried deleting material, resetting, everything short of making new model but always comes out same way.   Still, I'm sure there is a solution 

[Shadowknight1]

Well, I doubt there'll be any conflicts on my system, so bring it then. lol

[Lurok91]

Beta link sent.  Main bug you'll find is the black/missing texture one.  Continued to try everything but whatever I do I can't get those darned console arms to show up with texture in nif