Bridge Commander Central
BC Forums => BC Modding => Topic started by: oldmangreg on August 13, 2010, 02:51:05 AM
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DELETE.
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do what im doing with the solaris class starship, make a thread on the ship(with images), then as you go people will help you out on hardpointing the model, script it, and make it a NIF(which is an easy conversion...) you'll get help, people on the forums usually like to help out on peoples first mods for bridge commander, also if you havent done this alread, smooth the whole model and then do an STL check on it for any mesh errors like the problem im having with open edge errors, but anywys, good luck, youd better have planned what weapons this ship will have so if someone else hardpoints your ship they know what to put in. :thumbsup:
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You need to download the Niftools 3DS Max plugins from here (http://niftools.sourceforge.net/wiki/NifTools).
Then use BCUT (http://www.bcs-tng.com/portal/?q=bcsmc) to create the scripts.
Then MPE (which is within the SDK) to hardpoint it.
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An STL Check (I think) shows you errors in your mesh. How it calculates what an error is, I've no idea. :dontcare: Or for that matter, why it's important.
You should be aware that anyone who has Max and the correct conversion scripts can take your mesh and do whatever they want with it once it's in the game. Any model in NIF format can be converted back to Max format simply and with texture mapping intact. Essentially they will have your exact model, just as you converted it. However, most of the people around here are very respectful with other people's work, and will be sure to ask permissions if they want to change anything or use any parts.
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I think, and i'm only guessing, that theres way more polys on that ship than bridgecommander can take. What is the current poly count?
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I think, and i'm only guessing, that theres way more polys on that ship than bridgecommander can take. What is the current poly count?
I doubt that, there have been a few ships in excess of 50k+ (I'm also reminded of the Stargate Pack Daedalus, but can't remember the count). It's an interesting design, though.
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yeah, I'm pretty sure BC can't support more than about 50-60K polys
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You can always try, and if not, Start a new , lower poly one, :thumbsup:
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A good set of benchmarks for poly count:
<5000: standard for the stock models. Usually called "low-poly". Play well, but don't make great screenshots.
5000-10000: General range for quality models. A large amount of detail can fit in this category. Most of DJ Curtis's ships, for instance, are in this range.
10000-20000: "High-poly" models. These are great for artistic shots, but won't run as well on most older computers.
20000+: This is where things get dicey. I personally can't use any ship with this poly count unless it's the ONLY ship in battle. High-quality texture sets (2048x2048) complicates this even further.
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don't forget to post a basic of this with the nacelles and pylons in place, too. 'cause i'm picturing pushbacks that hover just over top of the e hull.
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I realy like the design, but wow, your close to 20k already?
Here is a little advice. Please don't take this the wrong way, i'm jest trying to help out a new modder to BC. I think your coming from a different school of thought. If memory serves my, you came here from Scifi meshes, so i assume you learned modeling there. Most meshes there are awesome, but very high in detail and polys. You said that you current model is nearly 20k already, i'm thinking that maybe that you might be using for a lack of a better term, waste polys. If you check out Red dragons sovie you might get a better idea of how to build for BC.
http://bridgecommander.filefront.com/file/Soverign;55553
I took a look at one of the best detailed sovies, the CG sovie, and its polys hit 13085, and it is very detailed.
I'm not trying to discourage you, i cant wait to see the finished project.
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Yea, thats it, in hind sight i could of jest looked at page 1,lol. its great to hair the you learned your self, as did i, thats why i posted a link to Red Dragons sovie. My very first model was baised off of that one,lol. :thumbsup:
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Looks like an aft firing luncher/ role bar. Cant wait :thumbsup:
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If it's a rollbar, it's similar to the "spoiler" seen on a fair amount of cars these days. You know, the little ones that don't actually serve a purpose? Like this: (http://www.cardata.com/spoilers/images/DAR_Spoilers/2007_Cadillac_CTS_rear_spoiler.jpg)
Looks to me like a protrusion. Just a part of the hull that sticks out a bit more than the rest.
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Hmm. When I get done with my nemesis, I'll try my hands with this one... look at the picture. I'm pretty sure that is a rollbar, but I'm not sure.
I believe it?s something like the Reliant has on her top.
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looks more like a fighter concept to me. must be those big "wings"
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Hmmm...not enough Defiant in it yet.
And the Defiant's registry was NX-74205
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Yea Thanks to the other guy I realized I was missing the saucer looking part. I'll upload some newer pics in a bit.
Thanks for the registry. Her's will be NCC 74205-A.
Shouldn't it be 74205-B? After all, the original Defiant was destroyed and replaced...though I can't recall them ever settling on the second Defiant's registry since they used stock footage near the end of the show. :idk: :banghead:
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Just need someone to texture and hardpoint her.
How many times have I read that one! :funny
No one seems to want to get into the nitty-gritty of designing. The textures and HP are the real test of a modder's capabilities. I struggled for weeks with my Sentinel class, and have gone even longer on my Regal. It's a long process that everyone should have to go through if they want their model to be a good one. Creating a mesh is (relatively) easy compared to the texturing. I can't tell you how many times I've stopped during the texture process and thought to myself that I just can't keep doing it. A great mesh is only great because someone took the time and effort to texture it greatly.
Don't stop. You're on a great track. Now try the hard parts . . . ;)
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Well maybe you should put the rules on the front page where everyone can see them instead of having people go through trial and error.
Sassy :D
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No one said that modding is supposed to be easy. For scaling, I just import an existing model into Max and scale my ships to that mesh. Works for me.
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this is the rule he was talking about
http://bc-central.net/forums/index.php/topic,1244.0.html
BCC does not support piracy, do not discuss piracy in any shape or form on these forums.
You don't need a "V@l#d%" cope of the game to make a mod. First you need to UV map the ship, depending on the size of the ship how much detail you want to add to the ship, i would say you only need 2 maps, top and bottom. Save the maps as a 1024 tga file and export the ship to NIF. Download nif scope and load the ship in there, hit render tab at the top, and then hit settings at the bottom. Next tab you'll hit add folder, then add your forlder that the tga's are in and it will load the texture maps. From there you load the texture maps in a paint program and do some texturing. Once you save a little progress, you can see it in nif scope on your ship.
you can also go to the tutoral page and check out the goodness :thumbsup:
http://bc-central.net/forums/index.php/board,44.0.html
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before that model is ready for mapping, texturing or hardpointing, you will want to make sure it is unified. From what I can see it needs some work before it is ready to move on.
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One object, not a combination of seperate objects, your model should be one object, clean.. if you draped a thin net over your model, your mesh should be the net, seemless etc.
In the case of the defiant model that you have called it, it would need some booleans and alot of vert tyding and face removing afterward.
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The Boolean, can either unify / subtract / add etc.
you select the option you require i.e UNIFY in your case.
If elements of your model are vanishing, then it is because those elements, or one of them have mesh errors. Running the STL checker from the modifier list will identify these. You will then need to sort them out.
A frustrating process for sure, but once you master it you will have an important ability to add to your modelling arsenal.
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I just figured out what was wrong. Is poly count suppose to go down when you bolean?
It can go down, and then again, it could increase.
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right one in the 1st pic. The left one's engines look too stretched and unnecessary.
~Jb
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Agreed, the shorter engines look better.
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I know Mark said to weld the entire mesh together, but that's not how everyone does it. I didn't do it for my Sentinel class, and several other people don't. DJ Curtis, GMunoz, and LC Amaral (creator of the Excalibur) are also modders who fit into this category. It is a good idea to have a concentrated mesh that uses very few texture maps, but it is not necessary to have the entire thing be one standard piece. Most of the meshes I manipulate tend to have between 3 and 6 parts that make up the whole mesh.
Oh, and the poly count at the very end of the modeling process is what matters. ;)
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I know Mark said to weld the entire mesh together, but that's not how everyone does it. I didn't do it for my Sentinel class, and several other people don't. DJ Curtis, GMunoz, and LC Amaral (creator of the Excalibur) are also modders who fit into this category. It is a good idea to have a concentrated mesh that uses very few texture maps, but it is not necessary to have the entire thing be one standard piece. Most of the meshes I manipulate tend to have between 3 and 6 parts that make up the whole mesh.
Oh, and the poly count at the very end of the modeling process is what matters. ;)
Game meshes should be fully unified and welded, the only exception in this case would be the saucer section on a galaxy class would need to be seperate, also any elements the model that needs to move i.e in an animation, such as a turret, would need to be a seperate entity.
Apart from that the rest of the model should be 100% clean and unified to not do so is either lazy or mabey people just dont have the ability??
It is something you learn with each model you create, I think the last person who managed to get on top of it was Baz1701 and he is improving all the time.
From DJ Curtis Quality meshes for BC should be fully unified/welded for optimal damaging in-game, as well as to minimize other graphical anomalies.
And thats from the http://bridgecommander.wikidot.com/creating-and-adding-ships-general-overview
I have read countless books from various game studios, and believe me they all say the same thing.
I am currently studying game modeling part time with Escape Studios. Low and behold this is what they teach.
I am not telling you this is what you have to do, all I am saying is that to make clean meshes is an art and one you should try your best to master.
The best meshes I have seen come from Adonis, and he will reiterate what I am saying here.. and if you can get him on side he is an excellent tutor of such things.
To get your thread back on topic mate, I think it looks allot better now you have rebuilt your model, and allot more defiant like. keep going with it and very good luck. Cookie :thumbsup:
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Download from niftools, unzip and copy into the plugins folder in the main 3D max directory ../program files/autodesk/3d max/plugins
Restart max and then nif should be an option in the export menu.
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Actually, 2 and 8 are my favorites. They seem to be more in the style that the Defiant was built. Although I have to say that the deflector extension is a bit long. Perhaps you could shorten it to about 1/2?
Come to think of it, 8 is really my fave. ;)
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I'd have to say I like 1 and 8 the most of all of the variations. I think you might be right about a more Romulan look to 8, but still it's Defiant enough.
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2 and 8 are the best , but if you can you should texture all of them . :yay:
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I prefer 1 and 4 myself.
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Damashea Fine-as-a-dime!
(That was the name of a friend of a friend. Columbus Public Schools spits out names like that.)
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i just noticed something, if the bridge was at the nacell end instead of the other bit it would make another class of ship on its own(by thiss i mean the deflectors are the impulse engines and the original engines become deflectors youd have a sort of...variant on the saber class....
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What?
Damn she is as fine as a dime!
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Hmmmm...what if there were only two nacelles on this design and they were pulled a little further back toward the aft?
(http://bc-central.net/forums/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=7748.0;attach=47751;image)
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I'm not sold on the nacells yet, but i really like the saucer, keep it up. :thumbsup:
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That Fast ? You must be in overdrive :dance
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Normally I think quad-nacelle ships are a little ugly, but I really like this one! Good job on that . . . my only concern is the aft dorsal portion. Seems a bit bare and under-developed. But perhaps that's the angles talking.
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Shame
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I hate to say it, but hoping for someone else to pick up a model to texture and do the rest of the work for to get it into BC isn't plausible. Most modders here are busy with their own projects. :(