Hardpoints editor with model preview.. work in progress!

[MLeo]

They are mostlikely the RLE encoded (yes, that's encoded twice) tga's.

@Jernej: Have you checked out the TGA loading examples at this site?
http://nehe.gamedev.net yes, they are in opengl, but the texture loading is basicly api free, you just replace the actual 3d api calls.
Here are the relevant articles:
http://nehe.gamedev.net/data/lessons/lesson.asp?lesson=24
http://nehe.gamedev.net/data/lessons/lesson.asp?lesson=33 (especially this one)

Also, why not use a library for texture loading?

[SMBW]

Well who else is going to explain me how arcs, federation phaser strips and tactical display parameters work? it can take me a long time to figure it all out by myself..

You might be able to find some helpful information in the modelpropertyeditor readme from sdk

SDK download:
http://bridgecommander.filefront.com/file/Bridge_Commander_SDK;2455

[Jernej]

If you read my post you would see i wrote clearly that it doesn't load compressed tga-s, it even tells that in the debug log in the program. and i know what RLE is and how it works, i just couldn't be bothered to work on it when i had more important things to do, such as getting the model object hierarchy rendered correctly...
 

@Jernej: Have you checked out the TGA loading examples at this site?
http://nehe.gamedev.net yes, they are in opengl, but the texture loading is basicly api free, you just replace the actual 3d api calls.
Here are the relevant articles:

 
I am using opengl, directx can go to hell, and i already wrote my tga loader, it just doesn't support rle yet.
 

Also, why not use a library for texture loading?

 
I haven't seen any image loading library which supported NIF images, did you?
 

[MLeo]

I haven't seen any image loading library which supported NIF images, did you?

No, but why do everything else, except that one specific corner case, yourself, again?
I can see the reason why you want to do your own MPE kind of program, to fix problems with it.

[El]

If you read my post you would see i wrote clearly that it doesn't load compressed tga-s, it even tells that in the debug log in the program. and i know what RLE is and how it works, i just couldn't be bothered to work on it when i had more important things to do, such as getting the model object hierarchy rendered correctly...
 

@Jernej: Have you checked out the TGA loading examples at this site?
http://nehe.gamedev.net yes, they are in opengl, but the texture loading is basicly api free, you just replace the actual 3d api calls.
Here are the relevant articles:

 
I am using opengl, directx can go to hell, and i already wrote my tga loader, it just doesn't support rle yet.
 

Also, why not use a library for texture loading?

 
I haven't seen any image loading library which supported NIF images, did you?
 

People are trying to help you here, please try and be less confrontational.

The reason everyone is offering these suggestions and critiques is because they want this program to be the best it can be.

[Jernej]

@MLeo:
 
Because it takes me only 10 minutes to make it work.. and i don't want to drag 800KB of libraries with the program, and i am perfectly capable of programming this on my own...

@Elminster
 
Well, they got it wrong, i don't need programming help, i need hardpoint info, if i wanted programming help i would ask people to write me a python script parser...
 
For all the nitpickers.. here is a version which loads rle compressed TGAs.. (which i added in 10 minutes):
http://mathpudding.com/temp/nifloader.rar
 

[El]

Jernej, your attitude is not helping.
Please tone it down.

Edit: Please let us know what HP info you require and I'll see if I can provide.

[Jernej]

Jernej, your attitude is not helping.
Please tone it down.

Edit: Please let us know what HP info you require and I'll see if I can provide.

 
I apologize if my attitude is offending, but i have a nasty habit of being very open about my thoughts, so please don't tell me how to code the program, rather please stay on topic and describe what features you would like to see and if you can find a ship model that won't load properly.
 

[Mark]

Welcome to the forums Jernej, the work you are doing here looks very promising. You are however being rather impolite to members of the community who are trying to offer assistance and as such I am going to repeat my vice administrator's request that you "tone it down" a bit.

While I can understand that you may not feel you need their assistance, they still deserve a level of respect and politeness that I am sure you yourself would expect to recieve if the tables were turned.

As a new member of the forum I would ask you to have a browse of the site rules, please note that we expect all guests of the site to respect staff members such as Elminster, and that any response to a request made by a member of staff should be sent via the PM system in order to minimize the disruption to any thread.

Since you may not have realised this before I am happy to ignore your previous post, however in future I will expect you to follow the rules.

I look forward to seeing more on this project, I would not be suprised to see a nomination for you at next months MotM awards.

[Jernej]

I want to apologize for my behavour, i realise now i was offered sincere help, but i declined it in a wrong way, i want to explain that i am not exactly new to modding or making modding tools in general, in last 8 years i have built everything from gta city map editors, mod installers, texture conversion tools, so i have a fair bit of experience with the way games work, and how to handle game file formats, if i didn't have the experience i couldn't write a STBC model loader in just one evening.. so i want to let you know, that the programming related help was appreciated, but it was off-topic and not really needed, and i found it a little rude since i don't like people interfering in the programming part unless i myself ask for help in that area (which i didn't).
 
So let me repeat: your help regarding programming was nice but not needed, i admit i was being rude and overreacted, it just happened.. again, i apologize for that.
 
Hopefully we can now stay on topic, which is, if someone can explain what the hardpoint parameters mean (such as, for example SetMaxCharge, SetMinFiringCharge, SetNormalDischargeRate, SetRechargeRate, what units are those in, etc.. ).
 

[Sandtrooper]

...which is, if someone can explain what the hardpoint parameters mean (such as, for example SetMaxCharge, SetMinFiringCharge, SetNormalDischargeRate, SetRechargeRate, what units are those in, etc.. ).

I'm gunna explain this as a Disruptor Cannon property, phasers are a bit different when it comes to the terms.
Note I'm a bit rusty at this since I'm trying to get out of the profession

SetMaxCharge is how many numbers (or shots) the weapon can hold, say I wanted 5 shots..

I then set "SetNormalDischargeRate" to 1 so it shoots 1 full shot

SetMinFiringCharge is something I still don't get...

SetRechargeRate is what it pretty much what the name says, you set this too high, the in-game seconds will recharge the gun up to 5 in about 3 seconds real-life. Set this to a low number if you have a uber gun, and you want it to have a slow reload/recharge.

Again, I'm rusty...

[Picard_1]

Hopefully we can now stay on topic, which is, if someone can explain what the hardpoint parameters mean (such as, for example SetMaxCharge, SetMinFiringCharge, SetNormalDischargeRate, SetRechargeRate, what units are those in, etc.. ).

I believe that is covered in the documentation for the Model Property Editor included with the BCSDK. Like Elminster said, the best way to learn them is to get a feel for how things work by using MPE to edit ship hardpoints. I'll try to explain what the few parameters you pointed out mean off the top of my head. I'm not sure what they are equivalent to in game units (probably in seconds judging from the feel). Most of these are self explanatory.

SetMaxCharge = The maximum amount of charge the weapon has i.e., phaser, disruptor

SetMinFiringCharge = Minimum charge needed before the weapon can fire

SetNormalDischargeRate = how fast the weapon discharges

SetRechargeRate = how fast the weapon replenishes its charge

[Voyager16]

oeh nice mate! This looks really great! Keep it up

[Jernej]

I given up on this, i'll make something else instead.
 

[DJ Curtis]

too bad.  any particular reason?

[FekLeyr Targ]

I agree with DJ Curtis.
But would you eventually be willing to release the source code so someone else can continue?

[Jernej]

It's programmed in delphi 7, anyone interested?
 
Edit: i'm cancelling it because it is too much effort for me to make a proper python parser to load existing hardpoints, but the model and texture loader are great, so i'm going to use those for something else.
 

[MLeo]

It's programmed in delphi 7, anyone interested?
 
Edit: i'm cancelling it because it is too much effort for me to make a proper python parser to load existing hardpoints, but the model and texture loader are great, so i'm going to use those for something else.
 

Just put it up, I doubt a lot of people can read it.



Also, about the Python parser, I'm fairly sure Delphi can be extended with C, meaning that you can link with the CPython library (I suggest you use 1.5.2, since that's the version of Python BC uses).
Here is such an example: http://rvelthuis.de/articles/articles-cobjs.html
If you want, I can help you with the "magic" it would require for loading App.py correctly.

[Jernej]

Nah, the thing i am working on now is far beyond what a simple hardpoint editor would do, sure i could use the python libs, but the complexity and lack of documentation on integration are a big no-go, so i'm going to make something else with this.
 
Here is the nif loader & renderer source code in current form:
 
http://mathpudding.com/temp/simple_bc_nif_loader.rar
 
It compiles in delphi 4 and 7 without any trouble, no guarantee on readability of the code or anything, if you use it.. you're on your own, but feel free to bug me on msn about it..
 

[MLeo]

You do know that Python is a complete, also as as in Turing Complete, programming language? Be right it can do anything.

Short of just a modeller, you would need a Python interpretter if you are going to load a ship through it's ship plugin, since there are absolutely _NO_ guarantees that any plugin could possibly follow any standard.


These help a lot:
http://docs.python.org/ext/ext.html
http://docs.python.org/api/api.html

I've also attached the same documention (but in HTML form that I wget-ed recently), but for 1.5.2. I've actually used the same manual, but for 2.3 (it's too large to attach with the currently attached file), to extend and embed Python once.