Modding: Small Tutorial, Questions, Answers, my Modd

Finally I had a succsess bringing the "Hornet" in the game with WORKING Textures!

Thanks to the user "Vorlone" I reached this "goal". But there was lot of missunderstand till it worked.



So for everyone of you who is using 3ds max 7 or 8 with the pandaplugin(for exporting models and converting textures)
A more detailed Instruction:

1.Make sure that you have a 3d model (Like Max file or 3ds file) with textures
2. To open it klick File, then Import.
Select the Model you like to load

3. Now a Window pops up with the "import options" asking you, what you kike to do.
4. Simply Klick "OK"

5. The "viewing-Window" Perspective should me marked. You see it if it has yellow edged. If not klick it

6. Now klickl File, Export
7. Type your prefered Name for the File and make sure you choose "panda Directx" as Format!

8. A "Pandasofs Directx Exporter"-Window Pops up

9. In the Optionfolder "texture & .fx files" simply select "PNG" at the Option "Fornat"

10. Klick Ok

You get not 2 Files:
1. a 3dx model-file with the name you entered
2. a png-texture file that has the sam name as the original file (the "Source")
Like if the original was "Texture.bmp" the new one should be like "texture.png"
It makes no difference is the letters are capitals or not, just the name itself must match.

11. Copy the Files in Models-Directory of the game. But make sure you safed the orinal x-file for a backup.
In my case it was the Terran scout,. which has the file name: "S0_Tiny_1.x"

Start the Game and see if it worked!

NOTE if you see that your Model is somehow "reversed" in the game, it meand the the axis form them 3d programm are different form the axis in the game.
Then can be fixed if you klick "Left handed Axis" at the "Pandasoft DirectX Exporter"-Window under the optionfolder
"X File Settings" (It's all at the step you are converting your model and textures)

NOTE: If you have a model that was aleady without any textures the program will not spit you at nay texture files by "magic". But fi you have a model and textures and you didn't get a texture file anyway, then you must do the following steps:

....It's a bit difficult for beginners but I try to describe it as good as I can.:

1. Import your model as I described you above
2. Make sure "Perspective" Window is marked (Yellow/colored edges of the "perspective"window)
3. Klick "Rendering" then "Material Editor..."
4. A Window called "Media Editor" Pops up.
5. In this Window you see some "Black&grey Bubbles"
6. The first upper left one shoukd be maked. You see it by white edges arround the Square with that "bubble". If there are no white edged, klick the bubble ones.
7. You see an Icon that looks like an "eyedropper" klick on it to select it
8. Now klick with on your Model in "Perspective"-Window
9. Now you see some "Options" under the the "eyedropper-icon". One of the is called "Map"
10. Open it's details by klicking on "Map"
11. Under "Amount" the Options "Diffuse Color" and "Self Illumination", both of them should be activated (hocked)
If not, then do so.
12. One the right of "Diffuse Color" and "Self Illimunation" there must the Options/Lines like MAP#1 and Map#2
NOT: If it's not so I can't help you, because I don't have that much knowledge of the programm myself, sorry.
13. Selec the "Map#1(.....)"
14. You will see a line "Bitmap:" on theright of it a "bar". If you klick it yiu cen select the file with the texture.
15. Use the "Eyedropper again on the 3emodel and do the same with "Map#2"
16. Now klick in the Icon "Show map in viewpoint". It's small cube with white and blue squares
17. If you have done simply close the "Material Editor"-Window
18. Now Convert the file! (Steps are described above!)

Good luck!

some good information here.

I have the following questions:

#1 how can I change the orientation of dummies? I can add them and they work in the ship designer, however they always point in the same direction

#2 how can I change the ingame-size of a ship? changing the size of the model before exporting doesnt seem to work really.

here are 2 examples of what I have been playing arround with:

http://www.new-avalon.de/GCmods/ShadowExample.JPG

http://www.new-avalon.de/GCmods/OmegaExample.JPG

p.s. the omega's hull section is rotating

ome good information here. I have the following questions: #1 how can I change the orientation of dummies? I can add them and they work in the ship designer, however they always point in the same direction #2 how can I change the ingame-size of a ship? changing the size of the model before exporting doesnt seem to work really. here are 2 examples of what I have been playing arround with:

Well, to be honest I can't t answer your questions. But I ask if you like to join my "Moddteam".
Together we can find the solutions much faster.

As you see the modd is about Wing Commander 1 and 2 ("Combinet")
and not abbout Star Wars, Star Trek, Battle Star Galactica, Babylon 5 or Star Gate,
"Just" Wing Commander.
Well, it was one ofe the most succsessfull PC-game-series in the '90. But as it seems it went out of most gamers minds. Or they are just too young to remember, I don't know.

As it seems you are creating a Babylon 5-Modd. We could try to do both modds together. Or just do the Wing Commander modd.

Wow just wow. I wish you the best of luck in your endeavors. I'm not skilled at graphics at all but seeing so many mods starting makes me want to try That will be so awesome.

Do you plan on taking more art/graphics from later wing commander games? or "movies" /cutscenes ?
You could not only do a mod to change 'sandbox mode' but also your own campaign.

I'll keep this on my watchlist

gonna try some hints posted here: https://www.galciv2.com/Journals.aspx?AID=106751 tomorow, or today. well after I got some sleep (0.30 am here) ^^

Iam not going to even think about creating a total conversion or help working on one before the mod folder is working.

my primary target right now is to create as many GC2 compatible X Files of B5 Ships as possible with enough dummies and stuff. I still have many Babylon 5 ships from work on other mods for I-War 1 and 2, X²/X³ and GalCiv1. then I will try to make jewelry and hull parts from those ships in order to allow players to create Babylon 5 style ships of their own with the GC2 ship creator ingame. if that all worked out I may work on weapons (with new effects/animations for the B5 style beam and pulse weapons). if that worked out too I may create a map/scenario with the major B5 races (Human, Minbari, Narn, Centauri, Non-Aligned and probably Shadows/Vorlons too) as total conversion.

however all that is in the distant future. Have an exam in computer science in 2-3 weeks, the next semester starts 1 week later and Iam about to begin to work on a requirement for my diploma thesis (on/about analysis and statistic evaluation of microarray experiments. which in that case involves statistics, computer science and genetics). so iam kinda overextended anyway already.

wish you good luck with your wing commander mod tho.

Thanks to "Marc" (user of the Wing Commander CIC Forum), the Modd makes huge steps forward.
And thanks to me "Marc" has bought himself GalCiv2.
So Stardock, my Modd attrackts new customers, time for some credits!

He send me a nice Screenshoz of the Ships he integrated to the game.
And just to say it: There are MUCH more Ships Types he has!

Only flaw: There are NO HARDPOINTS on the Ships. Marc uses AC3D for modeling and so he doesn't know about that "Dummys" that you have in 3ds max. So if you know how to place Hardpoints in AC3D PLEASE let me know!

I remember Wing Commander . . . . I had a Mac at the time, and the only game related to it I ever really played was Privateer (I think...)

I think I did have WC II or WC III, it was all back in the days where the enemy ships were a bunch of sprites which had different pictures depending on your angle. These ones are much cooler

Good luck . .

Oh yes, oh yes, oh yes... This is just what I was hopeing someone would do!!!

I remember Wing Commander . . . . I had a Mac at the time, and the only game related to it I ever really played was Privateer (I think...)

Privateer was a great game too! I totally forgot about that game. Man, I spent a lot of time playing that game too.

I have a question:
When I change the Terran race description, it doesn't update on the list. It still talks about the hyperdrive and all that. However, when I alter the Drengins, it works. Does anyone know why that might be?

have a question: When I change the Terran race description, it doesn't update on the list. It still talks about the hyperdrive and all that. However, when I alter the Drengins, it works. Does anyone know why that might be?

I think I had the same problem

In the Folder "My Games" there is also a Galciv2 Directoy. There you find some file:
Prefs.ini and
one ore more files with the extension .raceconfig.

I would dteel both of the and restart the game.

Could alos be that only one of the is enough to delete. The files will be recreatetd with the next game you start.
If you don't feel sure, make a backup before you delete them.

Stupid-monkey type question: How do you get this Panda export thing to work?
I've tried extracting Panda exporter v4.8.63.0 to the /plugins directory, but when I start 3ds max, it doesn't seem to show up in plugin manager or file export file types.

dern double post. PS: yes, i'm using max v.8 on XP