Adding this Defiant model to hulls or extras?

Basicly, what you'd need to have is a two step process...

1- Learning how the whole modeling features work out, i'd specifically recommend Kryo's KHSM mod in the library.

2- Re-scanning (as often as necessary) the flagged threads above may also help very much too; since, i believe, a number of excellent guides if not outright thorough explanations by a few dedicated individuals who are willing to share what they already know are there.

and...
3- Patience!

thx
I made some progress on this ship today. As I had some concerns about the model working right, I managed to replace an existing hull. It works fine
Kryo's KHSM mod will probably teach me now how to include the defiant as an extra hull, I'll find that out.
At the meantime, has anyone seen a tutorial on making bumpmaps for new models? I'm not quiet sure if I understand the GC2 system correctly, I'm used to work with bumpmaps as extrafiles (as seen in Oblivion e.g.) but I don't know where to look for them in GC2 (TotA).

cu

IIRC, GC uses its own weird kinda blueish effect files which you can find in the corresponding model folders. And, it's a pretty simple process that a number of 3D-Modeling sites have extensive tutorials about; UV layers that deploy as usual 'stereographic' gimmicks, in fact.

Galciv 2 uses Normal maps. You can use a demo of a programme called Crazy bump, or in my case, use the GIMP software with the Normal map plugin. Once you're using one of these, take the texture you want to bump, use the software and save it with the same name but with _N at the end.

EDIT...... OKay, I tested the model, and to be honest, it's not the best. The model used by the Startrek Mod team is much better. However, I tested the model by quickly throwing on some bump mapping and doing some specular/lighting too.

Hey, Dragoon... have you ever considered sharing some of your experience and tricks with us all in a sortof kinda swift and direct "tutorial" on how specific GC elements and 3D Modeling processes work out?

Texturing and polygon meshing enhancements from provided defaults (the UV files) is a strange activity to many of us inapt enough to create precision stuff or even adhere to the actual valid principles that the code engine rely on.

It's not enough that the darn Hard-Points manipulation attempts are tedious while using the ShipYard within games or even that the Direct-X models aren't directly compatible with Blender (Dummies & currently available plugins for it, that is) or any other sharewares (I'll say again, i CANNOT afford 3dStudioMax!), if we could simply stick to a formal GC method when developping styles & fleets - our Modding_lives would be much easier.
Please?

Sadly my skills only go as far as adding Normal maps and doing the lighting on ships.
And making it so that you can have streaks of the primary race colour where you want them. Anything more complicated and i'm lost. I tried learning to use Blender so that I could port Lightwave models into the game, but I failed in so great a manner, i've not bothered since.I have huge respect for not only people who make models, but also port them over.

What i've always hoped to see, is something like Starfleet command has, where there is some kind of community docks for people to upload single ships etc, for people to put into their games. It seems however that Galciv doesn't have that kind of community, which is a shame in many respects. Of course the upside is that we have a number of real big Total Conversions in the making, but I can't help but wish for some smaller scale ship model releases.

I have noticed however, that many SFC model makers now, especially those done for Starfleet command 3 include .X format versions of their models. However, just putting them straight into Galciv causes a crash.... which is a shame becuase there was a great TOS Battlestar and TOS basestar in Direct X format on Battleclinic that I would loved to have put in game.

Of course, assuming there aren't hundreds of textures and massive amounts of ships, i'd be happy to help people out and do the spec and bump maps if the model and textures are sent to me. I don't have the time to join a mod team, but would happily help out. I've got bump and spec maps for most of the ships in the Startrek mod, probably got some for most of the B5 Ships in the Library, and for the starwars pack over on I-Mod.. and I got some for the BSG models that have been released too. Most just lying about in various mod folders in my DA Mods folder.

Well, i thought Hulls & Trims & some Engines default exhaust were built straight off three material types defined in the X file directly but if you say a properly drawn Normal or Light map can *override* this texturing schema i might give this little trick a try later.

Sure enough, there's no definitive solutions to anything all modders can think of - it's almost a shame though that with that many ships & fleets in the libraries and in some mods - pretty close to nobody has ever bothered sharing their **working** methods with the community.

You're right about the colour definitions,but by using an alpha mask on the main texture, and not "painting" over the area you want the colour change option on, it will then take on the colour you select under the race selection. However, usually it takes the main colour that you select, but with some models, it uses the trim colour instead. The Babylon 5 Excalibur model in the library for example uses the trim colour. As far as I know, this is decided by the material options in the model file.

The down side is, you only get one part that changes colour... so when I do this, I try to select the most logical bits to change. It's also important to do the Normal maps before you do the above though, because you'll lose the detail of the section you want coloured. The only way around this, is by using a different level of opacity on the "unpainted" section of the alpha mask, but i've not had too much success with that method.

If you understand 3D model making etc, which I don't, a good example of custom mods using colour, spec and Normal maps are over on I-Mod. The Space above and beyond and startrek ship parts do it really well.
http://www.i-mod-productions.com/downloads.php?do=file&id=18
http://www.i-mod-productions.com/downloads.php?do=file&id=19

I love negative filterings, smoothed enough through tricky opacity too! Such extensive manipulation to any UV maps can indeed result in fair 'variations'. Lucky we have some key alpha channel(s) to work around, though.



Nothing better than solid examples to grasp the 'method' simply by examining stuff from others and determining what and_or cannot be done to any given default textures. Gonna use those links for sure, Thanks.

I've made a request to an SFC modder to see if he will port some of his custom trek ships to Galciv2. Most importantly, he also has for download individual sections of his ships... ie. secondary hulls, nacelles etc.

Though I'm hoping that this thread will possibly lead to a creation of a community docks, where with permission from the SFC modders, or from any other game, we can get ports of their ships into galciv. Something that will provide people with ships outside of total conversions. I'd be happy to do some Normal and Spec maps for anything done.

As i've said, i've tried using Blender to port ships over, but I can't seem to make any headway with it. Those SFC ships that come with a .X model, i've tried re-orientating it in 3D object Viewer to what Galciv uses, but something in the model causes a crash.