So i would like to make a submarine....

[JesterV2]

Hello everyone,

I've been a member of this amazing site for a couple of years now, and have played silent hunter 4 since 2014.

i love to play with modded submarines, and i would like to make one myself, and start small. i would like to get the balao class into 3dsmax and only change the tower. not alot.

I have experience with 3ds max for some years (i have been playing with 3d modeling programs since i was 12 years old) and photoshop.

Hopefully you guys could give me some tips about how to start doing this.

How do i import DAT files into 3dsmax? (well i assume the dat file is the model file since it is the largest)

Thanks in advance!

EDIT: Nevermind! i JUST found the topic where all of this is explained. i will post something if i have a question!

[Rockin Robbins]

Go! Jester, go! Can't wait to see what you come up with. I wish I had bitten the bullet and investigated 3D modeling.

I'll tell you what. Once you get your feet wet, there were modified fleet boats after the war called Guppies. These Guppies were boats that progressively changed the fleet boat hull design, through the Guppy I, Guppy II and Guppy III series until the American fleet boat outperformed the theoretical performance of the German Type XXI in every respect, faster, longer legs, less radar signature on snorkel. They were really radical looking boats.



That's one of the Guppy IIIs right there. Wouldn't it be great to have these in our game? I'm not saying "get to work" I'm trying to fire up your imagination and give you a stretch goal that would really add to the game.

[JesterV2]

are you reading my mind?
i wanted to change the tower to look like the guppy class submarines xD

anyway first question, when i load the model of the balao into 3ds max, alot of stuff is missing..... including the tower. how do i get that into 3dsmax?

[Rockin Robbins]

Originally Posted by JesterV2

are you reading my mind?
i wanted to change the tower to look like the guppy class submarines xD

anyway first question, when i load the model of the balao into 3ds max, alot of stuff is missing..... including the tower. how do i get that into 3dsmax?

Since the conning towers are designed for upgrades on the same boat they are in a different file than the hull is. Unfortunately I don't have any experience with 3D modding SH4, so I can't give specific details.

[JesterV2]

Yeah that's what I thought... Well I'll try and look for them.

EDIT: Found 'em! in the objects folder

[CapnScurvy]

Jester, it's great to hear you're wanting to do some modeling. And, it looks like you're a quick learner with the game....Yes the Conning Towers are in the "Objects" folder.

I've done some modeling attempts with Blender (my "hobby" pocket book can't afford the 3Ds Max price tag). Since Blender works differently, there's always problems with getting models put into an .obj format so it can be imported back into the game. I understand 3Ds Max makes it easier. S3D has its limitations, and quirks too, which can be a stumbling block.

When you have the time ......making 3D models of the American Medals (the medals that the stock game doesn't use) would be a benefit. The models go in the Captain's Award Box found in the Captain's Office, on the desk.

See, we already have a list for you to work on!!

Welcome to SubSim!

[JesterV2]

Oh boy what have i gotten myself into

[CapnScurvy]

Originally Posted by JesterV2

Oh boy what have i gotten myself into

Yep, it's better to shut up rather than stand up sometimes!!

[JesterV2]

well its not the conning tower of the GUPPY, but of the USS tench.
im going to try to get it into the game as the conning tower of the Balao.

not sure when because tomorrow and this weekend are a busy bunch of days.

[Rockin Robbins]

There was no submarine named the GUPPY. GUPPY was an acronym meaning a bunch of weirdly connected words...Greater Underwater Propulsion Power with a Y tacked on the end. It was a technology that was retrofitted into WWII fleet boats to bolster their awesomeness.

It mostly worked:

by Robert L. Harrison
4 September 2000
Greenfield, Indiana

Long before the advent of the hippie and the yuppie
There was a class of warship that was fondly called the Guppy.
Now the Guppy was a submarine, in case you didn't know,
Long and black and sleek she was, and always on the go.


In World War Two, the submarines were our first line of attack,
Many of them went out to sea and some did not come back,
Now the submariners knew this but still they went to war,
To defend their nation's freedom was what they were fighting for.

After World War Two had ended, when the Japs and Germans quit,
Someone thought the old subs should be streamlined just a bit,
So they re-designed the old boats and named them GUPPY Class
With snorkels, better batt'ries and a hull to make 'em fast.

They went to sea both north and south from the East to setting sun,
They never knew when night was o'er and daytime had begun.
Theirs was a life of silence and the darkness of the deep,
Sometimes their only pleasure were a few hours of blessed sleep.

They ploughed the seas from Pole to Pole in defense of freedom's goals,
From Pearl Harbor, and Yokosuka to the faroff Iceland shoals,
To spy on Soviet submarines and other ships of war
Was the job of these brave lads who roamed the ocean floor.

They ran patrols from Greenland to the shores of Timbuktu
The GIUK GAP and MED RUN were just nothing for a crew
of Guppy sailors who thought the NORTHERN RUN okay,
Then take shore leave in Norfolk for another night of play.

How many Guppies were there? Far more than I could name.
And each has earned an honored place in the Guppy Hall of Fame.
They fought the war with Soviets in secrecy and guile
Until the foe gave up the fight, which made it all worth while.

Now they're gone, as all ships go when their tour of duty's o'er,
Brave Guppies, stalwart warriors, they roam the seas no more,
They've gone to graves far out at sea and this should be their lot,
Gone from the sight of those they served but not to be forgot.

[JesterV2]

BOOM

That wasnt actually that hard, i will work on the uv mapping and the quality of the model, and i might have something to upload!

Now how do i get rid of/move all of this?


i had to make photos of the game, screenshots crashed my pc :/

[Rockin Robbins]

Very nice! I think you have a Guppy I there.

[JesterV2]

I made a list of things i need to know:

-how do i move deckwatch/crewmembers.
-how do i remove the structure on top of the conning tower.
-how do i move the tbt and all the instruments on the tower.
how do i move the lookout point within the conning tower.
-how do i move/remove aa mounts.
-how do i move the periscope so it reaches a sufficient distance from the conning tower.
-how do i change the periscope depth value.

the rest of the basic modeling and texturing is pretty clear to me, ive done it before.

[CapnScurvy]

I'm assuming you're familiar with Silent 3ditor found HERE.

Loading the particular Conning Tower .dat file into S3D, you'll see the attached models/textures found within the .dat file. It will contain the gun mounts....Slot_A01, Slot_A02 for the Anti Aircraft guns. Actually, just open the Model in the right hand pane of S3D, left click the "camera icon" along the top menu group to center the model. Then zoom in with the mouse wheel to get a better look. Use the arrow keys to circle around, or mouse drag over the model. By clicking on the various small dots that show up on the model, it will highlight the various parts within the "Node:" list (in the left hand pane).

To pull the periscopes up a bit, Find the periscope Node, usually a child node found under the parent "Periscope Mount" heading. The "cfg_O02" is usually the Attack Periscope. The cfg_ O03 is the Observation scope. Use the "Position" Coordinates along the top of the right hand pane to reposition the different modeled objects. Or, just delete the Node in question if you don't want to use it at all.

The crew are usually found with the Node name of "WCS_xx_dummy". The xx are for the different men involved. You move them with their individual coordinates.

See what you've done, by loading the .dat file into a JSGME compatible mod of your making. Call the main folder "My Tower"...or whatever, within it make a new folder called "Data", within it another called "Objects", put your .xxxxx.dat folder there. Load through JSGME into the stock game your mod. Start the game.

[JesterV2]

wow is it that simple?

ill try it, thanks!