"VonDos & Co" shipyard! (big images!)

[VonDos]

This week i'll go out, but next i'll try =)
Best regards!

[gap]

Originally Posted by VonDos

This week i'll go out, but next i'll try =)
Best regards!

Let us know if you need for any tip on how to set-up the ship in her different roles; I and Jeff can provide you with various examples.

As for configurable equipment nodes to be used for "cosmetic equipments" (such as dummy funnels, cranes, masts, gun turrets, lifeboats, additional superstructure, etc), IIRC "Y" nodes are used in stock SH4. There are not examples of those nodes being used in SHIII and 5, but they should work in those games as well.

Take your time and keep up your great work!

[VonDos]

Voilà, i'm back but i'm changing home, so works will be really delayed..

Model status:



@gap and Jeff-Groves: thanks for support =)


Best regards!
Vd

[gap]

Very nice!

I cant wait porting your models to SH5, with your permission and when Jeff gathers enough money to buy the RAD tools licence, indeed

[VonDos]

Originally Posted by gap

Very nice!

I cant wait porting your models to SH5, with your permission and when Jeff gathers enough money to buy the RAD tools licence, indeed

You've my permission




Best regards,
Vd

[gap]

Originally Posted by VonDos

You've my permission

Thank you mate

Originally Posted by VonDos

Amazing!

[VonDos]

You're welcome mate!

Today i was reworking command deck, with a 3d one (based on Titanic\Laconia's one )



Best regards,
Vd

[gap]

Originally Posted by VonDos

You're welcome mate!

Today i was reworking command deck, with a 3d one (based on Titanic\Laconia's one )



Best regards,
Vd

Looks good, but what about covering the vertical surfaces with white paint, as for the rest of the superstructure?

[VonDos]

Originally Posted by gap

Looks good, but what about covering the vertical surfaces with white paint, as for the rest of the superstructure?

Mmm I've found a number of ship's plan where command deck is wooden covered, and others where is white. Also if i well remember I've seen photos of both version. At moment I'm looking at a model with this wooden version. But.. Quid est veritas?

[VonDos]

Those are some examples; for me brown or white is same; wath do you prefere?

[gap]

You are probably right. All the post-war pictures I have seen show a white command deck; it is likely that the many other illustrations/pictures portraying a brown/dark grey (wooden?) deck are depicting the pre-war version of the liner. The picture below is an example of that:



Note that the two masts have more or less the same shade of gray as the command deck. The same can be seen from the illustrations you have posted below, where the masts are light brown, meaning that they might have been wooden masts. The raking of masts and funnels looks more accentuated then in your model, but this can be just my impression. Also note that the two rearmost couples of vents (near the dummy funnel) are facing the wrong direction in your model.

The following picture dated 12.10.42 shows the ship after her refit as armed merchant cruiser:



Note the absence of the funnel aft, and the replacement of the old masts with two smaller ones, one between the command deck (which, on turn, has a different configuration compared with the pre-war version), and one in place of the dummy funnel. Both funnels and command deck look like painted with medium gray paint (the top half of each funnel being encircled by three darker rings), as opposed to the hull, which apparently sports a lighter shade of gray. Also note the absence of the big vents on the bridge, replaced by a number of bitts and smaller vents, and by the gun platforms. This can be seen better from the model whose picture you had posted a few weeks ago:



Also to be noted the reduction of lifeboats (though from the 1942 picture they are hardly noticeable over the background of the superstructure), replaced by a number of inflatable liferafts on the side of the hull.

Last, two rare pictures of the ship after her late-war reconversion to troop ship (source: http://furnessbermudaline.com/index_files/Page8257.htm)



Command deck's and bridge configuration don't seem having changed much compared to the AMC version but, as far as I can see from those small pictures, guns and gun platforms have been removed, and the color pattern is more similar to the after-war version (light gray hull, red/black funnels, white superstructure, including the command deck). Also notable the presence of a couple of kingpost cranes forward of the main deck, where the main mast used to be in the pre-war version of the liner.

[Jeff-Groves]

I'll have to note that none of the images show the actual deck.
All thought I'd tone them down to a greyish version myself.

Now if one uses node placements and the eqp file?
Different structures can appear at proper dates.

Skins can be changed at proper dates if you set it all up just like SH4 does.

[gap]

Originally Posted by Jeff-Groves

I'll have to note that none of the images show the actual deck.
All thought I'd tone them down to a greyish version myself.

I think Von Dos is currently focusing on the pre-war version. Talking about a luxury liner from the 30s, its deck was likely a wooden one.
Yet, I agree with you that the AMC/troopship versions should sport a grey deck.

Originally Posted by Jeff-Groves

Now if one uses node placements and the eqp file?
Different structures can appear at proper dates.

Skins can be changed at proper dates if you set it all up just like SH4 does.

Do eqp/sns/texture dates actually work in SHIV?
It is my understanding that they don't in SH5.
You can only set early, medium, or late war weapons, sensors and camouflages through ME2, meaning that the maximum number of possible equipment outfits/painting schemes for each ship definition is three, and that they aren't date-controlled.

[Jeff-Groves]

In SH3 and SH4 you can change the textures by dates.
I'll have to look at SH5 again to see if that was changed.
It's controlled in the rosters folder cfg files for each Unit.

Note this from SH4 Rosters cfg file

[UnitClass]
ClassName=COFlower
UnitType=1
AppearanceDate=19390214
DisappearanceDate=19460101
DisplayName=BR CO Flower

[Texture 1]
TextureName=data/Sea/NCO_Flower/NCO_Flower_T01.tga
LightmapTextureName=data/Sea/NCO_Flower/NCO_Flower_O01.tga
NormalmapTextureName=data/Sea/NCO_Flower/NCO_Flower_N01.tga
StartDate=19390214
EndDate=19430101
Frequency=1

[Texture 2]
TextureName=data/Sea/NCO_Flower/NCO_Flower_T01.tga
LightmapTextureName=data/Sea/NCO_Flower/NCO_Flower_O02.tga
NormalmapTextureName=data/Sea/NCO_Flower/NCO_Flower_N01.tga
StartDate=19400214
EndDate=19460101
Frequency=1

Now it does state the same texture in this quick example but you can change it.
This gives you unlimited control of textures in a way we were not aware of when GWX was nearly done.
We didn't even know you could use other 3D models like SH4 does!

Which begs the question....
What can SH5 do from SH3 or 4 that we have never tried?

Did you know that SH3 Keyframe animations work in SH4 but were not included?
I think someone put them in SH5 didn't they?

[gap]

Originally Posted by Jeff-Groves

In SH3 and SH4 you can change the textures by dates.
I'll have to look at SH5 again to see if that was changed.
It's controlled in the rosters folder cfg files for each Unit.

Note this from SH4 Rosters cfg file

[...]

SH5 roster cfg parameters are identical, but dates and frequencies seem to do nothing. At least in single mission. Tried many times.
Only each unit's camouflage setting in mis file, do control which texture is mapped on it, taken from its respective roster cfg file:

0=[Texture 1]=early war in ME2
1=[Texture 2]=medium war in ME2
2=[Texture 3]=late war in ME2

The same goes for equipments and sensors.

I should try changing those values manually to -1 though (using notepad, because there isn't such an option in ME2), and see if it forces the game to read start/end dates as set in roster cfg, eqp, and sns files.

Originally Posted by Jeff-Groves

Did you know that SH3 Keyframe animations work in SH4 but were not included?
I think someone put them in SH5 didn't they?

Aren't SHIV-5 flags done using keyframe animations?