Thinking About Modding

[HMCS]

I had an idea that I would like to take a stab at skinning/modding. I thought that I'd like to start with something simple.

My idea was to create something for the debris field when a ships sinks; I thought of drifting rafts with survivors riding on top of them, or clinging to floating wreckage.

What would be the process for that? Where should I start? Which tools would I need?

Feel free to pm me if you like. Many thanks in advance.

I thought about using this object - and going from there.
http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c27/citrjazz/wreckage.jpg

[Tweety]

I have adobe photo shop and s3d programs. I am still learning how to use these two programs. I think photo shop could help with the picture part. The design of the skins. I don't know.

I know very little about modding and am learning as I do.
Sorry i couldn't help you further as I am still learning.

Tweety

[ReallyDedPoet]

Have a look in this thread: Here (http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=155786)

[Tweety]

Thanks reallydedpoet,

That is a good link for all kinds of tutorials.:yeah:
Just what I have been looking for.

Tweety

[HMCS]

Thanks muchly!!

[Webster]

you do know that sh4 already has lifeboats with survivors and empty rafts for warships and mostly floating boxes for merchants dont you?

there is lots of room to improve on it but the objects are already there for you.

here is a tutorial on importing/exporting 3d objects: http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=135177

[HMCS]

Yes, I'm aware. I thought that improving upon something that already exists would be a fairly easy way to start.

Thanks for the link.

[Ducimus]

Tools i found myself using the most.

- S3D

- Winmerge

- Gimp w/ DDS plugin

- Freeware DDS to TGA converter program (quicker then loading gimp for a quick peek into a DDS File)

- notepad.exe

- an old version of winzip (makes editing the data/sea director tons easier when all you want is a certain file type. Can zip the entire sea directory, sort by file extension and delete the ones you dont want. Just want the SNS files? Nooo problem, can copy them all with path info in about 2 minutes or less)

-wordpad (for campaign files, too big to load in notepad, be careful to save in ASCII format)

- sh4 mission editor


Unless your into creating new 3d models from scratch (i can't, too lazy to learn), you can do most anything with that list of apps.

[DarkFish]

- Gimp w/ DDS plugin

- Freeware DDS to TGA converter program (quicker then loading gimp for a quick peek into a DDS File)I'd like to suggest Paint.net
Paint.net is faster than Gimp, much easier to use and supports both .dds and .tga by default. Quick peek into a .dds file? No problem, wait just 1 second and it's loaded!
Gimp is only really useful if you want to do more advanced graphics editing.

I also recommend XNView, for if you want to see the contents of a large number of .dds and .tga files at once, for example if you search one specific texture in the textures folder.

[Tweety]

Thanks Ducimus

I will have to check into these

- Winmerge

- Gimp w/ DDS plugin

- Freeware DDS to TGA converter program (quicker then loading gimp for a quick peek into a DDS File)

Thanks DarkFish

I have a paint program in XP. That is probably not the paint.net you are referring to.
I will have to do some seaching

I'd like to suggest Paint.net
Paint.net is faster than Gimp, much easier to use and supports both .dds and .tga by default. Quick peek into a .dds file? No problem, wait just 1 second and it's loaded!
Gimp is only really useful if you want to do more advanced graphics editing.

I also recommend XNView, for if you want to see the contents of a large number of .dds and .tga files at once, for example if you search one specific texture in the textures folder.

I also think I am going to these two site to learn more.

here is a tutorial on importing/exporting 3d objects: http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=135177



http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=135177

I downloaded paint.net and Gimp. I don't know if this Gimp has the dos plugin. I will keep looking.

Tweety

[Webster]

Tools i found myself using the most.

- an old version of winzip (makes editing the data/sea director tons easier when all you want is a certain file type. Can zip the entire sea directory, sort by file extension and delete the ones you dont want. Just want the SNS files? Nooo problem, can copy them all with path info in about 2 minutes or less)



hmm, i just use windows search feature to search within the folder by file types.

like "find all files containing .zon"

then i just copy and paste the list that comes up to a temp folder for modding or whatever