[REL] The Little Ships of SH5 - Coaster Pack

[Jeff-Groves]

Originally Posted by Mister_M

Why ? Is there any limitation ?

Look at the files for the Interiors. Pretty much no limit.
Only thing would be does a new ship drop the Game to it's knees?
The Granny system is a really robust thing.
Even Units done with a flawed import seem to have little impact on Game play.

[kapuhy]

Originally Posted by Mister_M

I'm currently working on a French tug boat (L'Actif - 1939), but it's hard for me to keep it low poly because I have very detailed technical plans and I like details ...

Looks cool

Originally Posted by Mister_M

Why ? Is there any limitation ?

The (currently) only tool available for modders not speaking binary (that is, everyone but Jeff right now) to export/import models to SH5, TDW's GR2Editor, inflates files during import (you'll find more info in Jeff's Almagest thread), which means models imported with it take more system resources than they should. That's why I would not advise to use this tool to make small improvements to existing models (like, say, adding a single crate on deck of a ship) unless you can use strict import option, because entire file will then be inflated in size for relatively small gain.

Still, even these inflated files are handled rather well by SH5. To give you an idea:

- Stock Armed Trawler has 11236 triangles and 1,55 MB gr2 file
- Large Fishing Trawler (my remodel of the above unit), 12201 triangles but 2,81 MB file

Seems suboptimal, but at the same time PB4Y plane in TWoS has 160671 triangles and 8,38 MB .dat file and there is no visible lag when a flight of these appear. Or, for gr2 example, command room o our boat has 55 MB .gr2 file. So, the game can handle way more than stock units "weight".

When I was making first units of this mod I was very stingy with details because I was worried about performance, but I've relaxed my detail limits a lot since.

[Jeff-Groves]

The Granny system is coded to optimize. Thus the success of the system!
It reads, compiles, and dumps garbage on a fantastic level!
On the fly optimization of files is unmatched! Thus the reason large files created with TDW's program work.
Now cutting file sizes down makes the read process faster, allows smaller file sizes over all, Thus the reason for creating Almagest.

[gap]

Wow, I see some amazing new ship/boat models coming.
Well done kapuhy and Mister_M, I can't wait to see your creations rendered in game

[kapuhy]

Originally Posted by gap

Wow, I see some amazing new ship/boat models coming.

Speaking of which, how's your puffer? (no pressure, just curious )

Originally Posted by propbeanie

There is an animated crane in SH4, and I was thinking of attempting to have "moving" fishing nets and booms on a fishing boat:

Trawler I'm working on does not have such booms - it's a drifter, so more like this:



In order to depict it "at work" I'd have to be able to make buoys and net that is connected to the ship but not rigidly - its bouncing due to wave movement should be independent, or every time ship rolls on waves buoys would jump out of the water. Same thing with trying to depict minesweepers while sweeping. Currently I have no clue how one would do it (but to tell the truth I haven't been looking into this much yet).

Worst case, as far as trawlers are concerned, one could make a docked version as part of port traffic, with nets deployed as separate "ship".

Edit 2: Current progress on the trawler:

[Mister_M]

Originally Posted by gap

Wow, I see some amazing new ship/boat models coming.
Well done kapuhy and Mister_M, I can't wait to see your creations rendered in game

I've just realised that the plans I have are for the tugboat "Actif" of 1954, and not for the one of 1939 ! ... I've found this info on archives, it was not written on the plan (in fact not readable)...

[kapuhy]

Originally Posted by Mister_M

I've just realised that the plans I have are for the tugboat "Actif" of 1954, and not for the one of 1939 ! ... I've found this info on archives, it was not written on the plan (in fact not readable)...

You mean these?

http://freeshipplans.com/free-model-...at-actif-1939/

[Mister_M]

Originally Posted by kapuhy

You mean these?

http://freeshipplans.com/free-model-...at-actif-1939/

Yes exactly ! Tugboat of 1000 CV (CV = "chevaux" = horse power) and it's written "R : 21056" on the plans.

Now, https://www.aamm.fr/docs/pdf/reperto...tellerault.pdf --- page 71 :

ACTIF - Remorqueur de 600 CV
- Documents communs à : LAVANDOU - PALMIER ET TATIHOU
- Groupes motoventilateurs de 5000 m³/h
1939 - Ensemble - rechange

ACTIF - Remorqueur de mer de 1000 CV
- A 707 - 1954 R.21056
- Projet d'un dispositif de mouillage et relevage des
mines d'exercice
- Document commun aux : CEPET, COTENTIN et TEBESSA
- Groupe motopompe de circulation
- Notice pour la conduite et l'entretien

And indeed, loonking again on the plans, you can read a date with "54" (1954), but it's not readable at first glance.

So, it is another ship... Actif is a very common word in french to design ships. It might be the same ship but with a new and more powerful engine, but I really don't think so.

It is the sentence "Projet d'un dispositif de mouillage et relevage des mines d'exercice" which drew my attention, because I had already read it on the plans I have.

[kapuhy]

Originally Posted by Mister_M

Yes exactly ! Tugboat of 1000 CV (CV = "chevaux" = horse power) and it's written "R : 21056" on the plans.

Now, https://www.aamm.fr/docs/pdf/reperto...tellerault.pdf --- page 71 :

ACTIF - Remorqueur de 600 CV
- Documents communs à : LAVANDOU - PALMIER ET TATIHOU
- Groupes motoventilateurs de 5000 m³/h
1939 - Ensemble - rechange

ACTIF - Remorqueur de mer de 1000 CV
- A 707 - 1954 R.21056
- Projet d'un dispositif de mouillage et relevage des
mines d'exercice
- Document commun aux : CEPET, COTENTIN et TEBESSA
- Groupe motopompe de circulation
- Notice pour la conduite et l'entretien

And indeed, loonking again on the plans, you can read a date with "54" (1954), but it's not readable at first glance.

So, it is another ship... Actif is a very common word in french to design ships. It might be the same ship but with a new and more powerful engine, but I really don't think so.

It is the sentence "Projet d'un dispositif de mouillage et relevage des mines d'exercice" which drew my attention, because I had already read it on the plans I have.

Hmm, look here:

http://uim.marine.free.fr/URO/nav-comp/URA/assinie.htm

From what I can decipher from it "Actif" is also a name for an entire series of tugs, some of them built during and some after WW2 - and indeed ship on the photo resembles yours. So you might be modeling a ship from right time period for the game after all

[Mister_M]

Originally Posted by kapuhy

Hmm, look here:

http://uim.marine.free.fr/URO/nav-comp/URA/assinie.htm

From what I can decipher from it "Actif" is also a name for an entire series of tugs, some of them built during and some after WW2 - and indeed ship on the photo resembles yours. So you might be modeling a ship from right time period for the game after all

Yes, you're right, it's the same !

[kapuhy]

Originally Posted by Mister_M

Yes, you're right, it's the same !

If I were you I'd find and google image search names of other ships in this class, it might bring you photos that will be very useful for details and texturing. For example, Assinie on page I found was later renamed VERNICOS FRANGISKI and if you google that:

https://www.shipsnostalgia.com/media...ngiski.340503/
https://www.shipsnostalgia.com/media...-wreck.351324/

[propbeanie]

Originally Posted by kapuhy

... Trawler I'm working on does not have such booms - it's a drifter, so more like this:



In order to depict it "at work" I'd have to be able to make buoys and net that is connected to the ship but not rigidly - its bouncing due to wave movement should be independent, or every time ship rolls on waves buoys would jump out of the water. Same thing with trying to depict minesweepers while sweeping. Currently I have no clue how one would do it (but to tell the truth I haven't been looking into this much yet).

Worst case, as far as trawlers are concerned, one could make a docked version as part of port traffic, with nets deployed as separate "ship"...

I did not realize there was net fishing like that. I thought it was all drag... I have tried to "attach" two ships with a "cable" from the one to the other, so it looks like one is being towed... A "free-hanging" (or would that be "free-trailing"??) "cable" is attached to the "towing" ship with a bit of "overhang" to go into the "towed" ship. Looks fantastic when the test mission starts with the two ships as a "group", but then it gets really strange, when the towed ship tries to "avoid" the towing ship. Within a few minutes, the illusion is destroyed... sigh, and like you say, a little bit of sea bob, and the "cable" does some weird antics... Similarly, trying to put a walk-board between closely parked ships / subs doesn't work very well either...

[kapuhy]

Hmm, looked into the animations a little bit and while I still have no way to make functional floats or nets, I think I'll be able to at least give the trawler animated sails.

[Mister_M]

Why not just add anti sub nets around the fishing units ? After all, fishing nets were dangerous for submarines...

[Jeff-Groves]

The Nets could still bob up out of the water on ship movement unless run deep.