Tutorial for convert SH3 ships to SH4?

[fitzcarraldo]

Hi, mates: I´m searching a tutorial for convert SH3 ships to SH4. I use S3D for all those porpouses, but I have problems with textures (SH3 TGA vs. SH4 DDS).

Simply I must convert the TGA to DDS, or it needs other operations?

Many thanks and best regards.

Fitzcarraldo

[keltos01]

open with photoshop , then save as dds 3

that's it

note that a lot of shiii stuff like textures are in the .dat

keltos

A few things I've learned while converting some Italian ships for the Med campaign:

The main problem is with sensors and equipment. Open SHIPNAME.sns and SHIPNAME.eqp with notepad and give them proper SH4 equivalents (you can check a similar ship to get the names).

SH4 will read the .TGA textures inside the .dat with no problems, but you can export it, convert it to DDS and import again if you wish. I use DXTBMP for conversions.

You can also make a model use external textures editing the .dat file with S3D. Check this image, it's from a SHIII ship:



First step is deleting the Embedded image field. The index name will change to "<empty>". Then tick off the Enable explicit texture mark (a warning will pop up. Just click OK). Lastly, change the name of the index number 5 (which will have converted into number 4 after deleting the image) to cfg#TXR_NAME OF THE EXTERNAL TEXTURE (in this case I used cfg#TXR_NDD_Soldati). This way, your model will accept any external texture named NDD_Soldati_whatever, as long as you use it in the roster file for that unit. Cool for having different camos .

This is what I've learned by checking previous work by others. Hope it helps you. Try it and let us know the results.

[fitzcarraldo]

Originally Posted by keltos01

open with photoshop , then save as dds 3

that's it

note that a lot of shiii stuff like textures are in the .dat

keltos

Originally Posted by JapLance

A few things I've learned while converting some Italian ships for the Med campaign:

The main problem is with sensors and equipment. Open SHIPNAME.sns and SHIPNAME.eqp with notepad and give them proper SH4 equivalents (you can check a similar ship to get the names).

SH4 will read the .TGA textures inside the .dat with no problems, but you can export it, convert it to DDS and import again if you wish. I use DXTBMP for conversions.

You can also make a model use external textures editing the .dat file with S3D. Check this image, it's from a SHIII ship:



First step is deleting the Embedded image field. The index name will change to "<empty>". Then tick off the Enable explicit texture mark (a warning will pop up. Just click OK). Lastly, change the name of the index number 5 (which will have converted into number 4 after deleting the image) to cfg#TXR_NAME OF THE EXTERNAL TEXTURE (in this case I used cfg#TXR_NDD_Soldati). This way, your model will accept any external texture named NDD_Soldati_whatever, as long as you use it in the roster file for that unit. Cool for having different camos .

This is what I've learned by checking previous work by others. Hope it helps you. Try it and let us know the results.

Great explanations!! I don´t know if OM have all SH3 converted ships, but I like some stuff from OM for my TMO/RSRDC new traffic. And I like some historic ships in SH4, for instance, the SH3 Titanic/Olympic by VonDos. I want to see the Titanic in route to San Francisco...

Many thanks, mates, ever we learn some new tip from both.

Regards.

Fitzcarraldo

[fitzcarraldo]

OK, I´m testing the VonDos Titanic in SH4.

First: I conserve the TGA files. The ship is in the museum, but all white. No textures applied.

Second: I import the TGA files and convert they in DDS (DXT3), then export. The same result: the ship is all white.

No success...

When "Save as" the TGA to DDS with NVIDIA DDS Plugin, (I have an ATI card), there are multiple options for the conversion.

I select the DXT3 with mipmaps, alpha automatic, etc. I don´t know what is the best selection...

Please, I need help for that conversion.

Many thanks and regards.

Fitzcarraldo

Is there an option for saving as DXT1 in that plug-in?. I don't have it, but in the program I use I choose that option.

Still, when you left the TGA it should have shown... Do you get it textured inside S3D?

OK, I've downloaded the ship, and I think I've found the problem.

It uses an external texture straight away, so you have to specify in the roster file the path to the texture and the dates she uses them.

Add this to the .cfg file in the roster with notepad:

[Texture 1]
TextureName=data/Sea/NTIT_/NTIT__T01.tga
StartDate=19000109
EndDate=19460228
Frequency=1

and it should work, either with TGA or DDS (I use DXT1 with no alpha channel):

[fitzcarraldo]

Originally Posted by JapLance

OK, I've downloaded the ship, and I think I've found the problem.

It uses an external texture straight away, so you have to specify in the roster file the path to the texture and the dates she uses them.

Add this to the .cfg file in the roster with notepad:

[Texture 1]
TextureName=data/Sea/NTIT_/NTIT__T01.tga
StartDate=19000109
EndDate=19460228
Frequency=1

and it should work, either with TGA or DDS (I use DXT1 with no alpha channel):

This is my Roster TIT cfg:

[UnitClass]
ClassName=TIT
UnitType=103
AppearanceDate=19380101
DisappearanceDate=19470101
DisplayName=Olympic Class Liner

[Unit 1]
Name=RMS Titanic
DOC=19380101
DOD=19470101

[Unit 2]
Name=RMS Olympic
DOC=19380101
DOD=19470101

[Unit 3]
Name=HMHS Britannic
DOC=19380101
DOD=19470101

[Texture 1]
TextureName=data/Sea/NTIT_/NTIT__T01.tga
StartDate=19000109
EndDate=19460228
Frequency=1

The ship is white...No textures. What is my error???

Many thanks and best regards.

Fitzcarraldo

I'm sorry, I just run out of ideas

[yamatoforever]

Send me sometimes the complete ship! I look it to me sometimes in!

[keltos01]

no alpha channel means you can't use the O01 files which are basically computed shadows, this being the big difference between sh3 and sh4 ships.

you need to make one either from photoshop or with 3ds using the ambiant occlusion map.

keltos

Originally Posted by keltos01

no alpha channel means you can't use the O01 files which are basically computed shadows, this being the big difference between sh3 and sh4 ships.

you need to make one either from photoshop or with 3ds using the ambiant occlusion map.

keltos

Yes, of course, the look can be improved, but the priority was getting the ship into SH4. Then you could do a lot of tweaks to make it look still better, I guess, but that is outside my current skills (and will probably be forever ).

And hell , she looks pretty good as she is .

[fitzcarraldo]

Originally Posted by JapLance

Yes, of course, the look can be improved, but the priority was getting the ship into SH4. Then you could do a lot of tweaks to make it look still better, I guess, but that is outside my current skills (and will probably be forever ).

And hell , she looks pretty good as she is .

Finally the Titanic is working in my SH4/TMO/RSRDC, but I changed the embedded images (explicit) for the texture in S3D. With those changes, the ships looks great (I conserve the TGA file).



Now, I have another problem with other ships from SH3 GWX: I transfer the Nelson BB to SH4, change the embedded images for the camo textures, and obtain:



...No turrets...If you know an answer to that...

Please, I like to see your TIT.CFG for compare with my file.

Many thanks and regards.

Fitzcarraldo

[yamatoforever]

Have you maybe forgotten the GUNS.DAT (GWX)?

[keltos01]

look in the equipment.upc : it tells what is on the ship.

then rifle through gunsradar.dat and find the turrets you need and link them to it

keltos