[TEC] External cargo in SH5

[Fifi]

Might sound stupid, but is the Willis really needed?...tanks and trucks are already nice

[Rongel]

Just realized that some objects in ship_cargo.GR2 are not set in CargoDef.cfg. They are:

jeep1
Firetruck
Willis

I did a test and added these to the cargodef.cfg as new entries, like this:

[CargoEntry 14]
NodeName=Jeep
LinkName=jeep1
StartDate=19380101
EndDate=19451231
CargoType=0

[CargoEntry 15]
NodeName=Firetruck
LinkName=Firetruck
StartDate=19380101
EndDate=19451231
CargoType=0

And it worked! I could select them from the mission editor, and they appeared in game also. Yep, the jeep is missing textures, and the Willis-car could maybe use better textures, looks a bit ugly to me. But I don't know anything about the UV-stuff (and I don't want to know ).

I did another test as well, I think the most important test so far. I modded the Coastal Waters campaign, so that all the random traffic cargo ships have some external cargo. I added k-nodes to HogIsland ships and started a new campaign. While patrolling near Poland I met this one HogIslander, and yes it had external cargo! So this is a random ship, I haven't placed manually any cargo to it.



Everything seems to work so far!

[volodya61]

Originally Posted by Rongel

...Everything seems to work so far!

Well done

So, now we just need Trevally to make ​​changes to the campaign and put the edited .cfg and ship files to the mod

[Rongel]

Originally Posted by volodya61

Well done

So, now we just need Trevally to make ​​changes to the campaign and put the edited .cfg and ship files to the mod

Thanks! Yes, this needs some work before it can be released as a mod. I have now added missing nodes to three ships, it's a lot of work to get the nodes in just right position in GR2 editor. The way I have done it is to clone existing cfg-node, rename it and the start to edit it's position. Any better ideas for this, or is it the right way to do it? Maybe I'll release custom mission with the cargo stuff, so people can comment.

But help would be nice, especially with editing the campaign (Trevally??), or adding missing zones (boxes and spheres) to the cargo.zon file. Any brave volunteers?

[gap]

Originally Posted by Fifi

Might sound stupid, but is the Willis really needed?...tanks and trucks are already nice

No, not really, but being the iconic WWII Jeep, I thought that the Willys deserved a better treatment in game.
Here is a view of it with its brand-new textures:

Originally Posted by Rongel

I did a test and added these to the cargodef.cfg as new entries

...

And it worked! I could select them from the mission editor, and they appeared in game also.

After seeing the cfg file that you pointed out to me yesterday, I was almost sure that adding new cargo types was going to be possible. Who knows why devs left those cars out

Since we are at it, what do you think about some totally new cargo models? I was thinking about an assortment of barrels and sacks. I have found some good royalty-free meshes on the web. I could try combining them and putting them in a dat file for you to test them in game, if you agree.

Originally Posted by Rongel

Yep, the jeep is missing textures, and the Willis-car could maybe use better textures, looks a bit ugly to me. But I don't know anything about the UV-stuff (and I don't want to know ).

Here is the new Willys texture that I was mentioning before:

http://www.mediafire.com/?lmjaiazbpg8k2p9

Dropping it in the Textures/TNormal/tex folder is enough. As for the other Jeep that you are mentioning, I think you meant the one called "jeep1". If you tell me what is wrong with its texture, I can try improving it

Originally Posted by Rongel

I did another test as well, I think the most important test so far. I modded the Coastal Waters campaign, so that all the random traffic cargo ships have some external cargo. I added k-nodes to HogIsland ships and started a new campaign. While patrolling near Poland I met this one HogIslander, and yes it had external cargo! So this is a random ship, I haven't placed manually any cargo to it.

Everything seems to work so far!

Originally Posted by Rongel

I have now added missing nodes to three ships, it's a lot of work to get the nodes in just right position in GR2 editor. The way I have done it is to clone existing cfg-node, rename it and the start to edit it's position. Any better ideas for this, or is it the right way to do it?

Basically yes.

I have just one suggestion: when you are adding K bones to multiple hull ships, check that the parent object of the recently added bones is the appropriate hull part.

Originally Posted by Rongel

But help would be nice, especially with editing the campaign (Trevally??), or adding missing zones (boxes and spheres) to the cargo.zon file. Any brave volunteers?

I can help with zon files.

[Rongel]

Good work with the Willys Jeep-texture, Gap!

Should it be a little bit darker, SH 5 trucks and tanks are quite dark. They have the shadows painted in to the texture kind of. Anyway, nice fix, I already added it to the mod.

Since we are at it, what do you think about some totally new cargo models? I was thinking about an assortment of barrels and sacks. I have found some good royalty-free meshes on the web. I could try combining them and putting them in a dat file for you to test them in game, if you agree.

Why not! My only concern is that they should blend with the GR2 stuff (like some SH 3 stuff can look quite nasty in SH 5), otherwise sounds good!

I have just one suggestion: when you are adding K bones to multiple hull ships, check that the parent object of the recently added bones is the appropriate hull part.

Yep, that's the way I have done it!

I can help with zon files.

Great! Here is a link to the test version of the mod: http://www.mediafire.com/download/d7...rgo_testmod.7z

It has already modified .zon file, I have added zones to couple of items, you can continue from there or start from the scratch. One thing that bothers me little, is that I can't find a good way for the crates to be destroyed. Tanks and trucks can be blow up in the air, but if crates do this, you can see that they have no bottom at all. So if there is a way just to blow them up, so that they dissappear, that would be great!

This version also has a custom mission so that you can see the cargo ships easily. I think that now every cargo ship has the K-nodes, actually there was only three ships that didn't have them.

[Trevally.]

Great work guys

Yes Rongel - I would like to help and add your work to OHII.
I can update all the campaign layers to make the ships take the cargo.

I am having a little issue with my PC at the mo (I have kicked it down the stairs is a fit of rage) so am waiting for a new one.
When it arrives - I can join your team

[gap]

Originally Posted by Rongel

Good work with the Willys Jeep-texture, Gap!

Should it be a little bit darker, SH 5 trucks and tanks are quite dark. They have the shadows painted in to the texture kind of. Anyway, nice fix, I already added it to the mod.

Okay, I have reworked a bit my texture. Here it is:

http://www.mediafire.com/?787hs5xs7sd8l67

This is a preview of it in GR2 Editor:



Much better, I think

Originally Posted by Rongel

Why not! My only concern is that they should blend with the GR2 stuff (like some SH 3 stuff can look quite nasty in SH 5), otherwise sounds good!

Currently working on this:



In theory we could clone the existing ship_cargo.GR2 file, and import the new models in it, but this would pose some serious limitations to the complexity of the objects we can model, since IIRC we cannot add new meshes but just replace the existing ones. On the other hand, we have several examples of "dat" equipments rendered on top of GR2 units (aircraft bombs, and leigh lights just to mention some). I think that as far as a dat object has no unified render controller, it is rendered correctly on top of any GR2 unit.

Originally Posted by Rongel

Yep, that's the way I have done it!

Originally Posted by Rongel

Great! Here is a link to the test version of the mod: http://www.mediafire.com/download/d7...rgo_testmod.7z

It has already modified .zon file, I have added zones to couple of items, you can continue from there or start from the scratch.

Okay, I will put myself at work as soon as possible. I hope it won't take too long

Originally Posted by Rongel

One thing that bothers me little, is that I can't find a good way for the crates to be destroyed. Tanks and trucks can be blow up in the air, but if crates do this, you can see that they have no bottom at all. So if there is a way just to blow them up, so that they dissappear, that would be great!

Yes, stock crates are just "cardboard dummies". Have you tried setting their respective zone to "destroyable", so that they just disappear instead of blowing up? The better way to do it, is by setting new zone definitions with custom settings. Maybe we can set them to spawn proper box meshes when they are hit, as if they were debris

Originally Posted by Rongel

This version also has a custom mission so that you can see the cargo ships easily. I think that now every cargo ship has the K-nodes, actually there was only three ships that didn't have them.

Are you going to add K nodes to OH's imported ships as well?

[volodya61]

Originally Posted by Rongel

...But help would be nice, especially with editing the campaign (Trevally??), or adding missing zones (boxes and spheres) to the cargo.zon file. Any brave volunteers?

If I can help, just tell me exactly what to do

[gap]

Originally Posted by volodya61

If I can help, just tell me exactly what to do

@Volodya

If you want, you can take over for the zon editing stuff, while I am working on the new cargo models

[volodya61]

Originally Posted by gap

..Are you going to add K nodes to OH's imported ships as well?

I think this should be done because the convoys in OHII consist mostly of imported vessels

Originally Posted by gap

@Volodya

If you want, you can take over for the zon editing stuff, while I am working on the new cargo models

I want and I can.. '..just tell me exactly what to do..'

I downloaded the RosettaStone and ABBYY Lingvo apps and am now heavily engaged in the study/learn of English.. am tired too often use an online translator.. so, a slight reboot/re-load of the brain does not hurt