[WIP] Type IX for sh5

[mkiii]

Originally Posted by gap

Good

BTW: are you planning to add in game just one of the type IX versions, or more than one?

If everything works with this one, and we manage to get it in game, which looks quite likely now, this will be IXB, To be followed by C, C40, AND D2 which I have got all the models for.

the B and C are basically the same, just details a bit different. The C40 and D2 are completely different, although they will be able to share the ct`s from the others, so will be a little less work.

from a quick look through the books, there are only 3 conning tower versions

also I was thinking it would be better using the most closely matching ct versions from the type VII, for flak gun nodes etc then it will be just moving bones around, rather than deleting unnecessary bones, (less you change,less to go wrong)

[gap]

Originally Posted by mkiii

If everything works with this one, and we manage to get it in game, which looks quite likely now, this will be IXB, To be followed by C, C40, AND D2 which I have got all the models for.

the B and C are basically the same, just details a bit different. The C40 and D2 are completely different, although they will be able to share the ct`s from the others, so will be a little less work.

from a quick look through the books, there are only 3 conning tower versions

also I was thinking it would be better using the most closely matching ct versions from the type VII, for flak gun nodes etc then it will be just moving bones around, rather than deleting unnecessary bones, (less you change,less to go wrong)

Sounds like a good plan, though I foresee problems with the interiors, where there are animated parts like the engine room. I have read that the IXD2 was powered by two pairs of 6-cylinder Diesel engines, but we will be probably forced to use type VII's engine room, with the standard engine configuration

Originally Posted by Jeff-Groves

No hard codeing involved. Just a non-standard GR2 file.

Originally Posted by Jeff-Groves

There are a lot of ways to whack the GR2 format to avoid tampering.
The early attempts started with editing the check sum. We figured that out so that was dumped by a lot of Game devs. Not just for Silent Hunter.


Next many went to a custom format like in SWTOR. Seems a few people broke that format also.

Originally Posted by Jeff-Groves

Haven't looked close at the sensor file to see what is going on but I'd just rip 3d models and add them to another file that can be opened and worked with easily.

Possiblle: I have already done that many times

That's not just a possibility though. Since one of the limitation of GR2 Editor is that we cannot add new models to a granny file, putting any new sensor in a separate file is also the way to go, unless you want to replace one of the yet existing equipments / equipment upgrades with the new one (a few of them aren't actually used in game).

[mkiii]

well these conning towers are a nightmare, I don`t know how they are different than the hull, but as soon as I changed a texture path got section errors.
I am now using 2 versions of the editor at each step, 1 to change the meshes, and 1 to alter the material bindings, which gives me a file that will open in goblin without crashing. (how long it took to find the right combination of versions was depressing)

not tried it in game yet though, just in case I lose my temper and throw the pc through the window (believe me, its been close a few times)

@Gap not got any really clear pics of the IX diesels, but what I have, seem to show covered valve gear, in which case the animations are irrelevant, that is for the 9cyl engine though

[gap]

Originally Posted by gap

one of the limitation of GR2 Editor is that we cannot add new models to a granny file

Originally Posted by Jeff-Groves

Just to update you.
That is no longer true.

Awesome

For the future: should we always bother you when we need to add a new model, or that's something we can do ourselves?

Originally Posted by mkiii

not had much time this weekend, but got the ct on the sub, after a lot of trials and many more errors.

Well done

[skin-nl]

Great work mkiii

Can't wait to start hunting with the type IX

Michael

[mkiii]

after rebuilding both the ct and hull, and still not getting a ct in game as a IXB I loaded the lot in golin, and merged both the sim files, WTF are all those lost controllers doing in there. lol that would be why it don`t show in game then. so job for tomorrow is build a couple of new sim files.

There is more to this playable sub business than you would think.

[mkiii]

Good news is things are progressing

Bad news is due to inexperience I made a fundamental mistake right at the very begining, which means doing everything again from scratch.

[mkiii]

Originally Posted by gap

Sounds like a good plan, though I foresee problems with the interiors, where there are animated parts like the engine room. I have read that the IXD2 was powered by two pairs of 6-cylinder Diesel engines, but we will be probably forced to use type VII's engine room, with the standard engine configuration

unless it is possible to clone the engines and animations, and import 2 sets of engines into the engine room(obviously it would have to be made bigger first), but that is a problem for another day

[mkiii]

16hrs and finally got a conning tower on the hull, still a few things to move around bones, collision meshes, more or less all the stuff you don`t see in game, the ct looks darker because I have used different material settings, to test which looks better in game,

[gap]

Originally Posted by mkiii

well these conning towers are a nightmare, I don`t know how they are different than the hull, but as soon as I changed a texture path got section errors.
I am now using 2 versions of the editor at each step, 1 to change the meshes, and 1 to alter the material bindings, which gives me a file that will open in goblin without crashing. (how long it took to find the right combination of versions was depressing)

not tried it in game yet though, just in case I lose my temper and throw the pc through the window (believe me, its been close a few times)

I know, materials and material bindings have always been a PITA for me. Something I have learned is that, before deleting an unused material, you better save the file after having made sure that it is no more bound to any of the meshes found in the file. After that, you close the file, re-open it, and only at this point you can remove the material, but not before having crossed your fingers with one hand and knocked wood with the other

Originally Posted by mkiii

@Gap not got any really clear pics of the IX diesels, but what I have, seem to show covered valve gear, in which case the animations are irrelevant, that is for the 9cyl engine though

That would be one problem lesser though, if I am not mistaken, the 6-cyl used on Type VII u-boats and the ones fitted on the IXD2 were different engines...

Originally Posted by mkiii

unless it is possible to clone the engines and animations, and import 2 sets of engines into the engine room(obviously it would have to be made bigger first), but that is a problem for another day

Who knows, maybe we can stick models contained in different files using prt files (sort of what is done in SHIII with 'placement' nodes)

Originally Posted by mkiii

16hrs and finally got a conning tower on the hull, still a few things to move around bones, collision meshes, more or less all the stuff you don`t see in game, the ct looks darker because I have used different material settings, to test which looks better in game,

Amazing!

Don't forget the emblem faces/materials

[mkiii]

Originally Posted by gap

I know, materials and material bindings have always been a PITA for me. Something I have learned is that, before deleting an unused material, you better save the file after having made sure that it is no more bound to any of the meshes found in the file. After that, you close the file, re-open it, and only at this point you can remove the material, but not before having crossed your fingers with one hand and knocked wood with the other

I save after doing anything now gap, then if something is bad, its no great loss. learned that lesson early, renaming the main bone screws the file as well as crashing the editor, going to try it on an unmodded file....see what happens.

Originally Posted by gap

That would be one problem lesser though, if I am not mistaken, the 6-cyl used on Type VII u-boats and the ones fitted on the IXD2 were different engines...

will do some reading, although a 6cyl, is a 6cyl. it will have to do.

Originally Posted by gap

Who knows, maybe we can stick models contained in different files using prt files (sort of what is done in SHIII with 'placement' nodes)

no I was thinking clone the mesh in max, then put 4 of them into a single file....worth a shot.

Originally Posted by gap

Amazing!

Don't forget the emblem faces/materials

I was more surprised than amazed tbh, already done Gap, dont know why the black square shows in that shot, I could not see it when I grabbed it, and its good in Goblin as well

[mkiii]

@Vecko .....looks good enough to me as well although its a good job I don`t do it for a living.....otherwise I would be on 3p an hour and eating grass

[vdr1981]

Originally Posted by mkiii

16hrs and finally got a conning tower on the hull, still a few things to move around bones, collision meshes, more or less all the stuff you don`t see in game, the ct looks darker because I have used different material settings, to test which looks better in game,

Outstanding! Respect!

[Jeff-Groves]

Originally Posted by gap

we cannot add new models to a granny file

Just to update you.
That is no longer true.

[mkiii]

Originally Posted by Jeff-Groves

Just to update you.
That is no longer true.

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