Topic: Raven's E7 Heavy Cruiser Released!!!

[Centurus]

She's been released for SFC3.  If anyone wants to do an SFC2/OP hardpoint, ask Raven.  I'm sure he'll give his ok so long as all credit is properly given.

It's been a while since I've worked on any ship for SFC3, so hopefully I didn't forget anything.

http://starfleetcommand3.filefront.com/file/KDF_E7_Class_Heavy_Cruiser;95166

[Rod ONeal]

Tell Raven she came out real nice.

I didn't realize from the WIP thread that it was so "sectioned". From an SFB perspective (I'm pretty sure that Raven didn't take that perspective.  ) I'd say that the Klingons took some ship construction techniques from their alliance with the Lyrans. It's still Klingon, but a bit less brutal and more of a techno feel to it.

[Bernard Guignard]

Very sweet Looking forward to the OP version

[Shadowfleet]

Very nice! Thanks for teh conversion and thanks to Raven for yet another outstanding creation!

[Centurus]

Anyone around that's able to do the OP hardpointing?

[markyd]

Thats a real nice bird, raven is currently the man for klinks atm no doubt 

[GotAFarmYet?]

Would be happy to do HPs again but still have not figured out GMax I have spent no time learning it yet. I can tell you how to do it to a degree though. What you do is import the KBB model from SFC 2, delete the Mesh but leave the Spines which is the HPs and DPs. Import this model and save it, then all you have to do is move the points onto the model as a few will be outside of it. The next step is to move the ones labelled Hardpoint1 thru whatever to the weapon points modelled on the ship. It takes a few hours to do the first time but after that it gets easier.

Its how I use to do it in milkshape and GMax looks about the same for doing it, Max pretty much looks simular to GMax. I can send a layout pic of the KBB HP layouts from SFC 2 to you if you want.

[Centurus]

Na.  I don't like doing hardpoints for SFC2 or SFC OP, that's why I asked if anyone was interested.

The damage points for all SFC ships are the same, so just the hardpoints would need to be rearranged.

[Tulwar]

Very sweet Looking forward to the OP version

I am too!  The SFC OP X-cruiser leaves much to be desired.  I hope the package can be made small enough to be put in a package of models that I can add with a shiplist.  The E-7 is too big a file to be practical for that purpose.

There are several good Klingon heavies, but this one has exactly the right look.  I've been putting off launching a server.  I only get a chance to play with this stuff every other week or so.  With most empires, I can barely find enough models to fill out additional size classes, but I really dislike taldren's X-Klinks.

The E-7 very definitely looks as if it comes from the time between ST TMP and ST TNG.  Picard would have been very familiar with it, and many would still be in front line service by the time of the Dominion War.  This is the X2 era.

[Centurus]

When it comes to polys, nothing I can do about that, nor will I even try.  I don't dare.  My modeling skills are still very much in the novice level, and that's with giving myself credit.

When it comes to texture size, the textures could easily be resized to something a bit more viable for your needs, which would also cut down the overall size of the file.

But any permission for modification to such things must be obtained from Raven, since this is his work of art.  I know, seeking his approval goes without saying, since everyone here respects everyone else's work, but it doesn't hurt to always point it out.

[GotAFarmYet?]

When it comes to polys, nothing I can do about that, nor will I even try.  I don't dare.  My modeling skills are still very much in the novice level, and that's with giving myself credit.

When it comes to texture size, the textures could easily be resized to something a bit more viable for your needs, which would also cut down the overall size of the file.

But any permission for modification to such things must be obtained from Raven, since this is his work of art.  I know, seeking his approval goes without saying, since everyone here respects everyone else's work, but it doesn't hurt to always point it out.

Changing the Texture sizes will reduce the files size greatly yes but at a cost. To move from the 2048 x 2048 sized sheets will reduce the text quality as well. most of the detailling will be lost if you move it to a 1024 x1024 and completely gone and would need to be redone at 512 sized sheets. Some of the textures are not of a power of 2 which will also cause SFC 2 problems, they pretty much don't show up at all in the game even though they work in the viewer. The only thing you can change that will not effect the ship would be to gray scale the light maps, they are coloured. Just by gray scaliing them you would reduce their size by 70% or more. If you don't mind the whole ship gray, then do it to them all and use a gray version rather than coloured.

[Lord Schtupp]

Wow thats a tight model - well done

[Spartan-039]

Very nice, you've done alot since the last time I saw this model, I believe it's been four months. Keep up the good work!

[Tulwar]

Who needs to wait for an OP version?  The Hard Points on a lot of OP models don't work that well.  I use some SFC 3 models in OP, and they work well enough.  Could it overwelm the graphics card in multi-player?

[Centurus]

Who needs to wait for an OP version?  The Hard Points on a lot of OP models don't work that well.  I use some SFC 3 models in OP, and they work well enough.  Could it overwelm the graphics card in multi-player?

Depends.  Is the graphics card from the days of Win2000?

[GotAFarmYet?]

Who needs to wait for an OP version?  The Hard Points on a lot of OP models don't work that well.  I use some SFC 3 models in OP, and they work well enough.  Could it overwelm the graphics card in multi-player?

The models for SFC 3 work in OP and EAW, SFC 2 models do not work in SFC 3. Basically allot of SFC 3 ships were improperly ported to SFC 3. Basiacally the HPs have to be redone as they are not compatible between the games, this is mostly do to the UIs' and how they were layed out.

[Centurus]

Who needs to wait for an OP version?  The Hard Points on a lot of OP models don't work that well.  I use some SFC 3 models in OP, and they work well enough.  Could it overwelm the graphics card in multi-player?

The models for SFC 3 work in OP and EAW, SFC 2 models do not work in SFC 3. Basically allot of SFC 3 ships were improperly ported to SFC 3. Basiacally the HPs have to be redone as they are not compatible between the games, this is mostly do to the UIs' and how they were layed out.

Yes and no.  I've never known an SFC3 ship to be used in SFC2/OP with the SFC3 hardpoint layout already in place.  Any ship will work without hardpoints at all, so long as the specs and layouts are correct.  Just that the weapons will all look like they're coming from the center of the ship.

SFC3 ships aren't improperly ported to SFC3.  All SFC ships use the exact same model format.  It is true though that SFC3 uses a different layout system for the hardpoints.  I've been told several times in the past that SFC1/2/OP ships need to have their hardpoints in a certain layout/arrangement, depending on the classification of ship, similar to what the stock ships' hardpoints are.  Personally, I find that a bit too restrictive and rather not bother with hardpointing for SFC1/2/OP, and just work on SFC3 hardpointing, since I can be creative with the layout and placement.

Only real major difference, other than SFC2/OP and SFC3 hardpoints, are SFC1 ships that use no lightmaps at all, and any ship ported to SFC1 needs to have its lightmaps taken out of the model file.

[Tulwar]

So, with SFC 1, 2, and OP, if you change the UI, then you screw up the hard points, anyway.  It's a nice visual when the weaponfire coreponds to the weapon placement on your ship, but it's not the most important thing.  In TOS, the weapon ports were well hidden, anyway.  SFC 3 seems like it must be fun to mod, just not my cup of tea.

[GotAFarmYet?]

So, with SFC 1, 2, and OP, if you change the UI, then you screw up the hard points, anyway.  It's a nice visual when the weaponfire coreponds to the weapon placement on your ship, but it's not the most important thing.  In TOS, the weapon ports were well hidden, anyway.  SFC 3 seems like it must be fun to mod, just not my cup of tea.

Not quite,
SFC 1 and 2 are more closily related to SFB, so the Arcs and locations where set by that game. These became the UIs' thta are hardcoded into the game, and you are limited to them for that reason. So to hard point a ship you selected one of the UIs' and put weapons on it in certain locations based on that UI. In SFC 3 they are just numbers points on the model and defined in a few files.

Both games have there limitations and advantages, both to play, to build ships for, and to mod. Anyway you go SFC is stil easier to change then BC and other games, but I don't know how changiable some of the other games are..