Topic: Newbie needs help

[elkhartgreg]

Hi, everyone!  I came across SFC at a garage sale a few months back and LOVE it.  I'm ready to move up to SFC2-E@W and have a question:  Is it possible to take some of the ships like the Bismark and the Klingon "frignaught" and use them on SFC2?  If so, how do you do that?

Also, I noticed that their are custom ships;  Is it possible to take a Hydran battleship and use the Battlestar Galactica fighters with it?  If so, how?

Any other advice would be welcome...

Thanks!

[atheorhaven]

Some of the work has already been done for you through the ages, ships like the Ulysses and all (I think) of the original ships have long since been converted to SFC 2.  A lot of the mod packs out there for SFC 2 will have these ships included for you already.

But as a general rule, the version before ships will work in the next version (SFC 1 -> SFC 2, SFC 2 -> SFC 3) but usually not the reverse.  SFC 1 will crash with an unconverted SFC 2 ship ingame, and SFC 3 ships will fire from odd places in SFC 2.  That being said you can use a SFC 1 ship in SFC 2 (it'll have no illumination textures though), and a SFC 2 ship will have no glows and fire from odd spots in SFC 3.

[TAnimaL]

Some quick and dirty advice on how to get custom ships into your SFC:EAW

First, do a search of these boards, 'cause I'm sure that it's beens asked before, and what I know I probably learned it here!

There are a number of sites where you can find models, but the biggest  is Battleclinic - http://sfc.battleclinic.com/index.php - and the descroption will tell you whether they're for SFC1, 2, 3...

in the games "Assets" folder, in a folder named "Specs" there are some files, "shiplist.txt" (for ships) and "ftrlist.txt" (for fighter) (WAIT, STOP - backup these files someplace safe first!) If open these in Excel (you backed them up, right?) and scroll along the columns, you'll find that each ship points to a model in (duh) model folder in "Assets." You can edit this entry (after you backed up, right? Right?) to get the model to use another model you've d/loaded and placed in the model folder. After saving (as a tab delineated txt file), you'll see that ship use your new model in EAW (as long as the model is for SFC1, EAW, or OP).

Oh, almost forgot. If you have made an altered shiplist or ftrlist, you also have to save a copy to a folder called "MetaAssets" in the SFC II root folder. Needs to be in both - the game randomly pulls the ship/ftrlist from either folder, IIRC.

I've replaced the "3rd Gen" Romulan ships with various BSG models in my SFC:OP game by a slightly different method, which I started describing here
http://bylennon.com/SFX/
[it's a WIP for now, but this ship replacement method I suggest (in the "ship model changes" part of my page )works for both EAW & OP]

Do a little research, elkhartgreg. It's not that hard to accomplish (after all, I managed it) and it can make a great game even better

[TAnimaL]

ok, Did a quick search and found these mostly relevant threads:

http://www.dynaverse.net/forum/index.php/topic,16382236.msg1122178857.html#msg1122178857 

http://www.dynaverse.net/forum/index.php/topic,163390862.msg1123013805.html#msg1123013805

http://www.dynaverse.net/forum/index.php/topic,163376268.msg1122819795.html#msg1122819795


These will also describe how to create new ships, and they recommend (as do I) the wonderful ShipEdit program - particularly good for modifying existing ships.

[elkhartgreg]

Thanks, guys!  I'm been messing-around with ShipEdit version2 for my SFC1 tonight and am a little lost, even with the tutorial.  It's not clear in some places and leaves me going "Huh?  What?".  Also, I'm having problems saving my edited .txt file in Specs because it's giving me a read-only message. 

Thoughts/advice?
Thanks again...

[atheorhaven]

Thanks, guys!  I'm been messing-around with ShipEdit version2 for my SFC1 tonight and am a little lost, even with the tutorial.  It's not clear in some places and leaves me going "Huh?  What?".  Also, I'm having problems saving my edited .txt file in Specs because it's giving me a read-only message. 
Thoughts/advice?
Thanks again...

Been a while since I used ShipEdit because I usually mod the game through adding in my own stuff.. but this one is pretty simple.  Check for ship*.* (any file that begins with the word ship)under the SFC directory and then right click on the file, bring up Properties, and finally uncheck anything resembling read-only in the attributes.  That should clear that error for you. 

[Czar Mohab]

...  Also, I'm having problems saving my edited .txt file in Specs because it's giving me a read-only message. 

Thoughts/advice?
Thanks again...

If clearing the read only attribute isn't enough, AND you are running Vista OR Win7, AND you've installed to the default directory ("C:\Program Files\..." for 32 bit OR "C:\Program Files (x86)\..." for 64 bit), you'll need to run shipedit as administrator (right click shortcut, then click "run as administrator" OR set compatability mode to "run as administrator".

[Bonk]

Space: 1999!!!

Space 1999 Intro

(sorry, just had to get that out of my system, some of those fighter screenshots made me instantly think of the Space: 1999 Eagles, small trip down memory lane ... 1999 ... so optimistic, makes me think of the original Buck Rogers too. My brother once asked my mother when we were kids: "Can I go see Buck Rogers in the 25th Century?" - "That's about when you'll see him." she dryly replied.  )

[GotAFarmYet?]

Thanks, guys!  I'm been messing-around with ShipEdit version2 for my SFC1 tonight and am a little lost, even with the tutorial.  It's not clear in some places and leaves me going "Huh?  What?".  Also, I'm having problems saving my edited .txt file in Specs because it's giving me a read-only message. 

Thoughts/advice?
Thanks again...

Pitty you came here just before we shut down for site upgrades to the server, we will be back but you will be stuck for a week.

Open windows explorer, go to where you installed the game and go to that files location right click on the file and turn off the read only setting on the attributes area, apply and that is it.
any other questions just ask what you want to know and we can probably answer it, if not the two guys that wrote the software are actually around here frome to time.

[TAnimaL]

Eagles are the most awesome-loooking PFs! My archnemesis has been flying them against me for25 years, back in the days of the paper game and hexmap!

But my real wish for SFC is Hawks...

Someone has to do Hawks.

[atheorhaven]

Eagles are the most awesome-loooking PFs! My archnemesis has been flying them against me for25 years, back in the days of the paper game and hexmap!

But my real wish for SFC is Hawks...
Someone has to do Hawks.

Hawks can be kitbashed..   Just need d/l links for SFC Eagles and other Space:1999 ships to work from..

[TAnimaL]

my 3D skills are too antiquated and limited to InfiniD and SketchUp to turn an Eagle into a Hawk 


altho I did kitbash (kit-delete?) a Eagle with no pod

[TAnimaL]

and some other photoshopped images for S:1999 fans

[atheorhaven]

my 3D skills are too antiquated and limited to InfiniD and SketchUp to turn an Eagle into a Hawk 
altho I did kitbash (kit-delete?) a Eagle with no pod

See above... if I can get a download link for an Eagle, I'm willing to try kitbashing a Wasp for all..

So original credits from the Eagle needed so I can see who I need to contact to ask permission to kitbash a Wasp from their work.. but I'm certainly willing to give it a try..

[Bernard Guignard]

Atra created an Eagle Model If I remember rightly

[TAnimaL]

that's the same model by atrahasis that I've been using, but I'm pretty sure I have one by someone else, if that matters in kitbashing...

[Bernard Guignard]

well if someone is going to make a hawk this will be helpful   

[atheorhaven]

Atra created an Eagle Model If I remember rightly

Bernard, thanks for coming through. 

I'll also use the sheets you uploaded, I'd downloaded some but they weren't as detailed as what you have.  (Of course, you seem to always be the guy for that, it's a great asset for the community here). 

Thanks again.. will try to get something out by the end of next weekend (my honey-do list has me hopping during the week usually)..

[Bernard Guignard]

Atra created an Eagle Model If I remember rightly

Bernard, thanks for coming through. 

I'll also use the sheets you uploaded, I'd downloaded some but they weren't as detailed as what you have.  (Of course, you seem to always be the guy for that, it's a great asset for the community here). 

Thanks again.. will try to get something out by the end of next weekend (my honey-do list has me hopping during the week usually)..

I can reach that  when ever the better half says I've been thinking I cringe at what is coming next      Glad that I could help out

[atheorhaven]

WIP shot.. not complete yet. 

Tuesday edit: more complete.  Have a hole in the pod to fix, and texture work but the mesh is more or less complete now.