Topic: Antares class from Bridge Commander (Read 16475 times)

Bernard Guignard · « **on:** October 08, 2011, 06:02:39 pm »

I've got to ask Has some one converted this yet ? I still remember Lord Schuptt working on one

http://bridgecommander.filefront.com/file/TOS_Antares_Class_Surveyor;112663

Centurus · « **Reply #1 on:** October 09, 2011, 11:14:08 pm »

Nope, hasn't been ported yet, but it's an easy enough job to do.

Kreeargh · « **Reply #2 on:** October 09, 2011, 11:27:28 pm »

Please port it cause noone will like my version

TAnimaL · « **Reply #3 on:** October 10, 2011, 10:27:22 am »

Seconding the request, I've always thought that was an awesome ship. Seen a few TMP-refit versions around too

atheorhaven · « **Reply #4 on:** October 11, 2011, 02:06:18 pm »

Am willing to attempt a backport of this to SFC from BC.. mostly because I've never ported a ship from Bridge Commander to SFC.

I'll get ahold of the author and see if he'd mind.

(port request sent)
(textures extracted and converted, now just need to figure out how to convert the mesh itself)..

Rod ONeal · « **Reply #5 on:** October 12, 2011, 03:54:42 am »

The same folks who did the gmax plugin for SFC for us does one for .nif (BC) files for both gmax and multiple versions of max if you need it.

http://sourceforge.net/projects/niftools/files/nifskope/1.0.22/nifskope-1.0.22.8329d39-windows.exe/download

atheorhaven · « **Reply #6 on:** October 12, 2011, 09:59:34 am »

Have an older version of NifSkope that just imported NIF and exported .OBJ files, is this the one you meant? Didn't appear to bring in material maps, just the mesh.

I suppose as long as mapping stays intact with materials, it doesn't matter too much what I use.

Just tried the newer version, same difference. Anything beside Milkshape import NIF's?

manitoba1073 · « **Reply #7 on:** October 12, 2011, 03:22:50 pm »

Quote from: atheorhaven on October 12, 2011, 09:59:34 am

Have an older version of NifSkope that just imported NIF and exported .OBJ files, is this the one you meant? Didn't appear to bring in material maps, just the mesh.

I suppose as long as mapping stays intact with materials, it doesn't matter too much what I use.

Just tried the newer version, same difference. Anything beside Milkshape import NIF's?

That was the same problem I always had when trying to backport from BC files to sfc files. The textures never translated over and always had to redo them to the models. Very PITA if you know what I mean.

http://unwrap3d.com/u3d/index.aspx was one of the tools I used Port it out in a different format that max could use (usually helped in preserving the materials maps) Then I could go from there. It was a lot of trial and error to see which format kept the materials better.

atheorhaven · « **Reply #8 on:** October 12, 2011, 04:13:42 pm »

Good to see you mani!

I was looking at Unwrap3D, but wasn't sure about paying the $60 USD he currently wants for it. I know it should do the job, it's just the whole $ up front thing before you can save idea that gets me. Let me save 5 or 6 times so I can see that it does what I want before you lock the feature away. Then I'll know that it'll do what I need, or not. Right now.. I *think* it will, but am not certain.

On the plus side, I managed to get a successful port! May need to tweak a few things (the dummy point names are probably a mess right now, I bet I have some seriously duplicated polies, and I have some underlying others (impulse drive am looking at you).. but the mapping translated on my last attempt.

Proof is in the pudding..

manitoba1073 · « **Reply #9 on:** October 12, 2011, 05:22:37 pm »

yea np man. I have to look through my old disks to see if I still have the very old free version of it somewhere. Yea you will have all kinds of duplications lol.

The dummy points if I remember correctly are the easiest fix lol. just delete them all and use a general hit box.mod model. I figured that out the hard way. I would take full model from .mod then delete everything except the hit boxes till I made up blank hitbox.mod for each class of ships. lol like I said when I had done it, it was all a PITA. It took me like 3 months to get the Enterprise D done converted from cleaning it up and straitening out the materials and hitboxes and duplicate verts lol. The texture transfer rate I had was around 15% of the time.

Ofcourse the fact I cant texture myself made it worse lol.

atheorhaven · « **Reply #10 on:** October 12, 2011, 05:52:40 pm »

Very old free version = Lithunwrap? Got it.

Doesn't support the NIF plugin and don't believe it does anything with MOD at all..

Demo lets you import, but you can't save out = hassle. So you can't tell whether or not the imported NIF for instance will translate out properly to MOD.. doing this port today, I had scaling issues as well as the mesh being flipped 180 degrees from what MOD needs. So importing from MOD out to NIF, will that result in a tiny ship in BC? Then back to MOD, will it correct? Or change it again? From NIF to MOD, does it import at a set size that can be adjusted down via its INI? Does the demo disregard that and the full doesn't? These are the kids of questions I was wondering.

I was going to register an old version I was using to try it out (1.10) but was told I couldn't register something that old even. So there we go again..

At any rate.. we'll see how this all goes.

Starfox1701 · « **Reply #11 on:** October 13, 2011, 02:55:18 pm »

Whats the poly count on the beasty?

pepperman · « **Reply #12 on:** October 13, 2011, 03:36:35 pm »

I looked at this in Milkshape it is running at 14,189 triangles

atheorhaven · « **Reply #13 on:** October 13, 2011, 04:34:29 pm »

13,979 at the moment from the exported .MOD file.

Starfox1701 · « **Reply #14 on:** October 13, 2011, 11:46:41 pm »

Wow thats heavy

Centurus · « **Reply #15 on:** October 14, 2011, 10:39:21 am »

For a BC ship, that's actually mid-range. Hey Atheorhaven, did you remember to reattach the lightmaps?

Starfox1701 · « **Reply #16 on:** October 14, 2011, 12:33:43 pm »

I know but was thinking for SFC thas a bit weighty and puts the mesh outside the range for Armada converson especially for cwhatwould be a suport unit

atheorhaven · « **Reply #17 on:** October 14, 2011, 05:11:07 pm »

I've extracted the lightmaps, and reattached them. And converted them to coloured illumination maps as well just because I am so cool.

Thanks for checking though.. the mesh uses the standard TGA BC files, so needed to be converted for the port. (Done).

Centurus · « **Reply #18 on:** October 15, 2011, 03:59:05 am »

Quote from: Starfox1701 on October 14, 2011, 12:33:43 pm

I know but was thinking for SFC thas a bit weighty and puts the mesh outside the range for Armada converson especially for cwhatwould be a suport unit

Very true.

Centurus · « **Reply #19 on:** October 15, 2011, 03:59:23 am »

Quote from: atheorhaven on October 14, 2011, 05:11:07 pm

I've extracted the lightmaps, and reattached them. And converted them to coloured illumination maps as well just because I am so cool.

Thanks for checking though.. the mesh uses the standard TGA BC files, so needed to be converted for the port. (Done).

Sweet. Only reason I asked is because even I forget sometimes.

Rod ONeal · « **Reply #20 on:** October 16, 2011, 05:36:45 am »

Quote from: atheorhaven on October 12, 2011, 09:59:34 am

Have an older version of NifSkope that just imported NIF and exported .OBJ files, is this the one you meant? Didn't appear to bring in material maps, just the mesh.

I suppose as long as mapping stays intact with materials, it doesn't matter too much what I use.

Just tried the newer version, same difference. Anything beside Milkshape import NIF's?

The NIF will import to (G)Max and then I use the MOD exporter. It keeps the color maps intact. I haven't really tried to do a proper BC to SFC conversion. I never checked the model to see if it import/export light maps as well, but if not the light maps can be redone before export.

UU3D imports MOD, but doesn't export it. It's one of the few apps that will import/export C4D files though, which is what I use for modeling. It's a real nice, flexible, and intuitive UV program.

atheorhaven · « **Reply #21 on:** October 16, 2011, 11:21:20 pm »

Well, it's converted... just waiting for permission from the original author to release the port..

No word back yet, and had sent him a msg right after I downloaed it..

Terradyhne · « **Reply #22 on:** October 17, 2011, 06:23:27 am »

Quote from: Starfox1701 on October 14, 2011, 12:33:43 pm

I know but was thinking for SFC thas a bit weighty and puts the mesh outside the range for Armada converson especially for cwhatwould be a suport unit

with some work this would be easy to get under the 10.000 polys. just get rid of those modeled phasermounts and nav-lights and add them to the texture and there are some features in the mesh, which you don't really see in SFC or A2 as you can't zoom close enough to see them.

atheorhaven · « **Reply #23 on:** October 18, 2011, 03:30:59 pm »

Still waiting for release permissions..

FoaS_XC · « **Reply #24 on:** October 18, 2011, 08:17:27 pm »

Who was the original author?

Kreeargh · « **Reply #25 on:** October 18, 2011, 10:31:25 pm »

Oh come on guys cant this model be made in house? I am not the only modeler around here!?

atheorhaven · « **Reply #26 on:** October 18, 2011, 11:33:42 pm »

It can be made inhouse, but the request was for a port of the Bridge Commander model..

FoaS: Gmunroz is the original author.

FoaS_XC · « **Reply #27 on:** October 19, 2011, 02:27:20 am »

I seem to remember asking Gmunoz permission to convert, got it, but never followed through on my end. That is not grounds for you to release your model, sadly as (A) I'm not you, and (B) I can't verify what I seem to remember.

I will however, poke him again if he doesn't respond by, say, friday?

atheorhaven · « **Reply #28 on:** October 19, 2011, 01:00:33 pm »

Quote from: FoaS_XC on October 19, 2011, 02:27:20 am

I seem to remember asking Gmunoz permission to convert, got it, but never followed through on my end. That is not grounds for you to release your model, sadly as (A) I'm not you, and (B) I can't verify what I seem to remember.

I will however, poke him again if he doesn't respond by, say, friday?

Could you? I sent him email directly, but I am beginning to think that he isn't checking that account frequently.

Also, if you do get in touch with him, could you ask him for permission to port his other work as well? There's some pretty nice ships there, and the Antares is only one ship we don't have here.

Thanks!

Kreeargh · « **Reply #29 on:** October 19, 2011, 11:02:56 pm »

Quote from: atheorhaven on October 18, 2011, 11:33:42 pm

It can be made inhouse, but the request was for a port of the Bridge Commander model..

FoaS: Gmunroz is the original author.

Sorry but by my slim standards THis model was NOT made in house. NOT made by a SFC modeler. GLORY bc moder.
Yep some have a standard thought.

atheorhaven · « **Reply #30 on:** October 20, 2011, 10:31:44 am »

Quote from: Kreeargh on October 19, 2011, 11:02:56 pm

Sorry but by my slim standards THis model was NOT made in house. NOT made by a SFC modeler. GLORY bc moder.
Yep some have a standard thought.

True, it wasn't made inhouse, and it was made for Bridge Commander. However, there's a long line of porting to SFC as well. Darkdrone and myself and others have converted a lot of ships from a lot of games into SFC.

I personally think that this community could have easily made this model, after all Lord Schtupp was working on one. But we don't have one that's been released yet (still don't). So there's a space to be filled, and that's why Bernard made the request to port this over from BC.

Btw, this isn't the only ship that isn't in SFC, I can think of a few I'd like to see ingame as well (a Lexx, the Valley Forge from Silent Running, the Darkstar).. and we have a few where there's only one choice (this Antares will be an example of that until another is made). The TARDIS was another example of that until I made one, we now have two. This should be a case of where you start thinking "Can I make this? Can I mod something into this? Can I use this to make something else?" That's how I do things.. I see something and it gives me ideas. The Trek universe is an open door for ship ideas, what would a Klingon version of the Antares look like? Or Romulan?

So look at this as a place to begin.. when this is released, we'll have an Antares. What would its shuttles look like? What would exist in a scene with it? If this is basically a scout/recon/freighter style ship.. then what would it explore? Do we have a decent comet for it to travel to? We have asteroids and asteroid bases, but some of those bases are starting to look long in tooth.. see what I mean?

FoaS_XC · « **Reply #31 on:** October 20, 2011, 11:03:51 am »

I've sent GMunoz an Email vouching for your awesomeness and respectfulness. We'll see what he grants

.

FoaS_XC · « **Reply #32 on:** October 20, 2011, 03:53:56 pm »

Just got a response from Mr Munoz,

Quote

By all means please proceed with the SFC convertion of the Antares. Also please inform your friends that they have permission also. Just let me know which ones they are doing.

It's all yours Alec

atheorhaven · « **Reply #33 on:** October 20, 2011, 06:49:33 pm »

Wonderful! I guess I failed at email then..

What I'll do then is do up a credits sheet and forward it to you in PM, make an archive of the Antares and the Modviewer so he can check it, and if all is well, then we can release.

FoaS_XC · « **Reply #34 on:** October 21, 2011, 10:28:27 am »

Works for me

Btw I didn't actually email him - I sent him a PM at Bridge Commander Central so that may be a better bet.

atheorhaven · « **Reply #35 on:** October 26, 2011, 11:14:36 am »

That involves going over to a Bridge Commander site, right?

I don't do that I'm afraid.. I see too much stuff I helped out with ported over without proper credits. Just makes me annoyed..

Haven't gone to a Bridge Commander site (other than to download the Antares and look at his other ships) in probably about four years now for that reason. Ever since the ship that had my wife's maiden name on it showed up without proper credits over at one, and the uploader refused to change credits. After all the grief I got from it at the time, I turned my back on 'em.. and that takes a lot for me to do so. If you see anything up of mine over there, there's a good possibility that it was ported without permission. And more likely they claimed credit for all work as well.

When I actually see someone going through uploaded ships since 2004 and making sure that all the work is properly credited to the original authors on a port? Then I might believe that those communities have grown up enough to be worth frequenting. And.. if you can't reach an author of a ship via his published email, it's difficult to request permission a couple of years down the road to askto port it as well.

This is coming off as way more negative than intended, thanks for getting in contact with him and I'll have the port out within a couple of days. (If you can get him to email me, I'll send him a link to review the ported ship and credits).

Centurus · « **Reply #36 on:** October 26, 2011, 05:03:22 pm »

That sucks that happened to you too man. Sorry to hear it. I hope that never happens to me, but you never know, it might some day.

atheorhaven · « **Reply #37 on:** October 27, 2011, 09:43:24 am »

Quote from: Centurus on October 26, 2011, 05:03:22 pm

That sucks that happened to you too man. Sorry to hear it. I hope that never happens to me, but you never know, it might some day.

It's what happens with a bunch of people looking to build cred for themselves off others hard work. Doesn't last for any length of time because if they can't steal more, then everyone soon knows that they must've done something to produce the first one.

Creates a vicious cycle. That's why if I port something, I wait to release until I get the go ahead from the original author *and* make sure that all credits have at least the original credits modified to add my name to the credits as modified by or adapted during port to SFC format by or something similar. Lets everyone know that I wasn't the original author, that guy was, there's his email, and all I did was port and maybe adapt illumination textures or what-have-you in order to make it look right ingame for us. I also give the guy veto rights. If he doesn't want it ingame as it sits, it doesn't go ingame. It's ultimately his work, and if they don't want it in SFC, then its their call.

Centurus · « **Reply #38 on:** October 28, 2011, 02:09:58 am »

Quote from: atheorhaven on October 27, 2011, 09:43:24 am

Quote from: Centurus on October 26, 2011, 05:03:22 pm
That sucks that happened to you too man. Sorry to hear it. I hope that never happens to me, but you never know, it might some day.

It's what happens with a bunch of people looking to build cred for themselves off others hard work. Doesn't last for any length of time because if they can't steal more, then everyone soon knows that they must've done something to produce the first one.

Creates a vicious cycle. That's why if I port something, I wait to release until I get the go ahead from the original author *and* make sure that all credits have at least the original credits modified to add my name to the credits as modified by or adapted during port to SFC format by or something similar. Lets everyone know that I wasn't the original author, that guy was, there's his email, and all I did was port and maybe adapt illumination textures or what-have-you in order to make it look right ingame for us. I also give the guy veto rights. If he doesn't want it ingame as it sits, it doesn't go ingame. It's ultimately his work, and if they don't want it in SFC, then its their call.

I do the same thing. I'm known for a ton of crazy and insane and utterly stupid sh*t, but I've never been known to steal anything someone else made. I've done quite a few kitbashes in my time. When I was making my ships from scratch, I used inspiration from other people's work when making my own. But I never stole anyone's work. That's one line I won't cross.

atheorhaven · « **Reply #39 on:** November 08, 2011, 12:37:54 pm »

Depending on how things go tonight..I'll try to post this on Battleclinic tonight.

atheorhaven · « **Reply #40 on:** January 06, 2012, 11:16:00 am »

Btw, got some shots rendered of this last night.. I checked on the Antares and realized that I had converted it to SFC1, but didn't add in the illumination textures. So got those added and rendered the result to see how it'd look. (Had to change one illumination map because I had the wrong section lit, but other than that, it's good to go for SFC2 once I scale it).

Will pull in the Davids tonight and scale the Antares to about the same size.. should be about right.

Modifying this post later to add images (once I'm home again).

(edit) Okay pictures.. this is almost how it looks.. the bright yellow circles are gone now, the wrong part of the texture was lit).

Coloured illumination maps are different from the original b&w maps of course.. just reminding everyone that those changes have been made for SFC.

Starfox1701 · « **Reply #41 on:** January 07, 2012, 03:30:18 pm »

She looks good. Any idea when she will be ready to fly?

atheorhaven · « **Reply #42 on:** January 07, 2012, 06:24:52 pm »

Now that the maps are all assigned, it's just scaling. Monday probably for the release..

atheorhaven · « **Reply #43 on:** January 09, 2012, 12:35:20 am »

Scaled and HP'ed, but the SFC3 damage maps aren't done yet.

That being said, am releasing it for SFC1 and SFC2 now while I work on the maps for the SFC3 version.

SFC1
http://sfc.battleclinic.com/docks/view.php?id=4873

SFC2
http://sfc.battleclinic.com/docks/view.php?id=4875

Can someone post a few screenies of it ingame? Want to make sure that it works in both SFC1 and 2..

TAnimaL · « **Reply #44 on:** January 09, 2012, 07:26:27 pm »

Just awesome! I love this Antares design and am so glad to see it in game. In game, you say? Yes, like this...

This is the SFC2 version, I don't have SFC1 on this box, but if I can fire up the ole one later I'll try it in 1
Thanks again for all the hard work!

Starforce2 · « **Reply #45 on:** January 09, 2012, 07:33:44 pm »

it's too bad schtupps was never completed.

Bernard Guignard · « **Reply #46 on:** January 10, 2012, 07:59:43 am »

Thank you Alec
you did a great job porting it over.

atheorhaven · « **Reply #47 on:** January 10, 2012, 02:55:00 pm »

Thanks Bernard... just sorry that it took as long as it did. Time at home is at a premium. I was pretty happy with the final product, the light maps for the swirlies (bussards, I know) on the nacelles were rebuilt a little bit in one of my paint programs to add a bit more colour to them as they didn't translate as well as I'd hoped. But other than that, everything came across better than I was expecting from Bridge Commander. Scaling was really the biggest thing.

The SFC3 version has yet to be released, that'll add in the damage maps plus glows and the usual things for an SFC3 release, just takes a bit of time that I hope I'll get this weekend.

gd0864 · « **Reply #48 on:** January 11, 2012, 07:35:56 pm »

Hello all! I downloaded the Antares, the model is exactly what i was looking for! Thank you, atheorhaven for the conversion and to Bernard for the request! I have one problem though.....when the ship is destroyed, my game crashes to desktop!!! any solutions to this problem? Thank you for the help!

Regards, Dale Simpson

atheorhaven · « **Reply #49 on:** January 15, 2012, 11:35:01 pm »

Quote from: gd0864 on January 11, 2012, 07:35:56 pm

Hello all! I downloaded the Antares, the model is exactly what i was looking for! Thank you, atheorhaven for the conversion and to Bernard for the request! I have one problem though.....when the ship is destroyed, my game crashes to desktop!!! any solutions to this problem? Thank you for the help!
Regards, Dale Simpson

Which game are you playing? SFC1 or 2? If 1, I may have put in a SFC2 break mod, accidentally which would explain the crash. If 2, might simply be the complexity of the mesh.. I can poly chop down a break mod to reduce the complexity a bit and also remove all the calls to illumination maps (which frankly I don't think are necessary on a break mod anyways).

Btw, update on the SFC3 version.. all the damage textures are complete, glow file is done, TL, VI, and BS files are complete. Last thing now is the HP/DPing for SFC3. And if anyone wants to see a very scorched looking ship, here's a shot with all the damage textures as the primary textures.

atheorhaven · « **Reply #50 on:** January 16, 2012, 09:16:05 pm »

Okay, SFC3 version is uploading now if I got it all right.

The hard part was getting a utility for the HP/DPing to work right for me, but got one finally.

Upload is-a here..
http://sfc.battleclinic.com/docks/view.php?id=4877

And if someone who has SFC3 can try it out, that'd be appreciated as well... think all should be well with it..

gd0864 · « **Reply #51 on:** January 17, 2012, 07:22:16 pm »

I'm playing SFC2:OP. I removed the break mod just to see what would happen and it worked fine, just no pieces of ship floating around....

atheorhaven · « **Reply #52 on:** January 17, 2012, 10:25:12 pm »

Okay, then try this one..

BOxSee · « **Reply #53 on:** January 18, 2012, 09:25:20 am »

Looking at those screenshots of the Antares ingame it would seem that alot of the smoothing groups have been dropped? what ver of max are you using to export .mods?

atheorhaven · « **Reply #54 on:** January 18, 2012, 01:39:10 pm »

Quote from: BOxSee on January 18, 2012, 09:25:20 am

Looking at those screenshots of the Antares ingame it would seem that alot of the smoothing groups have been dropped? what ver of max are you using to export .mods?

Same one I've always used, 3.1.. and as I understand it, the MOD plugin drops the smoothing groups during export anyways. And yes, the plugin was written for 3.1, it supports it, 4, and 5.

BOxSee · « **Reply #55 on:** January 18, 2012, 02:00:49 pm »

Thats a bit rubish, not your doing though. So with SFC models mesh smoothing is not needed. It was prob a hard coded thing in the converter to speed up production.

Great job none the less

FoaS_XC · « **Reply #56 on:** January 18, 2012, 03:17:03 pm »

MOD format disregards smoothing groups, yes.

There is, however, a way to simulate them. Detach all your smoothing groups into separate elements and it'll look fine.

gd0864 · « **Reply #57 on:** January 18, 2012, 06:59:17 pm »

allright, i just downloaded and replaced the break mod and i'm getting the same result.

BOxSee · « **Reply #58 on:** January 19, 2012, 08:26:24 am »

Quote from: FoaS_XC on January 18, 2012, 03:17:03 pm

MOD format disregards smoothing groups, yes.

There is, however, a way to simulate them. Detach all your smoothing groups into separate elements and it'll look fine.

How do you do that? Do you mean cut up the model into the pieces relating to smoothing groups after your finished?

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Topic: Antares class from Bridge Commander (Read 16475 times) var addthis_config = {"data_track_clickback":true};

Topic: Antares class from Bridge Commander (Read 16475 times)