Want to Start developing?

[Seth Karlo]

Right.

I do not claim to be a good modder. I still view myself as a n00b in the whole thing. However, I have been through a lot of the common problems, so may be able to help y'all here!

Post ANY question you may have related to modding, and I will do my best to explain it. I'll provide links/pictures to help illustrate it and a step by step tutorial if it's needed!.

Also, once I answer a question, the question and answer's will be added to the Seth's Handy Guide's thread (Will add link later)

Please decribe what you are trying to do/want to try and do in as much detail as possible, and I'll respond as soon as I can:)

Seth Karlo

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[Boss]

Ms3d Texture Coordinate Editor.

And groups.

They give me hernias. (Won't move vertices in the first, second grabs too many >.<)

Explanation:

I open the coordinate editor and try to rearrange the points, but they won't move.


Groups I can select and set them, but trying to snag a single set for an engine is winding up grabbing triangles outside the desired area.

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Just go play the game and have fun dammit.

all in all the conclusion is that disco doesn't need antagonist factions, it doesn't need phantoms, it doesn't need nomads, it doesn't need coalition and it doesn't need many other things, no AIs, the game is hijacked by morons to confuse the game with their dickwaving generic competition games mixed up with troll-of-the-day.

[Seth Karlo]

Ok, a good way to make groups in Ms3d is to use the select faces tool. Check the "Ignore Backfacing" box and select your face one bit at a time. It's a serious pain, I know.

Once you have what you want to be your new group selected, press Ctrl + D, and rename it. (It will make a new group called Duplicate 01)

Texture Co-Ordinate editor allow's you to position where on the model your texture's are. Useful for logo's etc. Make sure the group is selected, then check the "Redraw" box. This will make the change with you, so you can see what each movement does. Select Any of the drop down menu's "Top, Bottom, Left, Right, Front, Back" to redraw the texture from that angle. It can be useful to avoid stretching textures. For windows, select the scale button and grab the box on the left, drag it around to make it bigger or smaller. Same with Move and Rotate.

I wish I could be more helpful, but it's mainly practise I'm afraid:(

EDIT: Misunderstood the question:P

Umm, try and zoom in and select the vertice's by hand, one at a time (Use Shift to select the next one etc) And if the group is already set, you can use the "Select" button under the groups to just select that one group.

Seth

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[Yomadansen]

I have a question about bringing a ship "prototype" into the game to test it. For now i overwrite the startracker modell because it can be bought on manhatten and i can take a quick look at the modell. but its not optimal.

My questions...
-how to write an entrie for the shiparch.ini and what does each point mean? (for example the "mass" or "ship-id")
-are there more entries in other inis needed to bring a ship completly into the game?
-what ini to edit so a new ship can be bought on a base? (not just replace an existing)

best regards
Yomadansen

[Doom]

Ms3d Texture Coordinate Editor.

And groups.

They give me hernias. (Won't move vertices in the first, second grabs too many >.<)

Explanation:

I open the coordinate editor and try to rearrange the points, but they won't move.
Groups I can select and set them, but trying to snag a single set for an engine is winding up grabbing triangles outside the desired area.

among tools u have tool called selection editor...why not trying to use that?...it works rather well (for a tool in Milkshape that is)

also, use selection filter to get what u want

[Seth Karlo]

To make a new ship, you need to have the model hardpointed and ready, as it seem's you have done.

Then, you need to go into DATA>SHIPS and open a file called Shiparch. Find an entry of a ship that's similar to your ship, and copy it. Paste it again underneath.

Let's take the Praetorian for example. This is the entry that is for the praetorian in Shiparch.INI, in red are my comments:

[Ship]
ids_name = 501688 Numbers assigned to Infocards
ids_info = 501689
ids_info1 = 501690
ids_info2 = 66608
ids_info3 = 501691
ship_class = 3
nickname = dsy_praetorian Link to Goods.INI, see below
LODranges = 0, 9999
msg_id_prefix = gcs_refer_shiparch_hfighter
mission_property = can_use_berths Sets whether it can use Docking rings etc.
type = FIGHTER It's type, Freighter, Capital, Fighter etc
DA_archetype = ships\discovery\angelofmercy\praetorian.cmp Location of model
material_library = ships\discovery\angelofmercy\praetorian.mat Location of .MAT
material_library = fx\envmapbasic.mat
envmap_material = envmapbasic
cockpit = cockpits\bretonia\b_elite.ini Where the camera is when you're flying it
fuse = intermed_damage_smallship01, 0.000000, 3150
fuse = intermed_damage_smallship02, 0.000000, 1575
fuse = intermed_damage_smallship03, 0.000000, 1050
fuse = drop_cargo_fuse, 0.000000, 1
max_bank_angle = 30 Turning
camera_offset = 11, 36
camera_angular_acceleration = 0.060000
camera_horizontal_turn_angle = 20
camera_vertical_turn_up_angle = 10
camera_vertical_turn_down_angle = 20
camera_turn_look_ahead_slerp_amount = 1.000000
nanobot_limit = 100 Self explanatory
shield_battery_limit = 100
hit_pts = 21000 NOT SHIELD. How much armor you have
pilot_mesh = generic_pilot
mass = 250.000000 How heavy the ship is.
linear_drag = 1.000000
hold_size = 106 Actual hold size +1
explosion_arch = explosion_co_elite
surface_hit_effects = 0, small_hull_hit_light01, small_hull_hit_light02, small_hull_hit_light03
surface_hit_effects = 150, small_hull_hit_medium01, small_hull_hit_medium02, small_hull_hit_medium03
surface_hit_effects = 300, small_hull_hit_heavy01, small_hull_hit_heavy02, small_hull_hit_heavy03
steering_torque = 86000.000000, 86000.000000, 92000.000000
angular_drag = 90000.000000, 90000.000000, 90000.000000
rotation_inertia = 20000.000000, 20000.000000, 20000.000000
nudge_force = 30000.000000 How much power behind collosions
strafe_force = 20000 How fast it Strafes
strafe_power_usage = 2 How much power strafing uses
HP_bay_surface = HpBayDoor01
HP_bay_external = HpBayDoor02
shield_link = co_elite2_shield01, HpMount, HPShield01
hp_type = hp_gun_special_10, HPWeapon01, HPWeapon02, HPWeapon03, HPWeapon04
hp_type = hp_gun_special_9, HPWeapon01, HPWeapon02, HPWeapon03, HPWeapon04
hp_type = hp_gun_special_8, HPWeapon01, HPWeapon02, HPWeapon03, HPWeapon04
hp_type = hp_gun_special_7, HPWeapon01, HPWeapon02, HPWeapon03, HPWeapon04
hp_type = hp_gun_special_6, HPWeapon01, HPWeapon02, HPWeapon03, HPWeapon04
hp_type = hp_gun_special_5, HPWeapon01, HPWeapon02, HPWeapon03, HPWeapon04
hp_type = hp_gun_special_4, HPWeapon01, HPWeapon02, HPWeapon03, HPWeapon04
hp_type = hp_gun_special_3, HPWeapon01, HPWeapon02, HPWeapon03, HPWeapon04
hp_type = hp_gun_special_2, HPWeapon01, HPWeapon02, HPWeapon03, HPWeapon04
hp_type = hp_gun_special_1, HPWeapon01, HPWeapon02, HPWeapon03, HPWeapon04
hp_type = hp_elite_shield_special_10, HPShield01
hp_type = hp_elite_shield_special_9, HPShield01
hp_type = hp_elite_shield_special_8, HPShield01
hp_type = hp_elite_shield_special_7, HPShield01
hp_type = hp_elite_shield_special_6, HPShield01
hp_type = hp_elite_shield_special_5, HPShield01
hp_type = hp_elite_shield_special_4, HPShield01
hp_type = hp_elite_shield_special_3, HPShield01
hp_type = hp_elite_shield_special_2, HPShield01
hp_type = hp_elite_shield_special_1, HPShield01
hp_type = hp_thruster, HPThruster01
hp_type = hp_mine_dropper, HPMine01
hp_type = hp_countermeasure_dropper, HPCM01
hp_type = hp_turret_special_5, HPTurret01, HPTurret02
hp_type = hp_turret_special_4, HPTurret01, HPTurret02
hp_type = hp_turret_special_3, HPTurret01, HPTurret02
hp_type = hp_turret_special_2, HPTurret01, HPTurret02
hp_type = hp_turret_special_1, HPTurret01, HPTurret02
hp_type = hp_torpedo_special_1, HPTorpedo02, HPTorpedo03
hp_type = hp_torpedo_special_2, HPTorpedo02, HPTorpedo03
HP_tractor_source = HPTractor_Source
num_exhaust_nozzles = 4 Number of engines


Right, the list of HP_types are links to your Hardpoints. The hp_turret_special_1, HPTurret01, HPturret02 means that for the hardpoints HPTurret01 and HPTurret02, it can use class 1. special_2 is class 2, etc etc.

Copy and paste that into Shiparch.INI , renaming the spots where it say's dsy_praetorian to dsy_yourshipname. Then change the location of the model, make a folder in SHIPS>DISCOVERY called yomadansen, and put your ship inside that (The .CMP model) Then on the bit above change the location to ships/discovery/yomadansen/yourship.cmp

Save, and quit. (You may need to uncheck read only)

Now go to DATA>EQUIPMENT. Open Goods.INI

Find the Praetorian again, you'll find two entries, the "Hull" and the "Package". Copy and paste the Praetorians again, rename them to dsy_yourship

Next, use the tutorial I wrote a while ago to change a ships location:

To start we shall change where a ship is sold.

BACKUP market_ships FIRST!!!!!

Required tools:

-Notepad

Goto your Freelancer directory (Program Files>Microsoft Games>Freelancer) and proceed to DATA>Equipment.

Within we will find a file called market_ships.ini. Right click, and select Properties. Uncheck the "read only" button. Close Properties.

Lets open it.

You will see a list of bases, in their INI code, and then underneath a list of ships that are sold at that base.

WARNING: NEVER EVER EVER EVER EVER EVER EVER put more than 3 ships at a base. EVER. FL can't handle it.

Anyway, where were we? Ah yes. Scroll down until you find Planet Manhattan. It will be called li01_01 (I think, not on a PC with it on atm)

Underneath it will be 3 "packages". The first will be the Startracker, then the Patriot, then the CSV. Note afterwards there are a series of numbers. Don't alter them for now, I'll explain more about what they do later.

Now, think of a ship you want to move to Manhattan. I thought the Titan would be nice, so I proceeded to planet Crete and looked under it. (Will post a list of codes tonight after work)

There will be the titan package. It will be called dsy_titan or summat. Copy ALL of the code and return to the manhattan entry.

Remember what I said about 3 ships max per base? Well, we need to remove one of the others then. I usualy remove the CSV, but whatever takes your fancy.

Paste the titan entry in over top of whichever ship you don't want anymore. Examples will be up later

Save, and then proceed in game (NOT on disco server) The titan will now be sold on Manhattan. Enjoy!

Right, to make it sell YOUR ship, you need to just call it dsy_yourshipname. Remember how we made an entry in Goods.INI called the "Package"? That's all this is. The number's afterwards set whether it can be buyable or not. Just copy the numbers from another entry.


NOTE: Manhattan is called Li01_01_base, just so you can create an easy to find location:)In Goods.INI, you can set the powercore, price etc etc with "addons"

I'm at school, so I can't be any more specific than that right now I'm afraid. If you have yourself added to the Teaching Room Skype chat, I'll happily help you further:)

Seth

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[tansytansey]

how do you know what scale to build your ship? I never know if I'm building a fighter the size of a gunboat or vise versa.
And... how do you unwrap a model so you can make textures for it?
Two stumbling blocks I've had since I started trying to make ships recently.

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[Tenacity]

how do you know what scale to build your ship? I never know if I'm building a fighter the size of a gunboat or vise versa.
And... how do you unwrap a model so you can make textures for it?
Two stumbling blocks I've had since I started trying to make ships recently.

when i was making models, I'd import a ship and put it next to my model, and size accordingly.

Example in the first post of this topic, below where it says "UPDATE" in big red lettering:
http://discoverygc.com/forums/index.php?sh...c=21951&hl=

Most of the time, my models would be on a scale thousands of times larger than freelancer ships, so i'd have to downsize until they were similar to the size I wanted, relative to other ship models.

speaking of which, I -really- need to get 3ds max working again, I like to think my models were pretty good =P


EDIT:

as for the unwrapping/texturing... thats something somebody else will have to answer, I never could figure out proper texturing even after jinx tried to explain it to me =(

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[kingvaillant]

If needed I can also help with stuff related to systems, base NPC and infocards modding. These are my fields of experience. So Seth, if you are noobish like you claim and can't answer a question, come see me.:POhh and I charge 2 mils per seconds j/k

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[Seth Karlo]

And... how do you unwrap a model so you can make textures for it?

Make a model flat? That doesn't really work...

Basically, open MS3d, and start your texturing, by selecting groups and assigning the material. Then, use the Texture Co-Ordinate editor, like I said above to move it so you like how it looks.

To make the texture flat/edit it, you can open it in Photoshop, and edit it.

To actually make the model flat...I don't know why you would want to, if you texture a flat model, when it's 3D again, it would look very strange. I actually don't know how to make it flat.

Seth

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