Newbie @ modding

Custom mods, stories, and artwork based on the Evochron / Arvoch universe.
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DaveK
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Newbie @ modding

Post by DaveK »

I am paddling in the (very) shallow end, having modified a couple of HUD icons, embarked on making suitable shadows and mixed and matched icons from different sources.

There are a couple of things that the Modding Kit doesn't explain that I need to get my head around before I can move on in terms of getting my head around what is possible and what isn't.

Am I right in thinking;
  • The cockpit has a layout of shapes onto which textures can be overlaid to create the "walls"
  • The active cockpit displays are positioned and overlaid on those walls
  • The cockpit windows can be shaped and resized as desired or the wall "panels" can be shaped to alter the shape of the windows I can see out of
Looking at the EvoViper mod, I can "see" the nose of the viper - white shape with its red stripe. I think that this means that the inside "walls" of the cockpit have been shaped and textured to make it look like I am looking through the cockpit glass and seeing the ship's nose.

Am right in thinking that when I pan the cockpit view to the left and I right, the camera position (x,y,z coordinates) doesn't change - the camera view just swivels (basically I can turn my head but not lean forwards or backwards), so I see out of the side ship windows from a fixed head position

The crux of my interest!

Can I modify the shape of the windows to the side (or perhaps it's that I modify the shape of the cockpit walls at the sides) to create the the shape that the wings would have when looking from the pilot seat? - could I add textures to give the impression that it's the wings I am seeing not an odd shaped piece of the cockpit wall. Basically could I mod the shape of the walls of the cockpit from the inside to make it seem I could see the wings outside?

Thanks!:)
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Capt_Caveman
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Post by Capt_Caveman »

you are talking about 3d modeling.
the cockpit is a 3d model in the .X format

I'm not about to go into how to model here thats something you will have
to learn on your own.
I use 3ds max and fsds3 but there are many more modeling programs avail.

you can create the windows, console, nose, wings, guns etc. or whatever you
want and texture them as you wish.

your view point pans and tilts around a fixed point hard coded in the game, so you
have to move the whole cockpit model around this point to adjust viewpoint position.
there is a sample cockpit.x file in the customization kit you can import to your modeling
program for size, panel and viewpoint reference.

once you have a modeling program and a working understanding of the basics
we would be glad to help you further.

if you already do, I appologize
warsign
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Post by warsign »

Hi Dave,

Images below (I give links because of some big shots) taken some of my mods that I built wings, weapon systems, tractor beams etc...Download them and use them as a sample. Import *.x files into your favorite 3d software. You can use them as a good test objects and for scaling...

Second phase would be your creation.

No sample texture for cockpit modding in custo. kit, you can use every texture that you want (but image ratio is important here), seperate textures, multi subobjects and ID's to render it perfectly!

And "EvoViper" is a good example for Mercenary, it was slightly different than the others due to new game engine...


Military fighter


Lightfighter Ver 3

X wing new addition

Laviathan ver 3



[Edited on 5-20-2011 by warsign]
warsign
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Post by warsign »

And design phases of EvoViper, might be inspire you.

It was a good advanture and challenge for me :)


PHASE 1

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pHASE 2

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Phase 3 lights

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FINAL

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DaveK
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Post by DaveK »

Thanks guys!

More complicated than I'd imagined, but I enjoy a challenge! ;)
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Life is like a sewer... what you get out of it depends on what you put into it. - Bob Newhart
Hell is being in a pure platinum asteroid field... with a diamond mining beam
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