Classic Starwraith Ships

PlasmaJedi · Post by **PlasmaJedi** » Mon Jan 14, 2013 5:28 pm

Ok! So! After much ado about next to nothing, I've learned just enough modelling to port Vice's original Starwraith 2 and 3-4 ships into a format EM can read. He provided them; they're in a post just down the page.

I wasn't able to add any custom textures, because I have no art skillz. But they seem to wear the standard EM textures just fine! I'd added replacements for both ships in the military and civilian frame sets. If you know EM, you can use them to replace whatever you want, just by changing the name.

Classic Starwraith Ships 1.0.zip

Now a selection of pictures! There are more on later posts, check them out if you like!

These are of the Starwraith 2 version of the F-144E. The civ model has small canards on the front. The military model's engines do not match because mod mil frames lose the default class 10 engine all mil frames have by default.

These are of the Starwraith 3 version of the F-144E. Again, mil and civ versions. The mil textures seem to fit better than the civ textures.

Classic Starwraith Ships 1.0.zip

========== Original Post ==========

Believe it or not, I've been following Star Wraith (loosely) since SW2, back when I found the guy I now know by the name Vice releasing SW2 free on the DarkBASIC site. Since I was a kid then, and didn't have lots of money to blow, I never bought any of his games till now, but I REALLY wanted to play SW3! Ran thru the demo 100 times!

Before he finds this and tries to be nice to me, YES, I found in later years his free release of SW3, 4, and Riftspace, I have them all on my system now! I quite enjoyed SW3 too! But by the time I found SW4 and Riftspace, I had been to busy to actually get to playing them (maybe I should, just because!). I even knew about EM some time ago, but it wasn't till I got myself a Steam card that I actually decided to purchase it. (And I'm glad I did! Beats the heck outta every other space privateering game I've ever played!)

So, enough flattery, I am writing this because I have always loved the starfighters from SW2 and 3. I'm a starfighter lover, and nothing burns my biscuits more than a cheap-ass flight sim that makes physics too easy (which is why I love EM!) When I got my hands on SW2, I was awestruck at the ship he used for the Starwraith. It wasn't high detailed at all, but the shapes, the angles, like a futuristic F-18 (my favorite real world fighter jet), and tho a very different shape, the Starwraith 3 had a simple elegance and class that made me love it! The new ships are great, make no mistake, but the old ones are some of my personal favorites. I've even tried to replicate the SW2 ship in my game of Galactic Civilizations, with limited success.

So you probably have gathered my intent by now, but, can someone add in the classic ships to EM? Maybe tweak up the look with better textures, etc? I'm no modeler, or I'd do it myself. I'd love to see a revamp of the SW2, maybe slimmed down a bit but with its elegant wings and engines, that'd be my favorite ship in the game!

[Edited on 1-21-2013 by PlasmaJedi]

Post by **Marvin** » Mon Jan 14, 2013 5:32 pm

Got any screenshots? Maybe one each of side view, top view, bottom, front and rear?

PlasmaJedi · Post by **PlasmaJedi** » Mon Jan 14, 2013 5:49 pm

Aye, I can try to get some. I can't atm, but in a few hours, yes.

I just thought to look online, I found some vids on the YTube.

SW2 Intro
<object width="853" height="480"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/RtRTOAjm7a4&hl ... ram><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/RtRTOAjm7a4&hl ... fs=1&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="853" height="480"></embed></object>

Judging by all the long sweeping shots of it, my guess is Vice loves ships as much as I do

No offense if he shows up and says something like "I never liked that one... too childish" or something, I loved it!

Click the link on the embed player to go o youtube and you'll see the other intros as well.

EDIT: With Vice's STRICT PERMISSION ONLY, I still have the original install files for SW 2, 3, 4, and Riftspace. They're HIS games, but I don't see them on his site anymore, but should anyone want them, and he says 'Ok', I'll post them on Mediafire for all to download.

Until Vice says anything to me to acknowledge his approval, I will respect his IP and refrain.

[Edited on 1-14-2013 by PlasmaJedi]

PlasmaJedi · Post by **PlasmaJedi** » Mon Jan 14, 2013 10:20 pm

I made some pics!
Here is a selection of shots of this beauty!

Good gravy this is tedious!
Here's a zip file with all the shots I snapped!
http://www.mediafire.com/?lfpd7m61dn6jrat
I've got some nice profile images from the face on and sides, etc, in the zip. If any modeler wants a go, download and go to town!

[Edited on 1-14-2013 by PlasmaJedi]

Frost N7 · Post by **Frost N7** » Mon Jan 14, 2013 10:41 pm

I am also a huge fan of the starwraith f-144 i used a mod of it on X1.0 , obviously can't anymore.

PlasmaJedi · Post by **PlasmaJedi** » Mon Jan 14, 2013 11:09 pm

From post: 155763, Topic: tid=10413, author=Frost N7 wrote:I am also a huge fan of the starwraith f-144 i used a mod of it on X1.0 , obviously can't anymore.

Had a mod? Maybe it can be made to work! Where'd u get it? I'm a coder, not a modeller!

Post by **Vice** » Tue Jan 15, 2013 12:10 am

As these were original designs I did all those years ago, I can provide them via download. Attached are the F-144 designs from SW2/SW3 and SW4. They will obviously need some work to convert them to a compatible format for EM, including probably scaling, orientation, and texturing for base, normal, specular, and emissive. But these are the base meshes in X format that could be used to import into a modelling program of your choice that supports this format.

Capt_Caveman · Post by **Capt_Caveman** » Tue Jan 15, 2013 12:15 am

source files from the devoloper
how cool is that

PlasmaJedi · Post by **PlasmaJedi** » Tue Jan 15, 2013 12:26 am

Dang Vice!!! U made my day!

I suck at modeling, but maybe I can convert these to usable formats. If someone with skills can actually enhance them, all the better!

Woooot! Bring on the star wraiths!!

Btw, just curious why the star wraith isn't around anymore, unless its in the Arvoch games. Course, maybe the lore had them decommissioned and I just didn't know.

Thanks again!

Post by **Vice** » Tue Jan 15, 2013 12:38 am

The StarWraith became the Evoch line of fighters in the game's lore. In fact, you'll notice quite a similarity between the last SW fighter in SW4 and the Evoch-C introduced in Evochron.

PlasmaJedi · Post by **PlasmaJedi** » Tue Jan 15, 2013 12:42 am

Ahh, cool!

KingArthur · Post by **KingArthur** » Tue Jan 15, 2013 4:20 am

I Remember ALL FONDLY. I Still Have EVERY SW GAME Saved on My SYSTEM.

RIFTSPACE was a GREAT PRECURSOR To Evochron Mercenaries.

I Spent Many Hours on RIFTSPACE.

[Edited on 1-15-2013 by KingArthur]

PlasmaJedi · Post by **PlasmaJedi** » Tue Jan 15, 2013 8:13 pm

So Vice posted his source files for the original clasic starwraiths, but being the art noob I am, I do not know aht program can even use them.... Can someone tell me what can open and manipulate .x files?

Frost N7 · Post by **Frost N7** » Wed Jan 16, 2013 12:16 am

ask/refer to viper or any other modded they would know

Shieldwolf · Post by **Shieldwolf** » Wed Jan 16, 2013 12:42 am

woof......... Thanks Vice. Managed to get Blender to open it, but unfortunately I don't know how to do anything in Blender. ( Have tried before and have looked at Youtube vids on it, but seems rather complicated to me.) Anywho. May try monkeying with it sometime. (Maybe try to export it from Blender to GIMP.) btw..... Am not that much of an artist either.

:):P:D:mad::):(

:P:P:P

PlasmaJedi · Post by **PlasmaJedi** » Wed Jan 16, 2013 2:55 pm

How'd you do it??? I can't make blender open because its retarded!

Capt_Caveman · Post by **Capt_Caveman** » Wed Jan 16, 2013 4:46 pm

I use "lithunwrap" to convert it to a .obj file
most 3d modeling software can import this format.
edit your model then export to .x

IIRC, Blender may need a plugin for importing or exporting .x format.

lithunwrap can convert to and from several formats and its free

[Edited on 1-16-2013 by capt_cronic]

PlasmaJedi · Post by **PlasmaJedi** » Wed Jan 16, 2013 8:10 pm

Gosh DARNIT! This was waaay too hard!

THANKYOU Capt, I never would have been able to do a thing with it!!!

Prettymuch nothing of value out there reads x files. Blender USED to, but doesn't. It has a plugin for EXPORTING them, but that's it.

Fortunately, I think I've got it started... Should have a neo-f144 soon!

PlasmaJedi · Post by **PlasmaJedi** » Wed Jan 16, 2013 8:50 pm

Well, I made some progress!!!

Actually, I replaced the 2nd civ frame with a Blender-exported .x, and its ye good ol' F-144!.... with a Cylon raider attached to the top of it.... I used it for scale, and thought I had exported just the wraith, but it got the ufo too!
Then when I tried to equip it, poof! Hello Desktop!

Ok, so, if a REAL modeller wants to take a crack at this, feel free, until then, I'm working thru trial and error. Had to use Lithunwrap to convert the original .x provided by Vice to a 3ds file, which I could import to Blender. But Blender CAN export .x, so, unless Blender is the cause of this issue, then I'm on the right track and shouldn't need LithUnwrap to do a .x conversion.

If Vice or someone else who knows can give me an answer, am I correct in understanding that EM ships are relatively small? Vice's original F-144 filled most of the space in LithUnwrap, and the Cylon I used to scale and align, was smaller than the Starwraith's pilot's head! I scaled it down, and in the preview window it seems to be about right, but it crashed on trying to equip it, let alone fly out of the hanger. After aligning it to the same direction as the Cylon, it turns out it was BACKWARD! Are civ frames backward in relation to Mil frames? It's going to be mil when done.

I had a class in 3d modelling once.... yeah. I'm a code wrangler, not a modeller. Without the source models I'd be utterly lost and bringing them back. But eventually, I intend to replace some of the mil frames with the old Starwraith 2 and Starwraith 3-4 models. Anyone have any suggestions as to which mil frames I should replace?

[Edited on 1-16-2013 by PlasmaJedi]

[Edited on 1-17-2013 by PlasmaJedi]

[Edited on 1-17-2013 by PlasmaJedi]

Post by **Vice** » Wed Jan 16, 2013 9:17 pm

The orientation of the ships should all be the same.

Scaling will need adjusting from the old games to EM.

When you export, make sure to export as a single mesh. Otherwise, you'll likely see an error about limbs needing to be generated in sequence. Yes, you'll want to remove any other mesh structures and leave only the F-144 when you export. Then be sure to include normal data in the X file as well (so the shader knows how to apply the various texture/lighting effects).

Frost N7 · Post by **Frost N7** » Wed Jan 16, 2013 9:18 pm

im perfectly fine with you putting all of your effort into the f-144 we aren't very demanding folk

Capt_Caveman · Post by **Capt_Caveman** » Wed Jan 16, 2013 9:30 pm

the cylon raider is mine (well i converted a public domain model)
they are very small, i have to zoom in alot with my software.
I beleive the civ and mil ships are all oriented the same.
some of the vonari are different.
my cylon is a bit larger than normal to hide default ship componants.
I included all 3 vonari models and civ/mil model
check them all for reference. make sure you have the latest cylon for EM ver 2.xxx and not the old ver 1.xxx

[Edited on 1-16-2013 by capt_cronic]

PlasmaJedi · Post by **PlasmaJedi** » Wed Jan 16, 2013 11:06 pm

From post: 155943, Topic: tid=10413, author=Frost N7 wrote:im perfectly fine with you putting all of your effort into the f-144 we aren't very demanding folk

Letting me do all the work, eh? You're only lucky His Awesomeness Vice gave out the models.

Computers I can handle, creativity, that's another matter. I AM NOT AN ARTIST!!! I'd rather see a pro re-invent these babies and be generally awesome with them!

Ok, I KNOW what a normal map is, its a bump-mapping layer that is used to fake surface texture. How does one make it? If you can give me a step-by-step, that'd rock, but the general idea would help a lot and save my aimless wandering on the web. Also, I've textured once before with an older Blender, but I have a hunch that's what LithUnwrap is for, right? Either way, I am no friggin texture artist. Anybody know where I can get some good textures? I was thinking that civilian ship retexture package, then use those to and some clever mapping to give it a sharp new look. I'd prefer to make it look like it belongs in the game, however, is there a way to get the game's default textures?

Finally, you can obviously change when you DL the mod, but would anyone prefer a certain ship be replaced by these ones? Likely, one of the popular ones? Or maybe one that hasn't been replaced by anyone yet?

Post by **Vice** » Wed Jan 16, 2013 11:12 pm

Nvidia provides a normal map plugin for PhotoShop/PaintShop Pro here: https://developer.nvidia.com/nvidia-tex ... -photoshop

It lets you create a normal map from a base texture.

PlasmaJedi · Post by **PlasmaJedi** » Wed Jan 16, 2013 11:13 pm

sweet, ty!