Questions about 3D stuff

[Snailman]

Hi, I'd like to ask some questions about 3D-ing, if there's someone out there who's willing to answer... As I wrote in other topics, I'd like to learn about making stuff (cockpit more precisely) but I lack even the basic info. There, nobody answered so I ask it here again... if its not some secret stuff of course...

To start I wanted to view some existing work how it looks like, in an editor. To know what to take into account, to see how it should look like... But I found and read on forum that it is impossible. First because stock lods are now encoded (or something like that) but I don't really understand why, since I also read the lods cannot be editted not even opened by anything... At some places someone mentioned, the old lods can be extracted from older version installs... but what for? So there IS some method to view them??

I just can't imagine how to configure my own object (cockpit or whatever) without seeing the aircraft itself in which I want to use it... how to create a cockpit for it to fit the cabin and have the correct size, view angles, instruments... pfff. too many unclear stuff((

[+FastCargo]

Snailman,

 

Okay, lets clear up a few things.

 

First, the 3d objects in game were created by a program called 3D Studio Max, commonly known as 3ds Max, or simply MAX for short. Once they were completed, they were exported into a proprietary format called LOD that the Thirdwire games use. This format is uneditable and proprietary. Now, it can and has been reverse engineered back into a editable format, but its 1) illegal, 2) somewhat difficult, 3) error prone, usually resulting in fairly crappy models which is easy enough to determine that they have been reverse engineered.

 

This has resulted in deleting of files, and permanent bans of individuals and entire modding groups. Anyone discussing how to do this is given one warning. Thus ends the discussion on editing LODs.

 

Back to MAX. This program is the ONLY program that has the exporter plug in to make LOD files...no other program will make LOD files. MAX is expensive (4 figures), and even the student version isn't cheap. There are other programs you can use to create objects that then can be imported into MAX, but you still need MAX to export said object into LOD.

 

Now, as most 3d modelers will tell you, making a cockpit is probably the most difficult object (maybe other than a ship...too many fiddly bits) you will create for the ThirdWire series. Unless you hate your computer and want to find an excuse to pitch it through a window, a cockpit is probably not the best thing to start with.

 

I would HIGHLY recommend starting with simpler stuff first...weapons are usually a good primer. Then aircraft, then cockpits. If you want to dive into buildings and/or ground objects, those aren't bad either. I would not, however, dive into a cockpit first.

 

Once you have contributed to the community in a significant way with other modding projects, you can eventually get Modder status, which will allow access to a certain part of the site which will have example objects (such as cockpits) that you can use to learn how to build one.

 

Good luck.

 

FC

[Snailman]

Thanks for the answer!!! Yes sure I'm aware of possible thievery, I understand that part. I don't intend to steal anything, I just wanted to see how it looks like. I don't want to get involved into modding much, my interest is only and exclusively the Yak-38 aircraft and the fact that in this simulator I can fly it. This is how I found SF series at all ))) And, as I have seen, everything else out there has been already done by someone else.... weapons, migs, bombs, tanks, flak... even Samurai's wonderful soviet ships.....except the Yak-38 cockpit, the only thing I need. (Actually two, an early and a late, but the difference is little)

I thought it is in vain to disturb someone else to do it (as you said its a pain in the a** to build anyway) it would be still a lot faster and more fair if I do it myself... pershaps that person has already left this site months years ago of just logs in every other week (

I have some acquintances who serviced Yak-38 in real life and can name every warning light and switch on the board so I thought i give it a try....

Actually I'd be happy to have a correctly sized empty box pilot cabin to fill with details )))))

I worked with pre-max 3ds some 10 or more years before. here, some Sci-fi objects I made.

Edited December 8, 2012 by Snailman

[Snailman]

http://www.alnotz.com/Images/CV_GIGNT.GIF

http://www.alnotz.com/Images/OS-10D.GIF

 

I never finished them, my 133Mhz 486 was damn too slow ((

[+Wrench]

I LIKE that carrier!!

[+FastCargo]

Thanks for the answer!!! Yes sure I'm aware of possible thievery, I understand that part. I don't intend to steal anything, I just wanted to see how it looks like. I don't want to get involved into modding much, my interest is only and exclusively the Yak-38 aircraft and the fact that in this simulator I can fly it. This is how I found SF series at all ))) And, as I have seen, everything else out there has been already done by someone else.... weapons, migs, bombs, tanks, flak... even Samurai's wonderful soviet ships.....except the Yak-38 cockpit, the only thing I need. (Actually two, an early and a late, but the difference is little)

I thought it is in vain to disturb someone else to do it (as you said its a pain in the a** to build anyway) it would be still a lot faster and more fair if I do it myself... pershaps that person has already left this site months years ago of just logs in every other week (

I have some acquintances who serviced Yak-38 in real life and can name every warning light and switch on the board so I thought i give it a try....

Actually I'd be happy to have a correctly sized empty box pilot cabin to fill with details )))))

I worked with pre-max 3ds some 10 or more years before. here, some Sci-fi objects I made.

 

Well, I believe we already have someone working on a Yak-38 cockpit (a rather nice one as I recall).

 

Secondly, there are ALWAYS weapons that need to be made, or aircraft that need to be built. I suggest...again...that you start something something else first.

 

FC

[Snailman]

Aha I see now. So, someone else is doing it... would it be ready in the near future, weeks or months? Of course I won't waste my time if it's already in progress... But I just don't want to wait half a year or so. Maybe I could help with information or textures, images... something. Now I have time, who know maybe next year I won't have. And also have contact with people who handled the real plane.

[+FastCargo]

It will be done, when it is done, no sooner, no later.

 

Mods take as long as they take. If you are in such a fired hurry to build a cockpit, then start one. Even if you know nothing about how to make one for the TW series, you know how to create a static object and texture map, right?

 

FC

[Snailman]

ok ok.. ))

What do you mean? I did it long ago, but I think I could make simple objects bombs etc, for you if you need such. Animations are different matter of course.

[+Fubar512]

You can always start with freeware modeling software, such as Blender, create and export the model into 3ds format. Then have someone with 3dsMax 2009 import the model, and then in turn, have them export it to a LOD format.

 

Cockpits are reportedly much more difficult to create than aircraft models. Just ask Centurion or Stary.

 

BTW, Krizis has both a hi-poly Yak-38 model and cockpit in the works. I have the beta model for the former, as I penned up its flight model for him. Check on the Russian forum, and you'll find the thread on it.

[Snailman]

BTW, Krizis has both a hi-poly Yak-38 model and cockpit in the works. I have the beta model for the former, as I penned up its flight model for him. Check on the Russian forum, and you'll find the thread on it.

 

I found a topic about that finally... they look awesome indeed!! But the last reply was from 2011 and all the screenshots from 2010 (((( I thought it was abandoned long ago.

 

Well I "suffered" a lot with what I did in the last two weeks, so I guess i just finish it an upload. Lets hope you talented guys give us a fine cockpit so it can be a complete plane soon. As I said I have all info on it, from first hand, and also about the aiming device ASP-PFD-21 maybe I can help with that.

[+SkateZilla]

why do I see myself 10 years ago......

[+Stary]

why do I see myself 10 years ago......

only 10? my man you started late

[+SkateZilla]

i was in High School in 2002, I was doing video editing and stuff, didnt start 3d until SFP1 Wally world release. and I Started with INI stuff first, then spent the money on Max.

 

Shoot, working with Max 2011, is like, so many new features, to make what woulda normally taken and hour or so, take 15 minutes. Where the eff were those in max 7 and 8, ahaha.

Edited December 14, 2012 by SkateZilla

[+Stary]

heh my first experiences were in Max 2 LOL

[+SkateZilla]

i tried GMAX when I was playing FS2002, and HATED it.

[+76.IAP-Blackbird]

first one was Softimage and Maya.. the most userfriendly progs i have seen ;)

[+Stary]

Blender never got to me, that whole DAZ 3D package also