Weapon Hardpointing(Using Milkshape)
 

I was wondering if there's is an easier way to position weapon hardpoints more accurately when using milkshape other than blindly moving each joint to where you think is the right place? Is there anyway to show the ships texture's? :uhm:

Re: Weapon Hardpointing(Using Milkshape)
 

Right clicking any of the 4 views should allow you to switch between a wireframe, flat shaded, smooth shaded or textured view.

Re: Weapon Hardpointing(Using Milkshape)
 

Thanks but I'm only getting partial textures whenever I select textured, despite choosing the different materials available..no phaser strips on the saucer section. :confused:

Re: Weapon Hardpointing(Using Milkshape)
 

Have you tried seting the ship too colored groups. Also try vewing the ship in the selection editor in the tools window to get a better veiw of her in 3D

Re: Weapon Hardpointing(Using Milkshape)
 

Plus, if the ship has lightmaps - then it'll only show the sections marked to glow. Try copying the original textures into the A2 folder, then editing the ones assigned to the model so that they have no lightmaps.

I'll do a little diagram (sort of)

C:\modding\myship has three texture files (a, b, and c for ease of use)

Copy a, b, and c into the Armada2\textures\RGB folder

Back in the 'myship' folder, delete the alpha channel from all textures

Then, in MS3D, re-assign the texture's to their materials

That should do it (I think)

Hope this helped :)

Re: Weapon Hardpointing(Using Milkshape)
 

I beleive you can also play with the slider bar under the emissive button and get the textures to show up (i.e., the ones with the aplha channels). slide it all the way to the left and then back again all the way to the right

if sections of the ship are completely white then you'll need to check on the material name and physically find the path to the actual texture file when the sub window pops up

Re: Weapon Hardpointing(Using Milkshape)
 

I don't quite think I know what you mean. I find adding weapon hardpoints as easy as adding any other hardpoints. You have the 3D model in one view, and then alternate between the other three views as textured showings.

That way, you can place hardpoints where you'd think they'd be, and then check on the 3D window if they're in the right place.

Re: Weapon Hardpointing(Using Milkshape)
 

use 3ds max, easy as click and... no that's it, just click.

Re: Weapon Hardpointing(Using Milkshape)
 

A million thanks everyone! I got it. Amateur, your absolutely right about the alpha channeled textures(thank you)I guess I'm going to have to do precesion weapon hardpointings this way from now on. I tried sliding the bar under the emissive botton but all it did was made the partial texture dim more off or more on(it still doesn't show the entire texture)thanks anyway. Starfox1701 I'll get to using that selection editor feature but something tells me you won't be able to move the joints ones there however as I get more into modding I'm sure I'll use it eventually. Achilles, I have 3ds max 9 here(for the time being)just collecting dust now as I tried starting off with this program before but seeing all those options in the main interface just made my eyes cross so for now I'm just ganna mess around with my milkshape until I get more aqainted. You see Ash everytime I switch from wireframe to textured to view the model for weapon hardpointing this was all I saw.......

http://i378.photobucket.com/albums/o...oRruMs/g65.jpg

....however now that I have a non alpha channeld texture assigned to the mesh groups, I'm getting a much clearer result......

http://i378.photobucket.com/albums/o...ruMs/gh765.jpg

....well as you guys can see I have ALLOT of phaser joints to add so I better get to it..again, thanks allot you guys!!

Re: Weapon Hardpointing(Using Milkshape)
 

You are right the selection editor won't let you place hardpoints but its the closest thing that milkshape has to a scene renderer and it will show all of a model with lightmaped textures. So you can get a feel for how it looks in a more game like seting. You can also select faces one at a time without grabing faces behind them.

Re: Weapon Hardpointing(Using Milkshape)
 

With MS3D you dont have to switch the textures anymore to disable the alphas. simply go to the materials tab and select "Ignore Alpha". It won't influence the exported result but it makes everything visible :D

Re: Weapon Hardpointing(Using Milkshape)
 

I'll be damned Thanks FahreS

Re: Weapon Hardpointing(Using Milkshape)
 

*embarassed silence*

I never knew that, thanks FahreS :)

Re: Weapon Hardpointing(Using Milkshape)
 

there is also a manual joint editor tool (under tools in version 1.7.2) that allows precise movement of joints

Re: Weapon Hardpointing(Using Milkshape)
 

Cant find that in ms3d 1.8.3
np, I think it was added with version 1.8.2

Re: Weapon Hardpointing(Using Milkshape)
 

Fahres(like I said before)your a man full of wealthy useful information :bows: Thanks allot! If only this would've worked with DDS textures too..but oh well, I'm still happy with this. :D

Re: Weapon Hardpointing(Using Milkshape)
 

Oh doenst it work with DDS files? Then dont use that crappy format xD
lol if you ask the MS3D creator for DDS no-alpha support, youll probably have it with the next version.
And no problem, posting that did take me one second only ;)
Btw. are DDS files supported by A2? I dont think so...

Re: Weapon Hardpointing(Using Milkshape)
 

no DDS format is not working with A2, the first game i know that used DDS textures was UT2K3 and A2 is some years older than that :)

Re: Weapon Hardpointing(Using Milkshape)
 

Nope, the model turns black everytime I switch to ignore alphas. I know yeah, I noticed that you use TGA's on your Legacy ships..hhmmm

Oh no definitely not but I'm also trying to wrap my head around porting ships to Legacy too that's why. :D



Question..do you or anyone out there know if it's possible to connect a brand new joint to a already existing joint(ex. add more joints to h_root)?

Re: Weapon Hardpointing(Using Milkshape)
 

In version 1.7.2 there is a tool called joint tool that may do what you are asking. Using your example, it is really quite easy without any specail. Just select the joint in question under the joint tab (it should ture red if you have skelton turned on), then tab over to the model tab and select joint. Now place the joint on the model where your want it. This joint will now be subordinate to the one you had selected)

Re: Weapon Hardpointing(Using Milkshape)
 

There is a joint tool for version 1.8.4 also(which is what I'm currently using)and it is what I once used but for some reason when I selected the h_root joint and used the joint tool feature some of the m_**** joints I attached to it was distributed to various other joints instead of only just the h_root :Puzzled:, and if I try the conventional way everytime I select the h_root joint the entire joint structure turns light green instead of just the h_root turning red(which what I was used to seeing)that's why I was afraid I was unable to add joints to it 'till I read your post.....thanks yah, very much appreciated pepperman :bows:.