Joint/Hardpoint Tree Structure Tool

[Adm_Stacks]

The s_crew tag are damage sprites. They have to do with crew system damage from my experience. For example, When the h_crew system is reduced by 20% it applies the first s_crew tag. (The percentage is used as an example only. I don't know how the actual programming works for them, just the effect.)

[Muldrf]

The image I put in that post above is what the sod importer made of the Armada 2 Sovie model from the Armada 2 demo download. Since you can not have 2 joints of the same name, so I'm guessing the s_ is right for the joint as it's attached to the h_ joint of the same name, but it's not like anything I've seen posted here, or in anything else I came across.

I pulled hardpoints from some models that are not stock and they weren't consistent enough to tell what way was correct. When I look at ships in Legacy that have been done in Milkshape I often find mistakes and variations from Moonraker's specs, including my own. It is far to easy to get the wrong parent joint and more than just a little inconvenient to use the Model Information tool in it to find out if you connected them properly.

Then again "what is correct" is variable, or rather not too rigid in some areas of the trees, so "my way" might not be the "only way". I'm just looking for a good and valid starting point for everyone. I did put those crew joints on the default trees for now as they showed up in both the Armada 1 and Armada 2 sovie from the demos, but they can be removed if they shouldn't be there or if they are not used.

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I sent you the link for hte 1.0.0.0a version. I have 1 known problem. If you select a file to import that is not formatted properly then it will give you a crash message, if you choose to ignore you can keep using it or let it close and reopen it. Say you try to import some random text file or one of the Output files from the tool.

The tool can't understand it's own output. The reason for this is because the output is Milkshape 3d's ASCII Text format, while the import format is a custom format I came up with. The custom format is much simpler, it doesn't include the model or texture data like the Milkshape ASCII format so it doesn't have to sort through all that.

The problems this causes is possible confusion as to "why can't it read it's own file", and you can't make "presets" using the tool. You can make presets though by setting them up, exporting them and bringing them into Milkshape then exporting them from Milkshape in the Legacy Joint Tool ASCII format. I'm thinking maybe presets would be useful to add? I could make a "save preset" option or something like that and the presets would be saved to the Legacy Joint Tool ASCII format instead of the Mikshape ASCII format.

[Muldrf]

I found this:

Damage Sprite Node Names Damage sprite nodes for ships
crew1
crew2
crew3
crew4
crew5
crew16
sensor

In Westworld's BIG Book of Modding. So those I guess are unique static names and not incremented numbers using the same sprite over again like the standard light sprites that go "whitestrobe_01" _02 etc as I first suspected.

[Adm_Stacks]

The s_sensor tag seems to be non-funtional. I looked at several other SOD models from A2, and they don't have the s_sensor tag. As for the s_crew tags, there are several of them from crew1 on up. Each one is a reference to a diffrent sized sprite that share the same texture. Whatever program that the game devolopers used, allowed for duplicated sprite names.

[pepperman]

Here are all of the stock damage sprite nodes as defiend in damage.spr file

#crew damage
@tmaterial=alphathreshold
crew1 Xdamage01 0 0 64 96
crew2 Xdamage01 0 96 64 64
crew3 Xdamage01 0 160 64 96

crew4 Xdamage01 64 0 64 96
crew5 Xdamage01 64 96 32 96
crew6 Xdamage01 96 96 32 64
crew7 Xdamage01 96 160 32 32
crew8 Xdamage01 64 192 64 64

crew9 Xdamage01 128 0 64 64
crew10 Xdamage01 128 64 64 96
crew11 Xdamage01 128 160 64 96
crew12 Xdamage01 160 224 32 32

crew13 Xdamage01 192 0 64 64
crew14 Xdamage01 192 64 32 32
crew15 Xdamage01 224 64 32 32
crew16 Xdamage01 192 96 64 160

# @sprite_node name sprite animation (width,height) (r,g,b)
# RGB Colour values range from 0 (none) to 1.0 (full intensity)
#damage sprite nodes
@sprite_node crew1 crew1 fire (5,5) (1,1,1)
@sprite_node crew2 crew2 fire2 (4,3) (1,1,1)
@sprite_node crew3 crew3 fire (3,3) (1,1,1)
@sprite_node crew4 crew4 fire2 (4,4) (1,1,1)
@sprite_node crew5 crew5 fire (3,2) (1,1,1)
@sprite_node crew16 crew16 fire2 (4,10) (1,1,1)
@sprite_node sensor origin const (2,2) (0,1,0) billboard
@sprite_node sd1 sparks const (2,2) (0,1,0) billboard
@sprite_node sd2 sparks const (2,2) (0,1,0) billboard
@sprite_node sd3 sparks const (2,2) (0,1,0) billboard
@sprite_node sd4 sparks const (2,2) (0,1,0) billboard
@sprite_node sd5 sparks const (2,2) (0,1,0) billboard
@sprite_node sd6 sparks const (2,2) (0,1,0) billboard
@sprite_node sd7 sparks const (2,2) (0,1,0) billboard
@sprite_node sd8 sparks const (2,2) (0,1,0) billboard

#fturret
@sprite_node sensorftur origin const (2,2) (0,1,0) billboard

#fsuperbl
@sprite_node crewfsup1 crew1 fire (3.63,3.64) (1,1,1)
@sprite_node crewfsup2 crew2 fire2 (2.9,5.04) (1,1,1)
@sprite_node crewfsup3 crew3 fire (3.63,2.11) (1,1,1)
@sprite_node crewfsup4 crew4 fire2 (1.96,1.97) (1,1,1)
@sprite_node crewfsup5 crew5 fire (1.87,2.11) (1,1,1)
@sprite_node sensorfsup origin const (2,2) (0,1,0) billboard
#fsensor
@sprite_node sensorfsen origin const (2,2) (0,1,0) billboard

#fresear2
@sprite_node crewfre21 crew1 fire (6.48,6.46) (1,1,1)
@sprite_node crewfre22 crew2 fire2 (11.4,4.33) (1,1,1)
@sprite_node crewfre23 crew3 fire (2.35,10.88) (1,1,1
@sprite_node crewfre24 crew4 fire2 (10.79,4.33) (1,1,1)
@sprite_node crewfre25 crew5 fire (7.63,5.55) (1,1,1)
@sprite_node sensorfre2 origin const (2,2) (0,1,0) billboard

#fresear
@sprite_node crewfre11 crew1 fire (6.21,3.33) (1,1,1)
@sprite_node crewfre12 crew2 fire2 (3.21,3.21) (1,1,1)
@sprite_node crewfre13 crew3 fire (2.62,8.18) (1,1,1)
@sprite_node crewfre14 crew4 fire2 (3.87,3.87) (1,1,1)
@sprite_node crewfre15 crew5 fire (1.6,10.55) (1,1,1)
@sprite_node sensorfre1 origin const (2,2) (0,1,0) billboard
#fmining
@sprite_node crewfmin1 crew1 fire (11.47,11.47) (1,1,1)
@sprite_node crewfmin2 crew2 fire2 (11.47,11.47) (1,1,1)
@sprite_node crewfmin3 crew3 fire (11.47,11.47) (1,1,1)
@sprite_node crewfmin4 crew4 fire2 (11.47,11.47) (1,1,1)
@sprite_node crewfmin5 crew5 fire (11.47,11.47) (1,1,1)
@sprite_node sensorfmin origin const (2,2) (0,1,0) billboard

#fbase
@sprite_node crewfbas1 crew1 fire (11.13,11.13) (1,1,1)
@sprite_node crewfbas2 crew2 fire2 (13.71,13.71) (1,1,1)
@sprite_node crewfbas3 crew3 fire (22.36,9.23) (1,1,1)
@sprite_node crewfbas4 crew4 fire2 (13.33,21.7) (1,1,1)
@sprite_node crewfbas5 crew5 fire (9.77,9.75) (1,1,1)

[starfox1701]

Remember that if you use these sprights you have to place them right on the surface of the ship and rotate them so they lay flat.

[Muldrf]

Those sprites fall in line with Westworld's book. It does look like 1-6 and 16 are the only ones setup the other references have no actual "sprite_node" entry which is what the model should reference to.

I'll see what i can do to finish it up. I have a few things to adjust and add, but it seems like it should pretty much be finished up. If anyone else wants to give the beta a try let me know.

[Muldrf]

Well it's done except the Fleet Ops tree. I'll try to contact them and see if I can get the info, if not I'll pull it for now and release as is with just the A1 and A2 trees. If I get the info I need later I can enable it again.

Basically I have to write up the readme.

I'm leaving saving of additional templates as a possible future feature. I'll look at an "Undo" button as starfox1701 suggested but that's a bit more complex than one might initially expect.

[Dominus_Noctis]

Some modders who know FO's system have expressed interest, however it may take them a few days to get back to you . I hope that is sufficient ...

[Muldrf]

I sent Optec an email. I'll check the sprite file there and see what I find. If I don't get any more direct info, I'll just go with what i find in there and leave the tree the same as Armada 2.

I'll give it over the weekend and if no new info comes back I'll do my best estimate.