RFC: Fancy classics

JensAyton · Post by **JensAyton** » Fri Mar 13, 2009 12:48 am

Kaks wrote:
Hmm, one way to enforce classic elite ships could be to have yet another directory inside Resources - maybe called Strict - and only load the shipdata.plist (& models & pngs) found inside that directory when in strict mode, & everything else when in unrestricted mode... Still, it's probably a bit early to be coding that yet... :)

The objective is not to enforce the classic ships (which is the current situation), but to allow them to be used in strict mode through an OXP in the event that they’re replaced as the default set.

aceshigh · Post by **aceshigh** » Fri Mar 13, 2009 12:50 am

where can I get 3d models from the original ships, so I can work on them (as a base for dimensions and shape)?

JensAyton · Post by **JensAyton** » Fri Mar 13, 2009 12:58 am

You can convert the models within Oolite to Obj format using the Dat2ObjTex.py Python script from here. The original models are here, but they’re in the obscure Meshwork format.

aceshigh · Post by **aceshigh** » Fri Mar 13, 2009 1:05 am

Ahruman wrote:
You can convert the models within Oolite to Obj format using the Dat2ObjTex.py Python script from here. The original models are here, but they’re in the obscure Meshwork format.

thanks, but I was just able to find all models in the also obscure WRL format, and convert them to 3Ds after a few HOURS of searching for a converter

Post by **Kaks** » Fri Mar 13, 2009 1:05 am

Ahruman wrote:
The objective is not to enforce the classic ships (which is the current situation), but to allow them to be used in strict mode through an OXP in the event that they’re replaced as the default set.

I see, what about if we internalize the oxp as a directory inside resources (after all we shouldn't need to make changes to the classic ships), we can then have Oolite look at that extra directory in strict mode, but explicitly ignore that extra directory in unrestricted mode.. or whatever takes our fancy (if we decide to have a mixed new look/old look universe we might want to look at the extra directory as well as the main Resources tree...)

JensAyton · Post by **JensAyton** » Fri Mar 13, 2009 1:17 am

My thinking is to have a magic plist entry to specify that an OXP is “strict-compatible”. The game would then load only a limited subset of shipdata definitions (specifically, subentities that are not turrets) plus models and textures from strict-compatible OXPs. This would allow arbitrary OXPs to replace the built-in ships in strict mode without changing the game in other ways.

Come to think of it, such a mechanism should also allow localization OXPs to work in strict mode (so oolite-font.plist, descriptions.plist and missiontext.plist would also be supported).

This would require some moderately fiddly changes to the ship registry and some simple ones to ResourceManager. I’m thinking post-MNSR, though.

ovvldc · Post by **ovvldc** » Mon Mar 30, 2009 12:50 pm

Now that the wiki seems to be working, is this a time to put Simon's OXP on there?

In any case, there's seems to be a fair bit of a backlog of updates, no doubt that the OXP authors will need some time to update their pages

.

Best wishes,
Oscar

Griff · Post by **Griff** » Wed Apr 01, 2009 8:10 am

this thread's gone a bit quiet... what happened to Simon_B? I remember him mentioning that he was off to fight City Hall, he hasn't ended up banned from the internet has he!?!

Simon B · Post by **Simon B** » Wed Apr 01, 2009 10:09 am

Griff wrote:
this thread's gone a bit quiet... what happened to Simon_B? I remember him mentioning that he was off to fight City Hall, he hasn't ended up banned from the internet has he!?!

We managed to get the law repealed! Now we need to keep an eye on it's replacement :/

I'll be making a priority on cleaning up the current packages by the end of April. I don't see anyone else working on this ... anyone can have a go you know.

ovvldc · Post by **ovvldc** » Wed Apr 01, 2009 10:21 am

Congratulations on that first step! And happy to see you again!

I think nobody dared to take up your models for two reasons:

- it is not exactly clear what need to be done (maybe a table with the models and which maps are complete)

- potential modellers are a bit awed by the intricacy of the models and think it will be very hard to make additions.

- update:a lot of people do not have pre-1.73, and therefore do not have access to the bleeding edge features you need help with..

Maybe summarising and putting the beta on the wiki could help with that the first two?

Best wishes,
Oscar

Simon B · Post by **Simon B** » Mon Apr 06, 2009 12:53 am

ovvldc wrote:
Congratulations on that first step! And happy to see you again!

I think nobody dared to take up your models for two reasons:

- it is not exactly clear what need to be done (maybe a table with the models and which maps are complete)

People can use the oxp they've downloaded - look and see. I'm working alphabetically, so start at the back end and tell me what you are doing so I don't overlap.

That said -

- potential modellers are a bit awed by the intricacy of the models and think it will be very hard to make additions.

Won't know until you try.... some of the ways the old models have been varied il be harder; however, one of the design stipulations is that users should be able to make changes.

- update:a lot of people do not have pre-1.73, and therefore do not have access to the bleeding edge features you need help with..

If you can see the neon sign on the seedy space bar (the Random Hits oxp), you can work on the effects mapping.

If you have no shader support at all, then you can check the view angles and exhausts on the different models - the companion models still need work in this area for eg.

(Converting the companion oxp shipdata.plist to openstep format would be very useful - some of you have scripts to do this IIRC.)

Also, if someone could figure out what I'm doing wrong with the smooth and frangible attributes???

So it's a matter of - see something that needs doing, do it, submit result.
Hell - even if it overlaps something I've been doing - I'll still use it if it's better. I've already adopted some skins like that.

Simon B · Post by **Simon B** » Fri Apr 17, 2009 3:20 am

Update:

neolite.oxp has been upgraded to beta - all the effects maps are present, though some of the effects are a little wonky.

Still investigating the anomolies - like:
... the exhaust glow vanishes at 100% speed
... the constant glows don't (hull lights, windows etc)
... odd shadows - like the side of the ship facing away from the star is lit, the other side is dark.

neolite-companion.oxp has been updated - the view positions and exhausts have been corrected. The Python Class Cruiser has been added.

This oxp needs to be changed to open-step format - please help: I know some of you have a way of automating this.

I now have a roadmap for effects and normalmaps (I worked out I don't need to be so fussy).

Proposed additions are:

Gunslingers: fighters for players, multi-gun fighters, (duels?) and light patrolcraft for the galcops. Pilot models for when they eject (only human now, I have yet to canvass the alien shapes or figure out how to get them in.).

Galcops: more variation on the vipers, more vipers, police surplus for players, renegade viper.

Frontiersmen: big ships with turrets, blockade runners.

Deviants: variants of common ships ... collaboration invited here. Take an existing model and add your own skin or modify it to fit one of the variants.

Anyone want to suggest a ship or varient they'd like to see.

Galactic Navy ... do I want to touch this oxp? My proposal is to create all new ships for the roles but otherwise keep things the same. This means there will be a non-st version. Probably better call it neolite-military or something.

The remaining models in the standard set - I have an escape pod, and a sheet of twisted metal so far - oh, and a fancy bouy. Do you guys want I do this treatment on the stations?

I don't think asteroids need doing and there is a good oxp for this anyway.
The thargoid still needs a model.

Do we care about the missile model?

What have I missed?

Should this go under "expansion packs"?
Should these packs go in the wiki?

Simon B · Post by **Simon B** » Fri Apr 17, 2009 6:35 am

Neolite Proposal:
Thargoid Robot Fighter

... for a long time this design eluded me.
This is the model right off Wings - I figure I'll add vanes etc with the normalmap, and put lights under the ridges with the effects map. However, this is a very small ship.

Simon B · Post by **Simon B** » Fri Apr 17, 2009 8:19 am

Station Experiment - bumpy Coriolis.

(click on the thumb for a bigger version)

The simplest way to modify a station is to make it bumpy.
I can do simple mods this way and save the really fancy stations for an add-on???

Website · Post by **DaddyHoggy** » Fri Apr 17, 2009 9:00 am

Is it me or do the faces now look concave? (as well as ridged)