How to create a Model and it work in Lock on??

[DetroitDieseL]

I was wondering what I need to do to get some of my models into LO. Do I need 3dmax 7 or is any other 3d application ok to use. I searched for these anwsers and couldn't find anything.

 

What do I need to do it?

 

Thank you in advance.

 

Jay

[Moa]

Nice quote. From the Latin, "Si vis pacem, para bellum" - our ancestors were not dummies.

 

For details of the plugin required see the following thread (and the link therein).

http://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=31052

 

It is a shame we can't do this stuff in the Open Source Blender :( I'd rather use slightly less capable tools (more manual work) than break copyright (clearly I must be bonkers, as this is definitely a minority view).

[DetroitDieseL]

So the only thing we can use is 3dmax 7? Can I even buy that? Or is the current version able to do this?

 

Yeah I don't think my wife is going to let me shell out more money then I already have for this game- I already told her I am buying anything else that DCS puts out- but I can't justify the $$$ for 3dmax to be able to use my own models...

Edited June 3, 2010 by DetroitDieseL

[VireVolte_tigrou]

And Max 7/8 is no more supported by editor and, of course, no more sold...

 

By the way, Max is essential for implementing animations and export to .lom format. EVERYTHING ELSE can be done with Blender : 3D modelling and mapping.

 

Then, the first step before beginning a model is to get a solid documentation. Principally, this consists to find a huge amount a pictures (easy to find, airliners.net and "walkaround" are your friends).

Beware of blue-prints, they're all wrong ! Some are better than others, but they all need to be rectified with side/top pictures of the subject.

[DetroitDieseL]

Yeah I have the modeling down- its getting it into LO I am having issues grasping.

 

So you say that max 2011 would work?

[OldCrow]

The tools currently available to export models into lockon only works with 3dsmax7 and 3dsmax8.

[DetroitDieseL]

OK- So theres no information on this forum anywhere on the exact steps to make it happen??

 

If this is open source- its the most secretive open source I've ever seen.

 

I don't need help modeling anything or rigging- or using the software- I just need to know how its inserted into LO. Theres got to be some kind of tutorial around here some where explaining the process.

[OldCrow]

right.. Well, its basically goes like this: You make a model, then map it, then animate it using the tools (this is explained on this forum if you use the search function) and then you export your model to lom format. Then you put the lom in the bazar/world/shapes folder, and your textures into bazar/temptextures. In order to fly with your model you need to replace one of the existing flyable aircraft. you do this by renaming your lom file to the aircraft you want to replace. There is alot of info about all of this on this forum, so remember the search function is your friend ;)

[DetroitDieseL]

I did a alot of searches - but maybe I'm not using the right words. I couldn't find anything explaining it. I'll try some more.

[Luse]

Are you blind ?

 

Crow just told you exactly what to do

 

http://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=18234 <-- There are your plugins..

 

It's even a sticky.

[DetroitDieseL]

I already have those.

 

Which I hear that they work in 3dmax 7 and 8- But the ED guys say just 7- which is it.

 

Im asking the how- the steps to do it- theres no writing on it at all- how do you do the cock pits- how do you make everything work smoothly-

Edited June 3, 2010 by DetroitDieseL

[Luse]

Cockpits can not be done, Not fully as of yet..

 

There is being some progress made.

 

They are built the same way as the rest of the aircraft, In 3ds max.

 

I will try and see what I can pull up as far as how to

[DetroitDieseL]

I have a buddy that is helping me convert the max files to lom files.

 

Now I have a test model of a SU-35- So I rename it to an aircraft that is flyable- So I goto the bazar directory, and there is no file with just for example F-15.LOM theyre all F-15 this and F-15 that.lom.

 

So I don't really get how I'm going to add a model into the directory named after one when there is 5-10 files for each a/c.

 

And guidance is appreciated.

 

@Luse

 

Thank you very much for helping.

[Luse]

Anything that just has the name is either a .cmd or a .lom file.

 

If you want your -35 to have the same abilities the -15 then just take your new .lom when you get it and name it F-15.lom. All the other files are damage models ect.

 

And no problem, in no way am I a Modeler but I know the way the game handles the files pretty well!

[DetroitDieseL]

I tried that- making the SU-35.LOM F-15.LOM and it doesn't work- all I get is the F-15.

[OldCrow]

Alright, try this:

 

First name your model f-15.lom.

 

Then go to bazar/world/shapes and put your model in this directory

 

Your lom file wont overwrite anything, since the original f-15 model is made in the older .cmd format. Lom files has a higher priority then the cmd files, so the game will load your lom file.

 

If you then discover that there is no model at all in the game, this is often because FC2 cant find any textures for your model. So, to fix this, you put the textures of your model into bazar/temptextures.

 

Also, there is another version of the tools that are alttle more cooperative when it comes to export. These also have been translated to english. You can find them here: http://www.simwolfs.com/1/PluginsMax7-8_b2.rar

Edited June 4, 2010 by OldCrow

[DetroitDieseL]

I haven't even started on textures yet, I was just doing some testing- to see if the .lom would work.

 

I appreciate the help guys.

 

I've been searching for other posts on this forum- and it seems there are a few threads that are in the same subject matter, but I don't really have the time to go through all the posts that are basically not any help at all.

 

I am totally surprised someone hasn't made a step by step tutorial on how to do this instead of just having the forum and a search button.

 

I am going to make a tutorial for this. I will gather as much information on the subject and put it all together and check with you guys to see if its correct.

 

Kind of ashame that someone that has no clue about has to do this. I figured I would beable to to just come to this forum and it would be right at the top- under the plug-ins with a billion views.

 

So I'm calling out everyone and anyone that has anything to say about this subject.

 

And it will start after the main model body is already built- maybe some tips on how to make the moving parts.

 

So spill it people..........:chair:

[DetroitDieseL]

I am having an issue with applying textures-

 

I placed the textures in the folder you said to Oldcrow- but i am not sure what format they need to be in. These are the type of steps I'm talking about as far as a tutorial. Do the textures need to be a targa format like most of the other ones? Is there a specific way to set up the textures.

 

 

This is how the model looked when I exported it as a LOM file:

[shaggy]

textures should be in eighter 24 bit BMP or 32 Bit BMP format, No DXT or DDS textures will work. TGA textures work with alpha channel also if you want to hide parts of the model, for example to make an afterburner

[DetroitDieseL]

textures should be in eighter 24 bit BMP or 32 Bit BMP format, No DXT or DDS textures will work. TGA textures work with alpha channel also if you want to hide parts of the model, for example to make an afterburner

 

Thank you- do I need to change the name to the textures from what they were before I changed the name of the model name??

 

I will try changing the format and check back in.

[DetroitDieseL]

I changed all the tectures to bmp's- didnt work- I think I need to change something - but I dont know what.

 

Heres what it looks like in game.

[OldCrow]

When it comes to textures, there are 3 things to consider:

 

1. your model must have map coordinates, in other words, it must be mapped.

 

2. on your materials, name them something unique, but dont name them the same as your texture names.

 

3. For testing put your textures into bazar/temptextures, and make sure they have the same name as you used in 3dsmax

 

Later on when you're gonna make a mod out of it, you probably want to have several skin variations to choose from. To do this, you need a so called .skins file. This file should be located in the same folder as the lom file (bazar/world/shapes). In this file, it is described what textures should be used for each skin variation. To do this, you have to write the material names from 3ds max. So, FC2 uses the material names and the texture names to add the correct textures for each skin variation. Then, some info must also be included in a lua file. Im not too familiar with that part yet, but this lua file gathers info from the .skins file, so that you can name the skin variations and be able to choose them in the mission editor. Both these files (the .skins file and lua file) must be written correctly, or it wont work. You can look at the su-25 for reference on the .skins file.

 

But when in the testing process it should be enough to just drop all the textures into bazar/temptextures as long as they have the same names as the textures you applied on your model in 3dsmax.

 

 

 

EDIT: Just saw your post above, did you also remember to add the new bmp files on the model in 3dsmax aswell?

[DetroitDieseL]

ok- I understand that partly.

 

How I did this is - I exported the model from Maya as a .obj- then a coworker who uses max imported it into max and after saving it as a max file the textures applied- while the max file was in the same folder as the textures- which are PS files- I changed them to bmps and placed them in the temptextures folder and still nothing.

 

When you say mapped in max( which I dont know how to use, as I use maya for work) isn't it mapped becasue they were applied in max- the screen shot above with the textures is rendered from max with textures. So I'm kind of confused why this isnt working.

 

 

Edit: just saw your edit- about applying the textures as bmp in max before export to lom- No i didnt- that makes perfect sense- Thank you buddy- I'll try it-

[OldCrow]

Yep, if its mapped in Maya, it will save the mapping to 3dsmax in the obj format, so that should be fine. Though, If the whole aircraft is one object, you can run into some problems. I noticed this a few days ago when I tried to export a obj file. When I imported into max, the whole model was 1 object, and since it had quite a few polys on it, FC2 didnt handle it and rendered it wrong. So I devided the model into more pieces and it was fixed. So my conclusion is that there is a poly limit per object in FC2. This limit is below 80k polys somewhere, so there shouldnt be any problems for any modesl out there.

 

Just to clarify, this "limmitation" is per object in your model and not the total poly count. Also I havent tested this thoroughly so I may be wrong.

[DetroitDieseL]

LOL, I upwards to around 200k faces on this model. It was running smooth with just it and me in an F-15 flying. But I image it will have to come way down eh?

 

Here is what it looks like in game- but the textures are kind of screwed up still- I understand what you mean about an obj being 1 piece of pieces- I exported it as pieces but I think i had some parts grouped going out of maya- I am going to have to redo the texturing in maya as bmp because I have no clue how to use max and I cant expect my coworker to do it.