Newest EDM Model Tools

[joey45]

That goes in the .lods file that goes in the shapes folder.

[joey45]

Same with ships with working guns.....

[joey45]

Madness, pure madness, this is stifling creativity and productivity to the extreme.

 

I'm a reasonably talented modeller, all I want to do is put in some new insurgent ground buildings that can be targeted and destroyed.

Instead of modelling and texturing which I enjoy, I'm running around this forum like a headless chicken, I must have launched DCS a thousand times today to test, this is no fun at all.

 

Welcome to modding... Drinks on the left snacks on the right... And the straight jackets are through the 3rd door on the right

[joey45]

Do tell.

[joey45]

What do you mean it thinks it's a vehicle?

[joey45]

PM me the folder and I'll have a look..

[joey45]

LODs are Level Of Detail models IF your model is low poly enough you don't need LODs..

 

But having a detailed thread like the EFM thread but for ground objects/vehicles will be good idea... ;)

[joey45]

I have them separate for my ship/sign.

Edited September 12, 2016 by joey45

[-Rudel-]

some are internal because they don't have complex animations and many separate objects; such as missiles, bombs, and buildings

[joey45]

No idea. How are you exporting it?

[joey45]

Have a look in some of the /lua files in here >>\Scripts\Database

[SkateZilla]

Cheers Rudel, makes sense.

 

Anyone know how to stop the building conforming to the surface angle ? All the other buildings use one straight up axis, and you extend the bottom of the building to compensate.

 

 

It still thinks it's a vehicle :D

 

Whats Your Exporter Settings?

[-Rudel-]

Great start for Easter Island statues :D

[joey45]

If you are talking about LOD then it'll be in the .lods file.

[joey45]

Change the distance

[joey45]

model={
lods={
	{"WarningSign.EDM",2000.0}; << distance of hi res model
	{"WarningSignL01.edm",3000.0}; distance of hi res model will swap to lod1
	{"WarningSignL02.edm",9000.0} lod 2
	};
collision_shell="WarningSignCOLLISION.edm";
}

 

you can have upto 5..

 

Example of the F-15E lods file

 

model = {
lods = {		
	{"f-15e.edm",50.000000};
	{"f-15e_lod01.edm",500.000000};
	{"f-15e_lod02.edm",2000.000000};
	{"f-15e_lod03.edm",50000.000000};

};
collision_shell = "f-15e-collision.edm";
}

[SkateZilla]

It can't be, I've replaced some models that don't have .lods and they act in exactly the same way, must be some global setting.

 

IIRC there's also a Video from the Developer that shows it being done in Max w/ a Shelter, gotta check my YT Saved Videos for it, Or someone else can post it, it's been posted here a few times.

 

http://en.wiki.eagle.ru/wiki/EDM_plugin#lod_root

Model with lods in the same file

1. Create a Dummy with lod_root flag.

2. Make LOD mesh.

3. Attach to the LOD mesh to Dummy.

4. In the User defined properties Dummy LOD list the names of the ranges in which these lody will be visible. Lodov ranges may overlap, in this case will be drawn several LOD.

Example of User defined properties Dummy which hooked with the names of three hunger Text01 , Text02 and Text03: TYPE = "lod_root";

Text01 = Vec2 (0.0,100.0); # the first argument - the minimum distance at which Laud would form the second - the maximum

Text02 = vec2 (100.0,200.0);

Text03 = vec2 (200.0,1000000.0);

Edited September 13, 2016 by SkateZilla

[SkateZilla]

Yes.

 

 

Skin modifier since you want the LEF to be able to flex.

 

I think I have it "Basically", I just need to work on Fine Tuning:

 

So:

-Bones 001 and 002 Are the Master Wing Flex Animation Bones

-Bones 003 and 004 Are the Clones of 001 and 002 and Retain the Wing Flex Animation.

-Bone 3 Is Hierarchy Linked to Bone 001

-Bone 3 is Rotated to the Angle of Leading Edge Flap Deployment

-Bone 3 is then Aligned "Generally" in the Angle of the Slat's Pivot.

-Leading Edge Flap is Then Skinned with Bones 003 and 004.

-Leading Edge Flap Now Flexes with Wing and Deploys.

 

My Issue is, when I move the bones to align with the Control Surface Hinge Axis, it De-Syncs the Wing Flex.

 

Is there a way for the Control surfaces to Get the Flex from only the 2 Master bones, while using supplement bones for axis rotation of the surfaces?

 

(ie 2 Bones control flex), Single small bone controls only Control Surface Rotation/Deployment.)

So,

-Bones 001 and 002, Control the Wing Flex on the Wing, Surfaces, and Dummy Box.

-Create a Bone, Animate the Rotation deployments of surface (like I did with the Connector Points),

-Scale to Length of Control Surface,

-Align with Pivot Point of Control Surface Hinge,

-Link to Bone 001

-Add Bone 003 to Skin List

???

 

 

Now My Hard Part is, Finding a way to accurately place the bones to a specific point to get the angle or rotation to be accurate for 4 Leading Edge Flaps, 2 Trailing Edge Flaps, Flap Covers, Airleron, and Wing Fold for 2 wings.

Edited September 15, 2016 by SkateZilla

[-Rudel-]

This might be a wild solution, but try grouping it all together and applying a skin modifier with bones 1 and 2.

 

 

drop bones 3 and 4

[SkateZilla]

This might be a wild solution, but try grouping it all together and applying a skin modifier with bones 1 and 2.

 

 

drop bones 3 and 4

 

then I lose Leading Edge Flap Animation.

 

I think I'm getting it, but it's just extensive work to re-animate everything on the wing.

Edited September 16, 2016 by SkateZilla

[SkateZilla]

My Last Attempt Last night, I Ended up with/doing:

 

-Restore from Before I Cut the extra vertices,

 

-Re-Set Bounding Box

 

-I Ran 2 Bones down the Middle of the Wing at 90º, Gave it a Flex Animation,

-Skinned the Wing to it (Bones 001, 002)

-Clone them, Wing Flex Animation and All.

-Re-set Working point to allow me to Animate easier on the axes

-Aligned the Clones w/ the Leading Edge Flap Axis,

-Animated Leading Edge Deployment

-Skinned Leading Edge to Bones 003 and 004,

-Set Argument 280 to 1.00

-Set Argument 14 to 1.00

-Activated Argument 14, Set a 0.00 keyframe for Bone 004 and adjusted bone 004's rotation at keyframe 1.00 to match the wing's flex (Bone 002).

 

Might be Easier adding a final smaller 3rd Bone to control the elevation of the end of the winglex instead of trying to rotate the 2nd bone. Just dont add to skin bones list.

 

or Add an IK HD/HI Solver, which will add control points to both ends that I can move to control rotation of the 2nd bone,

 

Will try that some time this weekend.

.

For my Super Hornet, I Might do 2 separate bone structures, one for inner wing flex, and another for outter wing flex, then link the outter wing to the inner wing via the dummy boxes.

 

That Made the Wing and Leading Edge Flap have Close to Identical Wingflex (Small difference due to not being able to see through the bone, lol), and still being able to deploy the Leading Edge Flap.

 

Please ignore Unlinked parts, I was playing with bones setup I didnt re-do the dummy boxes.

 

Also like I said, small Difference in flex due to having to adjust the bones for the LEF because they are at a difference Angle, and I wasnt able to see through the bone to match the edges perfectly.

Edited September 16, 2016 by SkateZilla

[Blaze]

Bravo, welcome to the club! :D

 

(Old video. Since we went EFM, LEFs and wing flex have been separated.)

ZJihWhkv0Hs

[SkateZilla]

Might be Easier to:

 

-Align Bones 001/002 to Leading Edge Flap Axes

-Animate Flex

-Clone

-Move 001/002 After of the LEF Some,

-Animate LEF Deployment, Link 003/004 to 001

-Clone for 005/006

-Align with Trailing Edge Flaperon,

-Animate Flaperon Deployments, since the Flaperon wont be as affected by the Flex as the Leading Edge would, it would be easier to get the bones for the Flaperon to look correct.

 

Definitely think it will be easier to get precise alignments using the IK HD Solver would help alot

Edited September 17, 2016 by SkateZilla

[SkateZilla]

This weekend I'm fighting w/ Smoothing again,

 

As soon as I cut the squares for the Bort Numbers and detach them, the smoothing goes wonky,

 

Even if I Wipe and re-smooth the sections, there's a distinct difference between the normal mesh and the part cut w/ the bort numbers,

 

Tried Re-Smoothing Individually,

Tried Re-Smoothing all Meshes together,

Tried Editing the Normals.

 

No Luck.

 

I think it doesnt like being cut in editable poly mode..

 

Might just go back to my original plan

Make Clone Main Mesh, cut bort meshes out, delete the rest, and apply transparent single layer, and animate that,

 

it just wont have any specular on it.

 

I'm trying to figure out how BST just cut Bort Meshes on the F-86 and didnt have any seams on speculars or smoothing.

 

Examples..

 

First Shot, w/ Squares Cut out of the nose mesh, you can clearly see a smoothing group difference both around the Bort Number Meshes, and a few bad groups heading up the nose which appeared after the cutting.

 

 

Second Shot w/ Bort meshes exported, I Imported them to a scene before I cut them and just put them over top of the nose mesh, smoothing groups on the nose remain fine, but there's still an evident line around the meshes.

 

My Fail safe right now is to remove the specular and diffuse layers from the material and just export decals w/ transparency set, w/ separate meshes.

 

I might try to use other cutting methods but so far, no luck.

 

Edited September 17, 2016 by SkateZilla

[-Rudel-]

Skate, this is where I had difficulty. The solution that worked for me is a bit time consuming though.

 

1. I made the cuts, but did not separate.

 

2. I applied a Normal modifier, selected all the normal and made them explicit.

 

3. Made 3 copies of the object.

 

4. (one object at a time) delete polies around the bort number section.

--- 1st object delete bort number area.

---2nd object, delete all polies but 001

---** 010

---** 100

 

It's important not to detach the section, but delete the polies around them.

 

For export, go to the settings and check/select "mark def off"