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Teal_Blue
Teal_Blue
Join Date 08/2008
+42

Sorry to Ask Again, But What is the Mod Tool Used to Edit Meshes?

July 6, 2009 12:45:44 AM from Sins of a Solar Empire ForumsSins of a Solar Empire Forums

Thank you, i looked on google but got all about mods, all about meshes, but not the one i remember Annatar saying was a tool to edit meshes from Sins with, I'm going to give modeling a try, and thought i would start with some ravaged planets that i want to put into my Last Songs of a Dying Star mod.    I have finshed with the coding, just need the atmosphere,   haha, all the smoke and debris and half smashed planets to fill it out.    Haha, and the remnants of the factions to go against each other. 

I will have to write a story to go along with it, to fill in all the history... well, haha, the imagined history.

-Teal

 

 

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Teal_Blue
SZ0
Join Date 05/2008
+38
Reply #1 July 6, 2009 3:54:59 AM
from Sins of a Solar Empire ForumsSins of a Solar Empire Forums

If you're looking to create your own meshes then "softimage XSI's" free version "Mod tool" can do this and put it into dotXSI format to import into SoaSE using the convertdata XSI that comes with forge tools. It can be downloaded from "AutoDesk".

If your'e wanting to edit meshes using meshes out of Sins I don't think you can. Maybee with 3DMax you can I don't know. This is an expensive program though.

You can use textures from Sins with XSI if you create your own model. This could be done quite easily. Or you could make your own textures aswell using a program like "Gimp" for example, and a DDS file plugin.

 

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Teal_Blue
JasonFJ
Join Date 11/2008
+39
Reply #2 July 6, 2009 3:58:28 AM
from Sins of a Solar Empire ForumsSins of a Solar Empire Forums

The only way I've been successful in importing existing meshes was using 3DS Max and using the Maxscript v1.x that somebody on the forums wrote. I used Adobe Photoshop with Nvidia DDS plugin or Gimp 2.0 to fiddle with the texture files for the UV source, and if you want to do ultra fine tuning of weapon, flairs, hangar and aura locations I tend to tweak the mesh text file in notepad.

Still looking for the magic fix to edit existing .mesh

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Teal_Blue
xxx_diresaint_xxx
Join Date 03/2008
+4
Reply #3 July 6, 2009 2:17:39 PM
from Sins of a Solar Empire ForumsSins of a Solar Empire Forums

xsi modtool is perfect for modeling if you need help ask away ill help but i have to warn you im shite at texturing and am still getting the hang of that part, ive made a ton of models but they have one problem BAD TEXTURES!!!!

but hey like i said im good with the modeling so just holler!

 

ds

 

ps... i almost forgot i posted this the other day take a look at the uv mapping for clues...

 

https://forums.sinsofasolarempire.com/358279

 

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Teal_Blue
Teal_Blue
Join Date 08/2008
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Reply #4 July 6, 2009 5:29:47 PM
from Sins of a Solar Empire ForumsSins of a Solar Empire Forums

Thank you All!!!!  will look at the link on uv mapping, thanks DireSaint, oh... also, what is the link for your update of Cybdevil's Planet Mod?   I've been trying to find it with no luck. 

-Teal

 

 

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Teal_Blue
ManSh00ter
Join Date 02/2008
+92
Reply #5 July 6, 2009 5:31:08 PM
from Sins of a Solar Empire ForumsSins of a Solar Empire Forums

You can't edit .mesh files. You can import them in Max via that script JasonFJ mentioned, but you lose all the UV mapping, you just get raw geometry.

As for textures, I would advise against using Nvidia's plugins at least for normal maps - they tend to lose a lot of detail while compressing normal maps especially. Use DDS Converter 2 - its better at compression, and it's also faster. Plus, it can do batch jobs.

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Teal_Blue
xxx_diresaint_xxx
Join Date 03/2008
+4
Reply #6 July 6, 2009 6:17:42 PM
from Sins of a Solar Empire ForumsSins of a Solar Empire Forums

 ill have to re-upload it but when i do Ill post a second version of it that is totally merg ready and has by coincedence Manshooters explosions and balknights graphics mod incorperated... its very handy when you merg it with other mods that do not contain any of the others like ohhh. soa23c and many others im also doing my own version of bsg i have all the capital ships and fighters done except for the textures but i have basic ones in place and its playable and fun! the reason im doing my own is scale! the ones ive seen the scale is so far out of wack that it drives me insane!

btw i have a shattered moon or planet but its not very good looking i posted it somwhere yesterday... ah yes here it is...

https://forums.sinsofasolarempire.com/357963

the images are near the bottom after my lenghtly post there but i will upload those versions for you and let you know either here or in a pm.

 

ds

 

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Teal_Blue
EvilTesla-RG
Join Date 08/2007
+21
Reply #7 July 6, 2009 6:20:15 PM
from Sins of a Solar Empire ForumsSins of a Solar Empire Forums

Thier is anouther way to import .mesh files from sins using two differnt tools

3D object Converter and Quick 3D geomitry

 

I just don't remember presiscly how.

 

But again, you only get the MESH,  you lose the UV mapping.

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Teal_Blue
Teal_Blue
Join Date 08/2008
+42
Reply #8 July 6, 2009 11:02:33 PM
from Sins of a Solar Empire ForumsSins of a Solar Empire Forums

hmm.... mesh, no uv... raw geometry...whew!!!  I think im getting in over my head here, but hey, why not?    I wouldnt have thought i could pull off what i have so far when i started.  So might as well dive in and learn. I downloaded a copy of the mod tool, i guess its not the 3dsmax one, but i thought it would be a place to start and learn. Thank you to everyone for all the kind help and suggestions.    I feel like a noob, but appreciate all the help.  I will let you know how it goes after i get my feet wet and probably mess up more than a few meshes. 

Thanks DireSaint for the link and for the coming update. The mod you updated has been one of my favorites since it came out, i even tried my hand at going over the standard planets in game to see if i could get close. But the grav well thing was killing me, slowed to a crawl like crazy when i took the planets and stars too big, but at least for a few minutes before anything hit the well they were Beautiful!!!!!  Not my work of course, but the artists that made them to begin with, and the fact that they were so HUGE!!!!!     It felt perfectly awesome!!!    Of course if it had been that easy someone would have done it months and months ago.    But i still have hopes that either the devs will change the well properties, or i will figure it out. 

Thanks much again and take care,

keep gaming and keep modding!!!!

-Teal

 

 

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