Tom's Unit Factory

Looking forward to seeing your tutorial TOM. I have no clue about working with 3d. I have all the software, but don't have the time to plow through it ( I don't have the patience either ) hopefully I'll find some time ( and the patience ) this summer to actually sit down with your tutorial and learn it. I hope you'll keep that in mind when you write your tutorial . . . Don't forget, I'm

Tuturial is almost done, and with that being said, BigDog's unit is almost done also. Actually I'm just adding extras to the tuturial now, showing how to mask (erase the unit's tail) and how to modify the unit itself (make the horns larger), and then I will color the texture to match the unit. Already added a sword like the pic to the unit, threw some blood on the blade.

@BigDog: I might just leave the little pieces of armor the unit has on. For the Beastmaster, I did strip some of her clothes off and colored her skin texture on for her legs, but demon has much more detail on it's arms. I may be able to do so with no problems for it's upper legs, but it depends on if you care if it has shorts on or not. Might be easier and look better if I just color the 'shorts' an evil red color. I can color the 'bracers' (wrist armor) red also instead of leaving it a steel color. Up to you

Right now, Sword Handle is civ colored. It's big enough to be seen. Leaves the Daemon alone so you won't see a big Demon wearing pretty pink civ-colored shorts walking around.

@The Guardian: Don't worry too much... the tuturial is pretty thorough with lots of pictures (50 at the moment). I had no clue about working with 3d either not too long ago. tom2050's persistance scares myself sometimes (if you don't mind me referring to myself in the 3rd person).

All-in-all; doing the basic's of it are pretty simple... some units are a pain compared to others. Some units are incredibly simple if nothing is done other than just render it.

Hopefully tomorrow I can get it up with BD's unit.

Here is a preview BigDog of where model is at now:

HOLY CRAP!!!!!!!!!

it looks perfect

Awesome Tom. I definitely have uses for this.

Cheers,

Nick

That's Wicked! Can't wait to see it finished

Demon (unit conversion) (requested by bigdog5994)

Civ Colours have been added. Modifications of the texture have been made to the original unit; Sword added by tom2050.

... and use Vuldacon's excellent improvements Demon.zip! The Improvements he has made are shown here.



Download here... DemonBD.rar

Unit32, Large/Small pcx, and Sound Files included. Is an Atlantica Online unit.

YEA!! BABY

thank you very much Tom

That has got to be one of the coolest units ever, Tom. Can't wait to add him to my mod.

Cheers,

Nick

Does Atlantica Online use .nif files? If so looks like blender can import them with NifSkope but not cameras, lights and particles. 3ds Max can apparently do all of those except particles. Blender can import textures, skin deform and animations though. I'm guessing those are the really important parts. It wouldn't be too hard would it to figure out the right lighting and set the Cameras? I don't know as I've never used a 3d animation program.

See http://niftools.sourceforge.net/wiki/Projects

Cheers,

Nick

Yes, it uses NIF for model and KF for animation... Particle effects can't import for any of them. Each NIF file version is different, and for the importer you select the game you are importing from (Morrowind, e.g.). Lights and Camera's don't seem to import either. Of course, lights and cameras in a 3d game may not be imported the best way for Civ 3. But I have never seen any appear.

Main things are skin (bones) and animation. So Maya is out. Blender and 3ds are in.

NIFTools hasn't been updated for around a year. And AO probably uses a NIF version that is fairly recent. AO is not even on the importer list. So I use a different game on the import list that works best for me.

Should have the tut done today.

Tom2050... I did some adjustments and additions to the DemonBD Unit. Mainly wanted a different Fortify and for the sounds to play well.

Named Demon to keep it separate.
Added to and Adjusted All sounds... for better playback and added live ambience
Made a New DemonFortify.flc from parts of the Victory Flc
Changed the Flc speed for the DemonHurt.flc as a 3rd attack segment which makes the battle seem more realistic
Changed the Flc Speed for the DemonAttack1.flc
Made New Demon_units_32
Made DemonHurt.wav

Adjusted the .ini and changed the .ini speed to help the Run
work better.

I adjusted the Attack Flcs and sounds so they do not tend to
replay when the death animations starts. Long Flcs tend to cause problems with sounds.

I Game Tested the unit and sounds.
You can check it in game to see if you like the changes.

tom2050 said:

@Oz: I have a Cerebrus conversion I haven't put up yet, but it is from HoMM4 Sprite. That one looks alright. But I would like to give a 3d model a shot... conjoin a couple more heads on a scroungy mutt. Maybe add some flames.

Click to expand...

Sounds about right.

-z

tom2050 said:

Yes, it uses NIF for model and KF for animation... Particle effects can't import for any of them. Each NIF file version is different, and for the importer you select the game you are importing from (Morrowind, e.g.). Lights and Camera's don't seem to import either. Of course, lights and cameras in a 3d game may not be imported the best way for Civ 3. But I have never seen any appear.

Main things are skin (bones) and animation. So Maya is out. Blender and 3ds are in.

NIFTools hasn't been updated for around a year. And AO probably uses a NIF version that is fairly recent. AO is not even on the importer list. So I use a different game on the import list that works best for me.

Should have the tut done today.

Click to expand...

Yeah discovered NifTools is out of date when it only opened some of the files in AO. Will wait for your tut to see what programs you recommend.

Cheers,

Nick.

PS: tried again from scratch to do an infinitum unit and the flics still don't work and crash flicster. I don't know why.

Thanks Vuldacon... I'll check it out and place it up on the DL Database also. I usually spend far less time on sounds than the rest; I find it tedious having to start and restart Civ 3 over and over to check a change to a sound. I don't think just starting a new game works (like it gets embedded and never released from comp memory or something unless you exit and restart civ 3).

Along with BigDog's Demon, I might as well stick with the Devil folk; here is Arch Devil (AO calls it Humbaba). Made for CoMM3, but will release. I recolored the whole thing, and it will be a particle extravaganza!

Original Humbaba AO Unit:


Recolored Arch Devil (added an overly dramatic setting):

nick0515 said:

Yeah discovered NifTools is out of date when it only opened some of the files in AO. Will wait for your tut to see what programs you recommend.

PS: tried again from scratch to do an infinitum unit and the flics still don't work and crash flicster. I don't know why.

Click to expand...

Not all files can be opened by me either... I get an error message in 3ds. Most can though; plus you need to use a tool to make the textures readable otherwise you get an untextured model.

Are you using Sandris SBB to create the storyboards? Much easier than regular SBB.

Oh hell yeah! Loving these daemons, Tom. They'll all have a home in my mod.

Yeah using the Sandris version. Just following your tutorial. I think I must be doing something wrong with Flicster but I can't figure out what. I'm pretty certain it's not the palette.

Nick

Send the storyboard over, just so I can see if I can open it or not... at least then you can determine if it is Flicster or the storyboard.

Should start rendering ArchDevil soon... attached and textured the weapon... added some effects, etc. Preview of a couple of animations.



@ Vuldacon: I added a note and your file to the DB (on the already posted unit file), and to the Demon post above. Is the 1.7 MB file one of your attachments? If it is I don't want it to be lost; or if you change it the link no longer works. Maybe it is better if another unit is posted to the Database so it is permanent!

That is completely awesome, Tom. Will it be a bigger than normal unit? I hope so. He should tower over mere mortals.

Nick

WOW these units look nice! I just might have use for that Hydra, as an Early Ghidora (Upgrades to Supas Ghidora )

Majorly hot stuff, Tom! Love the particle effects. Can't wait to see it done!