Create units with OpenFX

[Dease]

So I have taken a normal civ3 unit and exported it from flicster, yet there are two palettes, one "normal" and one "alpha" I'm assuming that I should use the "normal" one but I'm not sure, can anyone confirm this?

Also instead of copyin all the RGB values for every single colour I use Pedit a very useful tool that adds the colours from the image by clicking on the colour.

EDIT: just to experiment I loaded up the "normal palette from a civ unit, made the unit look bad, but since there was only one shade close to magenta (the last one) all the background anti-aliasing stuff was just turned into magenta, maybe that's all i'll have to do

 

[A Viking Yeti]

This tutorial seems very good, I can hardly wait until the rest (specifically the foot unit part) comes out. I've yet to learn how to model in this program, but I think I'll get the hang of it eventually... I also need to figure out how to apply textures properly. I've done some explosions and various effects, and it seems pretty easy to use. One question though: how do you get the shadows green (I'm assuming this'll come in one of the later tutorials, but I wanted to make sure)...

BTW: about the shades of magenta, if you were to reduce the shades of magenta in the palette down to the one statard shade (i.e. 255, 0, 255), and then import that palette, it seems like all the extra shades would be closest to the stadard shade, and would convert over to that. So you could fix whole unit animations after creation... I'm not really sure what you guys are doing, but I don't have PSP or Corel or anything, so this seems easiest to me...

 

[Dease]

BTW: about the shades of magenta, if you were to reduce the shades of magenta in the palette down to the one statard shade (i.e. 255, 0, 255), and then import that palette, it seems like all the extra shades would be closest to the stadard shade, and would convert over to that. So you could fix whole unit animations after creation... I'm not really sure what you guys are doing, but I don't have PSP or Corel or anything, so this seems easiest to me...

Thats basically what I did and it worked.

As for shadow I didn't make them green, I just put the shodow colour at the 2nd last place in the palette and it works good

 

[A Viking Yeti]

Thats basically what I did and it worked.

As for shadow I didn't make them green, I just put the shodow colour at the 2nd last place in the palette and it works good

Ah, I see. You just explained it more fully... Thanks for the tip about shadows. I've already animated a little unit (got it rotating; it's a 'pringles-style' spaceship, so I thought it'd be good for a fidget)... Had some problems with speed, but I got those fixed.

Another question (actually about modeling though), if it's not too much trouble, could someone tell me how to 'cut' models (or direct me to a tutorial that would tell me)? Thanks in advance...

 

[Dease]

I've almost finished my first unit but i have ONE last problem, my unit is off center, I know I can change the X/Y displacement but I don't know how! anyone know???

 

[Neomega]

Two quick questions:

How can I select the "SELECT" action more easily? Is there a hotkey I can use?


2. If i have some objects, is there any way I can "group" them together, so if I were to pick a vertice, all vertices in that "group" would be highlighted?

I guess the best answer to this question is to attatch the parts to a skeleton.

 

[Neomega]

I've almost finished my first unit but i have ONE last problem, my unit is off center, I know I can change the X/Y displacement but I don't know how! anyone know???

It can be done in FLICster... the steps are in the FLICster thread somewhere.

Basically break down the FLC into seperate files to get an .ini file, where you can edit the x and Y positions.

 

[Dease]

It can be done in FLICster... the steps are in the FLICster thread somewhere.

Basically break down the FLC into seperate files to get an .ini file, where you can edit the x and Y positions.

Yeah I read that (in SBB thread though) but it's saying the .FXM file is invalid and somthing about it might not be supported after v0.2.2. I'll take a look inthe flicster thread to see if there's more detailed instructions.

 

[Neomega]

Yeah I read that (in SBB thread though) but it's saying the .FXM file is invalid and somthing about it might not be supported after v0.2.2. I'll take a look inthe flicster thread to see if there's more detailed instructions.

Ignore that error, I think you are on the right track.

 

[The Great Apple]

Ok... I feel I've missed something blindingly obvious.... The models I downloaded are .3ds but when I try to import models it seems to want a .mfx - I read ealier in this thread that .3ds models are the one to use... but it won't let me

 

[Neomega]

Ok... I feel I've missed something blindingly obvious.... The models I downloaded are .3ds but when I try to import models it seems to want a .mfx - I read ealier in this thread that .3ds models are the one to use... but it won't let me

When you go to file--->open, it opens a window displaying all the directories and.mfx files, because, at the bottom of that window, you have "OpenFX, 3D Studio, Autocad DXF, Stereo STL" selected.

Hit the drop down menu and it will give you a list of about 4 other types of models, including .3ds

 

[The Great Apple]

Thanks... I was trying to open it in the wrong program.... Dumn me

 

[The Great Apple]

Ok, everything is going all right - but I have a troulbe with a model. The model I downloaded was all black by default, so using the designer I changed the colours to something more like what I wanted... BUT, when rendered in the original black it came out ok (but in black), but when in colour bits disappeared (became transparent)... I tried changing coulour using the material settings (whihc seemed to be the only way...)

 

[Tzar Sasha]

I've almost finished my first unit but i have ONE last problem, my unit is off center, I know I can change the X/Y displacement but I don't know how! anyone know???

I don't know about the flicster thing that the others mentioned. But if you have a unit whose position would be almost identical to standard civ unit, you could do the following (it may be more time consuming, but it works):

1) Render a single image (don't worry about the pallete)
2) overlay that image on an image created from flicster of the standard civ unit. Use about 50$ transparency so you can see both shapes.
3) Note which directions you need to move your model.
4) In OpenFX animator select the model actor and adjust it's position setting accordingly.
5) Repeat process until unit is where you want it.

That's it. A lot easier than it is to adjust a pallete.

 

[Dease]

I have fixed the x/y displacement pretty much by accident, this is how I did it in case someone wants to know.
1. open the Civ flc you created
2. go to export multiple flc files, it will give you something about might not being supported in future releases, just say yes
3. open the .ini that it just created (using notepad or whatever) and edit the x/y coordinates, x=60 and y=45 worked for me
4. (this is where i got stuck) open flicster and open the .ini (using flicster have to use that drop-down menu to choose all files) It will say do you want to combine all the .flcs, say yes.
5.Export as a civ flc and you're all done

 

[Kenta'arka]

If a mesh is not centered, you could do this: Go to Designer, click on the middle of the mesh (a little cross will move to where you click). Now go to attributes, and click "set model center". After saving the mesh, it should be centered correctly in Animator

 

[A Viking Yeti]

I was working on a death animation, when I realized I don't know how to morph models. After much searching, I found the insert morph feature (duh, I still can't believe it took me that long to find it when I've seen numerous times), but I need to create a "morph animation file". I have no idea how to do this, and their site (as far as I know) doesn't tell me either. If someone would explain it to me, that would be wonderful...

Also, how can I get a model to (in the animator) rotate around two axis, rather than just one? I'm sure the "rotate around this axis and this axis" button is probably right in front of my face somewhere, but I still can't find it.

 

[Kenta'arka]

Morphing: No Idea, I usually split the mesh in the designer, and make 2 or more meshes of it.
Rotate: You just have to use another window. If you use the rotate tool in the top-view window it rotates around the....errr...y-axis? Use the tool in the rear and back windows to rotate around other axis.

 

[Adler17]

Kenta´arka, is someone making the Oberth class? Or can I start with it?

Adler

 

[Kenta'arka]

noone, have fun