Unit requests thread

[Kathy]

Does anyone know, if there is anywhere an effect for chemical or biological attacks, e.g a green cloud of gas instead of an explosion? I found a plasma attack, but it is now what I am looking for. I thought in next war should be a suitable effect, as there is a unit called "biological missile", but the effet from the .kfm only is linked to a normal explosion.

 

[Jarmrik]

So, does the dds not look right or is the texture on the model wrong when using the dds? Maybe upload both files so we can have a look.

Watching the screenshot, I think this is the original model texture.
From my blender knowledge, our friend probably uses the wrong material in his converting attempt, or just uses it in a wrong way.

 

[Jarmrik]

Does anyone know, if there is anywhere an effect for chemical or biological attacks, e.g a green cloud of gas instead of an explosion? I found a plasma attack, but it is now what I am looking for. I thought in next war should be a suitable effect, as there is a unit called "biological missile", but the effet from the .kfm only is linked to a normal explosion.

Are you talking about the non-projectile effect in the strike.kf, or the damage taken by the targeted unit?

 

[Sturmgewher88mm]

Watching the screenshot, I think this is the original model texture.
From my blender knowledge, our friend probably uses the wrong material in his converting attempt, or just uses it in a wrong way.

Yeah I think I'm just doing it wrong. The instructions I'm using tell me to create a new material and then assign all the textures to it, but it keeps turning it into a blob, this time it was purple

I don't really know what I'm doing, but here are the original files:

 

[Sturmgewher88mm]

If you succed I'd like a copy too

Of course!

 

[Kathy]

Are you talking about the non-projectile effect in the strike.kf, or the damage taken by the targeted unit?

I am looking for a graphical effect for the strike.kf, maybe a greenish cloud. The damage taken will be normal combat damage and collateral damage.

 

[Jarmrik]

Yeah I think I'm just doing it wrong. The instructions I'm using tell me to create a new material and then assign all the textures to it, but it keeps turning it into a blob, this time it was purple
View attachment 731220
I don't really know what I'm doing, but here are the original files:

Man, there are twenty textures files and materials...
To make it short, you would have to split your object into twenty parts corresponding to each texture and remap UV for each part. You would first have to identify which texture applies to which part. I'm not aware of how to make multi-materials NIF with png files in blender - not even sure it can be done.
Side note: it's purple because it's blenders default color for new virgin materials.

Do you know how to use blender - even a little - or is it your first try?

 

[Sturmgewher88mm]

Man, there are twenty textures files and materials...
To make it short, you would have to split your object into twenty parts corresponding to each texture and remap UV for each part. You would first have to identify which texture applies to which part. I'm not aware of how to make multi-materials NIF with png files in blender - not even sure it can be done.
Side note: it's purple because it's blenders default color for new virgin materials.

Do you know how to use blender - even a little - or is it your first try?

It's my first try

I had thought it was one object and was trying to combine all the texture files into one texture map, so that's probably why it keeps blobbing. Anytime I've modded before it was just taking someone else's models and maybe editing the textures, but mostly only changing XML stuff. I tried to get NifSkope but I can't get it to work either, probably missing some random x86 file. I was probably too ambitious this time

 

[Jarmrik]

I was probably too ambitious this time

You must be ambitious. If not, you wouldn't do or even try anything.
Well, the main question is: do you want this only model, or do you want to learn modeling to make later (almost) evrything you want?

 

[Jarmrik]

I am looking for a graphical effect for the strike.kf, maybe a greenish cloud. The damage taken will be normal combat damage and collateral damage.

I'm on it.

 

[Sturmgewher88mm]

You must be ambitious. If not, you wouldn't do or even try anything.
Well, the main question is: do you want this only model, or do you want to learn modeling to make later (almost) evrything you want?

I definitely would like to figure it out eventually. I've been modding with just XML for like a decade and figuring out how to make buttons and icons last year was a game changer.

 

[Jarmrik]

I definitely would like to figure it out eventually. I've been modding with just XML for like a decade and figuring out how to make buttons and icons last year was a game changer.

Model design has absolutly nothing to do with XML modding. The only common point is... CivIV. It comes down to comparing playing tennis and playing guitar.
Assuming your future creations are intended for CivIV, you should start with nifskope (which will allow you to bring models in the game and modify various anim parts) to understand the NIF basics (I use 2.0dev7 for models and basic anim modifications). Only using blender involves you will have to find someone to effectively convert your creations for CivIV.

For modeling, on geometry stage, start with easy things. Avoid curvy objects, with lots of backsides and impossibles counter-angles. Take time to learn the XYZ concept, to make tries and failures with the various commands, and not loose yourself with complicated automations, which are only efficient if you have a strong knowledge of 3D in general and python coding. Try something like reproducing A7V, then Jagdpanzer VIII, etc... Then later, you'll be able to do more complicated things.
To give you an idea, the Hellcat is too difficult for a rookie: too much curves (not to help, they added a kind of bubble effect on straight lines to give a cartoon-ish visual effect, which was in the mood 25 years ago), assymetric forms (there's not even a square or a regular triangle in the structure), unlinked parts...

Once you're done with your shape, pick up a "telling" texture: I mean a picture/assembly of pictures on which you will EASILY find where to put your UV. Don't hesitate to use orthographic view projections instead of automated unwraps, which are risky. I personally use three to five views pictures still, and will probably never bother with making a puzzle like the standards require.
To give you an idea once more, for a rookie, your Hellcat is impossible to texture with the files you actually have.

All these steps are time consuming. Actually, your model should take me between five and eight hours to build, texture and animate. Two years ago, my first model took me three weeks...

 

[Sturmgewher88mm]

Model design has absolutly nothing to do with XML modding. The only common point is... CivIV. It comes down to comparing playing tennis and playing guitar.
Assuming your future creations are intended for CivIV, you should start with nifskope (which will allow you to bring models in the game and modify various anim parts) to understand the NIF basics (I use 2.0dev7 for models and basic anim modifications). Only using blender involves you will have to find someone to effectively convert your creations for CivIV.

For modeling, on geometry stage, start with easy things. Avoid curvy objects, with lots of backsides and impossibles counter-angles. Take time to learn the XYZ concept, to make tries and failures with the various commands, and not loose yourself with complicated automations, which are only efficient if you have a strong knowledge of 3D in general and python coding. Try something like reproducing A7V, then Jagdpanzer VIII, etc... Then later, you'll be able to do more complicated things.
To give you an idea, the Hellcat is too difficult for a rookie: too much curves (not to help, they added a kind of bubble effect on straight lines to give a cartoon-ish visual effect, which was in the mood 25 years ago), assymetric forms (there's not even a square or a regular triangle in the structure), unlinked parts...

Once you're done with your shape, pick up a "telling" texture: I mean a picture/assembly of pictures on which you will EASILY find where to put your UV. Don't hesitate to use orthographic view projections instead of automated unwraps, which are risky. I personally use three to five views pictures still, and will probably never bother with making a puzzle like the standards require.
To give you an idea once more, for a rookie, your Hellcat is impossible to texture with the files you actually have.

All these steps are time consuming. Actually, your model should take me between five and eight hours to build, texture and animate. Two years ago, my first model took me three weeks...

I appreciate the advice! I'll have to try redownloading NifSkope, it gave me a lot of issues before trying to install. Even being able to make simple models myself would help a lot until I can build up to what I really want to make

 

[Darkator]

I am currently making a J-8 shenyang model (has anyone made such a model before me)

 

[Kathy]

Once again, I have a strange request. Once, someone made me a paradrop-animation for the tank.
Now I wonder, if someone could do same for an Artillerie unit. Any kind of cold war Artillerie (best a light modell, to be realistic) that has an additional paradrop animation for airborne landing.

The second request is also for a unit with paradrop animations, but also needs a new unit: A airborne All Terrain Vehicle, like the Faun Kraka...

... or the "Mechanical Mule"

Latter either with this gun on the left picture (and firing animations) or with a TOW-launcher, the Kraka could also have a TOW launcher mounted on the loading platform for the fighting animations.

 

[Jarmrik]

Does anyone know, if there is anywhere an effect for chemical or biological attacks, e.g a green cloud of gas instead of an explosion? I found a plasma attack, but it is now what I am looking for. I thought in next war should be a suitable effect, as there is a unit called "biological missile", but the effet from the .kfm only is linked to a normal explosion.

Ok, I've been long, but it's done.
This is one attempt, meaning we may look for another type of explosion, another type of cloud, color or whatever. Just let me know if you have more precise ideas of what you want. I put it on the vanilla guided missile, but you would easily tweak it on the model of your choice.
In the upload you have the effect, the modified guided_missile_MD_strikeA.kf and the xml part. I assume you know what to do with these.
Full unit uploaded to database, in case other members would be interested, or you in a lazy mood

 

[Kathy]

Thank you very much, I will test it soon.

 

[Kathy]

The effect works fine, also with my artillery- and helicopter units.

 

[SaibotLieh]

Once again, I have a strange request. Once, someone made me a paradrop-animation for the tank.
Now I wonder, if someone could do same for an Artillerie unit. Any kind of cold war Artillerie (best a light modell, to be realistic) that has an additional paradrop animation for airborne landing.

The second request is also for a unit with paradrop animations, but also needs a new unit: A airborne All Terrain Vehicle, like the Faun Kraka...

... or the "Mechanical Mule"

Latter either with this gun on the left picture (and firing animations) or with a TOW-launcher, the Kraka could also have a TOW launcher mounted on the loading platform for the fighting animations.

As for the artillery, the attached files should be what you need to turn the vanilla artillery airborne. Hope this serves as a good base for you to put in a model of your liking. If not, post a link to the unit you would like to have and I can see what I can do (it is relatively quick to do once the necessary steps are known). Same goes for the mule if you get it at some point.

Enjoy!

 

[Kathy]

Great. I will see, if if works with another artillery modell (the original indeed seems to heavy for an airborne modell).