truespace tutorial?

[BNG Da BZ Fool]

Threed, sucks for animated XSI files, but fairs well for static non animated files for some unknown reason I noticed it does translate the animation set stuff at all. Another, free app. called X2XSI (available @ www.bzscrap.com) does create the animation set data, but you have rename them with Notepad to read SI_animationset from animationset; a carry over from the X file from which it was created....

Bunch's of people have devised several methods to get animations to work right; only a few have actually succeeded. Strangely, BZII also supports a specific kind of X format too.

I've managed to get Truespace created X models into the game, but it requires the export settings to be set the right hand coordinate system; otherwise the model appears backward in game. Also, the normals of the model need to flipped; otherwise the model looks strangely turned inside out.

Another, quirk in the X files that TS creates are unneeded extra characters that are tacked on to the end of object names like the hp_whatever_1-1; the -1 prevents the hp from being read correctly by BZII. Deleting them in Notepad fixes the issue.

Additionally, the worst remaining problem is that while the models material colors appear fine not one texture I've applied has ever shown up on any of my X based BZII models; a minor yet very annoying issue.

One bright note is that, although, untested as of yet; animation may also be possible on X based models. Still need to figure this oddity out, but I'm just beginning to explore the key frame animation tools in TS. X based models may be the answer to the lack of adequate XSI based solutions as far as animations are concerned.

[Clavin12]

i can't get threed to read my x files from truespace and i can't get truespace to read the x files from threed

[BNG Da BZ Fool]

Are you using Truespace6? The X Format that TS 7.6 uses won't work; it was written/optimized for XNA not older games like BZII. Did you click TS6 Files Saveas>Object?

Try resaving the model, but before you do select Directx.x as the format, but before saving click the settings button. Now put check marks in the following Directx export settings: Export Geometry, Triangulate all faces, Export Textures, and Inline material.

One other thing to verify is what Texture format your applying to your model. Threed only supports BMP, TGA, and PIC formats. What format are you using to texture your model with?

As far as importing X files back into TS make sure that the Truespace6 workspace is loaded; unfortunately, TS 7.6 is practically worthless to BZII modders. Under TS6 Files click Load>Object, select the file and click open.

Threed, may take several minutes to load an X model; at least it's done this to me several times in the past, so give it a moment to load the model. Untriangulated models have also crashed Threed in the past, so always triangulate your models prior to opening them in Threed or 3DEX; displays a yellow triangle on the bottom right area of it's workspace. If you double click the triangle a window will pop up showing that 3DEX converted x number of faces to triangles.

Also, try opening your model in 3DEX to see any other warning messages. Ones that like read X version not supported, i.e., the TS 7.6 X version that's useless to BZII, Threed, 3DEX, etc....

Another, tip I would suggest is to create a new folder in your BZII addon folder where you can store all of your new models. You can set it up in Truespace when you save your X models by selecting the Savein option, locate your BZII installation>Addon click the Add New Folder icon, name it something like C12 Assets, and save your models to this new folder. Mine's Called, BNG Assets. It helps later on when you start accumulating tons of models, ODF's, textures, props, etc....

You can also set up a new Library folder in TS by clicking the Object Library icon to save all of you models for easier access. When the default Object Library loads, right click an area in the open window, in the pop up menu under Library and select New. Now right click the new blank folder and select Rename and call it something like C12 Models. If you select your model and right click in the new folder and select Insert then a COB model will be copied into the new folder; think of it as a way to backup your models. This is useful if you screw up a model and for storing every other model you make.

To reload your custom Library if you quit Truespace and restart it again you can click the Object Library icon to open the default library, and reload your library folder by clicking the little yellow folder icon, and then select your library from the listing that will appear. You can also do the same with your SCN (scene) files using the same technique only this time select the Scene Library icon.  

[BNG Da BZ Fool]

I posted a simple Truespace tutorial under Getting Model Into Game. It's awesomely crude, but describes how to use TS to get a Scout model into BZII. I'm still not doen with it yet, but time is the real problem there's just not enough free time to everything I'd like to do.

[BNG Da BZ Fool]

A handy exercise to build a complex model from a simple cube object is to right click the cube to enter it's edit mode and use the add edges icon to add detail points to the cube.

Another, is to use the swept icon to select faces and sweep (extrude) them to add volume to the cube.

One of my favorite editing tools is the draw polygon icon to actually draw new shapes on existing faces that can later be selected as faces to swept to add even more detail to specific areas of the model.

Perhaps, the handiest set of icons in the edit mode are the move, rotate and scale icons to shape the cube all sorts of different ways. If you right click any of these icons then another box pops up where you can limited the XYZ directions that selected faces are moved by. As I understand things, the Z axis controls vertical movement, the X axis controls left and right movement, and the Y axis up and and down movement.  I might also mention that if the ctrl key is held while selecting faces multiple faces can be selected to sweep more then just one face. This is very cool for creating symmetrical things like the toes on a walkers foot.

Oh, the separate selected part icon is very handy for breaking off parts from an existing to form parts like cockpits, and flame_ parts. Just remember to use the move axis to center of object then the normalize rotation icon and finally the axes icon to reset pivot points to X Y Z = 0 0 0. This is critical for BZII as not reseting the pivot points could mess up things like the hp's, flames, eyepoints, coms. In other words, when you separate or rotate a model part from it's original orientation the pivot values change from 0 0 0 to whatever degree after you rotate a model part. How can you check this? If you right click the object info icon a new box pops up showing the numerical information of any selected model part. I keep it visible most of the time to help me keep track of the rotate factor.   

[Clavin12]

How do you control where the Hard points are on a vehicle

[Nielk1]

By placing them in the 3D model. They are mesh starting with the letters "hp_". The mesh is unimportant but helps in exporting stability and editing. The pivot is the information BZ2 cares about.

[BNG Da BZ Fool]

The hp's are just simple triangle objects. See my post in Getting model.... To move them around and position them just left click drag the hp object to where you want it. You may have switch to several different views in TS. I usually work from the top view to initially position hp then switch over to front and then left view to fine tune the hp's position within the models body.

Some hp's need to be attached to specific model parts. Take a look at the units XSI file in like Threed or 3DEX to see how the model is assembled. If the hp is under a particular part then in TS you can attach the hp by opening the scene editor to see all the different parts and left click drag and move the hp to that part and release to drop it under the part you want.

[Clavin12]

Do you think you could send me one as an object.

I don't want to mess up making one myself

[BNG Da BZ Fool]

Just an hp object or an entire model with them? Either way I'll send whatever you prefer. I see your email addy and added it to my contact list so if you want we can stay in touch by email or MSN Messenger. I'll could just send you the .SCN scene file which you open in TS and edit directly.

You know what I do when I make new objects like hps I open the object library, select the hp in the workspace and then right click the library window select insert and place a copy of the hp in the folder. That way later on when I want to add hp's then I can reuse the same hp from the library over an over again as many times as I want. There are only so many hps for bzii so if you do this the making models later on is a piece of cake and saves me tons of time as apposed to making new hps every stinkin time.

PS: By default when new models are saved to the object library in TS they are saved as .COB files TS's native format. I would be better off sending you .COB and /or .SCN files that open automatically by TS under the Windows operating system.

The X files are used mostly for BZII related tools like Threed and 3DEX for viewing and conversion to XSI files. For some strange reason TS will load them but they look quite odd in TS. The TS X export settings triangulate all the faces and make the textures look really blackish and I don't usually edit X files in TS although it is possible.

Also, when you exit TS auto saves the .SCN files to another library and issues a name like newscene1.scn these files can also be viewed in 3DEX if you want to locate them in trueSpace76 folder on your hard drive. They can also be loaded in TS by clicking the TS6 File>load>scene buttons on the menu.