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[western0221]

For ships MODS makers!

General Q and A topic!!

1,What kind of ploy size is ok for a big ship like this in IL2?

1 ship can have 255 parts.
1 parts can have about 2800 polygons.
But for low power PC players, under 1000 polygons in 1 part is better.

"A part", it is counted at "damaged" replacing one, too.

2, How are things to be named and grouped?

Hull(Body) is divided 3 parts. From its bow 1/3 is "Hull1", center 1/3 is "Hull2", and from its stern 1/3 "Hull3".
Flight deck is devided 3 parts, too. Named "DeckN" / "DeckC" / "DeckT". These deck parts are better to divided  at Hull1/2/3 separating points.

Bridge is a super structure. named "SST".
If you want to divide a super structure into 2 or 3 by floors or front/rear, usually named "SSA" / "SSB" / "SSC"...

A chimney is named "Stack", or "Stack1" / "Stack2" / "Stack3" / "Stack4".

A cannon or A machine gun is divided and named by 2 parts.
"HeadXX"(XX=numbers) , this is a turret rotating left/right.
"GunXX"(XX=numbers, same of its parental HeadXX), this is a gun barrel aiming up/down.
GunXX has a Hook to fire , named "ShellStartXX". This ShellStartXX is used in ships.ini.

Some machine guns "small" ones' HeadXX and GunXX are named with suffix "_x", like "Head10_x" / "Gun10_x".
This "_x" suffix parts disappear when bombed or damaged. After... only smoking.

At Hull/Deck/big cannons, "damaged-able" parts, child parts with suffix "_dmg" is replaced when damaged.
"Hull1" 's child is "Hull1_dmg".
"_dmg" parts are written with an attribute "Hidden" in Hier.him.

"Hull2" has usually these Hooks, "_Nose", "_Center", "_Left", "_Right" and "_Prop" , these 5 Hooks show wakes on sea.
"Hull2" has also "Vapor" or  "Vapor1"/"Vapor2"/"Vapor3"... Hooks, this is smoke from Stacks.   

At only Carrier (CV) has these Hooks.
"_RWY_LDG" , "_RWY_TO" , "_TOW00a" with "_TOW00b", "_TOW01a" with "_TOW01b", other "_TOWxxa" with "_TOWxxb", 6 _LPark-s "_LPark00" to "_LPark05", and 6 _Park-s "_Park00" to "_Park05".
"_RWY_LDG", this is landing point and vector of flight deck for AI landing.
"_RWY_TO", this is a spawn height and vector of flight deck when a Mission starts.
"_TOWxxa" with "_TOWxxb", these are arresting wire set. 1 pare is 1 wire.
"_LParkXX", these 6 Hooks are marking parking area after landing.
"_Park", these 6 Hooks are marking spawning area  when a Mission starts.

So, only Carrier (CV) has these special part.
"ShdwRcv0", "ShdwRcv1"... these "ShdwRcvX" show us shadow of planes.

Other parts have no rule at naming. free but better to read/understand myself.

You can see many parts names and Hooks in my "Shokaku/Zuikaku repaint MOD".
This MOD is base on default Daidalos's Shokaku CV.

3, what size should the BMP be?

We have to use "TGA" instead of BMP.
TGA's XY pixels size are usually 1024x1024. But for small texture, 512x512 or 256x256 both are able.
At simple color material, 64x64 or 32x32 are able.
Alpha channel is optional (useable).
And to compress texture size, we can use 256 index colors TGA.
"RLE compress" is disable to use.
Multi-layers TGA, this is IL-2 1946 can use right, but many graphic applications can't read. Single layer TGA is better.
When you want to give someone multi-layers texture, PhotoShop's .psd or GIMP .xcf is usable.

4. modeling XYZ axis
bow to X plus, sturn to X minus.
portside to Y plus, starboardside to Y minnus.
up to Z plus, down to Z minus.
We can rotate all the object finally, but misaligning usually occurs in rotating.
So, starting in this axis is better.

5. "Gun" axis
If you use "Gun" , I said.
"Gun" has to be rotate +90 degrees around X.
If you plan to use Buggy Buggy Expoter, you have to set "Gun" object +90 deg at looking.
If you plan to use Maraz Expoter with Max9, you can set "Gun" 's pivot rotating -90 deg around X, this is same affection in IL-2 1946 and you can set "Gun" in 3ds Max as same as in real world looking.

[western0221]

Now I'm making a new Carrier with gio.

Hook "_Centre" has problem.
_Centre is a wake making Hook.
I set _Centre at (30,0,0) or (0,0,0), then wake here


50m back of the ship ,a new wake is made.

It's a funny scene.

How to solve this funny thing.
only delete _Centre ?

[asheshouse]

I had a similar problem with my Warspite model where the central part of the wake started from behind the ship. I fixed it eventually with new entries in Hull2.msh as below:

Code: [Select]

[Hooks]
Vapor <BASE>
Vapor1 <BASE>
_Nose <BASE>
_Centre <BASE>
_Left <BASE>
_Right <BASE>
_Prop <BASE>

[HookLoc]
0 0 1     0 -1 0    1 0 0     9.049   0   23.068
0 0 1     0 -1 0    1 0 0     5.358   0   23.068
1 0 0     0 0 -1    0 1 0     99.12   0   -1.9
1 0 0     0 0 -1    0 1 0     2         0    0
0 0 1     0 1 0     -1 0 0       -10  -35 -1.9   
0 0 -1    0 1 0     1 0 0         10  -35  -1.9   
-1 0 0    0 1 0     0 0 -1    -92.04  0   -1.9

_Centre, _left and ,_right entries interact to create the wake.
I have still not completely figured out how these work but still rely on some trial and error.

_Centre y coord sets spacing of left and right wake
_left _right x coord sets width and also affects centre wake.

[western0221]

Thanks.
I try and error agein and agein, _Centre x position plus or minus,
now I can set a parameter. OK.

Next problem.
I can't fly from Hosho, this small carrier.
At FMB Hosho taking-off set, but air start, instead of small airplane A6M-21 or A5M.
And I try default 4.10.1m or HSFX5.0.1 with Carrier Take-Off MOD.
I trouble.
Deck's collisions all OK.
Landing is OK.

1946's "Take-Off / air start - decide" algorythm, I can't understand.

Here... this Hosho BETA with problems zip.
- executive MOD set http://www.mediafire.com/?e17hs6tfokni79g
- 3ds Max9's Max file and Maraz expoter .cfg set http://www.mediafire.com/?o2a3rdqia72d8q4
please help me.

Some months ago, I released IJN CVLs and Ryujo(it's small as same as Hosho) BETA,
but then I made them by Hier.him and calculation tweak only. Not Max 3D edit.
Today I first try Max 3D edit carrier MOD.

[asheshouse]

I cannot see any _Park** or LPark** Hooks in the Hull*.msh files.
Without _Park00, _Park01 etc Hooks the aircraft do not know where to spawn on the deck.

I swapped in the _Park settings from HMS Eagle to make a quick fix.
Change the Hooks in Hull3.msh to

Code: [Select]

[Hooks]
_TOW03a <BASE>
_TOW03b <BASE>
_TOW04a <BASE>
_TOW04b <BASE>
_TOW05a <BASE>
_TOW05b <BASE>
_TOW06a <BASE>
_TOW06b <BASE>
_Park00 <BASE>
_Park01 <BASE>
_Park02 <BASE>
_Park03 <BASE>
_Park04 <BASE>
_Park05 <BASE>

[HookLoc]
0 1 0 -1.000000 0 0 0 0 1 -43.3880 -11.9147 13.0990
0 -1.000000 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 -43.3880 12.3412 13.0990
0 1 0 -1.000000 0 0 0 0 1 -50.6466 -11.9147 13.0990
0 -1.000000 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 -50.6466 12.3412 13.0990
0 1 0 -1.000000 0 0 0 0 1 -57.1262 -11.9147 13.0990
0 -1.000000 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 -57.1262 12.3412 13.0990
0 1 0 -1.000000 0 0 0 0 1 -64.4154 -11.9147 13.0990
0 -1.000000 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 -64.4154 12.3412 13.0990
0 0 1 0 -1.000000 0 1 0 0 -39.9366 -14.8676 15.1873
0 0 1 0 -1.000000 0 1 0 0 -74.5444 -15.0145 15.1873
0 0 1 0 -1.000000 0 1 0 0 -102.2797 -10.3165 15.1873
0 0 1 0 -1.000000 0 1 0 0 -102.2797 10.8386 15.1873
0 0 1 0 -1.000000 0 1 0 0 -74.5444 16.3357 15.1873
0 0 1 0 -1.000000 0 1 0 0 -39.9366 16.7226 15.1873
These will need to be adjusted to fit Hosho correctly but its not far off.
With these settings the aircraft now spawn on the deck.
TakeOff Hook on Hull1.msh needs lowering slightly so that when aircraft spawns wheels are closer to the deck.



Ashe

[GJE52]

Interesting, I tried this type of adjustment on the Colossus and it made no difference to the spawn points, have I missed something here ?

[asheshouse]

_Park00, _Park01 etc define the area where the aircraft spawn, so moving one point may not make much difference. You need to move the whole group.

Note the Hook points have a pivot rotation, so the x coord sets the position along the deck and the y coordinate is the offset from the centreline.

I spent a long time fiddling with these to get the aircraft to spawn correctly on HMS Eagle, which has a fairly short flight deck and is also quite narrow.

[GJE52]

By "whole group" do you mean every _Parkxx setting by the same amount ?

edit: sorted the problem, the _Park hooks define the actual corners and two mid points on the sides of the spawn box - not the individual spawn points.

What do the TOWO points do ?

[asheshouse]

No.   You can apply different shifts to different _park hooks, but as you make the area narrower or shorter in length the number of aircraft which will spawn is reduced.

The number of spawning aircraft is controlled by class files, including the Carrier Takeoff Mod if installed. It varies depending on the aircraft type selected, so you need to check correct operation with each aircraft type relevant to the particular carrier.

[western0221]

Thanks!!
OK, now I can fly.

I cannot see any _Park** or LPark** Hooks in the Hull*.msh files.
Without _Park00, _Park01 etc Hooks the aircraft do not know where to spawn on the deck.

I write _Park** Hook (in Max make a new Hook and Maraz's .cfg)

_Park** Hook's rules are difficult.
When without ashehouse's Eagle sample, I can't solve it ever.

• _Park00 is right-front , 01-02 clockwise 02-03 is tail, 03-04 reverse to front in left, _Park05 is left-front
• several _Park**'s X,Z positions are same OK, but Y positions are need to be a bit different. At first, I make "a BOX" 00,01,02 have equal Y and 03,04,05 have equal Y, then not work.

[western0221]

So, now I make _Park00-05 parameters here

Code: [Select]

0 0 1 0 -1.000000 0 1 0 0 -18.1280 -11.9000 13.2020
0 0 1 0 -1.000000 0 1 0 0 -41.8616 -11.9500 13.2020
0 0 1 0 -1.000000 0 1 0 0 -68.5966 -12.0000 13.2020
0 0 1 0 -1.000000 0 1 0 0 -68.3983 12.2766 13.2020
0 0 1 0 -1.000000 0 1 0 0 -42.0045 12.2270 13.2020
0 0 1 0 -1.000000 0 1 0 0 -18.1005 12.1770 13.2020


[asheshouse]

What do the TOWO points do ?[/color]

_TOW00a and _TOW00b define each end of an arrestor wire
The rotation is critical -- RotZ so that the y-axis points at the other end of the wire.

I have not figured out yet what _Light00, _Light01 and Light02 are for.

Ashe