Dynaverse.net
Taldrenites => Starfleet Command Models => Topic started by: ModelsPlease on September 01, 2006, 02:58:33 pm
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Help Please. I don't know what to do. Also a list of programs (hopefully free ones) that I may need.
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There are several BIG problems in converting KA models:
You need to find a program that can read lightwave scene files .lws not just lightwave object files .lwo. It is hard to find a program that will read .lws files, I do not know of any free ones that can.
KA models are made up of several submodels that are separate objects (.lwo files) combined as a scene (.lws file). The folder with the .lws file (usually named High) contains a subfolder OBJ that has the .lwo files in it. Milkshape can only import 1 .lwo file at a time so you can not get the whole model. :'(
KA textures are kept in a separate folder and do not have descriptive names like fcl1.bmp This makes it very difficult to find the textures needed by a model. KA uses many shared stock textures and many mods only include the textures that are different than stock textures so you have to keep all the stock textures available in case you need them. This means that you have to buy a copy of the game (hard to find and expensive. It uses 6 CD's! :o but all of the program files are on disk one,
so if you find an copy for sale that is missing any of the other disks it will do to get the models and textures from.) Then you need to download the Decomplier program to extract the files from the single data file.
KA damage textures do not have a standard format. For example the damage texture for the stock texture 00wbt.bmp is 00wbtd.bmp but the damage texture for the stock texture 00free1.bmp is 00gree1.bmp! So it can be hard to know if you are dealing with a regular and a damage texture or 2 separate textures. :huh:
I stopped even trying to convert KA mods because I found that there were already better SFC models available for most of the ships. All most all of the the stock SFC models up to OP are the same as the stock KA models anyway and they have been converted to SFC 3 already.
If you want the challange you can try converting, :-\ but it would be easier to just make your own model, IMHO.
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actually there is a good free one. whether or not u can still find it or nor is rather debateable. butbut i knows i have it somewhere. it is a P I A cause ull convert it out its original format then into anther then u could be fine. ill have to look it up for u MP thought i gave it to long ago. must have missed it . one of my many tricks on conversions. but if u cant find it i have it somewhere ill look. otherwise ull need to get right hemispheres deep exploration 3 or newer.
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One more thing, if a KA mod is just a re-texture of the stock model sometimes you can cut and paste, reassemble and rename to the standard SFC texture names and use the stock SFC model.
For example Gul Sukat (I think that is the name, I'm not sure) made a number of re-textures to create Russian ship (a connie as the "Lenin" etc) and a nice pair of fed frigates in civil war designs as the R.E. Lee and the USS Grant (makes a great match-up for beginning cadets at Starfleet academy ;D ;D) whose textures could easily be made to work on the stock SFC models.
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Mani !!!!!!!!! LTNS yeah I never got that program from ya. Much appreciated if ya could set it to me. I'll do a search and try to find it as well.
Exadvent, I'm not trying to convert stock KA models, the models I wish to convert are NEW and pretty nice IMHO. And yes I have seen that one guys Russian models for KA and agree they're not worth ports. The ones I have are though ;).
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Well, I wish you luck, just wanted to give you all the information I could. Just remember that if you find references to texture files that you can't find they are likly to be stock textures.
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Well, I wish you luck, just wanted to give you all the information I could. Just remember that if you find references to texture files that you can't find they are likly to be stock textures.
Thanks, all the info was most helpful. :)
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How's this going MP? I hope you have K'thyla's KA Models in mind for converting...
Qapla!
KF
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what about converting the LWO's and merging the models? youd just need to save them as MS's format and then work your way from there barring other things :)
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How's this going MP? I hope you have K'thyla's KA Models in mind for converting...
Qapla!
KF
Absolutely KF, so far with Rod O'Neal's help it's going well. I'll let you all know if any progress is made. ;)
what about converting the LWO's and merging the models? youd just need to save them as MS's format and then work your way from there barring other things
Been there, done that, didn't work :'(
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Mailed that ftr back to you, MP. Did it arrive?