Project First add on attempt: Narn Bin'tak

[Motherbrain]

As stated I've decided when it comes to being part of the Obiter community I need to stop talking the talk and start walking the walk.

Its time to contribute some effort to my new friends here.

After downloading the awesome Mesh-maker add-on I THINK I may have successfully converted the Celestia Narn Bin'tak model to a Orbiter compatible msh. file. I am, of course going the spacecraft3 route and I may need some help with the configuration file, placing thrusters textures and such. But first I have encountered my first problem. How can I convert the Celestia JPEG files into Orbiter DDS files?

I am not able to spend any money on new programs and second I have no interest in signing up or subscribing to any strange websites or special downloaders so if I must download extra tools can they please be free to use?



Thanks.

 

[Urwumpe]

Nice choice, the Bin'Tak is my favorite battleship in Babylon 5 Wars. Fairly cheap, but a nice punch.

AFAIR, the DDSTools by Nvidia also take JPG.

 

[Motherbrain]

Thank you Urwumpe. Yah I've always wanted this ship but I probably should have attempted a Narn space station first, more simple to configure. :lol:
This add-on probably wont have docking ports or engine exhaust textures unless you know of a free mesh viewing tool.

 

[Motherbrain]

Haha ok. So I made the sc3 config and the regular vessel config to get the ship in a scenario and placed the mesh and textures were they needed to go. I tried to add the ship to the sim and it crashed! :lol:
Ok back to the digital drawing board, can you tell me what might be wrong?
I suspect I may have the mesh configured wrong...to many shadows maybe? I need a mesh viewing program.

View attachment Narn Bintak.zip

 

[n122vu]

Paint.NET. It's free, and does a great job saving in .DDS format - the functionality is included natively in the program, no need for a plugin.

 

[Motherbrain]

Thanks to the link provided by n122vu my texture problem is solved.
But now I have encountered another problem.
Like I said when I tried opening the new ship Orbiter crashed.
I looked at the log and it said "mesh not found". Shure enough the mesh file was 0kb.:lol: I suspect the converter program I'm using is to blame.
I'm using the program. "Mesh maker 2.0".

http://www.orbiter-forum.com/showthread.php?t=12185&highlight=mesh+converter

---------- Post added at 11:11 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:09 PM ----------

Gents I'm sorry I even tried. I've searched the web high and low and I cant find a simple 3ds. to msh. converter that's free, simple and actually works ANYWHERE!! I cant also seem to get Msh_Maker to work ether.
I'm afraid I may have to drop the project soon if I cant get this model converted...
I got my config and such to work. I have a GQuan cruiser now named Bin'tak and is much more heavy, I just need that Celestia model converted!

---------- Post added 10-13-13 at 12:43 AM ---------- Previous post was 10-12-13 at 11:11 PM ----------

what does Stevcast use to convert his Celestia models?

 

[RisingFury]

IIRC, there's a 3ds to msh converter for Anim8or. You'll have to download Anim8or and install the addon for it. IIRC, it's as simple as tossing a few files into the Anim8or directory.

 

[Motherbrain]

AHH great thanks I'll look for it! IIRC
Although a link would help. :lol: Anim8or is kind of an obscure program...

---------- Post added at 03:38 AM ---------- Previous post was at 03:17 AM ----------

what wait! IIRC: if I remember correctly! That's what that means!
UGH! :facepalm::lol::lol:
Ok so can you send me the link to that "IIRC" plugin. :lol:

 

[Motherbrain]

Great! After searching these forums from top to bottom I finally got Wings3D with the msh. export to work. I finally have the mesh in Orbiter and now come my next set of problems...



First as you can see their are no textures despite having the DLL files in their proper positions in the textures folder.
And although you cant see it in the picture the mesh itself is not facing the right way in the sim.
First I need to get those textures on the mesh then I need to face it the right way. Any advice?

 

[Loru]

Slow down

You have 3ds file so you can import it to Anim8or, rotate it 180 degrees and re-export.

Also first read OrbiterSDK\Doc\3dmodel.pdf where you have overview of mesh format including materials.

 

[Motherbrain]

I have anim8tor but when I try to open the mesh it gives me an "E" word
If I need that plugin I CANT FIND IT ANYWHERE!! Anim8tor is such an old and obscure program its hard to find anything for it.
If you know were the plugin is PLEASE SEND A LINK!

 

[Loru]

[ame="http://www.orbithangar.com/searchid.php?ID=2698"]http://www.orbithangar.com/searchid.php?ID=2698[/ame]

 

[Motherbrain]

...It was right here:blink:....:facepalm:
Thanks Loru.:lol:
But the texture part might be the real test here.
I'm reading the Manual in question and all I'm getting is I have to MANUALLY punch in the texture names into the mesh file....ouch...
I'll keep reading it and I'll try to figure it out but you may end up needing to guide me thru this. :compbash2:

 

[Loru]

Hmm - this mesh isn't well optimized for orbiter. I see many duplicate materials (same texture and properties but different name - also almost 400 meshgroups. I'd recomend merging groups with same texture into single meshgroups having single material (keep in mind that single meshgroup shouldn't exceed 64000 polygons).

---------- Post added at 11:51 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:49 PM ----------

Model looks great though:

 

[Motherbrain]

...How long did it take you to do that?...:blink:

 

[Kendo]

Motherbrain, if your using a 3ds file from Celestia Motherlode, your lucky, it will be so simple to convert to Orbiter mesh. as all the textures will already be mapped for you.
In An8 load up the 3ds file and set the left view option, and if the model doesn,t face left, rotate it until it does.
Then select all, then press the ungroup button, then the convert to mesh button, and save as Orbiter mesh.
Then convert the textures to DDS.

 

[Motherbrain]

Ah thank for that Kendo! But first though I need to know how to install the msh. plugin for anim8or (I'm such a noob :blush
Does the application need to go into a separate folder with the plugin file or something?

I'm sorry if all this is annoying but I really just starting to learn something like this. Actually this is the most complex thing I've EVER done on a computer (and I thought making addons for X-plane was tricky:lol

 

[Loru]

That's the same meshfile you had from Celestia Motherlode. I just rendered it in 3dsMax..

I noticed it's rotated wrong way for orbiter.

Kendo - yeah -simple export will do but modell will be resource heavy (almost 400 meshgroups and materials). Optimization is needed. I'd love to add some ambient occlusion maps to it however that would require retexturing the thing.

 

[Motherbrain]

I'm gett'n there!
The mesh is now complete and facing the right way...
Now for the textres....any tips...

 

[Motherbrain]

Guys I'm having troubles getting the textures from the 3ds to the msh.
When I put the 3ds and the textures in the same file to convert them in Anim8tor they show up in the program and I did all the steps Kendo issued me.
However when the time comes to convert it to a mesh I have to use Wings3D because the plugin script for Anim8tor doesn't work.
The textures, whilst the model is still in a 3ds format, show up fine in Wings however when I try to convert the file to a mesh in Wings with the textures It starts to convert it then gives me an error! Now what??