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old Modelling

xweetok59
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Okay, now i didn't really like the buildings on stranded II. There are too less and they're all small. Now, i was thinking about this: Instead of complaining, make one myself!

Now, i don't really have any experience with moddeling. I am willing to learn some of it and watch some tutorials about it too to begin with.

But now, how does it exactly work? What program (freeware) can i use for this. In what files do i need to export it?

Well, i saw three files at the models in the GFX map. 1 B3D file, 1 BMP file and one 3DS (IIRC) file.

Now, could someone explain me how to make those 3? And where to add the code for the buildings?

Tysfm if u can help me.

old Re: Modelling

Hurri04
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well there are a few free modelling programs on the internet like e.g. blender.
I, for my part, think that Milkshape3d is a very good program for 3d modelling but you have to pay for it.

once you have created a model in such a program you have to export it into one of these formats:
• .b3d
• .3ds
• .x
all three of these work for Stranded 2 but '.3ds' sometimes has problems with textures and it doesnt support animations for units and '.x' isnt really used by anyone who is modding S2, as far as I know.

also, after you have created the raw model, you have to give it a texture in order to let it look nice. for this you can use any format the modelling program supports, the ones which are used most often are '.jpg', '.png' and '.bmp'.
these textures are linked within the model automatically, so you just have to put the textures into the same folder in which the models have to be (gfx).

to add the code for the buildings you have to edit the definition files in the sys folder.
you said that you are going to create a new building, so this would best fit into the "objects_buildings.inf" file.
just have a look at the other definitons of buildings in there, you will understand how it works pretty fast.
if you want to, you can try to copy an existing definition and then just modify the values/names you need, the most important ones are those definitions for the ID, the name and the model.

to create an icon, once all of this is done, you can use the editor-mode of S2, go in there, create a totally flat map with no grass but with a black ground, place the building, find a nice camera angle and make a screenshot using the 'print'-key on your keyboard.
I recommend using the program "IrfanView" for the next step, it is a free image viewing/editing programm. but of course, you can use any other tool you like.
paste the screenshot into the program, select the area where the building is and make it a square.
then resize this quare to 40*40 pixels, select all the black surroundings of the building (for this I recommend using GIMP), delete them, clear the boarders and fill the background completely black (RBG colours: 000).
then save it as a '.png'-image, put it into the gfx folder and write the path to the image into the definition script.

note: when modelling you should pay attention to the number of polygons/ planes/ triangles because for the best results this number shall be as high as needed but also as low as possible in order to save resources because S2 can only handle a limited amount of polys.

old Re: Modelling

xweetok59
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Thanks, but i don't really understand the part of the icon. Wait, an icon doesn't have anything to do with the building right? It' just the icon when you right click with an hammer, right...?

Oh and, how can i make it that when you right click a hammer, the building will show up at the "Buildings" section? Does that automatically happen when i add the building to the file you mentioned?

Oh, and i just added a new item, added it at the weapons file in the sys folder, but now, how can i aquire that item...?

And another problem is, i just downloaded a model for stranded II, it has 1. A b3d file in it. 2. A .max file and 3. A 3ds file in it.

Now my question is, do i have to make those 3? If yes, how?!

old Re: Modelling

Hurri04
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yes, you see the icon of a building only a few times, e.g. when you want to select it to build it or in the editor.
but it is important because you want to see what it is on the first sight so you dont need to hover the mouse over it so the name appears.

to be able to build a building you have to edit the "buildings.inf" file where you have to enter a new ID for the building, the ID of the building as an object (the one you defined in the objects_buildings.inf) and the amount of items and which type of items and such stuff.

to get the new weapon you added you either have to place it in the editor so you can collect it ingame or you have to write a new combination in the "combinations_weapons.inf" file so you can combine it yourself.

and if you downloaded a model in 3 different formats you have to decide which one you want to use. however, you just need one of them, but the '.max' file wont work with Stranded 2.

old Re: Modelling

xweetok59
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Hurri04 has written
yes, you see the icon of a building only a few times, e.g. when you want to select it to build it or in the editor.
but it is important because you want to see what it is on the first sight so you dont need to hover the mouse over it so the name appears.

to be able to build a building you have to edit the "buildings.inf" file where you have to enter a new ID for the building, the ID of the building as an object (the one you defined in the objects_buildings.inf) and the amount of items and which type of items and such stuff.

to get the new weapon you added you either have to place it in the editor so you can collect it ingame or you have to write a new combination in the "combinations_weapons.inf" file so you can combine it yourself.

and if you downloaded a model in 3 different formats you have to decide which one you want to use. however, you just need one of them, but the '.max' file wont work with Stranded 2.

Man, thanks for the help!

So, it's just or B3D or 3DS? But another question. Why does the gfx's of stranded II have both B3D and 3DS?

old Re: Modelling

Dragonsarecool
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Can't really give an opinion, but if you do make these new houses, mind PMing me the DL links for them?

old Re: Modelling

Hurri04
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@xweetok59:
Stranded 2 supports both of these formats so there might be some models in .b3d format and some in .3ds format in the gfx folder.

but I'd recommend using .b3d because it has no problems with the texture like .3ds has sometimes and it supports animations.

old Re: Modelling

xweetok59
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Dragonsarecool has written
Can't really give an opinion, but if you do make these new houses, mind PMing me the DL links for them?

Sorry, but no. I am using blender ATM. I still didn't even get 1% further with modelling that house. Damn, it is very hard to do. And i don't really like it that when i worked so hard on everything like everyone else just can use it... Okay, that's maybe weird but... I'll maybe release it later, if i EVER get it done.

old Re: Modelling

DannyDeth
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I use Blender and DeleD 3D together to make pretty nice models, you can also import/export b3d files so you can edit the original SII models as well

old Re: Modelling

Geez
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Download plugins and export to B3D

Links (i don't know if works in Blender but download works):

Or copy this code:
More >

and save into .py file
edited 1×, last 27.12.10 11:55:41 am

old Re: Modelling

DannyDeth
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Uuuh, your house is just a box... LOL
You should use s, r and e keys to do multiple different things, that way you would be able to actually go inside your 'house'

E = Extrude ( select 3 or more vertives so that they highlight a 'face' in the model and press to to extrude it ).
R = Rotate ( simple enough, i think )
S = Scale ( I use this tool a lot, if you ask me a lot of modeller's abuse it ).

old Re: Modelling

xweetok59
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DannyDeth has written
Uuuh, your house is just a box... LOL
You should use s, r and e keys to do multiple different things, that way you would be able to actually go inside your 'house'

E = Extrude ( select 3 or more vertives so that they highlight a 'face' in the model and press to to extrude it ).
R = Rotate ( simple enough, i think )
S = Scale ( I use this tool a lot, if you ask me a lot of modeller's abuse it ).

It LOOKS like a box It has no roof and no front wall thingy. Just 3 walls. And i also used Rotate and Scale and Extrude.
By the way, i want to add it to the stranded extension mod, but that mod only has the file "Buildings"...? So, where do i actually add this building in?
Okay, i added the building. You saw the screenshow, how it was supposed to look like, right? But now, why does it look like this:



http://img193.imageshack.us/img193/7079/naamloosuit.png

Any reason why this could be?
edited 1×, last 27.12.10 12:44:51 pm

old Re: Modelling

Hurri04
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well here is a Blender B3D Exporter Plugin, unfortunately the file is in german language but I guess once the plugin is installed this should be pretty easy to use sine it'll be in english language then (if I see this correctly on the screenshots...).

also, you have to put a texture on the model so it isnt pitch black any more. but this probably can wait for some time until you have created the entire model

old Re: Modelling

DannyDeth
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You will find that if you move around the object you can only see certain faces, right? It is because of texturing/non-3D walls. Your walls are not cubes, but squares, right? What is happening is what happens on all computers, it only draws one side, it happens all the time, if you import a file from the original SII, you will see that DC had to make a cube for the rook of the shelter/tent so that you couldn' see through, it is part of how 3D things are drawn.

old Re: Modelling

Hurri04
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you can simply use the definition "fx=16" so you cant see through the backside of normal faces.
by doing this you can save a lot of polys.

old Re: Modelling

xweetok59
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Hurri04 has written
well here is a Blender B3D Exporter Plugin, unfortunately the file is in german language but I guess once the plugin is installed this should be pretty easy to use sine it'll be in english language then (if I see this correctly on the screenshots...).

also, you have to put a texture on the model so it isnt pitch black any more. but this probably can wait for some time until you have created the entire model

The problem is, i actually made it. Exported to 3DS (that website you gave me didn't work, well, the link isn't on it). Here, up there somewhere, i posted a picture of how it was supposed to look like. Down there somewhere, i posted a picture of how it adventually looked. Adventuelly it just looked like a plane, a simpel 2D cubus. Still don't understand how to fix it.

old Re: Modelling

Hurri04
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@BigSid:
I dont see any problem with my post.
when creating a simple square in a 3d modelling programm, saving this as a model file for Stranded 2 and then writing the definitions for it without the line "fx=16" you can see the square only from one side.
but after you write this line into the definition you can see the square from both sides, even if you were only able to see one side in the 3d moddeling program.
by doing this you dont need to make boxes where you just want a very fine/small wall and as a box has more polys than simple plane you can save a lot of polys.

@xweetok59:
the link in the quote you just wrote links to a site here at unrealsoftware, its a file in the german file section and it works.
as I said I work with milkshape3d so I dont know much about blender, but the file says that it contains a script that allows it to export models into .b3d files with blender instead of .3ds files.
but as I also said, .3ds is also fine as long as you use it just for models because it doesnt support animations.
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