Modelling ships....

.X is just direct X format. It's a graphics file even though you can view with an text editor. Anyways you can make models in most 3D programs and then convert to .X format.

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Space Empires Depot | Space Food Empires!

3dsm should be able to export to .x
if not there will definatly be a plugin or converter of some sort on the net.
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an se5a is a ww1 fighter, it is also a car.

I used a combination of milkshape and lithunwrap when I was tinkering with the ships in Star Fury, I successfully managed to create a fully working textured ship. After you get used to the scaling, positioning and then setting up the componant placement for the first time. The next time becomes a lot easier.

3dsm is overkill for it (and costs 1 1/2 grand stirling), go with something cheap and easy.

Your lord and master (below Foamy) LordHavoc

Here are some links for you:
http://wiki.spaceempires.net/index.php/Wings_3D_.X_Exporter
http://wiki.spaceempires.net/index.php/Art_of_Illusion_.X_Exporter
Blender (also free) can export .X as well
LOL, Foamy! I remember Foamy!

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Mr. Flibble says...
Game over, boys!

Here is a great tutorial to get you started:
http://www.spaceempires.net/home/ftopict-641.html

Courtesy of David Gervais via spaceempires.net

I just checked out that anim8or software along with the tutorial. I recommend checking out that tutorial. I like the anim80r software, it's simplicity (compared to the likes of milkshape and 3dsm) would allow for quickly creating shipsets.

At the bottom it mentions using lithunwrap to convert from anim8or files to .x files. I also add my recommendation to that, having used it myself successfully in Star Fury.

I'm gonna tinker for a while and then finish this mammoth game i'm having on SEIV (four top races including myself...and non of them like each other, but they all like me . Just waiting for a good time to screw everything up ^_^ )

Your lord and master (below Foamy) LordHavoc

I like to use metasoquia.
I only mentiond 3DSM because Crian said he used it, and I agree, it's overkill for this sort of thing. not only is it pricy, but there's so many fetures hiding the simple tools.
here's a link to meta
http://www.metaseq.net/english/index.html
the sharware version has more fetures, but you can't save as anything but .mgo
the freeware version has less fetures, but will convert and save to a .X
you can create in the shareware version, and load it in the freeware and convert. but if you like it I would encorage you to buy the shareware one, it's at a reasonable price.

there are two parts to modelng, first is creating the shape. this is easy depending on how quickly you can learn to think in points, lines, and faces. and 3d shapes (I started building model stick and tissue aircraft off plans when I was just a young tike, so this came easy to me)

the second is the texturing, which can be a little more complex, since there are a couple of ways to do it. doing a UV map is probibly the most efficiant once you lean how to do it.

an se5a is a ww1 fighter, it is also a car.

I still have a hope that boys from Malfador will create "Ship creator" or something...

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You may fire when ready...

If Lithunwrap opens .mgo's then there shouldn't be a problem. Basically lithunwrap is very simple, yet powerful tool for texturing and I use it as a universal converter.

Your lord and master (below Foamy) LordHavoc

I think you can save files useing the DoGA program to make .x files, but I never tried it yet.

Crian wrote:

The X Files are the ones for the models right? They're a huge file full of numbers which I can't even begin to understand . Does anyone know how? Or is there a tutorial for this that has been done already in the past? I know some 3D modelling but with 3DS Max, not a text file....

I also use 3DS Max. To export to .x files you'll need to get the Pandasoft Exporter plugin from here: http://www.andytather.co.uk/Panda/directxmax.aspx

Max comes with some great tutorials, BTW. Check out the ones under "Tutorials for Gaming Professionals"

1. Modelling a Low-Polygon Spaceship
2. Adding Textures to the Spaceship with Unwrap UVW

I also found this tutorial at scifi-meshes.com to be helpful:

http://www.scifi-meshes.com/forums/member-tutorials/5731-how-make-uvw-texture-map-3ds.html

For making X fiels you can use Truespace 3d (free downlaod of older versions), 3D Max or any other 3D program.
Most of them support saving or loading of .X files.

When you save as .X, be sure to use save as ASCII option.

For texturing either UV map it in 3DMAx or use Lithium Unwrapper. It can open almost any model type, apply a texture to it and save it as a .X.

I tried adding a ship to the demo, but something is wrong with the texture methinnks...the ship is invisible

One more thing - the game models are usually around 500 polygons. That's rather low (this coming from a experienced modder) but I suggest you don't overdo it. Stay below 1000 polys (if they don't optimize the engine).. otherwise you can go crazy, but there allways is a limit.

I actually used a third LOD of this ship fr the SEV demo...LOL (I'm not about to put in a 9999 poly ship in there with multiple textures, now am I?)
http://img367.imageshack.us/img367/5562/paladin0sh.jpg

and here are a few more I plan on putting in (with much less detail of course)
http://img217.imageshack.us/img217/6347/retrib8du.jpg
http://img176.imageshack.us/img176/5562/3Terrors.jpg
http://img296.imageshack.us/img296/3972/galaxyshow6jt.jpg
http://img323.imageshack.us/img323/1452/archangel20hj.jpg
http://img265.imageshack.us/img265/1843/battleship28ej.jpg
http://img294.imageshack.us/img294/80/repcruisernew5ag.jpg

Dang, still can't get it to work properly.. I'm missing something.

Oh well, at least my UFO Aftershock and Frespace 2 mods are working

Sorry I am a crappy artist, but I can tell you that this shipset you are working on is 10x better than anything in the stock game (demo actually). The Archangel design just screams of war and victory and the galaxyshow is a good looking carrier. I would make the set a bit brighter, more like the galaxyshow6jt.jpg pictures. I know being darker makes the ship look stealthy and bad, but with this quality we will want to see the detail.

The game needs shipsets badly, and I'm looking forward to this one.

Given that the SE V ships have generaly around 500 polys and are made with a single 256x256 texture that's no surprise..

I can pull any stock ship from Freespace 1 and 2 and they would look 10x times better.

If I were to pull Freespace 2 SCP ships then it would be 100 times better, as they generally reach 5000-10000 polygons and use multiple 1024x1024 textures...

That said, I consider the stock ships in SE V pretty bland and simple. The space combat is over too soon (should last at least twice as long) for any real tactical consideration, not to mantion there's a big lack of fixed mounts.
At least that could be easily added in a new patch (ship fire points allready have fixed fire axes - so you would jsut have to restict fixed mount weapons to forward facing axes)

That said, I still hvan't bought the full game and I don't know when (or if) I will put the ship in. If I do they will have severely reduced detail, unless the final game has a far more optimized engine than the Demo had...

b.t.w. - anyone put a new ship in the game so far?

Have not tried a custom ship, but I can tell you that the full game engine is the same as the demo. Also the V1.05 patch, soon to be released, fixed item list is available and I do not remember anything on graphics engine optimization.

It is a great game though and always has always put strategy and game play ahead of graphics.

If you like deep turn based strategy I would buy it.

trashman - check the .x file is correctly pointing to the texture map. (open it in notepad and search for the texture file)

this might not be the problem, but just a hunch...

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an se5a is a ww1 fighter, it is also a car.

I just had to register to tell you those are very good models. Hopefully they will be available for down load someday. Someday I'll get around to my "realism" mod!

Has anyone figured out how to put a spinal mount into the game? I mean one that forces the ship to only be able to fire in the direction that particular weapon is facing... while allowing turreted guns to fire in any direction. That was one of the three good points of MOO3 (of course, they stole it from homeworld )

"Genius is Simplicity" chris connors
"To win without fighting is best" sun tsu
those who think they know everything are annoying to those of us who do

Take this for what it's worth. (approximately 1 KRW)

Couldn't you set the forward firing arc to 0 and 0? Then the ship would have to be pointed at the enemy to fire. This from a quick perusal of the X files. With the turrets on the sides of the ship, they could have 0 to 180 and 180 to 360 firing arcs. (Although with my luck, I'd shoot my a$$ off trying to kill the guy behind me.)

Death, destruction, mayhem and confusion. Another perfect day.

The problem seem to be that the ship's hardpoints are for all weapons, from missiles to point defense. As far as i know, we can't restrict any weapon to any facing. Besides spinal ships would struggle greatly after the initial contact, ships tend to circle each others (even more obvious in my mod)...