First go at vehicle building

[AntJam]

Ok so started playing round with blender about 2 weeks ago. Ran through the noob to pro tutorials and came up with this. Was intended to be an ambulance (had an idea for a clinic/hospital map), although it's come out with a more miltary flavour. Feedback always welcome.

[krilain]

Cool, and I love the idea of an hospital map, moreover if it includes thr possibility to grab medikits for free all over the map.

[H-Hour]

The model looks promising and could work well with a good texture. To make it feel less military-like, try making the front windshield and side-windows larger. There should be very little "body" at the front and mostly window, for maximum visibility.

Also, since your model is pretty low poly (good - it doesn't need a complex body), you could use more polys to make those wheels rounder.

[Nutter]

You could also try eliminating the A pillar completely, merging the windshield and side windows.
Given the vehicle's purpose and it being seventy or so years in the future, I can see (read: hope) those things going away by then.

Also, for some reason, I am seriously reminded of the VW van. Pretty sure you know which one.

[AntJam]

Thanks Nutter funnily enough my original concept idea was a wrap-around screen...somehow it got lost in the Blender wrestling. And yeah either a complete lack of windows (all visibilty camera/nightvision based) or all window with augmented reality displays and very little body (for private vehicles) seems to be on the cards.

H-Hour thanks, been dreading the texture side done a few (very rough) tries and it completely changes the character of the model might get some cheeky re-uses (fire truck/riot van/Tv truck) with minimal geometry changes. So looks like Gimp's going to get a good workout eventually.
Yep pretty low poly around the 800 mark before optimisation. And as for the wheels in http://ufoai.org/forum/index.php/topic,6861.0.html (bottom post first page) you suggest making seperate models for the wheels so I'll give that a try if its still applicable. Anyway thanks for the feedback.

[AntJam]

update...gave the front and side windows some tweaking and did a rough render as a guideline

[AntJam]

wow been a while...anyhoo  I have shelved vehicle building for now, just too big a project for someone with so little experience so I decided to start smaller and made a new DF_clip model (see image) so made the model in blender and used gimp to enhance the UV image. However after exporting the model to md2 in game it appears red and transparent.
    Wondered if anyone else has had a similar problem

[H-Hour]

I'm not that familiar with Gimp but do vaguely recall having similar problems. Try checking the channels. I think Gimp may add an alpha channel even if it is unnecessary, but I'm not sure. Failing that, you can try to work around it by adjusting the settings when saving in PNG. If you see any settings for transparency turn them off.

[geever]

wow been a while...anyhoo  I have shelved vehicle building for now, just too big a project for someone with so little experience so I decided to start smaller and made a new DF_clip model (see image) so made the model in blender and used gimp to enhance the UV image. However after exporting the model to md2 in game it appears red and transparent.
    Wondered if anyone else has had a similar problem

I don't do modelling but based on the symptoms you said it can be due the texture path. IIRC the texture path should not contain any extension so for texture df_clip.png or df_clip.jpg the texture path should be ".df_clip" (confirm) the system will search files with supported extensions to use.

-geever

[AntJam]

After some testing I figured out you have to re-name the image file used in  blender UV editing to .laserrifle_clip then the standard exporter options work fine (skin names set to "data block name").
       So to clarify the DF mag model is called laserrifle_clip.md2 (for some reason) the skin is called laserrifle_clip.jpg and the UV image in blender is called .laserrifle_clip (the dot at the front is important and no file extention)
   thanks to geever and H-Hour for your prompt responses

[H-Hour]

Glad you got it sorted. Just a heads up: you should use .png, not .jpg. JPG often saves space, but introduces lots of ugly visual artifacts.

[AntJam]

latest update .... I have finished my adv. laserrifle and adv. clip they are working in game at the moment as replacements for the existing rifle and clip so just need to work out the file alterations to make them a researchable standalone weapon

[H-Hour]

Cool! Off the top of my head, here's the definitions you'll need to add the custom weapon:

Code: [Select]

/* Research tech for your custom laser rifle */
tech rs_weapon_custom_laserrifle
{
type "weapon"
up_chapter equipment

description {
default "*msgid:custom_laserrifle_txt"
}
pre_description {
default "*msgid:custom_laserrifle_pre_txt"
}

mail_pre
{
from "*msgid:mail_from_paul_navarre"
to "*msgid:mail_to_base_commander"
// subject defined by "name" (which in turn is parsed from weapon*.ufo files)
icon "icons/mail_tech"
}

mail
{
from "*msgid:mail_from_paul_navarre"
to "*msgid:mail_to_base_commander"
// subject defined by "name"
icon "icons/mail_tech"
}

require_AND
{
tech rs_laser
tech rs_skill_assault
tech rs_alien_body_armour
}
provides custom_laserrifle
time 2000
producetime 50
}

/* Research tech for your custom laser ammo */
tech rs_weapon_laserammo
{
type "weapon"
up_chapter equipment

description {
default "*msgid:custom_laser_ammo_txt"
}
pre_description {
default "*msgid:custom_laser_ammo_pre_txt"
}

mail_pre
{
from "*msgid:mail_from_paul_navarre"
to "*msgid:mail_to_base_commander"
// subject defined by "name" (which in turn is parsed from weapon*.ufo files)
icon "icons/mail_tech"
}

mail
{
from "*msgid:mail_from_paul_navarre"
to "*msgid:mail_to_base_commander"
// subject defined by "name"
icon "icons/mail_tech"
}
require_AND
{
tech rs_laser
tech rs_damage_laser
tech rs_alien_body_armour
}
provides custom_laser_ammo
time 750
producetime 15
}

/* Equipment definition for custom laser rifle */
item custom_laserrifle
{
name "_Custom Laser Rifle"
model "weapons/custom_laserrifle/custom_laserrifle"
weapon true
type "rifle"
animationindex 1
holdtwohanded false
firetwohanded true
shape "0 0 5 1"
shape "0 1 4 1"
center "4.5 0 .5"
scale 1.26
ammo 28
reload 14
reloadsound "weapons/reload-rifle"
price 2500
size 35
is_primary true
weight 2.5
}

/* Equipment definition for custom laser ammo */
item custom_laser_ammo
{
name "_Custom D-F Cartridge"
model "weapons/custom_laserrifle/custom_laserrifle_clip"
type "ammo"
animationindex 0
shape "0 0 1 2"
center "0 0 0"
scale 1.8
price 210
size 7
is_primary true
dmgtype "laser"
weight 0.3

weapon_mod
{
weapon custom_laserrifle
firedef
{
name "_Wave Fire"
skill "assault"
projtl laserBeam
impact laserImpact
hitbody laserImpact
firesnd "weapons/laser-medium"
impsnd "impact/laser-impact"
bodysnd "impact/laser-bodyimpact"
speed 0
spread "0.8 0.8"
crouch 0.85
range 200
shots 1
ammo 2
time 8
damage "62 10"
dmgweight "laser_medium"
reaction true
}
firedef
{
name "_Pulsed Fire"
skill "assault"
projtl laserBeam
impact laserImpact
hitbody laserImpact
firesnd "weapons/laser-medium"
impsnd "impact/laser-impact"
bodysnd "impact/laser-bodyimpact"
delaybetweenshots 6
speed 0
spread "0.9 0.9"
crouch 0.85
range 200
shots 3
ammo 6
time 12
damage "62 10"
dmgweight "laser_medium"
reaction true
}
}
}

/* Research texts for custom laser rifle and ammo */
msgid custom_laserrifle_pre_txt {
text "_Enter your pre-research text here"
}
msgid custom_laserrifle_txt {
text "_Enter your post-research text here"
}
msgid custom_laser_ammo_pre_txt {
text "_Enter your pre-research text here"
}
msgid custom_laser_ammo_txt {
text "_Enter your post-research text here"
}

You should be able to save this as a yourfile.ufo file, add it to your /mods/yourmod/ufos/ folder and load the mod in game. If you're still on 2.4, though, you'll have to add this file to /base/ufos/yourfile.ufo. It's possible that it won't work as one combined file, in which case the tech entries should go in base/ufos/research.ufo, the item entries in base/ufos/weapons_laser.ufo and the msgids in /base/ufos/msgids/weapons.ufo.

[ShipIt]

Looks cool. I like the red->green capacity display bar at the magazine most. 

[AntJam]

thanks H-hour for that I'll get working on that.
thanks Shipit...the power bar is there so when those sneaky aliens attack your base you know that mag you grabbed from down the back of the sofa and slapped in your rifle isnt a dud 

I was planning to balance the Adv. Laser rifle to straddle the plasma rifle...normal fire mode slightly weaker, an 'overcharge' fire mode (increase TU and ammo cost) higher than the plasma and a Pulse mode ( 4 rounds high TU/ammo cost) with similar damage to normal mode but with a higher Random value . Not to replace the plasma weapon but to offer an extra option for larger more open maps where accuracy helps. And of course for people like me who just think the laser effects and sounds are cool    .

Next I'm thinking of an upgraded flamethrower - Plasmathrower possibly powered by an antimatter mag.

hopefully I'll have a small weapon mod to post shortly after 2.5 gets released.