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+--- Forum: Discovery Mod General Discussion (https://discoverygc.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?fid=37)
+--- Thread: Wireframes (/showthread.php?tid=3327)
Wireframes - Tortured_Soul - 07-14-2007
++Update++
I got a wireframe in-game, still using the Corsair Gunboat to test this out, w00t! It works...kinda!
The wiremesh is a bit mangled. for some reason it looks like it's gona and joined all the vetices together so there's a huge "blob" of linesin the middle, looks really bad tbh, but worry not. I shall find a way of fixing this and getting a ful wire mesh for discovery, after I come home from work.
Wireframes - Death Shadow - 07-14-2007
hey good work. keep it up
Wireframes - Igiss - 07-14-2007
Wireframes are sort of an issue for Freelancer... none of the custom models I've encontered have them. There were many discussions on this subject at TLR, but I'm not sure about conclusion.
If there's a way to add good wireframes, I'll surely try to insert them into the mod.
Wireframes - Death Shadow - 07-14-2007
the wireframe on TLR looked pretty good 2 me. but i dont know anything about modelling
Wireframes - Tortured_Soul - 07-15-2007
There is a useful by-product of making the wireframes, and that is a lower poly model.
I've already had to tweak the Action6 model and downgrade it to use it in a wireframe, but rather than only use this lower grade model for the wireframes ONLY, it can be recycled into a SURface file (collision data) and (possibly) also as an extra LOD level. jUst as a sidenote. I know that there is a SUR converter (for some reason it's caled a splicer) 'cause I've seen a screenshot of what looks like a conversion menu for Milkshape, but I couldn't find it on TLR. If someone has it, or knows where it is, that could be useful ('cause unless I'm wrong the Corsair Gunboat uses a Train collision mesh, checked it in HardCMp and that's what it looked like anyway.
I've got an idea what might've been wrong with the wireframe, but it needs me to to go back do some model editing, not right though, right now, I'm going to bed (as soon as I've read all the hundred other new posts)
Wireframes - kiggles - 07-15-2007
' Wrote:Wireframes shouldn't bee too difficult (he said wisely (some famous last words if ever they were uttered)). It has an idiot guide on the download pageYea it has an Idiot guide but not a "Kiggles" guide...
But yea I just though bringing up wireframes might be a good idea as it is annoying that ships without them have such a big advantage when it comes to explosives.
Kiggles:mellow:
Wireframes - Tortured_Soul - 07-17-2007
No real progress with this since my last update, but I'm going to go ahead and share with you my theory on why the customs wireframes will not work properly.
I think it may be because the Disco custom models I've looked at have been "box modelled". By box modelled I mean they have been made up of several primitive objects which have been modified extruded, resized, moved and otherwise manipulated into shape, rather than using a single contiguous 'flowing' primitive.
Box modelling, when you open it in a 3D program, you can see where parts overlap and where they have been moved so that sections are hidden from view. Certain additional section just stop rather than 'flowing' with the rest of the shape (I'm repeating myself I know, but it's hard to articulate this idea to other people). It's done because it's easier to make models add details and because it saves polygons.
The way I think it needs to be done, is to take a single primitive, such as a plane and simply extrude all the sections out until it makes the full shape that you wish it to. Rather than using several primitives, sticking them on, hiding the bits you don't want seen and having bits "hanging loose" when you finish the model.
The tools I'm using to make the models, I think, are taking all these pieces that are hanging loose and are connecting them together. the result, is a huge mass of tangled wires in the middle where all the loose vertices and being connected to all the other loose vertices in the model. The basic outline, is still viewable, but it's too disrupted by the errors to be of any acceptable use.
What it comes down to is this, I don't have enough spare time on my hands to go and edit/remodel the ships in Disco into a format that I think MAY work, for getting wireframes into the game. It's just not do-able for me ATM. If i knew of a quick and easy way to run the conversion i would, but alas, I don't have that knowledge.
Anyone who does have the time and skill then please, do it, send me the wireframe model and I'll run it through the tool set to get it to work as best I can but for the moment, until I can find the time (and motivation) to get this done, I'm putting my involvement with this particular project on hold for the moment. If you want examples of what I mean, I'll take some screenies and I'll explain it better for you all.
EDIT: See what I mean, famous last words they were...
Wireframes - Vaporlinx - 07-17-2007
Has someone tried just converting the already existing models into the wireframe format?
Wireframes - kiggles - 07-17-2007
Ok I am probally getting this wrong and making my self look even stupider than usual (if possible) but are you saying that the wire frames do not work as the ships are made of multiple parts stuck together?
Or are you saying it wont work as they are Not made of multiple parts?
If it is the first one then I am confused as if I am not mistaken the original ships are made up of lots of differant parts which is why they fall apart when shot at.
Kiggles:wacko:
Wireframes - Tortured_Soul - 07-17-2007
![[Image: patriot4.jpg]](http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c220/Tortured_Soul101/patriot4.jpg)
The first image, obviously, is the Patriots side view. Extracted from the LOD0 section (Highest Res). If you look at it, you can see that all the different sections (cockpit, "tail feathers", main body, weapon mounts and so on) all flow into one another. They haven't been made separately and then put together just by sticking them in place and allowing for some over lap.
![[Image: action1.jpg]](http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c220/Tortured_Soul101/action1.jpg)
The action6 model has however just had multiple parts made separately and then overlapped into place, rather than having been extruded out for the same "flowing" construction that they Patriot has. I've highlighted the areas I'm talking about (farily obviously). you can see at the back, where the engines extend into the main chassis, they extend well into the body, and then just stop abruptly. they don't make any further connection once inside the model, because you don't get to se these parts in-game.
I think that the parts I've highlighted (plus a few other you can't see in the side view) have all connected together thus forming a huge mass of tangled wires in the middle of the model. I know why the model was made like this, 'cause it's the easiest and most memory efficient way, but they tools I'm using simply hate it, and respond as such. I reckon a "good" wireframe for this model should have around 300-400 wires, to get the basic shape structure plus a wee bit more. With the highlighted pieces joining together, it has 1756 lines. Which throws off your perception of the model and makes it incredibly difficult to make out.