Once you've downloaded the Zip File, unzip it and paste the File into your Milkshape Folder which should be C:\Programs\MilkShape 3D 1.8.4. Now you can open Milkshape.


Don't worry, there will be less Text now.

Go to File->Import and select Freelancer CMP Importer 2.7



Now another Window should open.



Before you click on "Model" to import the Ship's File, you'll have to go to Hardpoints and take the Tick out of "Import". Otherwise they would be imported and you can't remove them. The Files are easy to find, just go to C:\Programs\Microsoft Games\Freelancer\DATA\SHIPS. Here you can find all Files for the Ships. If you wish to render a Station choose STATIONS instead of SHIPS. For the Tutorial I will now take the Sabre as Example. You continue with going to BORDER_WORLDS then BW_VHEAVY_FIGHTER.

To import the Ship, choose the File ending with .cmp (careful now, this Folder contains two CMP Files, one of them should not be there). In this Case you should open the "bw_vheavy_fighter" Milkshape will automatically load the Model and all the Texture Files. NOTE: Don't be scared, it's fairly common that Milkshape could now crash or just die. Sometimes it will take Ages to load the Texture Files, sometimes it just closes without actually saying something.

Your Milkshape should now look like this



You'll see that your Sabre is having no Textures at all. No don't think you've made something wrong or that I am just telling Garbage with saying it will load the Textures by itself. Just right click on the Window where your Ship is in and select "Textured". Now you have a fully textured Sabre. You can also maximize the Window.



Before we export the Render you'll have to get rid of the Grid and the Axis. Otherwise you'd export these as well. Right click again and take out the Ticks.



To export the Ship, meaning to ready it up for Autodesk 3ds you'll go to Files -> Export and then select Wavefront OBJ. Now give your Files a Name (best would be using the Ship's name) and save them. Now you can close Milkshape, don't worry about saving it. We only need the OBJ File.



Next Part will be continued in the next Post.

Once you've clicked on Import the Ship will be displayed and should look like this.



Now you will see, like in Milkshape four Windows. Three of them show the Sabre in a Wireframe Model from different Sides. To make it easier you should stretch the Window with the textured Sabre and maximize it.



Moving the Ship

On the Top right you will notice a Cube with a Circle around it. Using that Cube you can spin the Camera around the Sabre. Using the Mouse Wheel to zoom in and out. You can also select each Side and the Camera will center onto it. By clicking onto "Back" the Camera will move in front of the Sabre.

Changing Texture

You'll see different Balls with all the Textures. You'll see, they are all the Textures which are placed on the Sabre. Just select the Cockpit's Glass Texture, which should be called "bw_glass".



In this Window you can see various Settings for the Texture, but we are only interested in the Opacity of that Texture. Changing it to something between 40 and 50% should make the Texture look like Glass.



Now we can finish the Render, move the Ship or the Camera you like and make it look awesome. Something like this for Example.



Now, to get the Render Progress started, press F10 and a new Window will open.

Now you've got your Image which should look like this

Here we have what happened. You imported the File into Autodesk and want to save it, but now this. What do?


Easy, you leave the Render Menu and go back into the Texture Window by pressing M. You'll see a purely white Globe instead of seeing any Texture. Select the Globe and click on the White Field to open the Colour Menu. Now you change from purely white to pitch black and close it.


Select the Globe and click on the White Field to open the Colour Menu. Now you change from purely white to pitch black and close it.


No press F10 again and open the Render Menu, render the Station and see, you've fix'd it.