What's known about UFO:AM 3D models?

[Markavian]

Hey,

I've played UFO:AM through and started to scope the modding side of things. I'm a relatively experienced 3D modeller and I was wondering what people already knew about the 3D file formats that UFO:AM uses, and any advice for making a mod.

 

Regards,

- Markavian

[Slaughter]

Sorry this took so long, but I forgot all about it. You can find a plugin for Milkshape 3d in our files section or here. For extracting / adding the models, you'll find a guide here. Hope you'll make some stylish models for the game!

[Markavian]

Thanks very much for the advice.. I managed to read through the guide, and get all those programs/plugins installed.

 

Should be interesting trying to get texture maps working in Aftermath.

[Slaughter]

Black Almaz have made a lot of models for Aftermath if you need to ask anything.

[Shades of Green]

What max polycount/point count is allowed? And are multiple textures per object allowed?

 

Also, since I'm familiar with Anim8or, which exports in OBJ or 3DS formats, could these files be imported into MilkShape? I just have not enough money to lisence/buy Milkshape and not enough time to learn an entirely different program.

 

Two examples of my gun works (too high poly for UFO: AM, I'm afraid; about 500-900 poligons each):

https://www.musicexplosion.net/glen/Unifier.jpg

https://www.musicexplosion.net/glen/UZI.jpg

[Shades of Green]

BUMPsie?!

[Slaughter]

Those questions have to be answered by someone else, as I haven't a clue. Kret? Aralez?

 

Nice looking models by the way! Didn't see them last time I read the post.

[Kret]

Didn't reply here before because I already did to a similar thread about me not being much of a modeler... better make that nothing of a modeler. If none of those that did this sort of stuff are around much, your best option would try to get the answer directly from ALTAR itself.

[martin]

The polygon count really depends on the target hardware. The models in UFOAM certainly have fewer polygons but on a modern video card, 1k- polygon count is not a problem.

 

The plugin for MilkShape was not written by us and I really don't know anything about the program. For a long time, I am suggesting that the best way forward for modding community would be to have a converter from some familiar game format, e.g. Quake II. Then everybody could use GMax. At present, we don't have resources to write such a converter ourselves; we might think about the problem again when Aftershock is released (the data format is very similar to Aftermath).

[Pete]

Sounds cool martin. If you guys could look into it at a later date then modding community would increase dramatically

[Slaughter]

Please do Martin. I can't stress enough how important the modding community is! Look how many downloads the Rebalance mod gets. Over 100 in 10 days from this little site!

[Markavian]

I had a look at the reticulan models. The bodies are 600 polygons, I had a play with them in 3DSMax, but I was losing alot of information converting between milkshape and .3DS and .3DS back into Max. I'm not sure how the bones and joints are worked out and we'd have to get our hands on one of the source .max files from ALTAR if anyone wanted to add sensational new unit models - I was trying to beef up the reticulan model into a Muton.

 

As for weapons, 600 polys sounds a bit high. Check the count on the existing ones, but I'd be aiming for 350 maybe 500 tops.

 

UFO:AM runs just fine on my 32Mb Geforce 2 Ti, but its a pretty high end Geforce 2.

 

Your weapons look pretty good Shades of Green, nice job. I noticed ALTAR did a really rough job texturing alot models, working at speed, looks fine ingame though.

 

ALTAR should be really aware of the modding potential for UFO:AS and help us as much of possible. Lets try and remind them.

[Slaughter]

I do as often as possible

 

As for getting a source model that might be possible. Don't know if they'd be willing to release one.

 

Have you checked out the Combo-Mod and ALPine tool. Some new models in those.

[Shades of Green]

I was losing alot of information converting between milkshape and .3DS and .3DS back into Max.

Was that lost information just the joints/bones/animation, or worse theings? Would my guns' exports from Anim8or in 3DS suffice (if one of you with a lisenced Milkshape would be kind enough to convert them ) and work in UFO (guns have no joints, right?)

 

And are multiple textures supported?

I can make several interesting guns in Anim8or (Tavor TAR-21, Galil MAR, Calico SMG etc), I only need help in their conversion to the UFO:AM format.

[Slaughter]

You can test Milkshape 3D for 30 days free (I might have mentioned it before?). Now I understand you do not wish to learn a completely new program, but import shouldn't be that hard. It's usually File->Import (in other programs, haven't done it in 3d programs). Why don't you give it a try.

[BlackAlmaz]

You can test Milkshape 3D for 30 days free (I might have mentioned it before?). Now I understand you do not wish to learn a completely new program, but import shouldn't be that hard. It's usually File->Import (in other programs, haven't done it in 3d programs). Why don't you give it a try.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

k you can trial it *removed by Slaughter*

 

your work looks intresting but remember that you will have to import ufo models and creat your model along side to get the legnths and flash points correct

 

bones and all that.. we have had to many problems..and it takes to much time..but a single joint creature can be make....eg a tank, or an eathral as already made

 

weaposn are easy take a look at the mods....alot of work went into each weapon at least a weeks work goes into a set of them for testing texturing and configuring stats

Edited March 31, 2005 by Slaughter