Author Topic: Updating planet meshes (Read 37458 times)

jstubbles · « **on:** April 11, 2010, 10:06:11 »

Has anyone had success doing this?

There's no documentation for getting a new planet MESH into the game - but I've been able to load them into the solar system editor. However, as soon as I press the button to change the texture, it loads the old model again. I should also note that my own planet mesh doesn't appear to have an atmosphere when it loads up - it shows the atmosphere as a tiny sphere inside of my planet mesh. I tried adjusting the mesh size in Lightwave until it was relatively close match, but it still doesn't change the fact that when I load the next texture, the model changes back to the original low poly version.

jstubbles · « **Reply #1 on:** April 11, 2010, 17:55:42 »

Or if anyone has Milkeshape - if they could open a planet MSH and see what's going on in there (I don't have the cash to pick it up at the moment).

Somethings kind of trip me up though. In the solar system files, there's a line to enter what mesh you want to use for the planet. A lot of them don't exist though, not even in the base game (after using DaTool). For instance, "Mesh "planetsplanet_002_a"" - that's nowhere in the base game folders. There IS however, a texture named that. It's kind of trippy what's going on and I don't fully understand it.

I just want everything to use 1 new planet mesh and just swap out the textures on it. I thought that's what was happening before - but I think maybe there's a new model for every planet? Not sure.

GeoModder · « **Reply #2 on:** April 11, 2010, 18:21:27 »

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Somethings kind of trip me up though. In the solar system files, there's a line to enter what mesh you want to use for the planet. A lot of them don't exist though, not even in the base game (after using DaTool). For instance, "Mesh "planetsplanet_002_a"" - that's nowhere in the base game folders. There IS however, a texture named that. It's kind of trippy what's going on and I don't fully understand it.

I just want everything to use 1 new planet mesh and just swap out the textures on it. I thought that's what was happening before - but I think maybe there's a new model for every planet? Not sure.

I suppose the graphics engine is so rigged that a planet/moon object is generated ingame as a sphere with the linked texture (from texturesplanets) painted over it if no proper mesh with that name is found in the meshesplanets folder. The names of textures (in texturesplanets) seem to fit with the planet meshes (in meshesplanets), so perhaps giving your texture the name of an existing one could solve your 'reverting' texture problem?

Btw, did you try to put new asteroids ingame, or a new proper spherical planet like Earth or so?

jstubbles · « **Reply #3 on:** April 11, 2010, 18:32:09 »

I'll try naming the texture and mesh to something thats already there, see how that works.

And yeah, it's a new planet mesh, not an asteroid. I've seen people put asteroids in game already.

GeoModder · « **Reply #4 on:** April 11, 2010, 18:36:16 »

I've nowhere in the Nexus folder structure found a dedicated mesh for planets, so I'm unsure if it is even necessary. Perhaps simply placing the texture reference in the solar system file is enough?
And you're telling me there are new asteroid meshes available for Nexus somewhere? Could you link me to a download for them please?

jstubbles · « **Reply #5 on:** April 11, 2010, 18:43:31 »

I can get the texture to show up just fine, never had an issue with that. But the mesh used for planets is horribly low res and looks like crap. I've been trying to replace it with one with a few more tri's.

here are those asteroids: http://www.moddb.com/groups/the-nexii/downloads/hd-asteroids-pack

Mularac · « **Reply #6 on:** April 11, 2010, 18:43:41 »

http://www.moddb.com/groups/the-nexii/downloads/hd-asteroids-pack made by DreamorCZ.

EDIT: XD

jstubbles · « **Reply #7 on:** April 11, 2010, 18:51:05 »

Lol nice timing, Mularac

I've been able to get the new model and texture to load in the editor and work, but they don't behave correctly, they behave like regular meshes. So all of the planet-based options (spec color adjustment, etc) no longer function. It's really annoying :|

GeoModder · « **Reply #8 on:** April 11, 2010, 18:52:58 »

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I can get the texture to show up just fine, never had an issue with that. But the mesh used for planets is horribly low res and looks like crap. I've been trying to replace it with one with a few more tri's.

Ah, you want to replace the Mithis planet mesh. In what folder have you found it?

And that asteroid page blackens out on me when I hit the download button. Trying to download it through a new page gives an error.

jstubbles · « **Reply #9 on:** April 11, 2010, 18:56:05 »

That's the only download link I know of man, sorry

I haven't found the planet mesh though. I just tried putting one in there. If it's a custom planet name, the mesh will still load up. I also tried naming it as one of the existing meshes and it's still the same issues.

I figured that not assigning a texture would allow it to cycle through all of the textures on the mesh, but it doesn't work like that I suppose. The mesh just came in without a texture.

GeoModder · « **Reply #10 on:** April 11, 2010, 18:58:24 »

What happens if you DON'T put a mesh whereever, but simply refer to your new texture in the solar system file? Provided the texture file is in the texturesplanets folder...

Oh, it seems downloads are only allowed for members. Have to rectify that...

jstubbles · « **Reply #11 on:** April 11, 2010, 18:59:21 »

I already said what happens. If I don't use my mesh, the texture will load fine on the existing (shitty) planet model. The texture has never been the issue - it's the mesh that's being a bitch

GeoModder · « **Reply #12 on:** April 11, 2010, 19:13:45 »

Now I'm with you. ^^

My guess is that Mithis programmed it so that a (shitty) virtual sphere is generated, and not a proper mesh is used for planets.

jstubbles · « **Reply #13 on:** April 11, 2010, 21:28:32 »

Yeah, seems that way

concerning planets in the editor though - I can't seem to get them to rotate in game? You can make them animate in the solar system editor by "starting" time - ctrl+shift+ right arrow. But I haven't seen them "start" in a mission. Any ideas?

Mularac · « **Reply #14 on:** April 11, 2010, 21:33:50 »

no, they're static in-game. Which makes sense, as Nexus is real-time.

jstubbles · « **Reply #15 on:** April 11, 2010, 21:50:10 »

How does it make sense that way? You can see the earth rotating from orbit...

only way it wouldn't appear to rotate would be if you were in exact geo-synch orbit, like our GPS and COM satellites.
That's unfortunate that yet again, nexus has another limiting factor. Grrr...

Here's a pic of the texture at least. Still looks good, but I'm picky about the hard model edges, lol

Arparso · « **Reply #16 on:** April 11, 2010, 22:16:35 »

Depends on how fast you're flying while orbiting the planet, I guess. The typical Nexus ship is really really slow and remains practically stationary while orbiting a planet. I can't imagine really recognizing the earth's rotation during the short timespan a typical Nexus mission takes to complete.

As for planet meshes: I'm not sure about earth_night.msh... that doesn't load on my machine with the model viewer and might just contain the generic planet model. If not, then its most probably embedded in the executable or created dynamically during gameplay, in which case we can't hope to ever replace it.

/edit:
Dude, that's an AMAZING shot and way way above the regular blurry Nexus planets.

jstubbles · « **Reply #17 on:** April 11, 2010, 23:12:30 »

I'll try to run a few tests with that earth_night mesh, see if anything happens.

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Dude, that's an AMAZING shot and way way above the regular blurry Nexus planets.

Thanks! The textures are quite large to hit that fidelity, but anyone with a halfway decent rig can handle it. If not, they can always lower the texture settings in the menu.

Mularac · « **Reply #18 on:** April 11, 2010, 23:36:54 »

yeah! even the sky seems more high def! what res are you running nexus at?

jstubbles · « **Reply #19 on:** April 11, 2010, 23:40:03 »

I run it at my monitor default res, 1920x1200

jstubbles · « **Reply #20 on:** April 12, 2010, 06:47:42 »

I couldn't get anything to work with the earth_night tests - same thing as before. Oh well. Guess they hardcoded the stinkin' model =

Thanks again for all the help with the lighting stuff.

Here's a vid of the result:


Nexus: Battlestar Galactica (work in progress)

GeoModder · « **Reply #21 on:** April 12, 2010, 16:24:30 »

That's indeed a [font='Chicago']MARVELOUS[/font][/b] texture. Any plans to create more? :thumbsup:

jstubbles · « **Reply #22 on:** April 12, 2010, 16:51:41 »

Thanks!

Yeah, I need to make at least 11 more textures, for the rest of the twelve colonies. Probably a few extras, too, like gas giants or something.

Arparso · « **Reply #23 on:** April 12, 2010, 17:12:23 »

Great vid. I've never seen a Galactica mod for any game looking more authentic than that. :thumbup:

DreamorCZ · « **Reply #24 on:** August 15, 2010, 18:36:31 »

I have re-read this topic once more and I think, I can help with in-game rotation of a planet. Well, it's quite easy. You have to create new planet model and use default animation (#anim def X X#) for it, then you will set path to your planet in your system ini (line - Mesh "meshfoldermesh" {well, that is quite obvious}) and add shipclass and shiptype as for a normal ship into your tactictypes (this will ensure that the default animation will work) and ........ that is all and your planet (or any model replacing planet model) is animated now.

Note: I recommend to set 100,000 frames (or more) for 360° to make it rotate very slow.
Note2: Try it without adding shipclass and shiptype first. Sometimes it works without it sometimes not.