Now with Archon, is the modding equal or better?

[Nomada_Firefox]

I was curious if the game uses Archon, we will be able to add new 3D models or if the map editor adds the same features told before at this forum.

Battle Academy uses Archon and new 3D models can be added.

Just it.

[PipFromSlitherine]

Modding was a major item in our decision to switch. Basically you will have access to all the tools that the developers used to build the game, including the ability to add new 3D units and objects.

Cheers

Pip

[Nomada_Firefox]

Great news. Now I sleep dreaming better at night.

[Nomada_Firefox]

I have another easy question. I do not know if I dream it or not but if I am not wrong, at least with the Battle Academy (a lot older), the 3D models could not use more of one texture and one mesh. Has it been improved?

[PipFromSlitherine]

There is a limitation that unit models use a single texture. This is for performance reasons. You can of course use more than a single mesh (otherwise we couldn't do turrets ]]).

Cheers

Pip

[Nomada_Firefox]

Thanks by the fast answer. It is better than I remember because if you can use more of one mesh, you must not join all the UV and only you need create a texture joining all the texture used by the model. I have made it before.

Just another question. Can BF to use 3D models from Battle Academy games?

[SteveMcClaire]

There are slightly different conventions used to create the TBF models vs. the BA models. So while they will load in TBF they may not be the proper scale or have the proper component naming to work in the game without some modification.

Steve

[PipFromSlitherine]

As Steve says, the requirements are pretty different. The BA/BA2 models are also not in the same style as CC, as they were deliberately out of scale and somewhat misshapen (though still lovely, of course...).

Cheers

Pip

[Nomada_Firefox]

ORIGINAL: PipFromSlitherine

As Steve says, the requirements are pretty different. The BA/BA2 models are also not in the same style as CC, as they were deliberately out of scale and somewhat misshapen (though still lovely, of course...).

Cheers

Pip

I imagined it but I needed ask. I do not know but I go to ask. Is there any way from open in a 3D program a battle academy model?

About a previous answer from you PipFromSlitherine. Divide the turret from the body is not neccesary at some games, you can make a skin and move the turret with bones. I suppose how BF does not use nothing of this which it is better, specially for people without too many experience with these things.

I am curious about other three things. Has the 3D models from infantry animations? or are they animated with one procedure or some like that? I imagine the first.

Other question, similar to the previous. Have the vehicles any animation? or the chains are animated by any procedure.

The last question is about the map editor. Has it changed? or the features from it are the same?

Thanks by your answers.

[PipFromSlitherine]

It's needlessly wasteful in processing terms to do turrets as bones, so we do them as separate objects. The details are pretty simple.

Infantry are animated (as can anything) using bones in Archon (unlike in BA2 etc where we used the same kind of vertex stream as Quake etc). All the animations are build into the 3d models. Basically if you build and name your model correctly, it will work [:)]

Cheers

Pip

[Nomada_Firefox]

It's needlessly wasteful in processing terms to do turrets as bones, so we do them as separate objects.

I agree.

Infantry are animated (as can anything) using bones in Archon (unlike in BA2 etc where we used the same kind of vertex stream as Quake etc). All the animations are build into the 3d models. Basically if you build and name your model correctly, it will work

Good. However the amount of troop models added by you in the game should be enough for most of the people. Just editing the textures from the model, it can look from a different way.

And question more, it will be curious and strange for you. If I am not wrong, the camera uses a top view but we can down it at a more isometric view. I would like to know if the camera can be edited by players and it can be locked in a unique top view position, without movement, as other CC games.

[PipFromSlitherine]

The camera is technically flexible, yes. Not sure what we will expose to the user yet.

Cheers

Pip

[Nomada_Firefox]

I hope we have the option for lock the camera. I would like it by one simple reason. Probably you find my idea crazy. If I add a AT-AT from Star Wars and the camera is lock in the top view position, I do not need a walking animation and it can move as a normal tank. I made it before with the old CCV. Have fun. Yes. I do not go to hide my intentions, I would like a Star Wars mod in the BF. It would be some very unique in a world where most of the Star Wars mods are from space.

Other question which I have, it is if the map editor continues with the feature for import/export a layer with the terrain in a top view. Steve told us about it when the game was developed at Unity3D. It was a great feature because perhaps we can import the layers from old CC games maps.

Does it continue being possible?

[SteveMcClaire]

If you make an Imperial Walker you'll probably want a walking animation. But perhaps you could get away without one.

As for the map editor, if I understand your question correctly - yes. You will be able to provide a custom texture that is applied to the terrain, so the ground can appear any way you like.

Steve

[Nomada_Firefox]

If you make an Imperial Walker you'll probably want a walking animation. But perhaps you could get away without one.

I have the models with animations. But if I lock the camera in a top view without a too closer zoom, I will not need a animation. At least at a first moment. I can not say if the animations from my models will run well at your game. I always make plans thinking the easier ways.

As for the map editor, if I understand your question correctly - yes. You will be able to provide a custom texture that is applied to the terrain, so the ground can appear any way you like.

My exact idea, I wanted extract with 5CC (the Mafi's tool) the bgm tga from a old CC map and apply it as the terrain from a 3D map. After it, I suppose how I should add 3D objects and the correct elevations. Is it possible at BF?

[SteveMcClaire]

I have the models with animations. But if I lock the camera in a top view without a too closer zoom, I will not need a animation. At least at a first moment. I can not say if the animations from my models will run well at your game. I always make plans thinking the easier ways.

In TBF the camera uses a 3D perspective, so unless you're looking straight down on the walker you will still be able to see part of its legs, even with the top down camera.

My exact idea, I wanted extract with 5CC (the Mafi's tool) the bgm tga from a old CC map and apply it as the terrain from a 3D map. After it, I suppose how I should add 3D objects and the correct elevations. Is it possible at BF?

Yes, you can do this. Older version 16-bit color BGMs will need to be converted to 24-bit color and possibly resized (which may hurt the appearance in TBF) though.

Steve

[Nomada_Firefox]

Very interesting and good.

I am curious about other thing. How are set the animations from each unit? if they are made at 3D max. Do you set them by frames or do you make a model for each animation or is there other way?

About import the BGM, I find it very good because I would be surprise if we can not import old maps into BF. The quality is not a problem, at least for me and if I am not wrong, probably you can use a old BGM as a layer and after it, you can change a lot of things in the map editor.

At the end, only with the map editor and the units from the default game, the modding capabilities are very big. Specially for all type of players.

[SteveMcClaire]

Current the animations are done as a sequence of frames and a single model. There are separate data files which indicate the animation frames to play when a soldier is executing a given action.

Steve

[Nomada_Firefox]

Umm very good. I use the same way at all the models from my vault.