Designing ground objects, ships and similar for use in game

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southerner
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Designing ground objects, ships and similar for use in game

Post by southerner »

Im completely new to this forum but for anyone on the team that was responsible for the games development thanks for making us all such a fantastic game. Im interested in learning how to possible design a few items for use in the game and Im in need of some help as to how to go about it things such as are vthere any specific programs that are of use to design these objects ive never tried to design anything for a game modification myself so any information is of help to me. The specific items im thinking of are mainly ships such as a different destroyer for use on the convoy or as an object in a port, a light cruiser and an raf air sea rescue launch i have plenty of access to photographs and even scale plans of the items i was hoping to do but ive not really got any idea of how to start with the computer model of these any help greatly appreciated.

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Buddye
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Re: Designing ground objects, ships and similar for use in game

Post by Buddye »

Hi southerner,

Wecome to BOBII and the BOBII community and BOBII forums.

I am just a coder for BOBII. So I will try and get some of our 3D artist to help get you started. May take a while as we are just completing our version 2.10 and some of our guys will need to take a break.

I do know you will need a 3D tool and some help to get started but it is fun to build models for BOBII, I think.

BTW, the BDG thank you for your kind words about BOBII (Our BOB Time Machine).
Buddye

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Re: Designing ground objects, ships and similar for use in game

Post by Bader »

Hello southerner.

Do you have any experience of building models and texturing? I'd hate to put you off straight away, but it's a specialist skill.

What sort of objects were you thinking of? We have several ship models already, you just may not see them all, depending upon where you are looking. It's possible that your skills/interest may be well employed in merely placing models that we already have. We have a guide on this sort of thing if you are interested.


From the 2.09 release text
Can I place objects myself?
Absolutely! That's the whole idea. Anyone can add their own details and it takes only a few minutes.
I'd suggest Stickman's excellent guide and illustrations: HERE-> http://www.shockwaveproductions.com/bob ... IDE-v1.zip <-HERE (5M)
Included is a full set of pictures of the new objects and instructions on how to place them in-game.
Last edited by Bader on 12 Sep 2009, 02:45, edited 1 time in total.
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Rummy
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Re: Designing ground objects, ships and similar for use in game

Post by Rummy »

If you don't know how to model and want to you can learn, it's a skill that can be developed with practice. If you don't have 3d studio max, Blender is will work with the right script. Geoff can help with that or you can search for his post on it here.

http://www.blender.org/download/get-blender/

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southerner
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Re: Designing ground objects, ships and similar for use in game

Post by southerner »

Hello Bader,
yes ive seen the objects and ships from stickmans stuff im more than happy with them they're excellent its just theres a few ships i think would be good to have in. I gather that 3d modelling is a specialist skill but ive got to start somewhere so basically its any advice or help welcomed to get me pointed in the right direction. Im not expecting to produce anything on the games graphics level but id like to try. The things that im specifically after modelling are in the ships area just to give a few variations on what would be seen in the channel. A V+W class destroyer was one of the things i was looking at (its a WW1 destroyer that was used later a type of which called a 'WAIR' had a conversion to make it an Anti-Aircraft ship ship and ive seen a lot of them on channel and east coast convoys) ive havent actually checked yet to see how many were converted by 1940! I was also thinking of a larger ship possibly a cruiser as portsmouth is in the game i was thinking of a large vessel as there was such a large naval presence there. An RAF
air sea rescue launches again need to research to see which variant was most prolific but probably a Fairmile B or D. I was also thinking of something called a 'Cuckoo' it was like a floating buouy that were anchored in the channel but had a small cabin inside with some small items of comfort in for any aircrew to shelter in if unfortunate enough to be left in the drink these were an raf design and painted bright colours i think pink and yellow the germans had their own variant but i cant off hand think of what they were called. Thats what im thinking of attempting to do. thanks for the help

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southerner
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Re: Designing ground objects, ships and similar for use in game

Post by southerner »

To Rummy,
Thanks for the link, ive got a feeling it might be at least a year or so if im lucky before I might have something that im not too embarrassed to show to anyone.

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Re: Designing ground objects, ships and similar for use in game

Post by Halfwit »

Hi Southerner and welcome to BoBII. Reading your post reminded me of teh desire to make aircraft I felt when I first flew in IL2. I had absolutely no modelling experience but my imagination was fired up by the possibilities. Its not a quick process, it will take weeks to make something recognisable and at least months before you can make something like a light cruiser or a VW class.
If you have the desire, you will need a 3D modelling programme, 3ds Max is teh industry standard. Blender is another option, has teh advantage that it is free :). Disadvantage is that I dont know how to use it, Geoff would have to guide you through it :P
You would also need a paint programme, again Adobe photoshop seems to be teh standard although others can be used. That is enough to get the 3D model.
To import models into the game engine you require a programme taht can create directx files (Deep Exploration) and finally PPE to do teh conversion.......bit of a list innit :)
If you are still interested PM me and we can have a quick chat about it on Skype

Simon

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Re: Designing ground objects, ships and similar for use in game

Post by GeoffW123 »

Hi Southerner

A while back I made some tutorial videos to show how to import a simple 3d model into Bob2 using Blender. It is essentially still correct, but a few things have changed slightly now if you use the latest version of Blender. Things are a bit easier now than when I made the videos, as the current Blender version 2.49 understands *.dds format graphic files.

Be warned though its not for the faint hearted . It is over 100 Megs to download and its about 46 minutes of content. (DivX codec required)

Tutorial Part1....................http://www.mediafire.com/?b4023bmwwrg
Tutorial Part2....................http://www.mediafire.com/?uqyobihuga0
Some files used.................http://www.mediafire.com/?w21qzdoambz
Bob2 SDK .........................http://www.mediafire.com/?ntymhjimydg

You would need to get familiar with Blender, but there are zillions of tutorials around on the net to teach you how to use Blender. One resource I would recommend is shown below http://ocw.tufts.edu/Content/57/supplem ... ial/678906.

3d Explorer that Simon mentioned is a very nice program to view any models you design, but you can get by without it as Blender will make the *.X file you will need.

If you want to just learn how to place existing models in the Bob2 world rather than design new models then it might be worth watching the 2nd video anyway, as it explains the object placement process. You just need to figure out the existing Bob2 object numbers. Stickman has made an excellent list including pictures. Link below
http://rapidshare.com/files/279249591/B ... _v2.09.zip


Regards Geoff

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southerner
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Re: Designing ground objects, ships and similar for use in game

Post by southerner »

Hello Halfwit and Geoff
Thanks for all this help and information, Im quite interested in the design of these objects so at some point in the next few months i'll have a go at designing something myself but not exactly sure what, largely just to see how an object is done. I know already anything i can do will be nowhere near as good as these objects included in the game but it might be a bit of fun to have a go. I've had a good look at the groundobjects placement done by stickman and am very grateful hes put such a useful guide for us to use (ive got a copy printed out for reference) One thing i have noticed though is that i know the defiant, blenheim and ju 52 are mentioned in some posts as being avaliable for static placemnet but i couldnt find the object number for these three if anyone can help with that, thanks again.

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Re: Designing ground objects, ships and similar for use in game

Post by Osram »

I would suggest you start with some building, as that has a very easy shape.
During your first project you will be busy with understanding all the programs, the conversion process, test process etc.
BTW "Soupdragon" started a whale back once. The half finished model should still be around. but like I said, start with an easy shape.

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ben
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Re: Designing ground objects, ships and similar for use in game

Post by ben »

Hi southerner, Welcome to the BoB forum!
As Bader mentioned above we certainly have many ships - Many sizes of coastal tramps and three destroyers (A and I class) - The trick is having objects that are likely to appear in game to all refer to one texture map (this helps with frame rate in game). Thus RAF vehicles share one texture map as do village buildings and so on. The Ship texture map still has room for one 'average' size vessel - I was thinking of putting a flower class corvette there. I think many people would love to see an airsea rescue launch in the mix - and larger vessels like a cruiser would be great - but might need to do a bit of research and see what was lurking in Portsmouth during BoB - I have a feeling the big ships were at sea or up in scapa flow - Portsmouth being a bit vunerable to opportunistic bombing by the luftwaffe to leave a big tempting target like a cruiser sitting there!
Perhaps work to a 1024 size texture map and put a rescue launch, tug boats and Sail fishing boats on it.
But as others have suggested it maybe best to start small with building objects and trying to get them into game...

Good luck!

Ben
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southerner
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Re: Designing ground objects, ships and similar for use in game

Post by southerner »

Hello Ben,
Thanks for the reply i had gathered it was an A to I class as theyre so well modelled there easy to spot. I know from what i have been looking at with ships that the corvette did enter service in early 1940 but i think they were they're short fo'csle version in my opinion theyre a bit ugly. I had been thinking about the cruiser or the destroyer largely as the anti aircraft versions of some ships or the things that were used on coastal convoy escort but i havent checked up yet on what entered service when. Something like a V+W class in their WAIR AA conversion as their origonal form looks too similar to the A-I class, or a small C class cruiser that was also converted to an AA ship. I think that Dido class cruisers started to enter service in 1940 but as you say i dont know exactly what was there in the game period. I know that at least one battleship and a heavy cruiser were in refit in portsmouth for most of 1940. Ill have a go at something simple such as abuilding though first, thansk again ben,
Southerner

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Re: Designing ground objects, ships and similar for use in game

Post by GeoffW123 »

Hi Southerner

static plane object numbers are

Code: Select all

Blenheim       187
Defiant         ??? I dont think there is a static Defiant model, but I could be wrong ?
Tiger Moth    1041
JU52            21
Geoff

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southerner
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Re: Designing ground objects, ships and similar for use in game

Post by southerner »

Hello Geoff,
Thanks for these, im a bit of a defiant fan myself its very nice to have a sim that includes them and blenheims.
thanks, Southerner

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ben
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Re: Designing ground objects, ships and similar for use in game

Post by ben »

Reviewing my model making directory I see I actually started the flower Corvette! 26 in service by September 1940. I guess I'll complete it at some point - It will give a little visual variety - its size is half way between the destroyer model and the armed trawler. Good luck with the bigger vessels southerner! Bear in mind the frame rate can suffer in 'busy' areas with lots of objects (potentially Portsmouth if someone places the new building objects) AA fire and bombs going off. So your big vessels need to have their poly counts well managed. Ofcourse you could always make them sea going models, far from the clutter of the ports!
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