Texture: MAN

[ShadesWolf]

OK guys some help please. I appreciate we have a thread pinned up the top but I still have a number of question....

1/ BIF or LBM
Why do we have three files in each directory. Two Bif and one LMB. What is the LBM file for.....

2/ Why two bif files. does the system always look at the low res one first.

3/ In the main battle folder, we have a folder about shields, in that folder are a number unit folders with copies of faction shields, what are these for ?

4/ Why sometimes when Im playing a battle sometimes plain shields will have a factions logo on it, then the next battle I fight, with the same unit, the shield is bare ?

5/ What 3d graphics program should be used to edit the animation, or it is simply a process of splitting the frames into BMP fils and doing it by hand ?

6/ Hows does the shield/ weapon co-ordinate system work


Thats all I can think of for the moment.

[ShadesWolf]

Anybody please

[Duke John]

Here goes:

1/ BIF or LBM
- BifName_H.BIF: High resolution BIF used for animation.
- BifName.BIF: Low resolution BIF used for animation on low-end machines.
BifName.LBM: LBM used for stills on very low-end machines.

2/ Why two bif files. does the system always look at the low res one first.
See above.

3/ In the main battle folder, we have a folder about shields, in that folder are a number unit folders with copies of faction shields, what are these for ?
Faction specific shields used on for example Chivalric Sergeants. You can see the list of units using these shields in Battle\FacShield\HiRes\d.txt. The use of these shields are hardcoded and relate to the BIF.

4/ Why sometimes when Im playing a battle sometimes plain shields will have a factions logo on it, then the next battle I fight, with the same unit, the shield is bare?
If all parameters are the same; same faction, same unit, same resolution, then this should not happen.

5/ What 3d graphics program should be used to edit the animation, or it is simply a process of splitting the frames into BMP fils and doing it by hand ?
I use Lightwave 7.0, a 3D modelling program that also allows animation and rendering: NewTek website. (http://www.newtek.com/products/lightwave/index.php)

6/ Hows does the shield/ weapon co-ordinate system work
In short: In the actionpage txt file the first 2 coordinates specify an origin, most of the time somewhere between the feet, but this may differ from model to model. The txt files in the item folders give the coordinates relative to the mentioned origin.
In lenght: read Wellingtons guide, this is no stuff for the light-weights.

Cheers, Duke John

[ShadesWolf]

Do I assume you purchased the full package, as I couldnt see a lite/Demo version to download ?

[Duke John]

You may assume that http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif

[Razor1952]

I've been learning Gmax a free cut slightly cutdown version of 3d Studio Max for 3d modelling and animation, supposedly made specifically for games.

Particlarly to Duke John (or Wellington), do you know this program and is it any good vs your Lightwave ?.

I presume that in the upcoming RTW we''l have to make to 3d models to do any moddding at all.

I wonder if anyone knows from CA about modding RTW yet.

[ShadesWolf]

It looks good,

so does it work with MTW and BIF's ?

Links as follows Link to GMAX (http://www.discreet.com/products/gmax/)

[Razor1952]

No Gmax doesn't have explicit support for MTW afaik but you can get export plugins (like .3ds) from the net so you can manipulate your model in other programs or I guess you just capture what you want directly, I havn't completely worked this out converting my model to bifs yet with gmax.

There are severl gmax forums and sites to trawl through and probably all the answers are there.

It would be grouse however if CA made RTW Gmax compatible(I understand its just the direct export capability that would be needed.)

[ShadesWolf]

TEXTURE EDITING

What formats should I be saving models in.

and what other programs should I be using to convert from and to BIF ?

Im still a bit confused guys.....

BASICALLY IN SHORT

I want to mod some of the units, change colours and put images on shields. At the moment I dont want to make new units (ie like those in the Nap or Rome mods) I just want to use the current ones, with a few changes, ie colouring the clothes in. Im still not sure how to do this.

I cant believe that their is no FREE online graphics 3D modeling programe that I cant do this in.

I also need to know how to covert the models from and then back into BIF. What is the best format to convert them in for editing, etc...

SORRY TO BE A PAIN GUYS..................