zweihander 01:35 25/02/16
Excuse me, can someone provide a download link of LOTR mod?
Edit: is it the 'MetwBeta7.0.exe' on the ORG's download database?
Originally Posted by zweihander:
Ah, you forget about the size of the civ3 units… if they're imported into a 1024p bif, that they will become extrmely small. They can only imported into 512p bif IMO.
Ok, there will be many empty files they can use. Not a problem.
LOTR mod - yes, I have used this install to check what is useful.
Originally Posted by zweihander:
Ah, you forget about the size of the civ3 units… if they're imported into a 1024p bif, that they will become extrmely small. They can only imported into 512p bif IMO.
I'm just working on this. It seems that doubling the image size will do. Of course, images are generally low-res and doubling the size doesn't improve that. Maybe there is a different game with better animations? But I doubt there is one with such rich unit selection as Civ3.
zweihander 08:53 25/02/16
I against the idea of doubling the size of a Civ3 unit, this would damage its image quality. I think put them in a 512p bif is just ok. There are enough directories. And since the size of civ3 units is small. we can even put more than one units into one 512p BIF if we find some units in similar colour.
Edit:Forget it, this would not damage the quality. It worth a try.
Edit2: I test it, doubling the size of a Civ3 unit would make it looks 'sharper' in game, as the image quality is not very good, it doesn't make it looks better IMO. I still prefer to put them in 512
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Anyway, the Swordsmen by T-mun is fully converted, see the screenshots and download it from the attachment.
@
Stazi & @
zweihander
Could you use one post for all animation changes you are making/importing?
I'll track the changes and post where is what in a single post.
This should make it easier for all of us.
Originally Posted by Stazi:
I'm just working on this. It seems that doubling the image size will do. Of course, images are generally low-res and doubling the size doesn't improve that. Maybe there is a different game with better animations? But I doubt there is one with such rich unit selection as Civ3.
One small suggestion - for the sake of making it easier for everybody when compiling animations into 1024p files please use directories other than Custom1-9.
At least for now let's leave those for new animations.
For obvious reasons directories likely to cause CTDs should be left alone. They can have their uses for unit which are MP/custom battles only such as the Iroquis' units.
zweihander 09:45 25/02/16
Originally Posted by
cegorach:
@Stazi & @zweihander
Could you use one post for all animation changes you are making/importing?
I'll track the changes and post where is what in a single post.
This should make it easier for all of us.
Should I start a new thread in which
only post
completed new unit animations?
Originally Posted by zweihander:
Edit:Forget it, this would not damage the quality. It worth a try.
Edit2: I test it, doubling the size of a Civ3 unit would make it looks 'sharper' in game, as the image quality is not very good, it doesn't make it looks better IMO. I still prefer to put them in 512
I'd like to have dead bodies of the same size (no lilliputs and giants lying around). To achieve this we need to make all soldiers textures the same or similar size to avoid SCALE manipulation because different scales make bodies size different. This is all or nothing situation. We have to rework all units into 1024p AND keep their size as similar as possible OR leave everything as it is in 512p. But If you decide to not have dead bodies at all then we can mix 512 and 1024 textures. I don't want to force my point of view but that's how I see it.
Originally Posted by zweihander:
Should I start a new thread in which only post completed new unit animations?
Yes, that would be a good idea.
One post per finished unit would be all right.
In this case editing one post will not help - we need to show that there is some progress.
Also I'd like to leave all discussions to THIS thread, the new thread should be only about final results.
Originally Posted by Stazi:
I'd like to have dead bodies of the same size (no lilliputs and giants lying around). To achieve this we need to make all soldiers textures the same or similar size to avoid SCALE manipulation because different scales make bodies size different. This is all or nothing situation. We have to rework all units into 1024p AND keep their size as similar as possible OR leave everything as it is in 512p. But If you decide to not have dead bodies at all then we can mix 512 and 1024 textures. I don't want to force my point of view but that's how I see it.
Since I don't care much about dead bodies as long as there are new animations I'll leave the decision to the both of you.
Just an idea but why not try to ask guys who created those units about exporting animations to higher resolution? Sprites were surely made form 3d animated models so it shouldn't be much of a problem for them. I know nothing about Civ3 community but I can ask those guys if you point me to a thread where you found a unit. Many of them maybe out of business now but I think its worth a try. They're all moders like us so I'm sure they'll understand why we're asking about it. Units are IMHO the most important part and we'd be aiming for the top quality.
zweihander 12:20 25/02/16
Originally Posted by Stazi:
I'd like to have dead bodies of the same size (no lilliputs and giants lying around). To achieve this we need to make all soldiers textures the same or similar size to avoid SCALE manipulation because different scales make bodies size different. This is all or nothing situation. We have to rework all units into 1024p AND keep their size as similar as possible OR leave everything as it is in 512p. But If you decide to not have dead bodies at all then we can mix 512 and 1024 textures. I don't want to force my point of view but that's how I see it.
My opinion is:
Mix 512 and 1024 textures, for better performance of living soldiers, which is more important than deadbodies IMO.
But this doesn't mean that I abandon the deadbodies. We can modify the DEAD256.LBM, for example, as the original LtOpHelm animation is replace by Civ3 landsnkencht now, we can also modify the DEAD256.LBM, replace the original LtOpHelm dead body by a 50% size landsknecht dead body on the DEAD256.LBM.
This is my opinion.
Originally Posted by zweihander:
My opinion is:
Mix 512 and 1024 textures, for better performance of living soldiers, which is more important than deadbodies IMO.
But this doesn't mean that I abandon the deadbodies. We can modify the DEAD256.LBM, for example, as the original LtOpHelm animation is replace by Civ3 landsnkencht now, we can also modify the DEAD256.LBM, replace the original LtOpHelm dead body by a 50% size landsknecht dead body on the DEAD256.LBM.
This is my opinion.
Reducing the size of dead bodies which are already very low 256p quality? It'll make them an unrecognizable groups of pixels. But.. ok. If you both don't care about dead bodies we go the mixed way.
@
cegorach, @
zweihander - let me know what you think about my previous post.
zweihander 12:34 25/02/16
Originally Posted by Stazi:
Just an idea but why not try to ask guys who created those units about exporting animations to higher resolution? Sprites were surely made form 3d animated models so it shouldn't be much of a problem for them. I know nothing about Civ3 community but I can ask those guys if you point me to a thread where you found a unit. Many of them maybe out of business now but I think its worth a try. They're all moders like us so I'm sure they'll understand why we're asking about it. Units are IMHO the most important part and we'd be aiming for the top quality.
Good idea and worth a try, but as I know, it may not be an easy task. Like MTW, Civ3 is a quite old game. Many old modders are not there now...For example, Kinboat doesn't login on the CFC forum since 2006, Steph quited modding, Imperator lost his old file because of an accident of his computer....
Originally Posted by
Stazi:
@cegorach, @zweihander - let me know what you think about my previous post.
It is a nice idea, but unlikely to work - these are old, very old files so unlikely to give us any results.
Is it possible to enlarge the images without losing quality e.g. before they are converted into .bmps?
zweihander 12:51 25/02/16
Originally Posted by cegorach:
Is it possible to enlarge the images without losing quality e.g. before they are converted into .bmps?
Sadly, impossible.
I suggest to PM
imperator1961, who is one of two modders who made many units during Renaissance era(the other one is Sandris) and he still login these days, to ask if he can help.
Edit: if you think this is a good idea, I would like to try to make a contact with Imperator.
zweihander 13:24 25/02/16
They're good enough, but I have to remind you, nearly all of them are in pretty small size, a bit smaller than the two units I have converted. And, could you please also list the author of the units?
Originally Posted by
zweihander:
I suggest to PM imperator1961, who is one of two modders who made many units during Renaissance era(the other one is Sandris) and he still login these days, to ask if he can help.
Edit: if you think this is a good idea, I would like to try to make a contact with Imperator.
@
Stazi @
cegorach
What do you think of this?
Originally Posted by cegorach:
It is a nice idea, but unlikely to work - these are old, very old files so unlikely to give us any results.
Is it possible to enlarge the images without losing quality e.g. before they are converted into .bmps?
Here. It's how it looks when you double the size:
It's the best we can do.
Originally Posted by zweihander:
They're good enough, but I have to remind you, nearly all of them are in pretty small size, a bit smaller than the two units I have converted. And, could you please also list the author of the units?
I have no idea. It was downloaded years ago and there is no such information in the downloaded folders.
I suppose you could ask him what can be done.
Originally Posted by
Stazi:
Here. It's how it looks when you double the size:

It's the best we can do.
Not great, but better than what we have. Would be less of a problem if we could combine 1024 and 512 files.
At least I think it would, but that means all sorts of other problems... hmm.
Originally Posted by zweihander:
Edit: if you think this is a good idea, I would like to try to make a contact with Imperator.
Sure, go for it. It won't hurt even if he says no.
EDIT
@
cegorach - I wonder if I should replace Mongol Heavy Cavalry with that NTW grey horse so LiHorse would be our light mounts only folder? I think it'd be better to put MHC in EHorse folder as their horses are armored.
Originally Posted by
Stazi:
@cegorach - I wonder if I should replace Mongol Heavy Cavalry with that NTW grey horse so LiHorse would be our light mounts only folder? I think it'd be better to put MHC in EHorse folder as their horses are armored.
Yes, that is a good idea, but I thought about using
ArmHorse for armoured horses (can include MTW EHorse and MHC).
Just leave one-quarter of the 1024p file free in case we will need it for something in the future.
Tomorrow I'll post a list of files I think are good directories for PMTW animations, I haven't finished it yet.
Right now
LiHorse is full, so will be
ArmHorse, where do you plan to put those musketeer/hangunner animations?
I think that
Custom directories should be left for new animations. For the sake of some order in the process.
zweihander 01:07 26/02/16
Originally Posted by cegorach:
where do you plan to put those musketeer/hangunner animations?
I think that Custom directories should be left for new animations. For the sake of some order in the process.
I suggest the LgTuCnHi folder, which is use for the CossackMusketeer now.
I've been trying to find another game with units to import and found that Age of Kings has a bit better quality (size) of units but the problems is that there are no walk animations. Stand or Run only so it will be hard to tell if your unit is walking or running on the first sight. Of course, you can see it on a unit card at the bottom of the screen but I don't know if it's worth the effort? What you think?
zweihander 09:09 26/02/16
Sorry, what is Age of Kings? Could you provide some screenshots of the units?
Civ3 units don't differenciate Walk, Run and Charge too.
Edit: do you mean the Age of Empire II? If yes, it is not a game of Renaissance era, and more importantly, the size of its units is actually even smaller than Civ3. Someone had converted Kinboat's Civ3 landsknecht to Aoe2, and it looks much bigger than original aoe2 units.
zweihander 06:35 27/02/16
Good news is that I found that Kinboat has provided the Poser model of his Landsknecht, it means that we can export it as big as we want:
Bad news: the Poser model doesn't include any poses information, it mean that I can only keep the model idle. I need to made the poses by myself, too hard... I would like to ask in the CFC forum if anyone is willing to provide a two-handed sword action group...
Originally Posted by zweihander:
Good news is that I found that Kinboat has provided the Poser model of his Landsknecht, it means that we can export it as big as we want:
Bad news: the Poser model doesn't include any poses information, it mean that I can only keep the model idle. I need to made the poses by myself, too hard... I would like to ask in the CFC forum if anyone is willing to provide a two-handed sword action group...
Great, but without animations it'll be pretty useless. We can make an icon from it but that's all. BTW what's the app used to open the model on screenshot?
zweihander 08:46 27/02/16
It is Poser6.0, unfortunatly that it is not a free software. I bought it years ago but seldom use it.
I would try to ask if any civ3 modder like to provide a suitable animation set.
zweihander 13:26 27/02/16
A quick in game test
Everything is good, except no animations
Edit: It is even better than converted-units because we can adjust the camera angle to suit the MTW engine.
Before I'll post a list where goes what here are new animations from 2.0.
New Polish musketeers used also by some other units. Dragoon animation isn't used at this moment, but might be in the future.
Russian feudal cavalry etc.
HTW Pikemen used for less armoured pikemen and my late invention - double-armed men, so units consisting of both musketeers and pikemen.
Sadly the pikemen had to be defined as mounts because musketeers had to be able to use aim and shoot actions horses do not seem to have.
All are here:
new animations.rar
with one actiopage .txt each.
Originally Posted by
zweihander:
A quick in game test
Everything is good, except no animations
Edit: It is even better than converted-units because we can adjust the camera angle to suit the MTW engine.
Use it. It might be only idle for now, but it is better than what we have for those action.
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