A start on the .MESH file format

[Casuir]

The figures in the Aztec bodysuit folder are different in that the initial header is 4 bytes shorter, could be because there is only a body group and no leg group? - Could be a clue to the make up of the initial header. I've put an error trap in the converter to take care of this. Some of the figures in the folders seem to be WIP or base figures.

Sorry havent done much with this but been having major pc probs. Got a few converted off today with no errors and noticed that some are as you said base figures. Seem to be the models that were exported sans primarys and secondarys and recompiled later via the xmls. Compared a couple for changes in the initial header and noticed a few things. These are the headers from the jannisary_gunner and jannisary_musketeers meshs, models are identical bar the missing primary and secondarys:
(leaving out the serialization::archive bit)

Musketeer:
00 00 00 01 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 01 00 00 00 00 00 04 00 01 03 01 00 00 
00 00 00 07 00 01 00 02 00 00 00 00 00 15 00 00 00 00 00 0B 00 01 03 03
00 00 00 04 00 00 00 

Gunner
xx xx xx xx 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 01 00 00 00 00 00 04 00 01 03 00 00 00
00 00 00 07 00 01 00 01 00 00 00 00 00 0E 00 00 00 00 00 0B 00 01 03 02
00 00 00 04 00 00 00

I've marked the parts that are different in red, x'x at the start of the gunner code are there to represent the 4 bytes that are missing. I had a look at the guys in the az_body_suit folder and the guys in there missing 4 bytes look like base figures, theres corresponding meshs with weapons and the missing 4 bytes for them all, same goes for generals. It looks like every model thats used ingame has them. Only other bytes that change from file to file are the 15/0E which corresponds with the number of seperate meshs in the file and the 04 at the end, doesnt change between these two but I've noticed some mesh files have an 0C here instead. Other than that the header looks to stay the same between files.

@Bwian, dunno about limits but the bosnian archer has 45 seperate meshs with 8 head variations

[Casuir]

Bit more on the 04/0C value, it seems to relate to the mesh type that follows, all with 0C have an attachment as the first mesh in the file while those with 04 have a body part. Guessing its mesh variation header rather than the actual .mesh file one. Primary weapons have an 0E here, secondarys 10 and shields 07. Guess that makes the rest of the part between mesh variations footer rather than header.

btw the geometry value for weapons and shields is added to the base model, meaning anyone who feels like tackling the hexediting should be able to make weapon kitbashs without needing an importer/exporter.

[Casuir]

My apols GOM, see you already figured out the byte for the number of meshs in the file and what the byte before the mesh name is for, really should pay more attention The rest of the footer seems to just be a sequence of numbers which increases by meshand is constant between files

04 00 00 00 Body	Body		00 00 00 0A 00 01 00 04 00 00 00 0B 00 03 00 00 00 0B 00 05 00 00 00
04 00 00 00 Legs	Leg		00 00 00 00 00 0A 00 06 00 00 00 0B 00 05 00 00 00 0B 00 07 00 00 00
0B 00 00 00 Attach	Cylinder02	01 00 00 00 00 0A 00 08 00 00 00 0B 00 07 00 00 00 0B 00 09 00 00 00
04 00 00 00 Arms	Arm		00 00 00 00 00 0A 00 0A 00 00 00 0B 00 09 00 00 00 0B 00 0B 00 00 00
0B 00 00 00 Attach	Cylinder03	01 00 00 00 00 0A 00 0C 00 00 00 0B 00 0B 00 00 00 0B 00 0D 00 00 00
0B 00 00 00 Attach	Box014		00 00 00 00 00 0A 00 0E 00 00 00 0B 00 0D 00 00 00 0B 00 0F 00 00 00
0B 00 00 00 Attach	Plane02		01 00 00 00 00 0A 00 10 00 00 00 0B 00 0F 00 00 00 0B 00 11 00 00 00
0B 00 00 00 Attach 	Plane04		00 00 00 00 00 0A 00 12 00 00 00 0B 00 11 00 00 00 0B 00 13 00 00 00
06 00 00 00 Helmet	Hat04		00 00 00 00 00 0A 00 14 00 00 00 0B 00 13 00 00 00 0B 00 15 00 00 00
04 00 00 00 Head	Head1		00 00 00 00 00 0A 00 16 00 00 00 0B 00 15 00 00 00 0B 00 17 00 00 00
05 00 00 00 Hands	Hand01		00 00 00 00 00 0A 00 18 00 00 00 0B 00 17 00 00 00 0B 00 19 00 00 00
04 00 00 00 Head	Head02		00 00 00 00 00 0A 00 1A 00 00 00 0B 00 19 00 00 00 0B 00 1B 00 00 00
04 00 00 00 Head	head03		00 00 00 00 00 0A 00 1C 00 00 00 0B 00 1B 00 00 00 0B 00 1D 00 00 00
04 00 00 00 Head	Head04		00 00 00 00 00 0A 00 1E 00 00 00 0B 00 1D 00 00 00 0B 00 1F 00 00 00
10 00 00 00 Secnd	Sec_2		00 00 00 00 00 0A 00 20 00 00 00 0B 00 1F 00 00 00 0B 00 21 00 00 00
10 00 00 00 Secnd	Sec_6		00 00 00 00 00 0A 00 22 00 00 00 0B 00 21 00 00 00 0B 00 23 00 00 00
10 00 00 00 Secnd	Sec_7		00 00 00 00 00 0A 00 24 00 00 00 0B 00 23 00 00 00 0B 00 25 00 00 00
10 00 00 00 Secnd	Sec_8		00 00 00 00 00 0A 00 26 00 00 00 0B 00 25 00 00 00 0B 00 27 00 00 00
0E 00 00 00 Prmry	Pri_27		00 00 00 00 00 0A 00 28 00 00 00 0B 00 27 00 00 00 0B 00 29 00 00 00
0E 00 00 00 Prmry	Pri_26		00 00 00 00 00 0A 00 2A 00 00 00 0B 00 29 00 00 00 0B 00 2B 00 00 00
07 00 00 00 Ramrod	RR_57		00 00 00 00 00 0A 00 2C 00 00 00 0B 00 2B 00 00 00 0B 00 2B 00 00 00

The only thing that changes is the first byte and It looks like you're right about it being related to attachments, doesnt seem to signify that its compulsoty though as some of the meshs above marked with it dont appear on all soldiers. My guess is that if theres just one type of mesh variant it gets used for all soldiers. The rest bar the first footer is just an increasing sequence and looks to be the same for all .mesh files I've looked at so far.

[KnightErrant]

@GOM
OK, I've been testing the latest .exe from yesterday.
Converted over 15 meshes without losing functionality
of the button. I'll continue spot checking more units
without closing it out just to verify it further.

[KnightErrant]

@GOM
Ok, done with tonight's survey. Did 54 units without closing out
the executable; no problems encountered. Units examined
included the ones that caused problems with bad triangles before,
no problems now (so marked below).


Directory \unit_models\_units\as_light :

\unit_models\_units\as_light\as_light_basic_lod0            % Bad before, good now.
\unit_models\_units\as_light\as_light_cuman_archer_lod0     % Bad before, good now.
\unit_models\_units\as_light\dismounted_archers_lod0        % Bad before, good now.
\unit_models\_units\as_light\kazaks_lod0                    % Bad before, good now. 
\unit_models\_units\as_light\mongol_ballista_crew_lod0      % Bad before, good now. 
\unit_models\_units\as_light\mongol_bombard_crew_lod0      
\unit_models\_units\as_light\mongol_cannon_crew_lod0      
\unit_models\_units\as_light\mongol_catapult_crew_lod0      
\unit_models\_units\as_light\mongol_foot_archers_lod0      
\unit_models\_units\as_light\mongol_horse_archers_lod0      
\unit_models\_units\as_light\mongol_monster_bombard_crew_lod0      
\unit_models\_units\as_light\mongol_trebuchet_crew_lod0

Directory \unit_models\_units\ee_bekhtera_heavy_lamellar :

\unit_models\_units\ee_bekhtera_heavy_lamellar\berdiche_axemen_lod0
\unit_models\_units\ee_bekhtera_heavy_lamellar\boyar_sons_lod0
\unit_models\_units\ee_bekhtera_heavy_lamellar\dismounted_boyar_sons_lod0
\unit_models\_units\ee_bekhtera_heavy_lamellar\dismounted_dvor_lod0
\unit_models\_units\ee_bekhtera_heavy_lamellar\dvor_cavalry_lod0
\unit_models\_units\ee_bekhtera_heavy_lamellar\ee_bekhtera_archer_lod0
\unit_models\_units\ee_bekhtera_heavy_lamellar\ee_heavy_lamellar_archer_lod0
\unit_models\_units\ee_bekhtera_heavy_lamellar\tsars_guard_lod0

Directory \unit_models\_units\ee_peasant_leather :

\unit_models\_units\ee_peasant_leather\alan_light_cavalry_lod0
\unit_models\_units\ee_peasant_leather\ce_wagon_fort_lod0       (In spite of name, this is a crossbowman.)
\unit_models\_units\ee_peasant_leather\cossack_cavalry_lod0
\unit_models\_units\ee_peasant_leather\cossack_musketeers_lod0
\unit_models\_units\ee_peasant_leather\dismounted_lithuanian_cavalry_lod0
\unit_models\_units\ee_peasant_leather\ee_basilisk_crew_lod0
\unit_models\_units\ee_peasant_leather\ee_cavalry_militia_lod0
\unit_models\_units\ee_peasant_leather\ee_crossbow_militia_lod0
\unit_models\_units\ee_peasant_leather\ee_leather_cossack_gun_lod0
\unit_models\_units\ee_peasant_leather\ee_peasants_lod0
\unit_models\_units\ee_peasant_leather\ee_spearmen_lod0
\unit_models\_units\ee_peasant_leather\gulay_gorod_lod0
\unit_models\_units\ee_peasant_leather\slav_mercenaries_lod0
\unit_models\_units\ee_peasant_leather\woodsmen_lod0
\unit_models\_units\ee_peasant_leather\woodsmen_lod1
\unit_models\_units\ee_peasant_leather\woodsmen_lod2

Directory \unit_models\_units\es_greek_greek_heavy :

\unit_models\_units\es_greek_greek_heavy\byzantine_cavalry_lod0
\unit_models\_units\es_greek_greek_heavy\byzantine_infantry_lod0
\unit_models\_units\es_greek_greek_heavy\dismounted_byzantine_lancers_lod0
\unit_models\_units\es_greek_greek_heavy\es_greek_iron_archer_lod0
\unit_models\_units\es_greek_greek_heavy\es_greek_leather_lod0
\unit_models\_units\es_greek_greek_heavy\greek_catapult_crew_lod0
\unit_models\_units\es_greek_greek_heavy\kataphractoi_lod0
\unit_models\_units\es_greek_greek_heavy\varangian_guard_lod0
\unit_models\_units\es_greek_greek_heavy\varangian_guard_lod1
\unit_models\_units\es_greek_greek_heavy\varangian_guard_lod2

Directory \unit_models\_units\es_mail :

\unit_models\_units\es_mail\armenian_cavalry_lod0
\unit_models\_units\es_mail\dismounted_christian_guard_lod0
\unit_models\_units\es_mail\latinkon_lod0
\unit_models\_units\es_mail\norman_knights_lod0

Directory \unit_models\_units\es_peasant_padded :

\unit_models\_units\es_peasant_padded\armenian_archers_lod0
\unit_models\_units\es_peasant_padded\es_peasant_archer_lod0
\unit_models\_units\es_peasant_padded\skythikon_lod0
\unit_models\_units\es_peasant_padded\turkopoles_lod0

Obviously, the survey gets sparser as the evening wore on.

[GrumpyOldMan]

Hi All

Lots of great things going on. I've got limited time today and a really big thunderstorm is rolling in as I type. More tomorrow, one snippet of news from the Milkshape forum:-

Release delayed
Hi, the new 1.7.11 release is delayed a little. I actually wanted to release it today, but I still have to add the weighted vertices support to the SMD import/export. PSK is already working.

So maybe on Tuesday ...

- Mete

Cheers

GrumpyOldMan

[Andromachus Theodoulos]

@ GOM and KE,

You guys are doing great work.

I would really like to help out. By testing betas, investigation and research. I am a complete newb with models and animation, but I do modify fairly intricate parts of the game, primarily textures, text files, and some code that is available for us to get to.

I work with computers all day and multiple types of software... primarily CADD programs and Databases.

Let me know if I can help you all in anyway, which maybe I could test stuff for you guys.

I have MilkShape on my machine. Let me know if I need anything else and what I could do to help out.

Thanks

AT