A start on the .MESH file format

[Andromachus Theodoulos]

@All,

I hope it is OK that I post these here. I have been working on new helmets and new weapons. I am going to try to get these in game this weekend.

New Burgonet I am working on. Grumpy, I might need you to look at this and help me with the smoothing issue...


New NeoClassical Burgonet with a Greek Crest, complements of RTR's Seluecid Pikemen:
[img=https://img141.imageshack.us/img141/2870/newburgonethvygreekcresjy4.th.png]

New Neoclassical Burgonet with Roman plume, again compliments of RTR's early roman legionary:
[img=https://img143.imageshack.us/img143/2717/newburgonethvyromanplumtx0.th.png]

(@RTR modellers... I am a big fan of your units, I hope you all don't mind me using your parts... )

OK, new weapons... Now I am just getting started and most of you could give a rip about this, but I am a big stickler for detail. What I have changed here are the pike heads. I will also be making new spears, lances and javelins as well.

[img=https://img300.imageshack.us/img300/9599/pike01vx1.th.png]

[img=https://img136.imageshack.us/img136/1742/pike02uc5.th.png]

[img=https://img175.imageshack.us/img175/4267/pike03lg7.th.png]

That's all I have right now. More to come when I can get them in game.

Again, Thanks to Grumpy for his help and thanks to the RTR guys for their exquisite models.

AT

[GrumpyOldMan]

Hi AT

@All,

I hope it is OK that I post these here. I have been working on new helmets and new weapons. I am going to try to get these in game this weekend.

New Burgonet I am working on. Grumpy, I might need you to look at this and help me with the smoothing issue...

With any bits you chop off RTW figures there will be an issue because of the lower level of detail in RTW. The raw bits would probably work for lods 2 and 3. To make the bits smoother and more curved, you have to work on them in isolation before you've added them to any m2tw groups.

First, after loading the bits, go to Menu/Tools/Smooth Edges and use with the default setting. After Tools/Model Information, this gives you great smooth edges but an outrageous triangle count. Next use Menu/Tools/DirectX Mesh Tools and adjust the number of triangles with the slider until you get something more reasonable. This tool will decrease the number of triangles but wipes out vertex assignments in the process, but since we're working with a raw bit it doesn't matter.

I hope that's what you're after.

Cheers

GrumpyOldMan

[Andromachus Theodoulos]

@GOM,

Precisely,

Thank you sir for that info.

Sometimes you look under the Tools Menu and it gets a little overwhelming as to what you can use.

Thanks,

AT

[AlphaDelta1]

In Tab/Groups select the two groups you want combined and hit the regroup button, this will combine the groups and give you a new group with a name like 'regroup 1'. Make sure you edit the group comments so it reflects a body group.

Will the bones need to be re-assigned? If so how is that done? I'll give this a try later today and let you know it goes.

One other question; if I lengthen a spear by about 50%, which bounding spear figures (if any) do I need to change?

Cheers and thanks again.

[zxiang1983]

@GOM
I had a problem. Every time I edit a group, eg scale a shield or move it or whatever, then I cannot find them in Texture Coordinate Window. So I cannot remap them. Any way to solve this? Thanks in advance.

[GrumpyOldMan]

Hi Zxiang

@GOM
I had a problem. Every time I edit a group, eg scale a shield or move it or whatever, then I cannot find them in Texture Coordinate Window. So I cannot remap them. Any way to solve this? Thanks in advance.

You mentioned this before and I couldn't get the problem to happen to me then. I tried scaling, moving and rotating groups in both the figure and attachment material. I just tried it again and I still can't get this error to appear.

When you go to Texture Coordinate Window (TCW):-

- is the group selected in the main Milkshape window (select again or select all if not sure)?

- when you choose the group from the TCW dropdown is the right texture shown?

- if you are certain that the group is selected, and the right material is shown and the right group is shown in the drop down, what happens when you press the 'Fit Selection' button in the TCW?

Let me know if the problem resurfaces.

Cheers

GrumpyOldMan

[zxiang1983]

@GOM
Problem solved. I just didn't select those groups... so stupid mistake. Thank you very much!

[GrumpyOldMan]

Hi AD1

Will the bones need to be re-assigned? If so how is that done? I'll give this a try later today and let you know it goes.

One other question; if I lengthen a spear by about 50%, which bounding spear figures (if any) do I need to change?

Cheers and thanks again.

Regrouping retains all vertex info - assignments, weights, uv, etc.

With the spear and bounding sphere, I'm not sure on the exact value for your spear but it is the 4th value (we're assuming this is radius) which seems to denote length of weapon. This is an area where we're still experimenting, and I'd like to congratulate you on being one of the first to take the new plane into the sky . I'd check the length against a pike and use a proportional 4th value between the original spear, pike and your modified spear. Let us all know how it goes.

Cheers

GrumpyOldMan

[Luciano B]

I started to work on some early renaissance pieces of armour.

Here some examples:

https://forums.totalwar.org/vb/showthread.php?t=82884

I'll make some experiments to merge them into existing models. Suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

Cheers,
Luciano B

[GrumpyOldMan]

Hi LB

I started to work on some early renaissance pieces of armour.

Here some examples:

https://forums.totalwar.org/vb/showthread.php?t=82884

I'll make some experiments to merge them into existing models. Suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

Cheers,
Luciano B

Good work there, you'll have to reduce the triangle count to make them workable in-game. If you have a look at https://forums.totalwar.org/vb/showp...&postcount=381 above and my reply https://forums.totalwar.org/vb/showp...&postcount=382 I talk about triangle counts and how to mange it in Milkshape. You'll need to get them over into Milkshape to get them converted. As you can see from Andromachus Theodoulos' post he is also working on Renaissance helmets.

With the general arrangement in game, I'd leave the mazzocchio and turban as separate groups as 'Attachment' type groups. If you have these groups as optional then half your figures will have no attachment on their helmets and the other half will have a random mix of the two, of course if you have more than one texture for these then you increase the number and variety shown.

Cheers

GrumpyOldMan