Shipmodel-Pack for Modders? - read last post...

[Bladerunner]

As there is some Compatibility trouble with the SLmodel.pack and the SL-Minimod, i decided to take down the model.pack.
The idea of this pack was to have it availible for multiple-mods of many modders. Though all availible naval-texture-modifications use my models, all implemented the needed files directly into their mods. So there seems no need for such a pack and i will abandon this project.
The next Version of the Seaords-Mod (Sealords Total War) will include the models in the main mod.pack.

For my Sealords Mod, i work with retexturing the ships. As Shipmodels are build different from the landunits, i needed to clone and alter the original model-files and implement the new models in the game, so i can make different textures for each shiptype. This could i only do by Hex-Editing, which is a hell of a work if you like to have a good variant of textures.

I did it for my mod, but got the idea of publishing an extra model.pack for use in other mods too. I don't think it is nessesary to do all the work multiple times and to have just one model.pack for different mods, would reduce DL-sizes at the end, as players would just need to DL the pack once and it has a size of 1.25 GB (will not change much, if someone like to do it himself).




Here is what i have actually availible and think of putting in such a pack:

1. Model-Files for 10 different Hull-Textures for nearly all ships (excep galleys, dhow, lugger and galeons) with possibility to remove faction colors
2. Model-Files for 6 different Hull-Textures for galleons
3. Implementation of all those models into model_naval and warscape_naval_lod, so you can choose the model in the unit_stats

actually i would limit the pack to that features, as those are the parts, that cannot be changed by PFM and all other things might be made individual by the modders (textures and where the models are used), though i could give some already made textures seperatly to have a start.

So is there in interesst in such a pack? As i explained, it would be a complete seperate pack.file, you would just use the models. It's not metioned to directly implement into a mod.pack. This way at first players need to exrta load the pack, copy it to the data-folder and activate in MM, but you would not need to bother with having people need to DL it again for mod-updates and if it's already in use for another mod, they wouldn't need to DL it again.



New Version of the model.pack is up!
As there are still issues with using the mod-format for online gaming i decide to change back to patch format. All those who already DL the pack, just open it with PFM change pack type to Patch and you are again fully compatible with the provided pack.
For those who newly DL the pack, i added the Version 0.4 of my own mod. Though it is a beta version, it contains new and more textures and give a good impression how this pack is intended to be used.

[shipmaster27]

Could it be for single player too?

[titanvoyager]

don´t forget to show some screenshots!

[Bladerunner]

No Scrennshots for this pack, as textures are not in the pack. It will be more like a modding tool, not a mod himself. So if anybody like to use it for a SP mod or campaign, he can use it. The pack himself don't contain the database-files, as this might restrict the use...

[Bladerunner]

Just uploading the pack to Rapidshare. Mayby not the best place for all, but i actually don't have another host at hand.
Thanks to winrar, the size of 1.13GB is reduced to about 280MB, so DL isn't such a mess as i feared...

Link will be in my next post as the upload is rather slow...


For those interested i post here the little tutorial i tried to make (will also be part of the DL):

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Sealords-Model-Pack v.1.0
The pack is designed to support mods with texture changes on the shiphulls to be able to have
different Hulltexture designs for different Nations.
The pack works with 16 sets of models, which each support one texture-set (each ship needs 2 or
three different textures) on the different ships.

Supported ships:

10 sets include the removal of faction Colors and are made for the following ships (models):
over 1st rate (4deck120)
1st Rate (3deck100)
2nd Rate (3deck80)
3rd Rate (2deck74)
4th Rate (2deck64)
5th Rate (2deck44)
6th Rate (1deck32)
Carronade Frigate (1deck24)
brig (brig)
Bomb Ketch (bomb_ketch)
24-pounder Frigate (razee44)
Razee (razee44)
Rocket Ship (rocket_ship)
Sloop (sloop)
Lugger (sloop)
Steam ship (steam_frigate)

6 Sets without removal of faction color are for the following ships (models):
Galleon (galleon)
Fluyt (ancient_galleon_big)
Race-Build_Galleon (ancient_galleon_small)

For the following ships (models) are no files availible in this pack:
xebec (barbary_xebec)
Dhow (dhow)
Indiaman (merchant_64)
Light Galley (galley_lateen)
Medium Galley (Galley)
Special Unit HMS Victory (hms_victory)
Special Unit USS Constitution (uss_constitution)

The pack is designed to be loaded seperately, so it can be used by different modifications, with
out the need for modders to handle with the model-files or the two tables needed to integrate the
models into ETW. Those files can only be altered by Hex-editing and it's a mess to deal with the
changes here. Additionally it will open up the opportunity to have multiple mods using this pack
and there is no need to DL the full model.pack with every update of a mod (280MB).

How to work with this Model.pack:
The slmodel.pack contains just the basics: the model-files, the integration tables and a few
textures to remove faction colors. All other needed entries and the Hull-textures can be made by
your own wishes and needs, just how it fits to your mod. All those needed db-files and textures
are supposed to be part of your mod.pack not the model.pack.
I added some textures as a sample.

Names of textures and ingame-models:
The texture naming base on the original naming in ETW. Important is the number in the middle of
the name.
For most ships:
4deck_hullstrip_xx_diffuse.dds
damage_panel_xx_diffuse.dds
damage_panel_xx_noguns_diffuse.dds (only used on brig and rocket ship)
For galleons:
4deck_hullstrip_gx_diffuse.dds
damage_panel_gx_diffuse.dds
Use the same name for your textures, or you will get CTD when start.
The model have to be given to units in the unit_stats_naval (in PFM it is the column "ship"
directly after cannons in the table). The model-names are already defined by the integration
tables (model_naval and warscape_lod_naval). you just add "_xx" or "_gx" to the name of the model
you like to use, i.e. razee44_06 or galleon_g2. you can not use the galleon texture on the other
ships or the other way round. if you like to have simular textures on all possible ships of a
nation, you need to have that textures twice.

How to make new Textures:
This is not the place for a big tutorial, so here just the most important facts.
It is the same as for land units. Easiest way is to alter existing textures to your taste with PS
or Gimp. You will need the Nvidia-Plug-In for DDS files or a converter to open and save the
textures. Load them without changes and without MIPS. Make your changes and save as DXT5 with
alpha channel and let the plugin add 8 MIPS.
Take care of the Alpha Channel for the damage textures. ETW get the information about
transpirancy, when it show the damage to your ship. I didn't ried yet, if you can alter those
damages, so you can try, but no idea, what happens.

Problems using the slmodel.pack:
So far i found no big problems. The pack can be loaded by scrit or ModManager weather there is a
mod.pack using the models or not. If your mod use the pack (referances to the models in db-files)
the pack must be intalled and activated. Otherwise you will get a CTD. For those models you use
in your mod you need to have the nessesary textures in your mod.pack or the game will freeze
during loding screen for battle. As far as i tried, it is not nessesary to have textures for
unused models.

I hope this pack will help all modders, who like to give it a try as long as there is no proper
model importer availible. Actually i limited the changes to the Hull as this is the most
significat part of a ship in game. future version might allow further changes, if i'm asked for
more possibilities. Be aware, that all changes will be limited to textures (diffuse, gloss_map
and normal), as long as no importer is at hand. For future version i will try to keep them
compatible or reduce needed changes for mods to a minimum if possible.

Have fun with it...

[Bladerunner]

ok, upload made some problems, but now the files are online:

Download Deleted...

As freeloader will have to wait some time, mayby someone knows a better place to store the files...


Hope this packs help doing modifications to ships. you are free to use it or change it anyway you like, though credit would be appreciated and i can only help, if you have problems using the pack as it is made.

[kungfuserge]

Hello
So I need a little help , if you can

I Plan to retexture the RAZEE or AMERICAN_HEAVY_FRIGATE with this hull
saved as dds DX5 etc...
Created a new Unit " black_hawk" .......in the game black hawk in the Pirate faction ; I had it running with the original texture , but I want to change the Texture for these

and I got confused with the name replacement because now I have CTD launching the game

Could you help me renaming in the column the right name 4deck_hullstrip_razee44_01_diffuse
and damage_panel_razee44_01_diffuse.dds




So I saved the 2 files as 4deck_hullstrip_razee44_01_diffuse.dds and damage_panel_razee44_01_diffuse.dds

I got a little confuse here :






The rest should be ok , because I have played with the original texture , properly renamed and availably in the Pirate faction also playable in campaign

Thanks for your help

[Bladerunner]

Looks good, just the name of the texture is wrong....

It's just:
4Deck_Hullstrip_01_diffuse.dds
damage_panel_01_diffuse.dds
damage_panel_01_noguns_diffus.dds

No "black_hawk" or "razee44" in the texture name!
Use the name as posted or the model.pack can't find the texture.

The simple reason for this is with one texture-set (hullstrip, damage and noguns) you have some more model availible which use this texture (4deck120, 3deck100, 3deck80, 2deck74, 2deck64, 2deck44, 1deck32, 1deck24, brig, bomb_ketch, razee44, rocket_ship, sloop, steam_frigate).

[kungfuserge]

OK thanks will try to moddify my files later .....
I did This ; but , Sorry I couldn't make it ONLY for ONE SHIP this texture affects all the American_Heavy_Frigate





I hope I will make this ship working ONLY for the faction ; But I couln't wait to try my new textured hull ; so I did some Tweakings

[Bladerunner]

It didn't have an effect on the original models. So the razee44 model is still have the standard-texture. Just if you change the model of the american_heavy_frigate to razee_01 it would effect that unit. The same is for all other models. as long as you don't rename the model to i.e. 3deck100_01 you still use the standard texture. You can decide by your own, which unit should have the new texture. Just leave those, you don't want unused. I didn't touch the standart models, so they are still availible to use. No need to change models, where you don't want to change the texture!

Giving each model his own texture (i.e. razee_01 have a different texture than 2deck74_01) would have been possible for me to do, but this would also mean you need to have 2 to 3 textures for each ship. If you like to have all supported models with your design, you would need 11x2+3x3=31 Textures insted of three. Though the textures would be all the same, they need to have different names. If you multiply this with having each model with 10 different textures, you would need to have 310 texture to use all possible models (and additionally 36 textures for the galleons). this would blow up the dl-size of your mod. On the other hand i limit the number of different textures to 10/6, as the original pack size is 1.13GB, just Winrar reduces it to 280MB. So 20/12 different textures would have end with 280Mb/2,23GB and do you think you have enough texture ideas for such a lot ships, that are worth the DL-size?

The pack still allowes you to have different textures for a nation. in your case, just use the razee44_01 for your specific unit. For the american_heavy_frigate just use the original or go with razee44_02 and make another set of textures. There is just a limit of 10 different textures at all (and additionally 6 textures for the Galleons). How you assign those textures (and their models) to units is just your personal taste.


So for all, who like to know more about the internals of the Pack i try to explain about how etw handles shiptextures and what the model pack does:

First of all the textures are implemented in the model files and Etw himself uses for nearly all ships just one set of texture (exaptions are Victory, Constitution, Dhow). Indiaman, galleys and Xebec are build up different, but use generally equal textures.


To Change a texture you have three possible ways:

1. Just change the standard texture, keep the name -> all ships are changed for all facitons
2. Change the texture entry in a model-file with a hex-editor -> all ships using this model will change for all nations using this model for a unit.
3. Adding new models with changed texture-names and add new model_naval and warscape_naval_lod with hex-editor -> most work as there are more files to change, but you can assign those new models to each ship you like or make new units using this model. This leads to most variants in game and you can assign those new units to a specific faction or group without changing other units or factions.

I used the third possibility. You sure can make the same, if you don't like the way the model.pack names the textures or handles the changes (one texture-set for one model-set). But you will need some hours of messing around with texture-entries, stringlength and unreadable parts in the model-files. A false entry will lead to CTD, without any hint, where you made a mistake (i think i needed more time to sort out mistakes than actually do the changes).

ETW uses the model_naval and the Warscape_naval_lod to combine all parts of the model and animation files (ship.rigid_naval_model, ship_destruction.rigid_model_animation, ship_lod.rigid_naval_model, logic.xml.rigging and logic.xml.rigging.gallant)and adding guns, collision logic and details to end with a model to use in the unit_stats_naval. Both table are not supported by the PFM.

In the Unit_stats_naval each unit gets assigned a model (found direcly after the gun-columns). If you assign a model to a unit, ETW checks if all needed informations are availible. If not you get a CTD at start or for missing textures, you might just have ETW hang up on loading screen for battle.

The rest is just the same as for all units in ETW. For new units you need entries in a couple of table, like units_table and the permission-tables. For use in campaign you also need entries in those tables, who control the building of a unit during campaign.

The model.pack allows you to get rid of all this hex-editing, but don't do the work in the tables, to keep it flexible in use. It is intended to work as a seperate pack-file, but if you like you can include the needed files in your mod (though not intended as there are too many possibilities to make mistakes). For integration in your mod you would be also able to reduce the model sets and i.e. just use set 01 to 03 (not intended out of the same reasons as before).
The textures should be placed in your own mod.pack. This way you don't need to mess around with the model.pack in any way. The only thing i didn't test yet is the possibility to play online. it might be nessesary to set the pack-mode to patch instead of mod. If this is nessesary, i think of changing the whole pack to patch or providing an extra patch-version-pack (need some testings here).
As ETW only checks the used models, you are able to not use all availible models and you don't need to add textures for not used models.
Faction, unit and model are not automatically combined, so you have the choice, where and if you like to use a new model. You can use i.e. razee44_01 for pirates and 3deck100_01 for spain. In case of model and units, you can use for the American_heavy_frigate the original razee44 or the razee44_02, while using for the unit Razee the model razee44_01.

The most important restriction in the pack are the names (replace the xx with numbers 01-10 (or g1-g6 for galleons)):
For textures:
4deck_hullstrip_xx_diffuse.dds
damage_panel_xx_diffuse.dds
damage_panel_xx_noguns_diffus.dds

For Models (original used for this unit):
4deck120_xx (over_1st_rate)
3deck100_xx (1st_rate)
3deck80_xx (2nd_rate)
2deck74_xx (3rd_rate)
2deck64_xx (4th_rate)
2deck44_xx (5th_rate)
1deck32_xx (6th_rate)
1deck24_xx (carronade_frigate)
brig_xx (brig)
bomb_ketch_xx (bomb_ketch)
razee44_xx (razee, american_heavy_frigate)
rocket_ship_xx (rocket_ship)
sloop_xx (sloop, lugger)
steam_frigate_xx (steam_ship)

ancient_galleon_small_xx (race_build_galleon)
ancient_galleon_big_xx (galleon_fluyt)
galleon_xx (galleon)

It is important to keep this model and texture namings. You will not be restricted for names that appear on screen in game, but they need to be used in the tables and for the textures!!!

[Bladerunner]

As it seem to be a little more complicated to use, than i though, and as i want to change to patch.pack version to allow the use in MP, i adjusted and reuploaded the model.pack:


Download deleted...


The pack himself just changed from mod to patch version, so if you DL'ed the former version, you just open it with PFM and change pack-type to patch. No need to redownload it!!

For those who newly DL the pack, i removed the example-textures and added the Version 0.4 of my own mod. This will have some benefits for you:

• more and ready to use textures
• better impression of how this model.pack should be used and how to handle texture-naming
• you are able to just put those file into data folder and take a look what can be done or replace a texture with your own and look at it in game, before you end your own mod.

[kungfuserge]

Yes it worked ; thanks for your discovers & the amount of time you had for sure have done a Big work .
+1 Rep
Could you tell me if it is possible to mod the skull of a 3rd rate Ship ONLY for the Pirate faction ; with alighter way than this one , because , this way is quite heavy to download
more than 1go ...It is too heavy to incorporate in another mod ( I mean inside )
If there is a way please keep me informed
I am ready to learn the Hex edition

[Bladerunner]

Oh, by packing it with winrar the size reduces to 260MB, but you are right in comparison to other changes it is quite big.

Sure is it possible to reduce the mod to one single ship. Just put the 3deck74_01 model-files in your mod. open sl_model_naval_01 and erease all parts, not linking to the 3deck74 (carefully as the beginning of the file is for identifying it by the game - start with ereasing one integer before the first string - i don't count the tabs here) and do the same with sl_warscape_naval_lod. add them too to your mod. For textures, you will need those in the model.pack (they take out the faction color) and additionally the 4deck_hullstrip_01_diffuse.dds and damage_panel_01_diffuse.dds you made (i changed the DL-files and i attached my own mod now which would have included a black/red-texture..).

Try if you like, but as i said, no big support from here, as the possibilities to make a mistake are countless (espacially just typos or ereasing tabs or stringlenght) and if i start supporting such changes i might not find anymore time to end my own mod...

[kungfuserge]

You mean 2deck74 .....

[Bladerunner]

Sure, there you see how fast you make a mistake

As i said, i added a version of my SLmod to the package and changed to patch-format to be able to play online. As i found a mistake i made by changing back to patch, i uploaded a fixed version seperatly (as the model.pack will not change in the near future). If you like to take a look:

Download deleted...

Though i decided to use a dark brown (nearly black hull for pirates)

[kungfuserge]

I have successfully modded The 3rd rate ....I wish to modify some of the weapons (not the Numbers)


They do Appear on the deck ; but they don't fire at all ???? Is it possible to make them functionnal

[Bladerunner]

i don't know if it's possible to use land cannons as naval guns. So i can't give you information about that. Does the rocketluncher really appear on deck? are you sure you see the models of the selected weapons or just the standart guns, which are always there, independent of the unit_stats_naval (even if they are empty i think).

The guns are implemented in the model files. That's why you can't add additional guns at the moment. I don't know about the changes you made. You use land-weapons, which have a different model they use and there are normally just one rocketluncher on deck, while there would be more than one gun in the same slot. So no idea if this runs at all.

Why do you use the fort_carronade_64_pounder and not the naval_carronade_64_pounder and were is the benefit of the great cannon?

[Bladerunner]

most cannons seem to run for naval use, but rockets and mortars don't fire on that position on a ship. mayby they need to be directed to the bow to fire or just can be used on certain ships.

[Rhevant]

Hi, i use your textures in my mod for my specific units ships, but i have a problem:

I change the texture of mi two specific galleons to g5 and g6 (all ok).

I change the texture of mi over 1º rate to black and red, texture 04 (ok too.)

I want change the texture of other 3 ships to other colours but all the ships whith specific textures have the same texture of my over 1º rate (red and black), i used numbers 01,02,03,05, etc... but all ships all black and red.

¿What´s the problem?.

(Sorry for mi english is very poor).

[Bladerunner]

I can only guess, as i didn't know your exact files, so would be good, if you could post a link to your mod.

The Model-Pack don't contain a unit_stats_naval, so did you check the model you use for those ships? It should have the same ending as the texture-number. So to have a 3rd rate with the 01-texture, the model should be 2deck74_01.
Another possibility are the textures, but i'm sure you already checked, if you have the nessesary texture sets of 4_deck_hullstrip, damage_panel and damage_panal_noguns in you mod.

Personally i work on a new version of my mod, that doesn't use the pack anymore. I made it to support others, who like to include naval-modding and it was meant to be used as a complete pack, so users only need to dl it once, independently of what mod they use. as there seem to be no interesst in use this pack as intended, i abandoned the work on it. it is still downloadable and useable, but there will be no future development and as i said, i build up my own mod different for the next version.