NAVAL MODDING

**pappagoat** · August 27, 2013, 01:14 PM

Gents, very interested in your work here. I'm trying to bring in more ships to the ACW mod. At the moment I've made do with vanilla ETW models as best I can.

I'd like to import a couple of the NTW ships that better fit what were after. If anyone managed to introduce new ships that would be even better. I'm interested in late C19:

Sloop of War
Sail Frigate
Steam Screw Frigate
Paddle Steam Frigate (the ETW model ok but not perfect)
Ironclad Frigate (broadside layout)
Ironclad Gunboat (Monitor or Virginia class)

I'll be keeping an eye on progress here.

**pappagoat** · August 27, 2013, 01:28 PM

Gents here's an additional thought...

Whoever initially introduced the steam ships to ACW took the paddle steamer and somehow removed the paddle animation (and also the steam from the smoke stack). Also, in the Great War mod they took the same model and removed all of its masts to make it sort of look like an ironclad. How would they have done these things? Perhaps it can offer us a clue how to edit ships?

**CrisGer** · September 26, 2013, 04:31 PM

I have some civil war ships that I have worked on for another sim i will be happy to share, i was not aware we had ships now in the excellent ACW mod, i have much hoped for ships and trains, the start of that mod is so promising. I will try to catch up over there, have been tied up in other projects..i ahve the following models at the moment and more planned:

USS Monitor
USS Steam Frigate w/ paddlewheels
USS Steam Frigate without paddlewheels
USS Cairo - City Class River Monitor
CSS General Bragg - River Gunboat
CSS Bedford - Cottonclad Gunboat Ram
CSS Virginnia - Ironclad Ram (Former Merrimack)
CSS Manassas- IronClad Torpedo Ram
Union and Confederate Mortar Barges large and small

planning River Steamboats both Transport and Cottonclad

glad to see progress happening. PM me with info if interested and I will try to help out, models will need to be converted to whatever format is needed.

**wangrin** · September 27, 2013, 03:25 AM

We need peoples able to analyse/study models_naval tables, mostly using a hexadecimal editor.
All the problem is that these tables contains 3d data such as collision models or eflines.
So, the idea to edit them would be to convert them to 3d model such as .fbx one, in a similar way that CA use with its own models.

I didn't have enough free time to work on many projects at the same time, nor did I know how to code such converter.

**Wolves In The Throne Room** · December 26, 2013, 02:37 PM

Fascinating thread and well above my modding abilities, but I figured I am in the right place for this:

I wanted to ask anyone/everyone if they could point me to a tutorial and/or help me to simply increase naval cannon smoke.

I've posted questions about this in several threads over the last year or so and not so much as even a reply, but now I have renewed determination to make this mod happen, I just need help getting started.

I made the Wolves Larger Armies mod (a simple mod that makes 4 battalions out of each regiment to be used with 40 units or more per army) that is incorporated into the LME mod for NTW and so have a little experience with PFM and the like, but nothing with modding effects.

I am a huge fan of Mech_Donald's BSM mod used in TAR and in LME. I would take what he did with musket fire smoke (the volume, the color and the smooth textures) and increase it and apply it to naval cannons.

I'm after this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=576luHgBG64

Any advice will be greatly appreciated, thanks.

**Alwyn** · November 16, 2014, 06:24 AM

Does anyone know how to remove a few guns from a ship model, if that's possible? I'm wondering if it's possible to make a copy of the 48-gun (5th rate frigate) model, to create a model (or models) which would represent later developments in frigates, such as 42-gun and 40-gun vessels. If it's possible, can anyone explain how? This question came the historical discussion on the A Guide to the Age of Sail thread.

**Bethencourt** · November 16, 2014, 06:39 AM

It is possible to remove guns from the ships, I use it to créate an enemy ship without gun to test the sailing stats without combat. It is a db start work.

In unit_stats_naval_tables find the ship and then remove the guns you do not want from the Cannon Type # columns.

If you want to use a gun that is being used in other ship just copy it and place it in the Cannon Type # you want. Each ship has a different structure of decks so different order of Cannon Type. Find the scheme in the first post. Also is very important that there is a different limitation for every ship concerning the range, so you must adjust the range values of the gun in the Cannon Type that limits the ship range. There is an explanation about this in first post, it is something that none expects when going into this but this annoying limit exists.

About models, the 3D models. I have not gone into that. I guess it can be done. You need modeling and textures modding skills. CA does not use one model for every gun, they have a few different ones and then change the stats.

**Alwyn** · November 16, 2014, 06:46 AM

Thank you, Bethencourt. As an experiment, I've removed the deck of 9-pounder guns from all 5th rates, to see what happens. When editing the unit_stats_naval_tables, it seems possible to remove all guns from a deck, but impossible to remove a few guns from a deck (leaving other guns in place on that deck), is that right?

**Bethencourt** · November 16, 2014, 06:52 AM

That is right, every Cannon Type # works for all the deck, never for a part of it.

**Alwyn** · November 16, 2014, 07:09 AM

That makes sense. By removing the upper deck guns from a 5th rate, I turned a 48-gun frigate into a 24-gun 5th rate, shown in the spoiler below. On the campaign map, the unit card said that the ship had 48 guns. On the battle map, the unit card showed correctly that the ship had 24 guns and the model only showed one deck of guns. The main downside seems to be that the ship 'knows' that it is supposed to have 48 guns - in battle, the 24-gun frigate had the 'Concerned: many guns destroyed' morale penalty (as shown in the spoiler), even though none of its 24 guns had been damaged.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read:

If it's only possible to remove a whole deck of guns, I guess there is no way to edit a 48-gun frigate so that it has 42 or 40 guns - is that right?

**Bethencourt** · November 16, 2014, 08:28 AM

When making these changes and testing in campaign it is good that you let pass one turn so changes are implemented in next turn normally. Anyway I remember that the number of guns of the ships in campaign are a weird variable thing.

About moral, you can increase the total level of it in naval_unit_stats_naval.

**Mavrik347** · November 25, 2014, 10:36 PM

Is there a way to define the thresholds for when the ships damage texture changes to a worse state.

**Bethencourt** · November 26, 2014, 10:45 AM

If you change the damage stats said in first post the damage threshold will change for each part of the hull. But there are only three stages, no damage, damage and severe damage.

It is a ratio betwen damage of the projectil and hull strength. But I do not know any stat or stats that makes it easier to go from a stage to another and more difficult to go to the next all at the same time

**yuri007killa** · December 04, 2014, 04:03 PM

hello sir , i have one problem , i trying to change the speed of some ships and it works on the vanilla version but when i do try test on darthmod then nothing changes you see , for example the speed of HMS victory is 9 and i want 15 , i go to darthmod pack - unit_naval_tables and i change the number speed to 15 then i save ok , when i try the game its still 9 and its on every type of campgain :s would you know why sir ?

thx

yuri

**Bethencourt** · December 04, 2014, 04:34 PM

Which stat in which table are you changing?

Are you changing the Darthmod pack values? or making your own mod pack?

**Bethencourt** · February 08, 2015, 05:18 AM

I have added this section "Creating specific textures for different factions". I is not complete because I have never done that work but it is a guide for those who want to explore that part of ship modding.

**JaM** · December 06, 2017, 05:10 AM

One important thing with naval crew - it seems that engine checks the entity type in battle entities, so if you have different shape of entity (circle, ellipse) for man entity, it will cause naval crew to fall off the ship. Radius of entity plays also role, bigger it is, more likely crew will get dropped. So technically, if you wanna have more crew onboard, you should reduce the radius down. (vanilla is 0.33, but you can go down to 0.2 without any problem, it will just make those men slightly harder to hit)

**kater_torpedniy** · July 31, 2018, 02:06 AM

Hi, can i ask the infernal question?) need help for you pls

At the battle we have any direct group formation (line and other). And, i want change interval between the ships at formation.....but cant find the parameters of this formations in Db. Im use PFM, but cant find true columns((
I ask for help pls

**myarta** · May 13, 2020, 07:56 PM

Hey @Bethancourt et al. GREAT thread. Thank you so much.

I am resurrecting it because I wanted to contribute a bit. In PFM, you can see which gun types are assigned to each deck, but not how many there were. So I decided to rush-play about 80 turns until I could build all ship types and came up with this information on the major model types. I thought I'd post it here in case others found it interesting. Note that this is with version 5.2.4 of PFM so the names of some columns are different. Notably the decks are numbered differently than Bethancourt's descriptions in the range section of the OP. For almost all models, deck5 is the lowest and deck1 is the highest, except 1deck32 which oddly uses 2 to indicate the main deck and 5 to indicate the stern castle.

** next to a deck number indicates which gun type controls the range of all the ship's guns. This is simply me adapting Bethancourt's work to the newer PFM deck names.

Code:

1deck24   Carronade Frigate                 24  2x 12 guns deck3**
1deck32   6th Rate Frigate                  32  2x 13 guns deck2,   2x 3 guns stern castle (deck 5**)
2deck44   5th Rate Admiral/Regular Frigate  48  2x 11 guns deck3,   2x 12 guns deck2**, 2x bow chasers
2deck64   4th Rate                          58~ 2x 14 guns deck4**, 2x 14 guns deck3,   2x bow chasers
2deck74   3rd Rate Admiral/Regular          74~ 2x 15 guns deck4,   2x 14 guns deck3,   2x 5 guns deck2**, 2x 2 guns deck1top, 2x bow chasers
3deck80   2nd Rate                          90! 2x 14 guns deck5**, 2x 14 guns deck4,   2x 15 guns deck3,  4x bow chasers
3deck100  1st Rate Admiral/Regular         102^ 2x 14 guns deck5,   2x 15 guns deck4,   2x 15 guns deck3,  2x 5 guns deck2**,  4x bow chasers
4deck120  Heavy 1st Rate                   124# 2x 16 guns deck5**, 2x 16 guns deck4,   2x 16 guns deck3,  2x 12 guns deck2,   4x bow chasers


~ = ignores stern guns which don't visually exist
! = game claims 86. Maybe doesn't count the bow guns?
^ = game claims 106. Maybe counts 4 invisible stern guns?
# = game claims 122. Not sure why

**RobiReshet** · November 21, 2021, 08:41 AM

Originally Posted by myarta

Hey @Bethancourt et al. GREAT thread. Thank you so much.

I am resurrecting it because I wanted to contribute a bit. In PFM, you can see which gun types are assigned to each deck, but not how many there were. So I decided to rush-play about 80 turns until I could build all ship types and came up with this information on the major model types. I thought I'd post it here in case others found it interesting. Note that this is with version 5.2.4 of PFM so the names of some columns are different. Notably the decks are numbered differently than Bethancourt's descriptions in the range section of the OP. For almost all models, deck5 is the lowest and deck1 is the highest, except 1deck32 which oddly uses 2 to indicate the main deck and 5 to indicate the stern castle.

** next to a deck number indicates which gun type controls the range of all the ship's guns. This is simply me adapting Bethancourt's work to the newer PFM deck names.

Code:

1deck24   Carronade Frigate                 24  2x 12 guns deck3**
1deck32   6th Rate Frigate                  32  2x 13 guns deck2,   2x 3 guns stern castle (deck 5**)
2deck44   5th Rate Admiral/Regular Frigate  48  2x 11 guns deck3,   2x 12 guns deck2**, 2x bow chasers
2deck64   4th Rate                          58~ 2x 14 guns deck4**, 2x 14 guns deck3,   2x bow chasers
2deck74   3rd Rate Admiral/Regular          74~ 2x 15 guns deck4,   2x 14 guns deck3,   2x 5 guns deck2**, 2x 2 guns deck1top, 2x bow chasers
3deck80   2nd Rate                          90! 2x 14 guns deck5**, 2x 14 guns deck4,   2x 15 guns deck3,  4x bow chasers
3deck100  1st Rate Admiral/Regular         102^ 2x 14 guns deck5,   2x 15 guns deck4,   2x 15 guns deck3,  2x 5 guns deck2**,  4x bow chasers
4deck120  Heavy 1st Rate                   124# 2x 16 guns deck5**, 2x 16 guns deck4,   2x 16 guns deck3,  2x 12 guns deck2,   4x bow chasers


~ = ignores stern guns which don't visually exist
! = game claims 86. Maybe doesn't count the bow guns?
^ = game claims 106. Maybe counts 4 invisible stern guns?
# = game claims 122. Not sure why

Maybe this table help make ship models or change data in MOD's

Spoiler Alert, click show to read:

Thread: NAVAL MODDING

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