Regarding Addon Meshes in SWBF1..

[Snake]

I made a tutorial on addon meshes in SWBF but never really looked to see what all is out there to be put on SWBF units.

Here's a few pictures of my tests:

Pistol Holsters:


I tried getting Cmnd Cody's visor on but it is a little too far back (I doubt that can be easily fixed)



A few notes from my tests:
-I found that you can only have one addon mesh per unit (The others just don't show up)
-Addon meshes don't show in the spawn screen (I think thats already pretty widely known)

I will add some more pics of things I've added to units.

Comments, Ideas, etc?

This also means that if Sleepkiller and Tirpider cut up pieces of units (Jetpacks, Backpacks, Holsters, etc) they can be easily added just by having the msh in your msh folder and putting some lines in the .odf.

(If someone could show me how to cut things off of units and make them their own msh, that'd be awesome)

[tirpider]

I'd be glad to

My wife and I have been sick for the last few days, so give me some recovery time.

-edit
It's kinda involved, so I'll start a thread on how to isolate msh pieces.

[Phobos]

Could you please link me to this tutorial? I would like to add pistol holsters to a few units very much. Looks nice.

[MARCUS]

nice!

could you also make a addon for a hood or hood and cape?

i would love to help you btw

[Snake]

Here's some pistol holsters: http://www.gametoast.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=64&t=20491

This is how you get them in:

AnimatedAddon         = "CAPE"

GeometryAddon         = "neu_addon_holsters"
AnimationAddon         = "imp_inf_vader_cape"
AddonAttachJoint      = "bone_pelvis"

Thanks tirpider, I tried using your tools to get a jetpack by itself but I was unsuccessful.

Also, If someone could give the SWBF2 Kamas an msh they can be used on all units and make swbf2 units a lot better.. I'm not sure how but if it can be animated like the swbf1 capes it would probably look real cool.

[Led]

I would love to have a Imp pilot with a skirt

(hint, hint--my birthday is coming up    )

[tirpider]

I tried using your tools to get a jetpack by itself but I was unsuccessful.

Also, If someone could give the SWBF2 Kamas an msh they can be used on all units and make swbf2 units a lot better.. I'm not sure how but if it can be animated like the swbf1 capes it would probably look real cool.

I'm sure the Kama's could be made into an addon pretty easy.

Animations, however... thats a bit advanced for me.
I know the format, but have zero experience with the stuff that the format holds.

I have some custom tools in the kit I describe on the tut that make getting to specific pieces very easy.
I have them in a pre alpha(and horribly documented) state right now, but they are quite usable.
They will be posted in the tut tonight, but it's still not done.

[Snake]

I tried to add a "kama" by using the vader cape connected to the pelvis:

Also tried giving mace commander cody's helmet byt connecting it to the head (will also try connecting it to the neck)

Also tried giving a pilot some goggles (It sort of worked but could be better)

[Unit 33]

I tried to add a "kama" by using the vader cape connected to the pelvis:

Epic.

Hopefully this will eventually work to a greater extent because I personally would love to give some of the Alliance and Imperial models Kamas for my own skinning purposes.

(I support Bucks' sly request for a Imperial Pilot with kama and shall add my own sly hint for a Luke model with Kama)

[jdee-barc]

request: Ep3 clone trooper with a shocktrooper backpack?

[tirpider]

I'm starting the second tutorial on isolating MSH pieces (Putting pieces onto another unit.)

I already have the backpack, just needed someone to put it on.
Ep3 clone trooper  sounds good to me


re:cape at the waist.
That gives me an idea.
There really isnt much to the cape, I'm wondering if it could be shortened (via hex, of course)

-edit
I'd like to make the kama into an addon, but.. I seem to remember that it is weighted to the skeleton at various points.
It's totally do-able and has been done several times before, but I don't think it's one that can be made into a simple addon.
I think each one will have to be done by hand.

[Snake]

You should make an asset pack of addons! I will read your tut when I can so I can start cutting things..

Regarding the cape.. I'm not sure what to do about it. I put it on the lowest spine bone and it was straight but it was too high. :/ do the kamas have to be weighted?

[tirpider]

I like the idea of an addon asset pack, Snake.
I have just now got addons via odf to work.

I was commenting out the AnimationAddon line since my addon backpack is static, and the game just crashed and crashed, no matter what I did.

So I added the vader cape animation line like you have above and it works perfectly.

So I am left to assume the AnimationAddon line must not only be present, but must also have a value.

Wierd, but at least it's working.

I'll do a write up on how to make an addon out of the Shocktrooper backpack, then the write up on how to get at arbitrary geometry (like heads and torso's and individual arms and legs, and all that frakenstien stuff)


Re: kama's being weighted.
Yes, they pretty much have to be weighted.
The alternative is to set them up like the capes with a rig of bones and make animations for them.
(Easier and better to just make one from scratch)
An alternative would be to modify the capes somehow, and reuse the cape animations.
I'd have to see them in action first, but judging from your Vader cape screenshot, that might not be the way to go.

Crazy theory stuff:[spoiler]It would be nice if there were a way to use collisions and the physics part of the engine to make some sort of faux-cloth.
The only thing I've ever seen react to gravity are vehicles and falling units, though.[/spoiler]

Re:visor position
That would be in the TRAN tag of the dummyroot of the visor addon.
Kind of a pain to edit. But not impossible.
Unless there is a way to offset the geometry via the .option file.
The down side is it would (appearantly) need to be done for each unit you add it to.
So, either way, you end up with several visors for all the different units.
(Trooper_visor.msh, Stormtrooper_Visor.msh, Liea_Visor.msh, ect..)


-edit
Well, I finished going over how to get at basic things in a msh and making them into an addon. (link)
2 entries left, but they are much more involved.

I'm unsure about how helpfull my walkthroughs are. Noone is asking questions.
And I'm not sure if it's a process that many will want to try out.
It's a lot easier than it looks. I'm just awful at explaining.

But I wanted to let you know specificly, in case it helps out with any addon ideas you have going.