Making a CSM

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tekk
Posts: 171
Joined: Fri Dec 11, 2009 6:12 pm

Making a CSM

Post by tekk »

Hi,
I am currently making a mod with bc42 using the bf1942 mod ,so the map is bf1942 by default I guess. Anyways I have some questions about doing this mod as I have some ideas and not sure if they will all work.

1) Can I import vehicles and weapon kits from other mods such as DC/DCF/DCX/RTR/FH/SW (would like to get the bombers from all those mods and expansion packs) ? What I would like to do is import certain vehicles/weapons from those mods into mine so that the user does not need any of the listed mods installed on there pc, only bf42. I have seen posts where Apache Thunder has brought over maps and vehicles from other games such as heros and bf2.

2)Using fo0k's tutorial on ssm.con (which I think would be great in bfmods.com tutorial section) would this apply to also importing weapon kits from other mods or expansion packs? Or is there a different process for importing weapon kits? tutorial im speaking of http://serversidemodding.com/viewtopic. ... g+vehicles

3)If I wanted to change the decal on the bombers/planes/buildings what would the steps be? I have not seen a tutorial on this anywhere yet but have seen many posts but none in depth as to which program to use or the steps to import custom textures into a mod. I have CS4 with the .dds plugin but when I open up some .dds textures I see a low resolution pic of many different parts , is this where I would make the change? I would like to make some chrome looking bombers.

4)Is 3dsMax the only program you can use to do good lightmaps? Is there any free programs that can be used other than using bc42 (assuming that bc42 can make them, looks like they can but have not got to that function yet, ed42 is not a option yet untill fo0k completes the ed42 tutorial). I would like to turn down the lights on my map to more of a dusk/late evening map and add landing lights to the bombers (I know it wont be dynamic lighting)

I know its alot of newbi questions but if someone can point me in the right direction or take the time to explain some of the questions it would be greatly appreciated, I will continue searching and reading meanwhile. Many thanks and Happy New Years!
Nodbrother- "getting whiped every single game by some over-active 9 year old kid with too much spare time and a reaction time that is a third of yours."
erwin rommel
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Joined: Wed Dec 16, 2009 9:02 am

Re: Making a CSM

Post by erwin rommel »

Honestly, having read your post, I'm not entirely certain whether you actually want to create a csm (i.e. something which appears under custom games), or a map with custom content.

In any case:

1) Yes. All you would need to do it take the relevant files and copy them over. This is rather simple for someone experienced in modding, but can be intimidating for a newbie modder. You'll want to take the relevant files from standardmesh.rfa (the model), texture.rfa (the texture), and objects.rfa (the actual code for the vehicle). Be aware that you're on quite shaky legal ground if you make content from the expansion packs freely available. I have no idea how much you know about bf42 file types and .rfa file structure, so I'll leave it at that.

2) For a csm, the process is more-or-less the same. Only this time you have to deal with animations.rfa. Getting animations to work right for a custom map can be a little annoying.

3) Are you looking under textures.rfa? If so, this is indeed what you mess with. If you want to make entirely new textures from scratch, it's more complicated and not my department.
tekk
Posts: 171
Joined: Fri Dec 11, 2009 6:12 pm

Re: Making a CSM

Post by tekk »

Well I dont know what kind of map it would be lol , Its a mod that any bf1942 user can download and use vehicles from other mods and expansion packs without actually having those mods or expansion packs installed on there pc. Im not sure what the legal stand would be on that, actually never thought of that till you mentioned it, I cant really see there being a issue with a game this old lol.

Anyways im making progress on the map, imported my first vehicle onto the map (Ju88A). It was relatively painless using fo0ks tut, althou I did find a few changes I needed to make that gave me a bit of hassle till I looked over the file tree and seen the difference. (Excellent tut thou fo0k)

Have also done my first texture on the b17, was fairly easy once I got the hang of it.

I do have another question thou, Can I use the same files that I made to import the Ju88A (StandardMesh,Objects,Texture,Sounds) for other imported vehicles/weapons ?

Thanks and Happy New Years !!
Nodbrother- "getting whiped every single game by some over-active 9 year old kid with too much spare time and a reaction time that is a third of yours."
erwin rommel
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Joined: Wed Dec 16, 2009 9:02 am

Re: Making a CSM

Post by erwin rommel »

Well I dont know what kind of map it would be lol , Its a mod that any bf1942 user can download and use vehicles from other mods and expansion packs without actually having those mods or expansion packs installed on there pc.
I think you are confusing terminology here. A map is what you make with BC42. A mod is something like Desert Combat or Forgotten Hope, that you start using the custom games tab. Mods have maps in them, of course. You don't make mods with bc42: you make maps. It's a bit pedantic, but a very, very important distinction to make when discussing this stuff. You can have a map that plays in vanilla that nonetheless has custom content, which is what fo0k's tutorial tells you how to do.
I do have another question thou, Can I use the same files that I made to import the Ju88A (StandardMesh,Objects,Texture,Sounds) for other imported vehicles/weapons ?
Not entirely sure what you mean here. If you mean, say, making another plane with the same model/texture as the Ju88A, then yeah, it's totally possible. Just call the relevant file in the code for the new plane.
tekk
Posts: 171
Joined: Fri Dec 11, 2009 6:12 pm

Re: Making a CSM

Post by tekk »

erwin rommel wrote:I think you are confusing terminology here. A map is what you make with BC42. A mod is something like Desert Combat or Forgotten Hope, that you start using the custom games tab. Mods have maps in them, of course. You don't make mods with bc42: you make maps. It's a bit pedantic, but a very, very important distinction to make when discussing this stuff. You can have a map that plays in vanilla that nonetheless has custom content, which is what fo0k's tutorial tells you how to do.
Ok, then im making a map...sheesh! lol , dont mind me cause most ive ever done was coding for ssm so im new to the whole custom map and texture side of things lol.
erwin rommel wrote:Not entirely sure what you mean here. If you mean, say, making another plane with the same model/texture as the Ju88A, then yeah, it's totally possible. Just call the relevant file in the code for the new plane.
What im asking is that I made 4 folders to import the Ju88A , Now if I wanted to import another vehicle from say dcf, could I use the same folders? But im sure to find out shortly lol.

Thanks for your help erwin :)
Nodbrother- "getting whiped every single game by some over-active 9 year old kid with too much spare time and a reaction time that is a third of yours."
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Senshi
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Re: Making a CSM

Post by Senshi »

I found it always very helpful to take a look at example maps. Esepecially as you don't have to look far, Battle of Britain has some custom vehicles bound in mapside (Ju88, radar towers). Just look how they did it and absorb their style, I found it pretty clean and helps not losing overview over all the stuff one adds.
tekk
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Joined: Fri Dec 11, 2009 6:12 pm

Re: Making a CSM

Post by tekk »

Senshi wrote:I found it always very helpful to take a look at example maps. Esepecially as you don't have to look far, Battle of Britain has some custom vehicles bound in mapside (Ju88, radar towers). Just look how they did it and absorb their style, I found it pretty clean and helps not losing overview over all the stuff one adds.
I have already imported the Ju88A , it was actually pretty simple to do aside from a few tweaks to a con file but now im trying to import the AC-130 from DCX and its putting up a solid fight. I knew that trying to import the AC-130 would be a big challenge as im sure there are a few other vehicles that are needed to import in order for the AC to funtion. When I go to test the map I get the "blah blah blah template. HumveeParachuteSpawner missing " error. I for the life of me cannot find this object anywhere in the DCX folders, Any suggestions or knowledge on this?
Nodbrother- "getting whiped every single game by some over-active 9 year old kid with too much spare time and a reaction time that is a third of yours."
tekk
Posts: 171
Joined: Fri Dec 11, 2009 6:12 pm

Re: Making a CSM

Post by tekk »

This is the only code that I could find that matches the bf1942 loading error that im getting when I try to test the map on the server.

Code: Select all

HumveeChute addBundleChilds() template not found:HumveeParachuteSpawner
I found this code here "DCX\objects\Common\ObjectSpawns"

Code: Select all

rem *** Paradrop Humvees ***
ObjectTemplate.create ObjectSpawner HumveeParachuteSpawner
ObjectTemplate.setObjectTemplate 2 DCX_Humvee
ObjectTemplate.setObjectTemplate 1 DCX_BRDM2
ObjectTemplate.holdObject 1
ObjectTemplate.minSpawnDelay 999
ObjectTemplate.maxSpawnDelay 999
ObjectTemplate.TimeToLive 30
ObjectTemplate.Distance 20
ObjectTemplate.spawnOffset 0/0/0
ObjectTemplate.team 2
Is it safe to assume that I need to import those 2 vehicles in order for the AC-130 to work? .
Nodbrother- "getting whiped every single game by some over-active 9 year old kid with too much spare time and a reaction time that is a third of yours."
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Senshi
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Re: Making a CSM

Post by Senshi »

You need to import the ObjectSpawner ;) That's the code you have there.

If you want the AC-130 to maintain its ability to drop these vehicles, then you obviously also need to import the two vehicles...if you have no need for that, simply delete the HumveeParachuteSpawner from the AC130-object.con (the line with the addtemplate HumveePar... in it)

I don't have DC so I can't go more into detail, but that's what I think this is good for ;) .

You always have to make sure to import all the dependancies of an object. E.g. if say, you'd import the Enterprise carrier mapside, you would import all the Enterprise files. But that would only give you the vehicle itself and wouldn't work. You would be missing the planes on deck (though you'd not get a template not found error message, as the plane spawners are inside the Enterprise objects.con) but more fatally (CTD-fatal), you'd even miss the 4 AA Bofor guns. As they are integral parts of the enterprise object (they are PCOs directly connected to the vehicle, meaning you can switch between them), the game would CTD during loading. If a spawner calls an object to spawn independently, and the object is not there, simply nothing happens ;) . There'll be an error logged in the debugger, but the game will go on without problems (that's the case with the plane spawners, the planes have no direct relation with the enterprise object, so if you don't have the planes, the deck will simply be empty and that's it).
tekk
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Joined: Fri Dec 11, 2009 6:12 pm

Re: Making a CSM

Post by tekk »

Thanks for the response, I kinda figured that I would need to import the two vehicles and have been working on doing so for that past hour or so. Im trying to get the coding right for bringing over the DCX_BRDM2 since the only file that exists for it are in the dcx objects.rfa and the other files (standardmesh/textures) exist in desertcombat (the objects.con file points to the dessertcombat files so I hope im doing it correct).

I have absolutely no intention to use the humvee drop but I figure that its a great learning experience to get all of the ac-130 working before remming out that part of the plane. I have been learning lots with the amount of files that I have gone thru and reading posts so I am not doing so bad , its still gonna take me some time thou to get the ac-130 working thou :cry:
Nodbrother- "getting whiped every single game by some over-active 9 year old kid with too much spare time and a reaction time that is a third of yours."
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