Making a New Ship

[Valdore]

Alright, I'm a noob when it comes to modding. All I want to do is take the Devastator Cruiser model, add some new custom weapons and put it into the game as a new ship with a different name. I would also like to add it to the campaign if that is possible.

For the weapons, all I want are some more PDBs and some cannons. I wish the cannons to be the ones of the Vendetta Cruiser (MG12) I think they're called. They will fire a blue bolt and have enhanced damage, I was also thinking of changing the model of those cannons slightly.

I realize that this is alot but, I just want a cooler ship. One that can preferably destroy torps from below.( the devastator has no ventral PDBs). I don't want anyone to do this for me, but I don't know the first thing about it.

If anyone can help I would appreciate it. Thanks

[spaceranger]

It's a big topic, and a single complete answer good enough to walk you through it would probably take pages.

It might be easier if you start with smaller questions. I'll try to get started with some initial stuff.

You need to have the starmod, magic, and magic2 tools downloaded from the SS:TGS web site.

Reference the SDK pages on the SS:TGS web site, you'll be checking them periodically as you go along, and download the example files (and some other mods from the www.starshattermods.com web site) to refer to as well.

Check the sticky posts on modding and modeling on this forum and the www.starshattermods.com forum. One of the first instructions you'll find anywhere:

Make a folder right below your root SS:TGS program folder (i.e. the folder that has the starshatter program file and the shatter.dat file) and call this folder Mods. Create three folders beneath the /Mods folder:

/Missions
/Ships
/Weapons

You also need to place the starmod program file into the /Mods folder in order to open up any custom .dat files in the /Mods folder (I just learned this).

After that, you want to probably open the shatter.dat file with the starmod program and export the model/textures/def files associated with the ship you wish to custom. I believe you'll want to export these files to the appropriate folders beneath the /Mods folder (i.e. export the ship files to the /Mods/Ships folder, the weapon files to the /Mods/Weapons folder, and the mission .def files to the /Mods/Missions folder).

After that it's down to the nitty-gritty for editing all of those file types. I'll leave off here because I haven't got that far, I'm messing with planets, systems, and regions (later on to missions).

Good luck!

[Valdore]

Ok, I figured out most of the stuff with the help of spaceranger. I have added the PDBs I wanted and I wish to add the Mag 12s. The only problem I forsee is that I will not be able to view them on my weapons menu. What I am asking is do I have to alter the weapons menu, if so how do I do that?

I would also like to know if there is a Mag 12.def file or if there is a way to edit the it's properties. I want these mags and only these mags to be more powerful then the reguler ones

The other thing I need help with is weapon orientation. I can rotate the weapons on their z-axis via the .def file and have them face the right direction and all, but I can't rotate them on any other axis. If anyone knows how to rotate the weapons on their y-axis please help me. I want to add PDBs to the ventral, and I want them to look like they belong there.

Thank you