Japan

[junk2drive]

USMC units and icons (lower screen)
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[junk2drive]

zero

[undercovergeek]

j2d - what software are you using to create the new units - IJA tank etc? are you reshaping existing models or creating from scratch - im going to buy the game primarily to mod a few things but obviously to play and enjoy too.

Scrap that i found all the info in the modding section - thanks

[junk2drive]

Originally I just use existing units, Italian and German, renamed to Japanese units. Some things I have used Paint.net to make new skins.

A couple of people with Max have made new 3D models and I beg them to make stuff for me.

We are working with Slith to get tools to work with blender and other 3D software.

[undercovergeek]

cool - and is the number of troops per infantry squad fixed - could i set 1 'allied' squad to have say 5 infantry men in it and an opposing squad to have 15? and is the graphical representation on screen (havent got game yet) abstracted - if a squad has 12 men in it do you see 12 in game?

[junk2drive]

The game uses step losses in theory. But you can make the game anything you want. A squad is 5 soldiers and represents a squad of 10-15 men. I haven't tried changing the number to more than 5. I would think that at some number the game would get unhappy or overflow the square.

Also keep in mind that this is real 3D and although very low poly count, at some point the game will slow down with a lot of models on the screen.

See the thread My Review for details on square size and distances.

[junk2drive]

OK I got my error message answer to the question. Max number of men is 8.

[undercovergeek]

is that the max you can display on map as a single unit? or is that the max sized unit in the editor - ie a unit cant contain more than 8 men?

thanks for your help here - the mod im thinking of has one side far superior to the other but to reflect this the superior side is vastly outnumbered and its squads would represent 3-4 men - or even 1 man tbh

[junk2drive]

I made a unit with 10 men and tried to start the battle. I got an error message that I exceeded the limit, Max of 8 men.

EDIT to add, the number of men is the number of men, not like Combat Mission where 3 men on screen can be 10 men in game terms.

It is fairly easy to create new units by copy, paste and rename an existing unit, then change the stats to your need. I have made 1,2,and 4 man units. Squads are 5 and scouts are 3 already.

With step loss, your 5+ units will live longer than a 5- unit. When a unit is destroyed, the attacker gets a promotion, giving extra abilities or bonus. I have found that this can be disabled if desired.

[IainMcNeil]

If you wanted to do step loses you could show a number under every unit ever tick. Then just internally record the stregnth points instead of killing men one by one. You'd have to change the combat code to avoid it killing men individually and blowing up tanks but its all possible.

[junk2drive]

I've updated my Japan thread in the modding section of the Slitherine BA forum. Come on over an see the new Japanese tanks.

In the scenario section is a new 5 battle campaign for download, Pacific Campaign 2.

[undercovergeek]

j2d - my official mod mentor - seen as its $3000 for Max im trying to just mod the existing models at the moment - so far ive recoloured an arm on the british infantry - where do i save this to to see it in game and see what improvements it needs - actually i realise now ive used the sample infantry dds from the max importer tool - can i place thisin game somehow to see what effects my brilliant skills have wrought on the model?

[junk2drive]

Home Guard armbands?

If you are modding graphics for an existing model, you use the same file name.

Do not save any modded files to the original game folders. I use Paint.net and save as DXT3 and create mipmaps

Start the game and go to Editor

Click the CD icon lower left panel, save or create

Click the globe

Type brits for folder and brit_test for campaign name

Select units from the top left panel (tank icon)

Scroll down to British infantry, select and place on map

Select units again, it will change to side 1 (axis)

Select a german infantry unit and place on map

Click the save button lower left panel

Backspace new save and name it brit1

Click save and quit, exit editor, ignore warning, exit game.

Go to MyDocuments\MyGames\BBCBA\Campaigns and open your brits folder.

Create folder Data, inside that Battle, inside that UnitTextures

Place your new dds in this folder

Start game, campaigns, brit_test, brit1, admire your work

Press shift + 3 and zoom down to see it up close

[undercovergeek]

a bit more extensive than that - its a whole rework of the model, but the DDS layout is a front image and back image and matching the two halves is proving very difficult - im thinking it might be easier to create a whole new 3d model but i havent got $3000 - to be fair im trying to get to this -



from the flat 2D - desert_rat.dds!!!!

[junk2drive]

If you have the talent for 3D, use a program like blender that exports to 3ds, then ask someone with Max to run the exporter to get the s3f.

[undercovergeek]

great idea - thanks j2d

[undercovergeek]

ive got a copy of 3ds MAX 7 - forgive my ignorance but is this the max software we're referring to, and if it is - when i try and open the sample files from the BA-3D-pack there are 'class' errors and it wont open the image

[junk2drive]

Check this thread

http://www.slitherine.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=18352

If that doesn't help, post the question there. I don't have any experience with Max.

[undercovergeek]

thanks ill try there - ive checked and rechecked and reread that thread but no luck

[Redmarkus5]

Cartoonized enough for you?