Matrix Games Forums

Because a few of you guys are going to be releasing addon packs soon, I thought what I would do is a little mod pack to show you what I think the best way forward is in terms of packaging and distributing your map placeable mods.

This is a German Gun pack. You are free to use this either as map placeable objects or later as you learn how to model infantry, they can be used as gun props.

From left to right Model 98, MG 34, MP 40, Luger

How this works.

I put my mods (direct X files and dds textures) in:

Media/Mods/Stridor/German_Guns

Along with these files I included a Readme.txt which briefly describes each model. I also included a resource.txt which a map user can open so as to cut-n-paste what they want into their own media.xml.

If there were a lot of models or complex models it may be worth rendering some small .bmps to sit along side your x files so that other modders can see at a glance what each model looks like.

There are many free 3rd party direct X render utilities (as Rob as pointed out) in which you can load the X model file from explorer to save you the bother of loading it in scenedit or the game.

So in summary the dir structure for Mods should be:

Media/Mods/<Your Name>/<Specific Mod>/*.X, *.dds, Readme.txt, resource.txt and perhaps render thumbnails.

Comments?

Here is the JSGME mod for anyone who is interested.

Edit: Here is the correct JSGME version courtesy of Cougar

Stridor,

Nice guns.

Great idea!

Only one comment ... your JSGE zip ... Your first directory is Media ... for JSGE you may want to make one more directory above this called StridorG so when viewed in JSGE we know what the mod is called. [:)]

Rob

I don't have JSGME installed, but after reading Cougar's tutorial I thought that JSGME used the name of the zip file to distinguish the overall mod name? No?

Anyhow, the important point, was attempting to come to some sort of consensus about how map objects should be packaged so that it is consistent and easy to use for future map modders.

Oh and one final thing. The guns are not strictly mine. They are a free download from 3drt.com. There were no strings attached to this one and as they were free anyone could theoretically download them and convert them to X, which is what I did. I was actually in search of a free tank I could use as a tutorial to explain animation in MS3D and came across them by accident [;)]

It turns out there is a HUGE selection of WW2 vehicles already out on the web in numerous 3D web site repositories. Some are free, most cost some amount ranging from cheap ($5) to exorbitant ($500). Most are really highly detailed (eg polys > 100,000) so are essentially useless for PCK purposes (unless you want to use them as a guide to do your own). However there are some really nice 2000-4000 poly models out there which would fit the bill nicely!

However one disclaimer that almost all the sites make, is that it is ok to distribute these models in for profit games, provided that the models are in a format which *can not* be accessed or decompiled by another user (eg the player). As PCK uses X files which anyone can load into most editors, that kinda puts the kibosh on that idea [:@]

Regards

S.

Hi Stridor,

Nice looking weapons.

Regards John

I wonder if these get substituted at a distance to low poly?  Then there should be a _LOD version too.

ORIGINAL: Mobius

I wonder if these get substituted at a distance to low poly?  Then there should be a _LOD version too.

tiny objects that might be lying on the ground etc just simply get clipped out instead of using LOD models. we only use the LOD for big things like buildings/tanks/etc.

Nice sewing machine there!
&nbsp;
[:)]

ORIGINAL: Stridor

I don't have JSGME installed, but after reading Cougar's tutorial I thought that JSGME used the name of the zip file to distinguish the overall mod name? No?

Hi S, very impressive work (as usual), I normally call the mods folder something like: "Scenario - Bla bla (Cougar)". This folder name will show up in JSGME and tell the users what your MOD is. What is in the folder has to be relative to the root folder of Kharkov. Here is your MOD is the correct format: Props - German Gun Pack (Stridor).zip

Thanks Cougar, I will update the top post.

ORIGINAL: Nick Schieben

Nice sewing machine there!

[:)]

Mayhaps that would be an inside joke, no?
Twas not the M1 or even the Dakota that truly won
the Second World War but the breathtaking industrial
capacity of the West to keep it's soldiers in proper
uniform so that even the most grizzled Axis NCO became
discouraged as he and his men dressed in haphazard bits
of his nation's many uniform components doggedly held the line
against wave upon wave of US and Commonwealth troops who
were always dressed to the nines and carried the finest
chocolate and tobacco to magnanimously distribute once the
exhausted Heer soldaten finally laid down their K98s and
let themselves take a new breath.
[;)]

Try to tell that to my dad who was in the 101st at Bastone. No winter clothing, no ammo, and a bad case of frostbitten feet. [:-]

I know your only kidding. [:)]

ORIGINAL: Staggerwing

Mayhaps that would be an inside joke, no?
Twas not the M1 or even the Dakota that truly won
the Second World War but the breathtaking industrial
capacity of the West to keep it's soldiers in proper
uniform so that even the most grizzled Axis NCO became
discouraged as he and his men dressed in haphazard bits
of his nation's many uniform components doggedly held the line
against wave upon wave of US and Commonwealth troops who
were always dressed to the nines and carried the finest
chocolate and tobacco to magnanimously distribute once the
exhausted Heer soldaten finally laid down their K98s and
let themselves take a new breath.
[;)]

Yes the sewing machine joke goes way back to when people were guessing what mystery addon was going to be added to PCK.