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The model works well at various distances from what I've seen.

The only problem happens during graphical transitions.

It looks like the model system has differing assets for different draw distances.

When you move around or zoom, there's a moment when these seem to switch, and you can sometimes get a momentary helmet shape but it goes away quickly when it happens and leaves you with the beret. I haven't seen any major problems but I suspect that it could also be affected by the power of an individual's graphics card.

There's no perfect solution, but the results seem to be very good to me....Mord was sent a beta version to test, so maybe he could elaborate on his initial impressions. It is a very workable mod (there are a few other minor things to be aware of that I will elaborate on in the mod notes on release).

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It looks like the model system has differing assets for different draw distances.

I've still to verify this, but I believe this should be the case.

Usually it's handled by MipMap textures: a single graphic file that contains several resolutions of the same imagine.

If this is correct, I presume that each image resolution in the MipMap should have its own Alpha channel. Or is the Alpha re-sized on the fly?

The point with Mord's Mod wasn't just about the speed of the Graphic card, else after staying zoomed out a while the texture mipmap and the relative Alpha should show up eventually... Or so I think, but definitely I'm not 100% sure about this and it would be good to check it out.

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Yep, looks like a mipmapping issue, ...there should be just a single alpha channel (if there is any...what I doubt) in charge of the job too. Open GL may have some issues when handling these files here anyway, so don't expect to solve the problem with Photoshop...There are different LODs (level of detail) encrypted in the mdr file possibly which have mipmaps assigned for reducing graphic computing times...To sum up, something to be fixed with some 3d editing,(z buffering is my guess) so ...nothing we can do...My 2 cents.

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The only time I've seen the helmet instead of beret is right as the graphics are loading...like the first few seconds you view units in the editor...I played with camera angles, zooms and heights and didn't see anything, so it may depend on people's Graphics cards as well.

Anyway. You guys are gonna dig this. DC did a great job. His brain must be spaghetti with all the file switching and labeling he did to get these to work. They look awesome!

Mord.

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The only time I've seen the helmet instead of beret is right as the graphics are loading..

That may be Mord: still for me I'm quite sure is not a problem with the refresh speed of the graphics, since the beret shows all right from the start when zoomed in, and becomes a red helmet once you zoomed out, and stay so 'till you zoom in again.

But again this may be one of those glitches that will never find a definite answer, blowing our brains away...

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This is a very good research work and neatly done but I still have a couple of issues:

1. as for Mord Red Berets I still have the graphic problems we were discussing above, namely the faraway troops still get their helmet shapes, but are now painted in green.

Here are two screen shots to show it: from the same view position I only zoomed in and the further away soldiers have those helmets on (and they will always have them in the distant view).

commandos01.th.jpg

commandos02.th.jpg

2. from what I understand the Commandos uniforms will show up on the Polish troops, while the actual Commandos will replace the Canadian Airborne: is that so?

So we will have to use them in Scenarios that wouldn't include those two (Polish Infantry AND Canadian AB).

Besides I still do not get how can we manage the Formations you so cleverly put in those battle scenarios: that is we can Import Campaign Units from those btt files, but then it may compromise the otherwise set campaign scenarios, wouldn't it?

I wonder if is there any way to include those formations into the OOB Available Units in the Editor?

Thanks for your work! ;)

Cheers

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May I suggest do take the lod-Files from the british-crew berets and rename them to the used helmet-mdrs.

E.g.

uk-afv-beret-lod-1.mdr

uk-afv-beret-lod-2.mdr

uk-afv-beret-lod-3.mdr

uk-afv-beret-lod-4.mdr

uk-afv-beret-lod-5.mdr

to

polish-helmet-lod-1.mdr

polish-helmet-lod-2.mdr

polish-helmet-lod-3.mdr

polish-helmet-lod-4.mdr

polish-helmet-lod-5.mdr

(Don#t know if it matters, but maybe the best is to use the mdr-files from the beret-file which is used for the mod)

Naturally in your z-Folder.

I think you will get then better results...

Greetings, alex

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Its possible to switch the helmets without conflicts.

But then you have to (HEX-)edit the bas-mdr-file.

But the copying and renaming of the lod-files shouldn't make any trouble (I think ;-))

In case of the canadians you naturally have to rename it to:

canadian-airborne-helmet-lod-1.mdr

.

.

.

I have canadian paratroopers which wear red berets (based on Mord's excellent work!), which didn't change form at the distance and which can fight with/against any other troops without graphically peculiarities (right word???).

So it works....

Greetings, alex

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Welllwellwell!

From what I understand you can just replace the MDRs files in the MOD renaming them accordingly using the original tankers MDRs, and it will only affect the renamed model: is that so?

i.e. if in the MOD the mdr used is that of the Canadians Paras, I will use the tankers MDRs and rename them, so that in that case these troops will become Commandos instead, but the tankers would retain their black beret.

The Polish troops at this moment retains their MkI helmet, but wear the Commandos battle dress only.

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Some farther questions:

I noticed Darknight_Canuck's use

canadian-airborne-helmet.mdr

but no LODs inside for the helmets, but just

canadian-airborne-soldier-lod-1.mds

etc.

Should I just replace the single

canadian-airborne-helmet.mdr

using the five mdr LODs files?

I also have a doubt with the Green Beret textures included here, since they are still named

uk-airborne-beret.x

Will this turn the whole Paras berets into Green ones? I will have to check it...

Edit: yes indeed, all the Paras now will have Green Berets...

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The reason that the commandos were modeled using the Canadian Airborne was:

a) The airborne provide a much closer approximation to the Commandos than regular infantry;

B) There was only a single Canadian Airborne battalion in Normandy;

c) It allows for the Commandos to be put into a scenario alongside the British Airborne (a la the link-up at Pegasus Bridge on D-Day);

Once the mod is in the Z Folder, you would choose the Commandos in a scenario by selecting units from the Canadian Airborne selection screen.

The reason why the uniform is labeled as polish infantry was:

a) I needed to use battledress;

B) You cannot just swap the uniform texture from infantry to airborne and have it look good;

c) the only infantry unit skeletons available for swap were the British, Canadians and Polish;

d) the Polish units did not show up in Normandy until August 1944 and they were the least numerous among the 3 nationalities.

e) I'm not aware of any historical scenarios on CMBN scale involving both Commandos and Polish troops together;

f) because of this, Polish troops will not show up properly while the Commando mod is running

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If you exploded the original game files you will find a directory <soldier> and in this several directories for the different soldiers like uk airborne and similar.

There you find e.g.

one uk-airborne-helmet.mdr (This is the model) file

and 5 uk-airborne-helmet-lod-X.mdr-files (and these are for the distance (Level Of Detail))

So the canadian-airborne-helmet.mdr-file within the mod is ok.

Now you additionally copy and rename from the exploded original files (directory uk crew) the 5 blabla-lod-x.mdr files.

That's it!

If you want to keep the red berets for the british paras, then you have to edit the base-mdr with a hex-editor.

Hope that helps!

greetings, Alex

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Thank you Alex, now it's clear and I can run a test...

The reason that the commandos were modeled using the Canadian Airborne was:

...

c) It allows for the Commandos to be put into a scenario alongside the British Airborne (a la the link-up at Pegasus Bridge on D-Day);

Got all the information right and it would be the perfect choice, but not if you have both British Para and Commandos in the same scenario since they share the same texture, so either you have all green berets or all red berets. Isn't it?

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I know that there was a lot of discussion around the fact that the airborne mostly wore para helmets with a few maroon berets sprinkled in.

The Commandos seem to have worn the green beret preferentially to a helmet (there's some cases of them wearing the green beret with a helmet over the beret).

I would suggest that if you want paras and commandos together in a single scenario, then go with the more historically precise helmets for the paras (though the maroon beret is pretty neat) and leave the green beret to the Commandos.

There's no perfect solution for everyone but I think this works pretty good considering the limitations. The Commandos are a whole other sub-category of units and I would expect (hope) that they will be a centerpiece of the final module (along with US Rangers, Challenger tanks, de-frocked Priest Carriers, etc). :)

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Ah well, I remember I've read somewhere one veteran talking about the memorable sight on that morning when the Red and Green berets finally met on the battlefield...

Hopefully these units, plus the Fallschirmjäger, will come to Normandy... I expect to have the whole WWII theaters covered!

Just now I realized that the texture used is named uk-airborne-beret.x I still have to check in the original files: what kind of beret are used by the Paras in the unmodded game? Or is it a new texture that has been created by Mord using the Hex Editor for the mdr?

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In the unmodded game, the beret wasn't implemented on the airborne model.

The airborne beret was left in the game files but wasn't used in the unmodded game.

I like to think that BFC left this as bone for the modding community to dig their teeth into, as it allowed for some fun extras to be created (airborne with beret, commandos, etc).

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