ToW2 modding

[Knokke]

With the ToW mega mod pack, it is possible to create new simple models for ToW2, but some of the more complex type like the buildings can't be done because the houses.ms script dont accept bones with more than 7 collision shapes.

Is there any chance that the devellopers would consider releasing an updated house.ms script that would allow us to create buildings like in Afrika43 and Kursk43 ?

-Knokke

[Knokke]

I'd like to correct my previous statement: I managed to make my buildings working in ToW2 by cheating with the scripts.

[Broadsword]

This is fantastic!

Can't wait to try them in a scenario sometime.

[Arzok]

Waouh !!!

Too good !

What was the trick ?

Can it work with Kursk ?

[prlugo]

Fanatastic as always Knokke. A question for you... I tried to import in "Africa" the kursk demo models,icons,dethacment,text of the kursk ger infantry . The game crashes to desktop at the start of a loaded mission. There's a link, a file i can read with all instructions , so i can control if i'm doing something wrong. (maybe is a graphic prob cos i can't play kursk demo).

[Knokke]

@Arzok

The trick was to create separate *.msh with a maximum of 7 collisions shapes per bone, and naming each collision bone in sequence something like c_x0y0_dam0, c_x0y1_dam0, c_x0y2_dam0, etc...

I had to create the hier.mcn file manually, and edit the mesh0000.tse file manually too to delete all the uneeded objects that the script requires to be present in the 3DSmax file to be working.

There are a few problems that I've noticed with the buildings (mine and the Kursk buildings): the pathfinding cells are a bit too big to allow entry through some doors or rooms, depending if the door is located just between two pathfinding cells. It is not possible to have accurately sized doors/walls working everytime if the entry is small. A workaround to allow entry to the soldiers is to widen the doors and entries to the rooms up to the size of two pathfinding cells (so the soldiers can get through even if the entrance is located between two pathfinding cells). The trouble is that the collision and visibility detection might not be very accurate (soldiers hiding half behind the corner of a door frame being not protected by the collision object).

This is basically the same problem as the problem of vehicles having trouble to cross bridges sometime when the width of the bridge is barely enough to allow crossing.

It is possible to adapt ToW1 buildings to work "a la ToW2"; all that is needed is to create the interior of the building, the hook objects for the firing positions, and add the new collision shapes according to ToW2 technology.

@prlugo:

I didn't try to import Kursk objects in TOW2 Africa43, but I had a look at them, and they're basically the same as Africa objects, as far as I can tell. So they should be compatible.

-Knokke

[LeLynx]

This is great! Knokke, could you make a tutorial? I'd like to model new statics for ToW2!

[Sneaksie]

Knokke continues to break the limits:) Is this building destructible?

[prlugo]

Sorry,a tecnical question. Does anyone know the exact name of the files dds ( skins) in the models\human\sk_0\ger\Kursk1943_infantry in kursk demo. I tried to modify the filelist.txt I found all others files ( .mat .rect .tga ) but dds are missing. Tnx.

[Sneaksie]

body_32.tga, body_64.tga, body_128.tga, body_256.tga

[prlugo]

Tnx Sneaksie. I found these files :

models\human\sk_0\ger\Kursk1943_infantry\body_128.tga

models\human\sk_0\ger\Kursk1943_infantry\body_256.tga

models\human\sk_0\ger\Kursk1943_infantry\body_32.tga

models\human\sk_0\ger\Kursk1943_infantry\body_64.tga

models\human\sk_0\ger\Kursk1943_infantry\body_mip_1.mat

models\human\sk_0\ger\Kursk1943_infantry\body_mip_2.mat

models\human\sk_0\ger\Kursk1943_infantry\body_mip_3.mat

models\human\sk_0\ger\Kursk1943_infantry\body_mip_4.mat

models\human\sk_0\ger\Kursk1943_infantry\body_mip_5.mat

models\human\sk_0\ger\Kursk1943_infantry\head.ini

models\human\sk_0\ger\Kursk1943_infantry\Head_128.tga

models\human\sk_0\ger\Kursk1943_infantry\Head_16.tga

models\human\sk_0\ger\Kursk1943_infantry\Head_32.tga

models\human\sk_0\ger\Kursk1943_infantry\Head_64.tga

models\human\sk_0\ger\Kursk1943_infantry\head_mip_1.mat

models\human\sk_0\ger\Kursk1943_infantry\head_mip_2.mat

models\human\sk_0\ger\Kursk1943_infantry\head_mip_3.mat

models\human\sk_0\ger\Kursk1943_infantry\head_mip_4.mat

models\human\sk_0\ger\Kursk1943_infantry\head_mip_5.mat

models\human\sk_0\ger\Kursk1943_infantry\Kursk1943_infantry.mat

models\human\sk_0\ger\Kursk1943_infantry\Kursk1943_infantry.rect

models\human\sk_0\ger\Kursk1943_infantry\Kursk1943_infantry.tga

models\human\sk_0\ger\Kursk1943_infantry\spec1.tga (Only 1?)

To see *.tga you need ImfViewer http://www.battlefront.com/index.php?option=com_remository&Itemid=314&func=fileinfo&id=442

With this prog you can save in dds format for photoshop.

[Knokke]

Is this building destructible?

Yes, it is. But there is only one destruction level for now.

Here is a screenshot of the building after a sherman fired a few shells at it:

Note there is no normal mapping yet, so the building looks a bit flat.