HowTo:Create Ships in Wings3D

Introduction

So you want to create a new ship for Vega Strike do you? Well before you start cranking out wonderfully designed models, we request that you first check what models are still required. Refer to this link FIXME INSERT LINK TO SHIP WISHLIST

You must have Wings3D and the Xmesh Export Plugin installed to do this, see Howto:Install Wings3d. This howto assumes that the version of the plugin you're using is 1.3b4 or newer. If you want to stay with the old plugin look at Howto:Create Ships with xmesh plugin 1.3b3. The old format for lights is no longer used by the plugin script.

If you use a different modelling program, it must be able to export models in .obj or .xmesh format.

Lastly, we recommend following the processes below in order, until you know what you're doing.

Creating Your Ship

The first (and most enjoyable) job is to design and draw your ship (the geometrical object) within your program. The way how to create geometry in Wings3D is fairly self-explanatory, but if you have problems refer to the Wings3d homepage (especially the tutorials page or the tutorials thread, and the manual section of the discussion board).

Rename the objects you create to something good sounding: "Window -> Object -> RMB on object -> rename"

ATTENTION:

• Don't give multiple objects the same name, they will all be written in the same xmesh file.
• Don't name an object like this: "tag_....."
• Do not use materials in Wings3D (in combination with the plugin of course; especially not the hole material). The (correct) use of material colors is not yet supported.

Modeling tips:

• start with a simple cube
• stay with low polygon-count (no extreme round shapes, etc ...)
• Please mind the max. polycount values (its not to prevent good looking ships, but to make Vega Strike run smoothly an slower computers; not everyone has an GeForce VI with 512MB/1,8GHz and an Athlon 5,2THz):
• without LOD mesh(es):
  • fighter 1024
  • capship 2048
  • station(part) 4096 ???
• Only when using LOD mesh(es):
  • fighter 2048
  • capship 4096
  • station(part) 8192 ???

Orientation of the objects

• front= Z-axis = blue
• up= Y-axis = green

Additional Points

Once your basic design is complete, Vega Strike requires a few additional items created on your ship.

Creating Weapon Mounts

These are the locations of the physical mount points for the weapon systems of your ship. Vega Strike uses independant weapon models, and requires these mount points to know where to attach them.

• "RMB -> Vegastrike Tags -> Mount (Weapon)"
• place it where you want to have the weapon (move/rotate/...);
  • The point in the 90° angle is the base - attaching to the ship;
  • The longer side of the triangle must point in the direction the weapon should point.

Creating Turret Mounts

Similarly, if your ship is to mount turrets, these points must be recorded.

• "RMB -> Vegastrike Tags -> Subunit"
• the type of the subunit is specified in the config.txt
• place it where you want to have the subunit (move/rotate/...);
  • The point in the 90° angle is the base;
  • The longer side of the triangle must point in the direction the top of the turret should point;
  • The shorter side of the triangle must point in the forward direction.

Creating Docking Ports

If the ship is designed to be docked to (e.g. a capital ship or large cargo vessel), the docking points must also be recorded.

• "RMB -> Vegastrike Tags -> Dock"
• place it where you want to have the dock (the point in the 90° angle is the base).

Creating Engines

Lastly, create the points for the engines.

• "RMB -> Vegastrike Tags -> Light (Engine)"
• place it where you want to have the Engine;
  • The point in the 90° angle is the base;
  • The longer side of the triangle must point in the direction the engine should point (normally points back).

"Spot" lights should have another position than their aim point.

Assigning UV-maps

• Go to Howto:Texture in Wings3d

You need the UV-data and a texture to display the ship correctly in VS. If you didn't do that you will get some scrambled geometry. In the worst case it won't even export.

Saving and Exporting

• Save your file as .wings
• now you have two options:
  • Select File -> Export -> Vega Strike (.xunit/.xmesh) ...
  • Select File -> Export -> the grey square right of Vega Strike (.xunit/.xmesh) ...In this dialog you can set the export options. (they will be saved in your Wings3D-Preferences and not in the .wings file);
    • Export as cockpit - use BSP=binary space partition;
    • Ignore export-config - Ignores the conf files located in .../exportdir/config/*;
    • Export image maps (as TGA files) - check if you want to export the texture maps (as tga-files);
    • Use Scale for whole xunit - Uncheck to scale single objects/xmeshes;
    • Export scale - the value which is written into the xunit/xmesh;
• If you are using the config-export method you must EDIT THE CONFIG.TXT to meet your idea of the ship;
  • the sample config.txt included in the plugin has a editing-description in it;
  • the sample data is located in the xmesh_sample_data-directory in your Wings3D-dir (to be precise they are in .../YourWings3dDirectory/lib/wings-0.xx.xx/plugins/xmesh/xmesh_sample_data);
  • some tips for editing config.txt:
• Note that you must enter a name with the extension .xunit in the export dialog, but it will be cut away by the plugin
• The files are saved like this:
  • Unit Files: like specified in the config.txt;
  • Object/Mesh File(s): yourmodelname_objectnameinwings.xmesh;
  • Texture Map(s): yourmodelname_objectnameinwings_diffuse.tga.

to check the correctness of the files rename them into .xml and drag them into Mozilla, IE or another XML-understanding browser. They will show you an error if the syntax of the file is corrupt.

Creating Logos (a workaround right now)

• search in Wings3D for a polygon you want to put the logo on;
• switch to vertice-mode by pressing v;
• select all vertices of this poly one by one and write down the numbers displayed in the upper left corner of the screen;
• also remember the name of the object, the polygon is owned by;
• Edit the xmesh file of the object and insert this before the <\Mesh> line;
• See Definition of the Logo here: Howto:Edit Mesh Files.

TIP: You can scale the tag-objects as much as you want. Also the length of the sides can vary (but they must not be the same length). Be sure it has an rectangular angle where the position Point is.

TIP: If you don't see the logo, make it very big to locate it.

Converting Texture Maps

• Use an image manipulation program to convert the .tga files to a compressed (smaller) file format vegastrike can read like png or jpg;
• Edit the name of the image files in the .xmesh files

Some image manipulation/convertion programs are at Links: Graphic Programs.

Miscellaneous

Description of xunit

Wings tips and tricks

• http://www.geocities.com/paulthepuzzles/aardvarks.html - Wings 3D tutorials, notes and general information - by PuzzledPaul
• Viewing the defined hotkeys:
  Menu "Help" -> "Defined Hotkeys"
• Defining your own Hotkeys:
  Menu "Help" -> "How To Define Hotkeys"