ManSh00ter

Reply to How to change model size? in Sins Modding Sins Forums

Much obliged!

Reply to Custom Mod Troubleshooting/Tips for Beginners in Sins Modding Sins Forums

-if you are changing a lot of stuff, keep a log of changes. You *will* forget what you changed and where eventually, and hunting one offending entry among dozens is complicated enough without you knowing what you should be looking at in the first place.

How to change model size? in Sins Modding Sins Forums

I am making custom models in XSI and, this may sound silly, but simply cannot find how to change the final size of the exported model. I tried scaling. I tried hitting Ctrl-K and editing Local Transform scale values from there. But when I export the model and convert it, the final bounding radius is the same. Which, by the way, I tried editing manually, to no effect. What am I missing here?

Reply to So.. what is coming in the mod tools? Before I waste my time. :/ in Sins Modding Sins Forums

I actually have to agree both with the OP and those who advocate patience. Fact is, Innociv is correct - right now about all we can do is tweak the stuff which already exists. As I am making a mod which should add some new stuff, including a new race which is supposed to have quite a different gameplay than the existing ones, I am faced with a number of, as Carbon said, "invisible walls", including the fact that right now you cannot add more types of ships than there already are since i

Reply to [MOD] Sins of a Solar Empire: INVASION (new screenshots, May 28th, 2012.) in Sins Modding Sins Forums

I was thinking about something like that, but so far couldn't find a real tactical use for such a unit. Unless you could completely cloak a fleet and sneak past fortified planets, but then the whole point of enhancing static defenses would be void. However, I do plan to implement mines which would be great as a countermeasure for cloaked fleets, and if that works out all right, I might try to tinker with units to make something like this, but coding it into AI behaviour, making mines able to det

Reply to [MOD] Sins of a Solar Empire: INVASION (new screenshots, May 28th, 2012.) in Sins Modding Sins Forums

The mod is still very much in the works. I estimate it will be another week or two until the first pack (partial graphical overhaul and core gameplay changes) is ready for release. I'm taking it slow to ensure that the system is as balanced as possible. System testing phase is pretty much complete, I now know 90% of what I need, the rest is simple manual labor. ;)

Reply to Revising Trade Ships in Sins Modding Sins Forums

Yes, the number of trade and refinery ships will be reduced, but their effectiveness increased. Also, in the case of my mod, the drain will not be drastic. But it will slow down your economy a bit if you keep losing trade and refinery ships. In other words, it is a "realism" factor, but one balanced so that you can ignore it in most cases.

Adding emitters to models in XSI in Sins Modding Sins Forums

Can anyone explain this to me? I know that XSI uses null objects instead of 3DMax's dummy helper objects for emitters, but so far I have been unsuccessfull in exporting the control points to the dotXSI - in any case, when I convert to .mesh file the "NumPoints" section remains at 0. Since I am making new models it is sort of important - otherwise can't setup weapon points, exhaust etc. If anyone knows how the process works, I would appreciate some advice.

Reply to Revising Trade Ships in Sins Modding Sins Forums

Well, not really what you have in mind, but the new race I am building for my mod The Last Stand will have an incentive to protect its cargo ships simply because trading is going to be about the only continuous source of credits for them. While not as dependant on that resource as other races, a Xin player would have to think more about his trade routes that way. Also, I plan to test adding a small price in resources for construction of trade and refinery ships. This would function simm

Reply to New skin pack in the works in Sins Modding Sins Forums

Heh, at which point camouflage would be actually contraproductive since it would fluctuate the ship's albedo, making it easier to spot against the starry background. The best camo in space is pitch black. But that doesn't look very pretty, does it. ;) Anyway, nice work, looks great.

Reply to [MOD] Sins of a Solar Empire: INVASION (new screenshots, May 28th, 2012.) in Sins Modding Sins Forums

Here is a little update: the first model I created for the new race. The textures need a bit of touching-up here and there. The name of the race will be Xin. Top: [link="http://img403.imageshack.us/my.php?image=xinscout1uc7.jpg"][IMG]http://img403.imageshack.us/img403/3065/xinscout1uc7.th.jpg[/IMG][/link] Bottom: [link="http://img205.imageshack.us/my.php?image=xinscout2wg8.jpg"][IMG]http://img205.imageshack.us/img205/4389/xinscout2wg8.th.jpg[/IMG][/link] <b

Reply to Anyone with XSI / Softimage experiance? in Sins Modding Sins Forums

Select your object in XSI and hit Ctrl-K to access the Local Transform property editor. Check the Pivot tab. Rotation should be all set to 0. See if that helps fix the problem.

Reply to Should ships just stand completely still in battle? in Sins of a Solar Empire Sins Forums

Eh, they actually don't obey Newton's Laws, since they have both top speed and fire their thrusters continually while moving. Since there is no air friction in space, firing your thrusters will continually accellerate you untill you reach near relativistic speeds (might take you a long time though). Anyway, I think Star Wars are more exciting to watch than Odyssey 2001, no? This is a game after all, so lets dispense with all that no-sound-in-space and need-a-flight-control-permission-to

Reply to Anyone have any luck with the beta tools XSI converter? in Sins Modding Sins Forums

I have exported models in XSI using dotXSI ASCII format, version 3.6, and they were accepted without issue by the converter. Crosswalk, however, does not pass go. If I had to guess, I would bet on some exported element not being compatible with the converter. Try deselcting everything on the dotXSI exporter window except polygons and user normals and setting polygon type to polygons. Also try setting the model material to a basic white one. That's all I can think of rig

Reply to Adding more than 5 Capitals? in Sins Modding Sins Forums

Has anyone tried adding enough frigates for the build icons to [b]spill over[/b] to the next row? If they have and there was no problem, then it is likely we have a bug on our hands.

Reply to [MOD] Sins of a Solar Empire: INVASION (new screenshots, May 28th, 2012.) in Sins Modding Sins Forums

Thanks Spartan, I'm very pleased with how the new effects are turning out. Should have the other explosions and shield effects set up in a few days. Tempus, thanks for the offer, but for now I'm working solo on this, primarily because I am still in the experimenting stage so how I envision and implement stuff changes daily so it would be difficult to synchronize with a team. But hey, if it turns out the project is too big for an one-man effort to cover, I'll be sure to drop you a call i

Reply to New research categories possible? in Sins Modding Sins Forums

If you want to modify the UI, you need to take a look at the /window folder, since all the elements are there. From what I have seen, it is possible to add new research categories, but it would involve editing a number of files. Right now, adding new technologies involves first editing the racial .entity file, then creating the appropriate research subject .entity file as well as adding necessary stuff like descriptions into the english.str file. I already suceeded in adding new technol

Reply to Anyone successfuly imported a model yet? in Sins Modding Sins Forums

Nevermind, turns out nothing was wrong with the model and textures - the windowed mode seemed to mess up rendering for some reason.

Reply to [MOD] Sins of a Solar Empire: INVASION (new screenshots, May 28th, 2012.) in Sins Modding Sins Forums

Titans Rule. ;) But honestly, can you have a huge galactic conquest without Titans? You simply got to have them, they are every emperor's favourite toy. And yes, I do play EvE. Don't worry, these titans won't cost that much. :p

Anyone successfuly imported a model yet? in Sins Modding Sins Forums

Ok, I hit a snag and need a bit of help. My problem are the textures, specifically it looks like something's off with the normal map because as the ship turns about the light/shadow areas do not transit smoothly across its surface but jump abruptly from polygon to polygon. In addition, the diffuse texture seems "washed out". I thought at first its a model problem, since the converter reports "invalid vertex" errors when converting from dotXSI format, but I have tested this by importing

Reply to [MOD] Sins of a Solar Empire: INVASION (new screenshots, May 28th, 2012.) in Sins Modding Sins Forums

Bob211, don't worry, I know how much work I've cout out for myself. Besides, I plan to release this mod in "modules"... for example, when I finish the effects overhaul, they are going to be available as a separate mod. Same with game mechanics changes, and finally, when I finish the new race, the whole package will be released. That way people who maybe only want or like the new effects or gameplay additions, but not the other stuff, can install what suits them. I'll put up a short movie

Reply to [MOD] Sins of a Solar Empire: INVASION (new screenshots, May 28th, 2012.) in Sins Modding Sins Forums

Indeed. :) I feel that having a supercapital ship adds to the variety, and with outposts it creates interesting choices. An outpost itself is a formidable defense battery, able to block off entire sectors with its wings of fighters, missile and projectile batteries and even the ability to generate a phase inhibition field. However, they will cost a lost in supply - so the more of them you have, the smaller a fleet you can support. Its a question between mobility and formidable, but static defens

Reply to [MOD] Sins of a Solar Empire: INVASION (new screenshots, May 28th, 2012.) in Sins Modding Sins Forums

Update: I've been working on enhancing some effects, mainly explosions, with the aim to diversify between factions. The goal is to have each faction explode differently. The vanilla explosion effects, I feel, are best suited for TEC ships, while other races should reflect the fact that they use different materials/technologies/fuels in the vessels. To show off what I made so far, here are a few screenies of the new Vasari explosions. I felt having their doom tinted green would

Reply to Create New Ships? in Sins Modding Sins Forums

The problem isn't in adding new ships, but in adding new buttons for those ships to be built. So it is primarily an UI problem and it looks like we either don't have the required files to modify that, or we don't know what to change. I know some modders here tweaked the UI already to look different, maybe someone can enlighten the rest of us? :) Oh and btw - the brushes files are simply reference lists for the game to know which section of the large texture files to pick for various UI

[MOD] Sins of a Solar Empire: INVASION (new screenshots, May 28th, 2012.) in Sins Modding Sins Forums

Sins of a Solar Empire: INVASION is an addon project aiming to expand upon the existing universe of the Sins of a Solar Empire, providing original and high-quality content on top of the original game. Aside from the new content, the addon will also i