[Aim-64C]

Perhaps this is covered somewhere that I should have read a long time ago... but, I've recently made a YF-23 model (not the goofy one in Generals - the REAL YF-23) and made a basic skin to give it some substance while I'm working out all of the coding.

It's not a skinning question (you can sigh in releif, now) - but, rather, how to control the 'bones' and the .... fx-marker ... things. I searched the forums - several different sites, and I caught the gist that it's handled in the INI - and possibly some export properties.

What exactly am I supposed to do with those 'bones'?

[Slye_Fox]

bones are on the model, and what do you mean by 'control' them, and why's the title got OCL in it?

[SmokeyDaBear]

????????? This has nothing to do with bones

You just gotta have the bones on the model, but in renx highlight them then go to Utilities [the little hammer on right side menu] > W3D Tools > Export Geometry and make sure its unchecked... so that the bones wont show but they will do what they are supposed to...

and like Slye said...wtf that gotta do with OCL, or FX maker? Or controling for that matter?

[Aim-64C]

They are used in the unit ini for the OCL to generate the different effects - such as where a weapon spawns from when it fires, where a contrail forms, and where smokes, sparks, or anything else is used.

They are always refered to as bones, from what I see them as. But I know that bones are used for animating meshes, so I knew that they weren't real bones.

Thankyou, I'll try that..... now what about the crosshair-looking deal... does that require an opacity change, or is that handled automatically?

Strange... I know how to skin, how to model, and how to code in the ini files... but I am lost when it comes to this... which everyone else (even the 'n00bs') seem to know how to do.

[SmokeyDaBear]

noooo nooo noooo your all wrong... they are not used in OCL...thats all under the faction stuff...all the contrail and stuff is from the faction stuff...the only things used in ocl is generals special power attacks and firepoint build-ons...



bones are only used for animation with infantry for the most part...everything else moves the actual mesh; not the bones

crosshair looking deal? Can you please go into detail cause im getting lost a lot in this room...

lol...you'll get it eventually

[F-15Cipher]

Its simple with the bones man, just go into Renx, load your model, go to the tab on the right where you would choose your shapes, go under Helpers (5th button), and choose dummy. Just put that object where you want your firepoints, contrails, etc...

And Im not sure about this crosshair thing either... :/

[Slye_Fox]

SmokeyDaBear, a 'bone' is not just use on infantry.
a bone is a non-geomical (therefore invisable) object, efects such as smoke and sparks apear at the pivit points of these bones.

An OCL(Object Creation List) is not an effect, they are objects.

And what do you mean by crosshair?

[Aim-64C]

Okay... after doing a bit of experimenting and looking back at files and such - I've gotten it straightened out... well... kinda.

The 'crosshairs' I was reffering to are used for mapping effects such as a tank firing its weapon, the afterburn effects, etc. I couldn't think of what to call them.

In the .w3d viewer, they are shown with a medium opacity level - somewhat transparent. Whenever I export the model, however, they are always 100% opacity - or, if I treat them like a bone, are completely invisible. I'm not sure if this is really a problem or not - it's just an inconsistency I've noticed. I'll try putting it into the game here, after this, and then things will be a little more clear to myself.

sorry - I was thinking OCL because I've often seen stuff in the INI titled "FX_Create_FXradiationfieldsmall" - or something similar. I was thinking along those lines, not the actual graphics/sounds, wich are different - they don't behave like a unit or affect the game outside of graphics.

I would post an image of what I'm talking about - but it only allows me to post a URL, unless there is some trick I'm not aware of. I don't have a place to upload it to the internet... I should probably fix that... but... until then.

lol - I feel like a total airbrain... but I guess we all have those moments.

[SmokeyDaBear]

1: Slye lemmie refrash that... i dont mean that the only thing they used for is infantry animation...i mean the only animations i can think that use em are infantry animations mostly...

2:that crosshair is the muzzle fxs and engine fx

3: go to www.imageshack.net or get a www.photobucket.com......easy ways to host unlimimted photos...i would suggest imageshack cause its free, no signup, and you can choose it not to resize your image...

[Aim-64C]

*sigh* ... okay... I've put all of the files I'm using into a .big file - the model is in the art/w3d folder, and the textures in art/textures folder... I've looked at other mods, and I've got the same setup as them. There's one difference. My models are invisible .... I've checked, rechecked, and checked again the INI until I think I'm going to wear out that sector on my hard drive (can that happen?) - and it is correct.

I exported the model under standard heirarchial model (or however that's spelled) and w3d viewer shows it just fine - minus the burner FX stuff... still haven't gotten that to display the way it does everywhere else. I'll figure that out later, after I can see my gosh-durn plane.

I remember reading about there being a size limit to the w3d files... is there a size minimum? My file is 3 charactars long "f23.w3d".

Everything works - except my plane is invisible....

I'll post the relevant code, anyway.

Draw = W3DModelDraw ModuleTag_01

DefaultConditionState
Model = f23
HideSubObject = BurnerFX01 BurnerFX02
WeaponLaunchBone = PRIMARY WeaponA
End

I guess this is what happens when you spend all of your time with INI coding and not trying to insert models......