** Tutorial ** - Making a new ship from scratch

    <b>Texture: </b> -now for the texture. The .mat file must be created from scratch. Open up your utf editor, create a file that looks like this <img src=´http://www.sighost.us/members/neoimagine/utf.jpg ´> (antioch is the name of my texture) -in the dt_name branch, store a string with the name of your texture file, e.g. mine is &quot;antioch.tga&quot; -in the type branch, store a string &quot;DcDt&quot; -flip your texture file upside down -in the MIP0 (MIP zero) branch, import the upside down texture file -save this utf file with same name as your cmp file, except with extension .mat <b>Ini: </b> -now for some ini editing. decompress your datashipsshiparch.ini file with bini -make a copy of shiparch and add to it a suffix like .bak (this will be your backup file in case something gets messed up) -stick your ship cmp and mat in this location: dataships&quot;yourgroup&quot;&quot;yourship&quot;&quot;group&quot;_&quot;ship&quot;.cmp, dataships&quot;yourgroup&quot;&quot;yourship&quot;&quot;group&quot;_&quot;ship&quot;.mat -Easiest way to test your ship is to replace one of the other ships, eg patriot. It´s the first ship group in shiparch.ini. -replace the entry for DA_archetype with the location of your ship cmp -replace the entry for material_library with the location of your ship mat -go to hp_type parts -example: hp_gun_special_3 is ability to mount lvl 3 guns. The hardpoints listed after it are which hardpoints have that ability. Check out the other ships´ hardpoint entries to find out what types there are. Hint: hp_torpedo_special_2 is torp/cd hardpoint while hp_torpedo_special_1 is cd only -set LODranges to 0,2000 (change 2000 to something larger if you have a huge ship like a cruiser) -delete all the [collision and [simple groups for the patriot <i>**That´s it, you should be able to go to manhattan and buy your ship. But this is a bare bones tutorial, just enough to get your model into the game. Things this tutorial does not cover but which you can do anyway: </i> -change ship handling characteristics -change ship price -change ship hull stats -change ability to mount diff lvl shield -create icon gfx for your ship -edit ship´s info -put ship in w/out displacing another ship -letting ship have a hull collision box -letting ship have shield collision box that fits it -changing appearance of engine flame -changing angle at which camera follows at -changing internal appearance of cockpit Good luck! Edited by - Imagine on 04-12-2003 09:17:25

    OMG - someone finally put it in a manner that even I can understand. Look forward to some props when I create the &quot;Armored Battle Freighter&quot; Class ship. So far the idea is: Lvl 8 Shielding 5600 Armor 200 Cargo 2 Lvl 8 guns up front 2 Lvl 7 guns top mounted (one rear, one forward firing) 2 lvl 8 turrets each side 2 lvl 7 turrets each side 1 lvl 7 turret rear mounted 2 CD/T Hardpoints 1 CM 1 Thruster 3 Engines Think Humpback, less manueverability, more aggression, same cargo. On another note, do you know of some way to modify the time to reach top speed of both the engines and thrusters UNDER FULL CARGO LOAD to simulate mass vs. inertia? What about the time it actually takes the Cruise engines, once engaged, to push the freighter up to the full cruise speed? Again, THANK YOU FOR THE INFORMATION! Justinian! Hail Ceasar! Leader of the Free Peoples of the Holy Roman Empire.

    Victory, a true victory is not merely crushing your enemy, pounding it into submission. No, my friend, true victory comes after the battle, when your enemy is convinced that they were wrong to oppose you in the first place.

    thanks, Justinian, glad it helps! I´ve edited it a bit and made some corrections. Also I amd very weak at editing handling characteristics so I can´t help you much with that <img src=smilies/icon_smile_sad.gif width=15 height=15 border=0 align=middle>

    Ach! I´ll take what I can get. What do you think of the concept ship above - the Armored Battle Freighter? Good Idea, bad idea??? Think it will catch on or no? I can´t seem to find it, maybe you would help? How do I import EXISTING ships to modify them? I was thinking of some slight alterations to the Humpback (see above), and would like to use the model from the game. Thanks either way - this has helped more than I can express!!! Justinian Hail Ceasar! Leader of the Free Peoples of the Holy Roman Empire.

    Victory, a true victory is not merely crushing your enemy, pounding it into submission. No, my friend, true victory comes after the battle, when your enemy is convinced that they were wrong to oppose you in the first place.

    To import a ship, dload <A href=´http://www.lancersreactor.org/t/download/download.asp?id=466´ Target=_Blank>cmp import</a> and import the humpback. You will need to reapply the textures and hardpoints because the importer doesn´t put those into milkshape. Your freighter sounds like a tank <img src=smilies/icon_smile_big.gif width=15 height=15 border=0 align=middle>. Maybe it should handle like one too? It would be really unique if you change the texture a bit, some ideas -&quot;Armored Courier Industries&quot; or some name on the side -little warning markers like &quot;Danger: Flammable Substances&quot; -a license plate from Frankfurt -&quot;How´s my driving?&quot; <img src=´http://www.sighost.us/members/neoimagine/genesis.jpg ´>

    If the Eagle (according to some) is the Porsche of the Freelancer universe, I intend this to be the 1974-ish Dodge Aspen Station Wagon. It will fly in a straight line well enough, and should be able to turn around inside a system...lol. Thanks for the information, I will post more hear as I go along. Justinian Hail Ceasar! Leader of the Free Peoples of the Holy Roman Empire.

    Victory, a true victory is not merely crushing your enemy, pounding it into submission. No, my friend, true victory comes after the battle, when your enemy is convinced that they were wrong to oppose you in the first place.

    In milkshape, click on the ´vertex´ button. Then click 3 times in top view to create 3 vertices. Then use the ´face´ button and click eachh of those vertices et voila! You have a face/poly/2d-triangle.

    Please? i need help with finishing my ship but i cant make it play able and ive asked many ....do i have to move the progetct &quot;my first ship&quot; into the recycle bin?

    Are u gonna answer my question? Sabre:500,000 Diamondback:250,000 The bullets in the back of John Chavez,priceless

    _____________________________ All heil the suicidal bunnies

    sorry, I wasn´t online. Cm01 is countermeasure 01 contrail is that jetstream´ like thing that trails from the ends of your wings and such mount is best described by example: if you put your mount triangle 3 feet under your ship, your ship will land and hover 3 feet off the ground. If you put triangle in your ship, it will land with bottom half in the ground.

    donald please elaborate on your problem. No I don´t think u move anything to recycle bin unless u don´t want it anymore...sounds like someone was being sarcastic.

    Hello, as i have not the time to sit around and work it out for my self.. i was woundering if there was some one who would be willing to make a new ship for me.. (it will be placed for every one to get but i would get it first <img src=smilies/icon_smile_big.gif width=15 height=15 border=0 align=middle> and of course the person who makes it will have there name where its says maker) but basicly what i want is for the ship to be a star battle ship.. (like the ones u see sitting around some of the trade lanes..) ill give more specs if some one will do this for me <img src=smilies/icon_smile_big.gif width=15 height=15 border=0 align=middle> thanx Space is big, so make the most of it.. <img src=smilies/icon_smile_big.gif width=15 height=15 border=0 align=middle>

    hmm pretty good me thinks, but u need to xplain how to create a ship from scratch, ur post is good dont get me wrong but u should explain actually how to build it in the editor and methods u think are good for it, cause i am totally lost when im doing this i have no clue how to make a ship thats not a box u know. Mess With the Best Die lIke the Rest

    Mess With the Best Die lIke the Rest Check out my Freelancer Website FLPoliceclan.tripod.com AIM SN - SuBZeRo69069 (feel free to IM me if you need any Modding help)

    Great work, guy! I have a problem: when someone attacks my new ship, it simply doesn´t get any damage to the hull... I think (and someone told me) that the problem is the lack of a .sur file. I also read somewhere that .sur files cannot be done? Is it true? If so, can I use another .sur file and simply rename it?

    <font size=1 face="trebuchet ms"><BLOCKQUOTE><hr size=1 noshade>In a way I can understand. <hr size=1 noshade></BLOCKQUOTE></font><font face=´trebuchet ms, Verdana, Arial, Helvetica´ size=2> can do <img src=smilies/icon_smile.gif width=15 height=15 border=0 align=middle> Zousug: I will take a look at it. You can also start it yourself and I´d be glad to help if you ran into any problems. Subxero: ok, I´ll add some basic modeling stuff to the beginning xinos: You´ve got the right idea; the sur file describes a ship collision box. The best we can do so far is to just find a ship that has the same basic gemetry as yours and copy and rename its sur file for your own ship. Also, you might need collision groups in your shiparch.ini (the things I said to take out). I will look into that more.

    Hello. ok.. thanx.. i would start but as i have no time atm because of Tafe and other stuff i cant.. what i want is for the ship to look like one of the giant battle ships that are floating around the planets and stuff.. (the biggest one you can find <img src=smilies/icon_smile_big.gif width=15 height=15 border=0 align=middle>) --------------------------------------SOS----------------------------------------------------- below are the details i would like. nanobots / shield batteries : 100/100 (if there is another ship with more then 100 add 50 on to what the other ship has.) armor : 20000 10 gun mounts (5 along each side) / 6 turrents (360 degrees (3 along the top and 3 along the bottom)) 3000 cargo space 2 torpedo tubes (on the front if possible) 2 misile tubes (on the front if possible) 4 thrusters.. (i think thats all) and call it U.S.S Crusher make it about $99,999 (because of the stats) make it so it can be gotten in manhatten --------------------------------------EOS----------------------------------------------------- if thats all possible it would be great.. (if the gun mounts and missile tubes cant go in the areas im after then just put them where ever it is possible to put them) thanx. Space is big, so make the most of it.. <img src=smilies/icon_smile_big.gif width=15 height=15 border=0 align=middle>