Hello,
Whilem man y request infos, I decided to take some time for you all.
This is the checklist of the 3D modeler in BMS.
First, please select one of your model, the one you like the most.
1/ complete all the 3D modeling. Everything. 30,000 triangles max, affect your smoothing groups and Ptypes.
2/ Prepare moving parts on the closed or neutral position,
3/ Unwrap your model,
4/ Make your textures,
5/ Bake your textures, achieve the post processing stuff.
6/ Prepare license plates and alpha channels, I will explain you when you will be at this phase, that is easy.
7/ Open the Falcon exporter menu, this looks like this :
http://i.imgur.com/PSprPWP.jpg
8/ DOF and switch your model. This phase is really specific of BMS. In Falcon BMS exporters, there is helpers to create animations. Not so complex, but it needs a lot of trials before getting what you want. Sizes for slots, dofs and switches doesn’t matter, setting them is just for your own confort.
This looks like this :
http://i.imgur.com/32DakRU.jpg
This is DOF menu. This makes animations. You can scale, rotate, translate, by configuring factors, this is rather easy to understand by yourself how to use it.
You have to link them with :
http://i.imgur.com/ZZBUImy.jpg
Then, for some functions , like afterburner, or licenseplates you need to use switches. These are display/hide functions.
You will find them in this menu :
http://i.imgur.com/XQTTvtD.jpg.
Same than DOF to link them to the part.
9/ Place your Slots. This is aircrafts hardpoints. You can check any google reference to identify them.
menu looks like this :
http://i.imgur.com/P4c3EL2.jpg
Same than DOF to link them to the part.
Check your payload configuration. prepare a sheet with all your hardpoints, and, everything you need to be carried. AN excel sheet is advised, to make stuff clean. Identify your pylons.
9/ Make the 3D models for payload for what is not in the database, then, unwrap them.
10/ Some models use swtches like GBU. Please note that these weapon switches use aircraft definitions, but don’t have same role. This is the tricky part. To know which one to use, please ask on the thread, we will tell you.
11/ Read and re-read Waveydave manual, there is absolutely everything inside…
12/ Next phase is editing DB with Lodeditor, but this is another story, there is already near than 1 year of work there for the average modeler!
Regards,
Radium
P.S. Please ensure that your model doesn’t already exist in the DB…
Radium, this is great information, looks like mostly what I’m looking for, my question is a bit more specific though.
Is it possible to unpack an LOD and reverse one of the DOFs? I’m still learning how all this works, not even sure if I’m asking the right questions, but this looks like the right place.