.obj -> .sur converter

Gibbon, I believe Sushi said the opposite: that you might have forgotten to do it and that that would explain your base disappearing. FLModelTool recalculates the radius and bounding box of the models, which are used by FL for many things including visibility calculations. Basically, if the bounding box is off-screen, it won’t even bother trying to calculate whether the actual model is off-screen and will just assume it is. If your bounding box is zero, as it often is, then you’d need to see the center of the mesh for it to show up.

Well put it this way, on the multipart version of the base, the one in the video, i definitely did not use FLModelTool and it works fine. So i’m not so sure it has to be used at all. I don’t doubt if there’s a problem then maybe run it through that and it will fix it, but i wouldn’t say it’s a requirement as since then i’ve made a few more without issues.

I was going to post the tut in the Tutorials section but I guess only staff can post there….?

Ben_Kai wrote:
I was going to post the tut in the Tutorials section but I guess only staff can post there….?

Everyone should be able to post there… As far as I’m aware =D

I think only the Senior Member and admins can…

Gibbon wrote:
Well put it this way, on the multipart version of the base, the one in the video, i definitely did not use FLModelTool and it works fine. So i’m not so sure it has to be used at all. I don’t doubt if there’s a problem then maybe run it through that and it will fix it, but i wouldn’t say it’s a requirement as since then i’ve made a few more without issues.

you export with the 0.3 plugin ?
if yes, it’s normal, he puts a radius on the cmp
i prefer use the 0.2.1 because he doesn’t have the scale bug

edit : just to say :

if you start from a cmp, the sur you get is far more complex than the one you can do “by hand” in milkshape or 3dsmax
honnestly what i recommend is to build the shapes in a 3d program and then export as an obj and use the Schmackbozlen tool

as an example :

for the kaliida base
my sur : 73.5 ko and 1452 vertices
the one done by the Schmackbolzen tool from the cmp: 633.3 ko and 16435 vertices
the one done by the Schmackbolzen tool from the sur : 69.8 ko and 1488 vertices

nevertheless the hit/collision detection is better with the tool than by hand

Yes i am using the 0.3 exporter which might explain the lack of issues. For some reason, multi group models don’t export well for me using the 0.2 exporter.

The method you describe to make your sur is certainly one way to make them. I keep emphasizing the fact that not everyone knows their way around a 3D program so this is the reason Ben_Kai’s tutorial works for me and probably many others.

With regard to simplified surs, that’s the whole point of direct x mesh reduction surely? Saves making one from scratch when all you have to do is reduce the poly count in the model using this tool. I also find Lithunwrap does a very good job at reducing the poly and vertice count as well.

Gibbon wrote:
With regard to simplified surs, that’s the whole point of direct x mesh reduction surely? Saves making one from scratch when all you have to do is reduce the poly count in the model using this tool. I also find Lithunwrap does a very good job at reducing the poly and vertice count as well.

from my opinion direct x mesh reduction makes the models too bad if i can say
i have the choice to build a correct sur and to use the Schmackbolzen tool which has the advantage to not burdening the cmp
So i do like that but i understand perfectly that you don’t want or can’t use 3dsmax or other

a question

i have to add the proper hardpoint in the tool so they are covered by the hitbox
and if after i want to add 1 or 2 hardpoints to the cmp i have to rebuild a sur, right ?

so the question is : why we should not add all hardpoints at the list for each cmp even if not in the cmp?

to prevent rebuilding a new sur each time we want to add something …
i imagine the sur will be “bigger” and ? it’s a problem for freelancer or not ?

Not only this, there are different hardpoint names, e.g. HpTurret_B1_01, HpTurret_R1_01 etc.

Schmackbolzen: any progress for the next release with multiple groups please?

Schmackbolzen wrote:
Last exam is on Friday after that I can continue working on the converter again.

Btw. thanks for all the success wishes ^^

Thanks, Schmack. Best of luck with your exams!

any news ?

Did you took your exams ?
If not you will still continue on sur converter

I think he is in the “cool down” period after his exam

Yea its no hurry after all . This is anyway the golden age of freelancer modding programs (after 8 years of moderate releases - I may be wrong :roll:). I am saying also about the tons of flhook development , adoxa and m0tah plugins , cannon , lancer solurus and the rest of the contributors. Its just amazing just the releases at this point .
Also the free releases and source codes included make a huge difference to another comunities where i saw many pathethic situations , the “credits madness” and insults ; i don`t want to say what and where i saw that , i just want to apreciate this community and all people here

Good Luck^^

Schmackbolzen wrote:
Yes, plus there are some things to be done for the mod I am working for (hooking etc.) and also university started again this week ^^.

I plan to continue working an the converter as soon as I finished the mod stuff (which should not take more than 1-2 weeks).

That’s about now, right?

Hate to prompt you Schmackbolzen, but this is the thrid time I am waiting for a sur tool, and the third year, and I’m getting older and don’t know how long more I will live waiting for this perfect sur tool. :pint:

And I don’t want it to be on your conscience for the rest of your life that I died waiting for you.

And I don’t know what is the next more scary and scaly and hard-skinned animal after the crocodile…??

a gibbon?