Copying and Editing an Existing Starsphere

I’ve been attempting to create a slightly color tweaked version of a star-sphere for a custom system, as altering the space color isn’t working here.

So far, i’ve made a copy of the relevant .cmp file, used UTF-Editor to extract the nebula .tga, used GIMP to edit the image, and am stuck somewhere amidst putting it back in.

On the first export I loaded back into the .cmp, the star-sphere caused the game to black screen the moment the system loaded in, which seemed to be because the file GIMP exported was too large, even with compression.

On the second export saved into the .cmp, I fixed the above by exporting it as a .png and then changing the file type to .tga afterward. Whilst this didn’t cause the game to crash, the nebula image seemed completely absent, though it was clearly detecting something, as there was a misty, white-grey instead of complete black, and I could make out the faces of the star-sphere.

Having taken a closer look at the files in UTF-Editor, i’ve realized that a star-sphere isn’t as simple as the same image tiled over and over, though given how complex some are i’m surprised that hadn’t occurred to me sooner. The images i’ve been importing only have one ‘MIP’ whilst the one I exported had 8 and what seems like technical information.

I planned to try and find Milkshape, since threads have indicated that’s the program I should be using, but the download link I found was long since out of date.

Is there a way to quickly make the way i’m trying to do it work, or alternatively a DL for Milkshape?

Cpt_Rei_Fukai wrote:
First of all, afaik Freelancer supports only two texture types, .tga and .dds. Anything else won’t work and changing the extension will not make a png a tga. Modifying space_color does have an effect but it is more like a global background color.

Starspheres consist of many meshes and textures, so if one is broken, you will just see the the rest without it.

The different MIP Layers you see are a level of detail feature. The idea is that if you get closer to an object, more detailed(bigger) textures will be loaded. But it seems that starspheres don’t use this technique.(as it doesn’t make sense)

I figured it was a support issue, and I’d tried to save as a pure .tga anyway once the .png conversion didn’t work, but it still isn’t working, or at least not via UTF-Editor, anyway. There’s something in the existing .tgas in the .cmp for the starsphere that my own .tga files seem to not have.

And I don’t know what to tell you, but the existing nebula .tga in the file has 8 or 9 detail levels, whilst my imported/edited nebula .tga only has one, and it doesn’t seem to be arranged correctly anyway, given I get an error any time I try to use UTF-Editor to view the imported .tga.

Thaddeus wrote:
MIlkshape is still available as a download off their site

MilkShape3d

Its okay for making the background spheres but the import/exporter and MS3d doesnt surport the gradient transparency texture feature for the barrier and nebula elements.

Edit: MS3d does work with Windows 8.1 not sure about 10

I’ve got Milkshape now and am looking at it, so it seems to be working. Now I just need to work out how it functions, but the limitations you’re talking about may make it not what i’m looking for, given i’m trying to make a copy of an existing starsphere but with an colour altered nebula texture.

Treewyrm wrote:
If you want vertex alpha and colors then there’s maxlancer for autodesk 3ds max. Making starspheres is relatively simple there although initial learning curve can deter some.

Took a look at Maxlancer. Given I have a little, if not particularly strong, experience with Max, it seemed like a good bet.

Unfortunately, my anti-virus threw a hissy fit when I tried to go to the download link, and also when I tried to go to the link meant to get around hissy fits, and also when I went to it via a VPN. Something about it detecting “malicious code” on the site, so that’s unfortunately out.