The Underverse uses Ioncross to show the players online/Rank/System and what ship they are in, but if your are referring to:

Players Online
Server Response Time
Server CPU usage

That can be done by FLAC.

Fus

jsncalif11 wrote:
I got it up in game and it looks pretty good but having issues with SUR. I used the same technique (obj-sur converter) as my jumpgate which turned out perfect but it’s not working with the station. Any ideas?

You exporting the cmp as one group or many? If one group, (which is what I do for the Underverse mod), here is what I do. Combining the instructions of Gibbon at the Freelancer Community (FLC for short) here and what Skotty here at TSP told me what to do so that the sur was attached to the root of the CMP (String posting here, post #14):

In your Milkshape file that has the model, rename all parts to the same name. If your station is say:

Stationx_MainCore
Stationx_SolarPanel1
Stationx_SolarPanel2
etc…

Rename the groups so that the name is the same thing:
Stationx
Stationx
Stationx
etc…

Now in the Milkshape file for your sur, there are 2 options depending on the way you made your model.
Option One: Select a group and use the Convex Tool (The one I use is the orig, found here, Post #1)
The tool will add a _convex at the name of the groupname, which is ok. {Before some1 mentions it, I am aware of the modded version that makes the tool do _lod1 instead of _convex, but I can’t make it work on my machine and my Milkshape.} If you can’t make the modded version work for you, you’ll have to change the _convex to _lod1 manually.
Option Two: Using boxes and cylinders, create the needed shapes to cover the station’s parts. Use the Convex Tool to make sure that each of the shapes will be convex. The group names in the sur file should look like:

Stationx_lod1
Stationx_lod1
Stationx_lod1
etc…
After you have covered all surfaces using either or both options, follow Step 2-8 in Gibbon’s instructions. Once you get to step 9, Do not check the Static box for any of your parts. Since I haven’t figured out the HP section of the converter program, I just use UTF Editor 1.4 or HardCMP to deal with the HP depending on the sitch.
Finish with Steps 10 and 11, and it should work.

Fus

Skotty,

A big thank you for those instructions, it worked perfectly!!!
Now I know what must be done for future sur file repairs for our mod. Credit will be given in The Underverse credits for your assistance in the next version of our mod.

Thank you again,

Fus

Skotty. wrote:
1. Remove all extra meshes you added for sur groups in your CMP (i.e. UV_CommandSur*)
2. Give all meshes the same name and they will become the root part
3. Export all sur meshes with the same name and they will become one group attached to the root of the CMP file.

1.Done (CMP file)
2.Done (CMP file, All ship groups named UV_Command)
3.Done (Sur file, name of UV_Command_lod1) Wasn’t sure about the Static part, so I didn’t click that box. If I needed to do that, that’s easy to redo…

Fus

Cpl of questions:
1. Are these SS from HardCMP/UTFEditor_3.0, or your model creation program?
2.Texture file type-Are you using .dds or .tga?
3.is this a cmp file or 3db?

Check your normals, meaning the orientation of the faces, it’s possible they got reversed.

Fus

Skotty. wrote:
Or make everything root meshes.

Let me see if I understand this quote, cuz this is prob what I am gonna have to do.

In the Command_Test.ms3d, I should delete the UV_CommandSurRoot and CommandSur02-13, then export as one group, leaving MainHull_Command (or some other object’s group name) as the name of the Root.
In Command_Test_Sur, I either rename the sur parts to the name of my Root or leave the names alone, and then in the obj to sur program, Don’t check the Static box, which will tell the program to attach the parts to the Root only. By doing these steps, my ship in game can be damaged both by player ships and the NPC’s in my mod. Do I understand correctly?

Fus

Skotty. wrote:
Please use P1p3rs CMP Exporter. It’s the best you can find anywhere:
http://the-starport.net/freelancer/forum/viewtopic.php?start=0&topic_id=4450&viewmode=flatℴ=ASC&status=&mode=0
With that you wont have that problem. There are just a few issues with that exporter, but overall its the best.

Wish I could bud, but that’s a no can do. P1p3r’s exporter has never shown up in my ms3d’s File/Import or /export screen, which is why I have to use the cmp exporter 0.2. I don’t know what I am missing on my tower that makes the exporter invisible, but for now, I have to use 0.2.

Skotty. wrote:Oh and please remove all these sur-cmp groups. You don’t need them! Just put multiple sur meshes to the same cmp group.

Huh? If I delete all my UV_SurGroup01-13, how is it gonna attach properly to the cmp w/o having a surface to connect with?

Fus

Well, for some reason the exporter isn’t making a Fix file for the Cons/Fix node, any ideas?

Here is the zip file I promised. I am including the following files:

Command_Test.ms3d
Command_Test_Sur.ms3d
Command_Test.obj
Command_Test.cmp

Hope you can help me out.

Fus

My apologies Skotty for the confusion. The SS from question three was a old one, and had not been updated after I made the SS from Question one. I tried reading it (the tut for the program) once,but it was extremely confusing, even after reading it a second time, it still is…

sumanuti,

I am unable to get that updated version of the convex tool to show up in my Tools menu of Milkshape.

I think I will zip up my ms3d of my model and sur files, poss the .obj file as well, later tonight, and post them so that you may see what I am doing Skotty. Hopefully you will be able to show me the correct setup so I can duplicate it here at home.

Fus

Skotty, My next cpl of questions…

1. Boy this is gonna sound like a math question, but here it goes. If sur file is 13 meshes, and the cmp model uses 5, how many of a multi part cmp do I require? Is it a total of 13, where the first part (Root) has the model’s 5 meshes in the first group, then then the remaining 12 has one mesh per group for the sur parts or…
Is it a total of 14? Group 1(Root) has the 5 meshes for the model, then the remaining 13 has one mesh per group for the sur parts?

Question 2:
To make this work with the obj to sur program, in Milkshape do I need to add a “_lod1” at the end of each sur mesh, or do I even need the _lod1?

Question 3: the program itself. Since I am making dedicated meshes at the 0 of xyz inside the model, and the sur meshes certainly are not at that location, What settings do I use in the box on the right where it has the checkboxes for Static, Moveable, etc? Do I do static for each part, making Crosshair Center=Automatic (0,0,0 in x/y/z) or some other settings? I seem to recall reading somewhere (FLC or TSP, can’t remember) if you say static for each sur mesh group it(Checkbox) told the program to use the center of the referenced group name or something like that.

Enuf questions for now…

Fus

Thank you for your reply Skotty. I have cpl more questions, but they will have wait unit I can get home first.

Fus

Picking up from this string here, I need a clarification plz.

I am trying to use the obj to sur converter program and the Convex Tool on my model to make the sur. My usual routine is to export the cmp in one group, and have made the sur parts in multiple parts. But I am having difficulties getting npcs to hit the hull after dropping it’s shields in game. What settings both in Ms3d and in the converter do I need to use to get it to work? Do I need a _lod1 at each group to make it work? (ie:

Milkshape Group Name for cmp:
MainHull_Command

Milkshape Group Name for sur:
MainHull_Command_lod1)

Here are 2 SS of my current groupname settings in milkshape:
http://img535.imageshack.us/img535/1396/commandcmpgroups.jpg
http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/805/commandsurgroups.jpg/
UV_CommandSur02-13 in the cmpgroups.jpg ss are little boxes in the center of the model at the 0,0,0 of xyz, using for the sur geometry to attach to. And before anyone asks, no I am not using the sur splicer program, altho I have used it in the past.

Any settings suggestions greatly welcomed. I have another ship that needs a new sur to be done in multiple parts to make it look right, but I need to get this one right so I have a point of reference on how to do the second one.

Edit: ms3d and related files available on request.

Fus

jsncalif11 wrote:
Also I dug up all my old Tradelane and Planet dock models along with several weapoons, shields, CM droppers, etc…. which work well in game. I will post a link to download those soon. I made use of glowmaps so they are very visually exciting.

I would be very interested in the Tradelane and Docking Rings once you have posted them at Turbosquid. Full credit (of course) would be given in The Underverse.

Fus

jimbo32 wrote:
I seem to be having the same problem that StarTrader reported earlier with the plugins not showing up in ms3d v1.8.4. Anyone have any suggestions?

Nope, but I am still encountering that problem on my 1.8.4, even after removing my 2.7 and 0.2 import/export…

Fus

OK, your talking SP. Fraid I can’t help ya, the only thing that comes to mind is one of two things, and this is totally a shot in the dark.

First possibility is that it is hard coded into the game, alteration near impossible.
Second is it’s a in a .thn file, and I have no information or knowledge on how to tweak that.

GL bud.

Fus

Man that seems so complicated…Just for a clarification, you are meaning the start ship for a player when they join a server? If yes, you really don’t need all that. You only really need 5 files:

• Shiparch.ini* Loadout.ini* Goods.ini* newplayer.ini (Data/Character)* mpnewplayer.fl (EXE Folder)

  With the exception of the .fl file, you can alter to your needs. Just declare the custom ship as you would any other ship in the first three files, then open the newplayer.ini file, where you set the default ship, start cash, and start planet. Here is a sample of our newplayer.ini file from our Mod.

  [Pilot]
  nickname = trent
  body = trent
  comm = trent
  voice = trent_voice
  body.anim = Sc_MLBODY_STND_000LV_A_31
  comm.anim = Sc_comm_body_unfold_female, Sc_headCOM
  [Package]
  nickname = Maru
  strid_name = 11051
  strid_desc = 11551
  ship = Maru
  loadout = MP_Maru
  money = 50000
  [Faction]
  nickname = new_player
  rep_group = co_nws_grp
  base = OR01_01_base
  Package = Maru
  Pilot = trent
  

  Here’s hoping this helps…

  Fus

Check out Freelancer Community’s Forums, specificly the Tutorial section. You might be able to find what you need. DwnUndr’s TCM (Total Conversion Mod) pack might be helpful as well, you can get it at ModDB here.

Fus

That is an interesting thought…but as it is built into the SP, it would prob take an exe hack to pull it off. Adoxxa?

Fus

After having to do a full restoration of my computer, I have found that I need certain.dll files to run FLModelTool, but I can’t find one of them…stlpmt45.dll Searches on the web keep sending me to “D/L and scan your computers for virus/spyware websites”. Does any1 have the needed files need for running this program? I have been able to procure borlndmm.dll and CC3260MT.DLL, but not the stlpmt45 file.

Fus

Cannon wrote:
Run the “DirectX End-User Runtime Web Installer” (dxwebsetup.exe). This installs the missing .NET assemblies and makes it work.

Link: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=2DA43D38-DB71-4C1B-BC6A-9B6652CD92A3&displaylang=en

My thx Cannon, that did the trick. As far as updates from the second link, every time I have downloaded and launch the updated exe from there, Windows pops up w/a warning msg. This version I got from Dwn which is prob a early version doesn’t. Creation date is 5/31/11. Any clue as why?

Fus