[REL] Playable U-FlaK for SH5

[gap]

Originally Posted by THEBERBSTER

sober made a mod for Shaefer for using with VIIA and VIIB's where he moved the bridge crew to different positions.
Peter

Hi Peter, thank you.

Unlike watch crew, gun crews need to be aligned with their guns, and their animation synchronized with gun's animation. Some of their settings might be different, in any case I would like to see sober's mod. Do you know where I can download it?

Originally Posted by vdr1981

Heh, we are thinking the same. I reached the same conclusions yesterday while I was using advanced search options in Notepad++ , that's why I asked you how can I rotate bones with gr2 editor (I was trying to rotate WP_A02_GUN bone).

WP_A02_GUN in your latest version of the conning tower GR2 file seems okay, but you can try rotating it in the waypoints.GR2 file.

Originally Posted by vdr1981

However, I'm not happy to see that even script files are involved in crew placement...

Today I had a look waypoint_edges.txt and waypoint_info.txt files. There is not much to be tweaked there, if not making sure that all the crew waypoints in the GR2 files are set within the two files above. I still haven't found what determines that waypoint "WP_A02_GUN" is connected with configurale bone "cfg#A02", and a light Flak gunner gets linked to it when that gun is manned.

Originally Posted by vdr1981

One more question though...Your tweaked gr2 U-flak tower works great but it has been doubled in size (9MB, was 4MB), was that your intention or maybe not?

No, that's a common problem: when GR2 Editor exports a model, that model gets uncompressed (i.e. some vertices are duplicated); compression on reimporting the same model is not automatic though. I will try and optimize the model before reimporting it. I can't promise I will manage bringing the GR2 file back to 4 MB, but its file size should decrease to some extent at least.

[gap]

Originally Posted by vdr1981

Also, I'm going to upload latest U-flak version with edited upgrade packs, restricted gun zones ect...You are free to grab it and , if possible, to tweak any spotted issue...

Okay. Make sure the pack is accompanied by a detailed description of the issues still remaining. If need be, I will send you back my own tweaks on your files. Not necessarily fixes though: it is as well possible that I break something, as we are still in a trial and error phase

[vdr1981]

WP_A02_GUN in your latest version of the conning tower GR2 file seems okay, but you can try rotating it in the waypoints.GR2 file.

I tried but without success, Usual Rclick-Edit doesn't work...

Today I had a look waypoint_edges.txt and waypoint_info.txt files. There is not much to be tweaked there, if not making sure that all the crew waypoints in the GR2 files are set within the two files above. I still haven't found what determines that waypoint "WP_A02_GUN" is connected with configurale bone "cfg#A02", and a light Flak gunner gets linked to it when that gun is manned.

Yeah, it looks like WP_A02_GUN and WP_A01_GUN bones are somehow asociated with light flak crew...

No, that's a common problem: when GR2 Editor exports a model, that model gets uncompressed (i.e. some vertices are duplicated); compression on reimporting the same model is not automatic though. I will try and optimize the model before reimporting it. I can't promise I will manage bringing the GR2 file back to 4 MB, but its file size should decrease to some extent at least.

OK, no problems...I haven't spotted any issues even with 9MB file...

[vdr1981]

And here is the new version...

Current issues:
Front gun - no visible crew or flipped single light AA gunner when bone is renamed to WP_A02_GUN

Central Quad 20mm AA gun - single light AA gunner (I brought that poor guy back to the bridge, just to make some crowd when guns are manned )

Front gun not operational for player (shielded, 37mm) until it's replaced with quad 20mm trough bunker upgrade. (All other flak stations are OK)

And that's about it...

http://www.mediafire.com/download/qd...U-FlaK+III.rar

Make some tweaks if you can, if not, well , what a hell, we will wait for some better times untill we learn more about the files and dependencies... My opinion is that the new boat is a great fun even now, such as it is (until those Spitfires arrive at least )...

[THEBERBSTER]

Hi gap
Download link
http://www.mediafire.com/download/cd...haefer+SH5.zip
Peter

[gap]

Originally Posted by vdr1981

I tried but without success, Usual Rclick-Edit doesn't work...

The latest version of GR2 Editor is weird when it comes to bone editing. I will rotate the bone myself using one of the older versions of TDW's tool. I am optimistic that we can solve the flipped crew issue

Originally Posted by vdr1981

Yeah, it looks like WP_A02_GUN and WP_A01_GUN bones are somehow asociated with light flak crew...

I hope waypoint names and associations aren't hardcoded, otherwise there would be little to be done in order to swich A1 and A2 guns to use correct crew models when heavy Flaks are fitted on them instead of light ones.

Originally Posted by vdr1981

OK, no problems...I haven't spotted any issues even with 9MB file...

Working on some more optimized meshes and on removing the flagstaff. I hope the optimization won't break AO channel's UV map as often happens.

Originally Posted by vdr1981

And here is the new version...

Got it

Originally Posted by vdr1981

Current issues:
Front gun - no visible crew or flipped single light AA gunner when bone is renamed to WP_A02_GUN

Central Quad 20mm AA gun - single light AA gunner (I brought that poor guy back to the bridge, just to make some crowd when guns are manned )

I hope the missing crew was caused by the mismatch between main and waypoints' GR2 files, and the new waypoint names being absent from waypoint_edges.txt and waypoint_info.txt files, but I am afraid things are much more complicated than this. Currently I am investigating the meaning of GunSationController and GunstationControllerProperties settings and station/crew scripts. There might be several connections among the above files that we need to discover...

Front gun not operational for player (shielded, 37mm) until it's replaced with quad 20mm trough bunker upgrade. (All other flak stations are OK)[/QUOTE]

This is another mistery: why the FlakVierling is user-operable and not the 37mm M42. Under a functional point of view they both are heavy Flaks after all

Originally Posted by vdr1981

Make some tweaks if you can, if not, well , what a hell, we will wait for some better times untill we learn more about the files and dependencies... My opinion is that the new boat is a great fun even now, such as it is (until those Spitfires arrive at least )...

I wish I had more time. I can do some changes on the fly, but as I said I think we need to study a bit more the game before we can fix some of the glitches

Originally Posted by THEBERBSTER

Hi gap
Download link
http://www.mediafire.com/download/cd...haefer+SH5.zip
Peter

Thank you very much Peter!

[vdr1981]

Originally Posted by gap

This is another mistery: why the FlakVierling is user-operable and not the 37mm M42. Under a functional point of view they both are heavy Flaks after all

Indeed...From some reason , it seems that game treats Quad flak both as heavy and light gun...
Maybe some Camera.cam/gr2 tweaks are needed, or maybe some appropriate scripts... ...

I'm waiting for your gr2 tower with flagstaff tweak, then I will release new update for TWoS...

[gap]

Originally Posted by vdr1981

Indeed...From some reason , it seems that game treats Quad flak both as heavy and light gun...
Maybe some Camera.cam/gr2 tweaks are needed, or maybe some appropriate scripts... ...

I'm waiting for your gr2 tower with flagstaff tweak, then I will release new update for TWoS...

[gap]

@ Vecko:

http://www.mediafire.com/download/4g...arine_Parts.7z

I have removed the flagstaff from conning tower's model, and rotated A02 waypoint bone in waypoints GR2 file. I have also tried optimizing model vertices for file size reduction, but on importing the compressed file AO's UV map was corrupted. I still hope the issue can be solved by importing/exporting the optimized meshes in 3ds max. Targor Avelany/Max knew how to do it, he helped me a lot with some of my previous models, but he has not been around lately. I still hope I can borrow 3ds from some friend, and find the right combination of export option. In the meanwhile please update your TWoS with the current files.

Tomorrow I will keep digging into the wrong gun crew issue; let me know if the new waypoints GR2 solves the issue of front gun with crew facing the wrong direction

[vdr1981]

Originally Posted by gap

@ Vecko:

http://www.mediafire.com/download/4g...arine_Parts.7z

I have removed the flagstaff from conning tower's model, and rotated A02 waypoint bone in waypoints GR2 file. I have also tried optimizing model vertices for file size reduction, but on importing the compressed file AO's UV map was corrupted. I still hope the issue can be solved by importing/exporting the optimized meshes in 3ds max. Targor Avelany/Max knew how to do it, he helped me a lot with some of my previous models, but he has not been around lately. I still hope I can borrow 3ds from some friend, and find the right combination of export option. In the meanwhile please update your TWoS with the current files.

Tomorrow I will keep digging into the wrong gun crew issue; let me know if the new waypoints GR2 solves the issue of front gun with crew facing the wrong direction

Great work with the flagstaff, it looks much better now!
However, rotating A02 bone in waypoints.gr2 file didn't do any good. It seems that WP_xx_GUN bones in the main gr2 object (tower) are responsible for guns crew placement .
I have renamed front WP_FLAK_GUN_02 bone back to WP_A02_GUN in order to get back front flak gunner , but he is still flipped.
You should try to rotate front WP_FLAK_GUN_02 bone in the main gr2 tower file, or even better, send me gr2 editor which can actually do that?

[gap]

Originally Posted by vdr1981

Great work with the flagstaff, it looks much better now!
However, rotating A02 bone in waypoints.gr2 file didn't do any good.

At this point I suspect that that file is just a leftover by devs (as I noted yesterday other Uboats' conning towers don't have it). Try deleting it and see what happens.

Originally Posted by vdr1981

It seems that WP_xx_GUN bones in the main gr2 object (tower) are responsible for guns crew placement .
I have renamed front WP_FLAK_GUN_02 bone back to WP_A02_GUN in order to get back front flak gunner , but he is still flipped.
You should try to rotate front WP_FLAK_GUN_02 bone in the main gr2 tower file, or even better, send me gr2 editor which can actually do that?

Sure, use this

http://www.mediafire.com/download/fs..._1_1_453_1.zip

Unless I am very much mistaken, that bone is already facing the right direction though: open the file in goblin or in GR2 Editor, select WP_FLAK_GUN_02/WP_A02_GUN and note that its Z axis is already pointing to the bow

[vdr1981]

At this point I suspect that that file is just a leftover by devs (as I noted yesterday other Uboats' conning towers don't have it). Try deleting it and see what happens.

Will try that...

Unless I am very much mistaken, that bone is already facing the right direction though: open the file in goblin or in GR2 Editor, select WP_FLAK_GUN_02/WP_A02_GUN and note that its Z axis is already pointing to the bow

You're right but somehow the poor crewman is still flipped so, let's flip it again... I'll try to do this...This will be my first flipped bone in gr2 editor...

EDIT
I think that the solution is somewhere in between crewidle.aix and upcge files...Don't invest too much time in this issue though, I think that really is not worth it ...

EDIT 2
Why I cant edit bones rotation even with your editor version? Usual right click on bone to edit just wont work in case of bones rotation??

[gap]

Originally Posted by vdr1981

You're right but somehow the poor crewman is still flipped so, let's flip it again...

You are right. Quoting Arthur Conan Doyle "Once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth"... or at least so we hope. Sometimes this game seems so illogical that the best way to proceed is using a trial and error process

Originally Posted by vdr1981

I'll try to do this...This will be my first flipped bone in gr2 editor...

You need to know that bone rotation data is stored as quaternion angles. GR2 Editor has Euler to Quaternion and Quaternion to Euler angle converter in its tools menu

[vdr1981]

Originally Posted by gap

You need to know that bone rotation data is stored as quaternion angles. GR2 Editor has Euler to Quaternion and Quaternion to Euler angle converter in its tools menu

Holly crap, what are talking about!?

Just kidding,...I'll see what I can do...

[vdr1981]

Originally Posted by vdr1981

Just kidding,...I'll see what I can do...

Nope...I think I'll just leave bone rotation jobs for you Gap...

Anyway, I've forced one deck gun crewman to sits correctly on Quad's seat, using few changes in mentioned aix files...Dont ask me how yet ...