Models

[Yeha]

From next version spring will suport a new model format "s3o" which has some extra features that is lacking in 3do.

Feel free to try it out and report any bugs or other things that could need attention before it gets finalized in the next version.
Especially the exporter could use some testing and sugestion (allways save before exporting since craches can happen :) )


The specification of the file format can be read in s3o.h on the cvs.

A new spring executable which suports the new format can be found here http://taspring.clan-sy.com/temp/spring.exe.
And new shaders required for it to work with shadows
http://taspring.clan-sy.com/temp/shaders.zip

Exporter for 3ds max 7 can be found here http://taspring.clan-sy.com/temp/s3oexport.dle


Some description of the format and exporter:
The exporter works much like the 3do exporter for 3ds max, just choose a base object and a mapping channel for the export and all linked objects will be exported.

There are two textures for each model, texture1 is the standar skin texture but the alpha is used for teamcolor. Texture2 uses the green channel for reflectivity and the red channel for self illumination, blue is unused so far.

[IMSabbel]

Will future versions reparse old models into the new format on start, or will it be hybrid (i.e. compiling a big texture for the edo models while running the other models with a texture each...)?

[Yeha]

It will be a hybrid, old models will work the same way they do now with one shared texture.

[GrOuNd_ZeRo]

This is great news!

Does this system allow UV maps and such then?

Also, will there be stand alone converters for us who don't have 3DS max? maybe for Milkshape?

or better yet, Gmax!

[TA 3D]

Umm yeah Your'e going to have to contact Turbo Squid about the posiblity of a GMAX Turbopack(gamepack as it once was know) for the .s3o file format for use with GMAX. As I stated here thats the reason why:

http://taspring.clan-sy.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=2657

Though the nice thing about it besides having UV maping system all that jazz, is that it is free and increadably easy to learn and use.

And if that is going to happen, will we have bone & skin modifier support?

[FireCrack]

Argh, any hope for a rgb self-illumination map.

Oh, and on the same kinda thing, it would be nice to have a script function to activate/deactivate self-illumination.

And it would be nice to have trasperency...

[TA 3D]

Dude read the first post over again!

the red channel for self illumination

[Maelstrom]

Argh, any hope for a rgb self-illumination map.
...

RGB, as in illumination for each seperate channel, instead of one channel for uniform illumination is what I think FireCrack means.

[SwiftSpear]

Can I take the old models and recompile them as s3o, or would I have to retexture/rebuild them?

[BlueIce]

Is possible to compile the exporter for 3dsmax 6 and 5?
I don't know how 3dsmax plugins works...

[IMSabbel]

Argh, any hope for a rgb self-illumination map.
...

RGB, as in illumination for each seperate channel, instead of one channel for uniform illumination is what I think FireCrack means.

I dont quite understand.
You can create any kind of "lights" on a model by setting the texture to the light colour and the self-illumination high.
Why would one, for example, want red self illumination with blue textures? It would just be black...

[BlueIce]

Exporter for 3ds max 7 can be found here http://taspring.clan-sy.com/temp/s3oexport.dle

I have downloaded 3ds max 7 Trial ( but fully functional ) version, and the plugin seems to be incompatible...


<s3oexport.dll> doesn't implement libversion functin.
<s3oexport.dll> is not made for this version of program - not loading.


Is possible to disable the version check?

[FireCrack]

Argh, any hope for a rgb self-illumination map.
...

RGB, as in illumination for each seperate channel, instead of one channel for uniform illumination is what I think FireCrack means.

I dont quite understand.
You can create any kind of "lights" on a model by setting the texture to the light colour and the self-illumination high.
Why would one, for example, want red self illumination with blue textures? It would just be black...

As an overlay, it's nice becasue it lets you saturate towards some colour, say you have a light that looks greyish on the texture but blue on the selfilum. When in shadow it would appear bright blue, when not it would apear more grey from mixing with the normal tex.

Then again, it's an RTS so mabye it's a bit much to ask, less memry this way...

[Yeha]

Exporter for 3ds max 7 can be found here http://taspring.clan-sy.com/temp/s3oexport.dle

I have downloaded 3ds max 7 Trial ( but fully functional ) version, and the plugin seems to be incompatible...


<s3oexport.dll> doesn't implement libversion functin.
<s3oexport.dll> is not made for this version of program - not loading.


Is possible to disable the version check?

Should be fixed now, redownload the exporter.

[BlueIce]

it works now! thanks

[Guessmyname]

Will there be a s3o exporter for wings3d?

[FLOZi]

Now if only I could understand Max And had any texturing ability.

[AF]

Damn I have little or no modelling skills. But for the rest of us could somebody show an example picture of what this new format can do?

[BlueIce]

I'm trying... but.. how do I force spring to search for s3o instead of 3do file?!

[Yeha]

Change objectname in the fbi to objectname=filename.s3o
The textures should be put in the unittextures directory.