Mod technical terms

[Timothyjmcneeley]

Lets open a discussion on what technical terms in our numerous modifications mean. E.X. GUI, SOD, ODF, Sprite, etc.

 

[Majestic]

Thread moved from General Chat to Armada 2 section.

 

[Timothyjmcneeley]

thank you

 

[Cylon]

Well odf Is object definition file but what does SOD stand for?

 

[Timothyjmcneeley]

Well odf Is object definition file but what does SOD stand for?

Thank you Cylon, I know better understand Armada II, but I still don't know what SOD and the others stand for.

 

[Syf]

SOD: Storm Object Data file - The SOD is the 3D object aka: model, that has been converted to a data file that the Storm 3D game engine can decipher. Star Trek Armada (both versions) are built around a game engine called Storm 3D. The SODs are originally a 3D file using Studio Max 3D rendering Software. After the release of the games, someone was able to make a Milkshape exporter.

Exporter: This is a software "extension" file that allows a program to convert data of one type to data of another type. In the case of Armada, it converts the rendering program 3D objects into a format that the Armada engine can read, and use.

3D Rendering program: This is the software one would use to make 3 dimensional objects. These programs vary, but there are only 2 programs that have an exporter for Star Trek Armada, and these are Studio Max 3D, 2 professional Hollywood grade program that costs thousands of US dollars for a single person use license. Then there is Milkshape, The hobbyist's program. Unlike others, this only cost $20 US dollars.

SPR: This is a TGA type image file that the game engine uses to make things like phasers and photons, and even explosions. These usually have Alpha Channels embedded into them to allow the black areas to be transparent.

Image formats: There are 2 types of images that a picture can be used by the armada games. Bitmaps (aka: BMP) and TGA (not 100% sure what the TGA stands for). One can make and save images to these formats using programs like Gimp, Paintshop Pro, and Photoshop. These 3 programs support the TGA format with Alpha channels. However, there are some bugs with Paintshop and Gimp. The preferred image program is Photoshop. I have the Photoshop CS version (the full package) that cost me about $1100 US dollars. Paintshop is now a Coral draw software, I have not tested the newer versions of Coral. I have the older Paintshop Pro 8.10 from when it was made by JASC. Then it was a $200 US dollar program. And then there is Gimp, the Linux based Free program. It works, but I never got to into the program, as all software requires a learning curve, and I haven't spent the time doing just that. Now when I say the 2 image types are supported, TGAs are the only image type that can be used on a 3D model. The BMPs are for Admiral pictures and such. SPRs are also TGAs, as are most the GUI.

 

[Dan1025]

Ah thats what SOD stands for, I've been modding all this time without knowing lol, ah well, it's never slowed me down but its still good to know

 

[Syf]

It's good to know I can share my vast array of otherwise useless information.

 

[Atlantis]

SPR: This is a TGA type image file that the game engine uses to make things like phasers and photons, and even explosions. These usually have Alpha Channels embedded into them to allow the black areas to be transparent.

SPRs are also TGAs, as are most the GUI.

Actually SPRs are notepad files, with the numbers etc which specify how the TGA texture file is used/animated, etc...

 

[Timothyjmcneeley]

Actually SPRs are notepad files, with the numbers etc which specify how the TGA texture file is used/animated, etc...

:Y

SPR Are you refering to sprites? Cause I don't know what those are either.

Syf, Thank you for that long but informational tutorial on technical terms. Now my brain hurts!!! Majestic thank you for sharing that information with him that is making my brain hurt!!!

 

[Syf]

Actually SPRs are notepad files, with the numbers etc which specify how the TGA texture file is used/animated, etc...

D'uh!... Sorry, it was too early with a lack of caffine... You are right. I was actually mistaken... but I was thinking of the sprite images. That, and add in the mix that different software actually uses a sprite texture file for weapons. I tend to be toying with different programs and my own game engine, so I can "mix up" the diffences sometime.

Thanks for correcting that Atlantis.

Perhaps in the near future, I can show everyone why I made such a mix-up. But for now, that's a private matter so to speak.

 

[Timothyjmcneeley]

Its alright Syf, we all make mistakes...its not like your a Borg or anything....or are you

 

[Syf]

I gave up assimilating people years ago. Now I just scheme every night my next plan to try and take over the world!

Any more requests on definitions of technical things related to Armada 2? I will see if I can get the right answers related. It can be challenging to remember all this stuff related to Armada and not other software. But I will gladly do my best.

 

[Majestic]

One can make and save images to these formats using programs like Gimp, Paintshop Pro, and Photoshop. These 3 programs support the TGA format with Alpha channels.

I also use a program I got years ago called Prestio Imagefolio LE and have been using it for years. Its more advanced than paint but a lot less advanced than Photoshop. I do 90% of all my graphic work with it, even now that I have Photoshop CS 8.0. The only downfall of Imagefolio is that it doesn't support alphas. You can still buy the program online by googling it but I am unaware how much it costs, I got mine like 12 years ago as it came free with a scanner.

Bitmaps (aka: BMP) and TGA (not 100% sure what the TGA stands for).

It's actually short for TARGA or Truevision Advanced Raster Graphics Adapter. It was the native format of Truevision Inc.'s TARGA and VISTA boards, which were the first graphic cards for IBM-compatible PCs to support Highcolor/truecolor display.

 

[Timothyjmcneeley]

I gave up assimilating people years ago. Now I just scheme every night my next plan to try and take over the world!

Any more requests on definitions of technical things related to Armada 2? I will see if I can get the right answers related. It can be challenging to remember all this stuff related to Armada and not other software. But I will gladly do my best.

:Y When you take over the world, please don't kill me...I make a pretty good court jester.

I will look through my Armada II file and look for other adbreviations I will to task you with.

I would like to continue this thread please.

Majestic please merge this post also, as I have no clue how to do that...just leave out the part where I'm asking you this...

What is a Poly, and why does it matter if it is to high?

 

[Majestic]

What is a Poly, and why does it matter if it is to high?

A poly count is the amount of pollies that a model has. The higher the count the more the game engine has to process thus slowing down the game and putting more power into processing it. This also means that the more high poly units you have in game the slower your machine will run, people with more powerful machines can usually getr away with it but not always. I run a P4 3.0Ghz with a gig of memory and a 256MB graphics card and my machine still lags with high poly.

The good thing though is that the game only processes what it see's on screen.

Most modellers try and keep their ships around the 2000-2500 mark, the more massed produced the ship is the lower the poly count the model should be, though many now in the community think that 4000-5000 pollies are okay for a ship thinking the game can handle the same as Bridge Commander, Legacy and SFC3 which isn't the case.

 

[Syf]

Poly: Poly is short for Polygon. It is a triangle. These triangles create a "surface" called a face. These faces in turn are what the images are projected (aka: mapped) onto. With dozens to thousands of these polygons, you form a 3 dimensional object called a model. These models are what make of the things inside a game. Now, into the math and reasoning why one has to watch the poly counts. A poly consists of 3 points, as any triangle. 1x3=3 in simple math terms. Now, since the poly also contains mapped detail information of what "part" of the image is projected onto that poly, you now have something more mathematically complex. Since we are using TGAs, they are 24-bit images. Also, if you have an alpha channel in the TGA, that TGA is now a 32-bit image. So now the math looks a bit more like this 3x24xC where C is the number of pixels in the image that is mapped onto the poly (a simple 256x256 squared image is equal to 65,536 pixels). Now, lets move along to the game. The engine that the game was built on is a DirectX 7. That means in short terms, the engine can in theory, handle upto 1 billion instructions per second. Break that down to polygons, that's about 100 million Polygons per second. But, if you want smooth game play, you need to be able to render all the polygons on-screen 24-60 times per second. So, divide the 100 million by 24 and that means you want a max of about 400,000 polygons on screen all at once. Now consider that everything is made up of polygons, except the GUI (and I do mean everything.... including the stars in the background). So, you have 20 ships on screen that are 1,500 polygons each, then you have the other guy's fleet, then you have planets, moons and stars, etc. Now if you push past the 400,000 polygon limit, then you see flicker and slag time, the 2 things that ruin a gaming experience, outside of a total freeze/ crash.

 

[Timothyjmcneeley]

Ok now to pull out the technical to English translator.

Kirk to Enterprise, Kirk to Enterprise...there is DEFINATLY intelligent life on this planet.

Now earlier, not in this thread, you explained that alpha came before Beta testings, but what are alpha channels?

 

[Dan1025]

Alpha channels are a special layer added to texture files that create lights that are used on anything from windows to nacelles e.t.c.

Without them models in armada 2 have no lights on them, and can barely be seen in a dark environment. They are also known as lightmaps.

 

[Timothyjmcneeley]

Thank you Dan. So basically its the running lights on the ship.

 

[Syf]

That is it, along with transparencies (the level of how transparent parts on an object are).

 

[Dan1025]

Basically yeah, but I thought I'd go into more detail cos my technical knowledge so rarely comes in handy to anyone else lol

 

[Timothyjmcneeley]

I like Syf's, Majestic's, and yours, as well as everyone elses technical lingo. It makes me feel smart! I really do have some basic programming skills, a little knowledge of both hardware and software. Just stuff I learned in high school a few years ago, and all my years of using PCs since Windows 3.1 and 3.11. I just know nothing of Apple Macs.

 

[Syf]

It's a good thing we aren't talking apples and oranges here.

Dan, your doing fine. Keep chipping in. I just have to add in a cent or two myself.

TMC, if you have some basic programming knowledge, then there's no reason you can't learn to code the game. Modding is quite self-rewarding (at least for me it is, that's why I keep going at it even when some in the community have been less than nice toward any projects I'm involved in).

 

[Timothyjmcneeley]

It's a good thing we aren't talking apples and oranges here.

Dan, your doing fine. Keep chipping in. I just have to add in a cent or two myself.

TMC, if you have some basic programming knowledge, then there's no reason you can't learn to code the game. Modding is quite self-rewarding (at least for me it is, that's why I keep going at it even when some in the community have been less than nice toward any projects I'm involved in).

Can you teach me, or at least send me some programs to start with or even point me in the right direction. Please don't tell me to go out and buy that $2000.00 piece of equipment you were talking about before.

Also, can somebody please teach me how to make a sig?

 

[Syf]

Well, actually, I would recommend getting a copy of Westworld's Big book of modding. It's old, but it covers all the basics and even some of the more advanced techniqs. It's free... I'll have to see if I can find it. I will see about getting you a copy in the near future.

The only program you need to mod ODFs, TTs, SPRs, and the other code files is a simple text editor, such as "notepad".

The expensive programs are 3D modeling and rendering software. But you can get Milkshape (aka: MS3D) for only $20, if your interested in modeling. Then you would need a image creation/editing program that can format an image to TGA. "Gimp" is such a program, and it's free. But be warned, all these require you going through the learning process for each one. One can not just "jump in" and know what to do. The community members are usually most happy to help. I've managed to help a few here and there even.

 

[Timothyjmcneeley]

Well, actually, I would recommend getting a copy of Westworld's Big book of modding. It's old, but it covers all the basics and even some of the more advanced techniqs. It's free... I'll have to see if I can find it. I will see about getting you a copy in the near future.

The only program you need to mod ODFs, TTs, SPRs, and the other code files is a simple text editor, such as "notepad".

The expensive programs are 3D modeling and rendering software. But you can get Milkshape (aka: MS3D) for only $20, if your interested in modeling. Then you would need a image creation/editing program that can format an image to TGA. "Gimp" is such a program, and it's free. But be warned, all these require you going through the learning process for each one. One can not just "jump in" and know what to do. The community members are usually most happy to help. I've managed to help a few here and there even.

You get book...check
Notepad...check
Milkshape 3-D...Best Buy...check
"Gimp"...Download.com...check
You help when I have question...check.

Ok, I will do as much research as I can, and hopefully it goes well.

 

[Syf]

that sums it up. On the different programs, you'll need to track down tutorials and wade through them. It's a dawnting task, but is an important phase in becoming a full blown modder. But remember the key to success in it all, enjoy it, do it to have fun. When making a mod, it's about what makes you, the modder, happy with the mod. Afterall, it's your creation and your just nice enough to share it.

 

[Timothyjmcneeley]

Once I get all the stuff and I finish one...no matter how crappy it looks, I promise to share it on here!!!

 

[Majestic]

Well, actually, I would recommend getting a copy of Westworld's Big book of modding. It's old, but it covers all the basics and even some of the more advanced techniqs. It's free... I'll have to see if I can find it. I will see about getting you a copy in the near future.

Majestic Sci-Fi Central Forums - Westworld's BBOM Download

The only program you need to mod ODFs, TTs, SPRs, and the other code files is a simple text editor, such as "notepad".

I use wordpad myself, I find it a better program for odf's.