posted 01-09- 02:33 AM               

Now, go Start - Run, and type in the word "command" (minus the quotes) and hit the enter key. Now you should be in a DOS window at the correct directory. Now, to extract an SM file, bring the SM file you'd like to extract into that folder. Then type in the DOS window (for example)

c:\openplane\extractor.exe me262 me262
and hit enter.

This will extractor the SM file into a bazillion LOD files and a nice HTML file with a nice layout of the SM to read, as well as the very important ASC file. Somewhere on Hippie's Junk Page he has a nice "how to" for it. It may even be included in the extractor.zip file you DL'd.

Hope this helps you. There's a LOT to openplane, so if you need more help just ask here.

Good luck!

posted 01-09- 03:24 PM               

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Zoycite {GS}
GUNSLINGERS

visit The War Paint Factory

posted 01-10- 05:58 AM               

You need Hippie's AC3D plugins and a registered version of AC3D ($40)

With Hippie's new kick-ass plugins you can edit mutiple LODS at the same time. The key concept is: when importing/exporting LODS into/out of AC3D 1 LOD = 1 AC3D Object. You can select an AC3D Object and export it as a LOD.

For example, last night I built my vert. stabalizer and rudder LODS for my Albatross Dva. I opened the htm file created by Hippie's plugin and found the LOD numbers for the vert. stab and rudder. They happened to be AlbatrosDva0088.LOD and AlbatrosDva089.LOD. I then started a fresh new AC3D document. I built the vertical stab as one object and the rudder as another object - they were attached just like they will be on the plane. I then merged these two objects together to make texturing them easier. I then textured the vert stab/rudder object. Now in vertex mode I selected the vertexes of the rudder and chose "cut away object." Now I have 2 objects again, 1 for the fin and one for the rudder. NOw I moe them apart. Then I center the vert stab - keep it selected - the rdder object is NOT selected. Now export the stab object as AlbatrossDva088.LOD - click "Yes" to overwrite the old rudder LOD. NOw open the LOD file and verify the switchin distance. I make them 250000 for starters usually. (Default from AC3D will be 1000)

Now move the vert stab out of the way and move the rudder to the center. Export this the same way.

Now rebuild the asc file into an SM file - this will use your new LODS! Now you have an edited plane! Open it in OPS and position your new LODS.

DO ask questions when you need help - no reason to suffer Post questions in the "projects" forum - that is read more often and is not to busy that these questions get in the way.

All this will seem much easier once you get though a couple of edits and see your work in the game! It is fun and you can do work very fast as soon as you get the hang of it. Basic things you need to learn:

1. Hippie's extractor/builder

Getting planes extracted/built. Adding textures.

2. OpenPlane Studio (OPS)

Positioning LODS. Adding/editing DOFS. Doing FM/DM work.

3. 3D editing with AC3D

Making LODS that work for OpenPlane. This means verifying:

A. One or 2 sided surfaces - check normals! (3D window option)
B. "Smooth" surfaces
C. Assign texture index to surfaces (color and "shinniness value")
D. Co-Planer plogons
E. NO concave ploygones. Means you can not make a shape like a "C" with inside area. Use multiple polygons together to do this.

4. Texture mapping with AC3D

Map skins to LODS. Tells surfaces what part of the texture graphic to map where. This data is stored in the LOD when you export it. You can map any surface within the object to different areas of the "skin" graphic. This way you can map the top of a wing to a seperate texture than the bottom.

Have fun.

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-Sv =FC=

WWI in SDOE!