M730a2 chapparral system

[AngusHeaf 0]

Well, my search to find a suitable 1985 vintage mobile SAM addon for the west has pretty much turned up nothing. So I thought to myself that maybe I would throw my best attempt into the ring and see what happens. Here's the skinny...

I'm a decent 3d modeller/skinner with zero experience in OFP. I will completely design and build the M730A2 system in 3d Studio Max (which I understand is reasonably compatible with OFP/O2) and see if I can enlist the help of some willing partners to do the CPP and conversion from 3dsmax to OFP. I have some help already but please feel free to speak up if you're willing to give me a hand with this as I can use all the help I can get.

I modeled a good portion of the vehicle yesterday and right now I"m about ready to start skinning and texturing (later this afternoon). Check out this early screenshot straight from Max. Nothing fancy, just facet lighting and edged polys so you can get the basic idea. Triangle count is right at 2,000 (is that high, low, just right?) and I still need to remove a bunch when I glue the two halves of the body together (that's why there's a seam in the middle).

http://www.mphasemedia.com/extranet/flashpoint/m730_01.jpg

I posted the pic inline before but it's just too big and makes the forum get all nasty and wide. So just click on that link up there. Thanks!

[edc 0]

One question, will the missiles come off when you fire them?

[blackdog~ 0]

Apparently I will be converting it into OFP (might need help with the CPP), and I will probably be using Col. Klinks Psuedo Proxy tutorial

[AngusHeaf 0]

I don't see any reasn why the rockets wouldn't actually come off and so far the people that I've talked to who know a lot more than me about this sort of thing (not hard cause I know zero) say that the missiles are quite doable. So we'll see. Anyways, yes blackdog you get to do the converting. Hehe. Don't worry I'll do all the LODS and stuff for ya.

[edc 0]

The reason I asked is because missiles that dissapear when fired can't move w/ a turret in OFP w/o a script.  Like on the BMP-1, the missile doesn't show up until its fired because its on the turret(there were pics showing it there from BIS so that feature may have been in the game at some point, but its not in any released version/patches).  There are scripts I think that can do this(I think the Rapier released by SwissMod uses one).

[AngusHeaf 0]

Ah excellent. Thanks for the heads-up! One of those tricky little OFP quirks that you don't know about unless you read these forums daily I guess. Sort of like the problems with missiles firing from wheeled vehicles.

[earl 0]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (blackdog~ @ 27 April 2003,20:36)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">Apparently I will be converting it into OFP (might need help with the CPP), and I will probably be using Col. Klinks Psuedo Proxy tutorial <span id='postcolor'>

I think Col Klink's method makes it possible, as blackdog mentioned already.

[AngusHeaf 0]

I thought I would go ahead and post a picture of the current model. Everyone likes pictures and it's gotta be more interesting than reading my ramblings.

Model is about 95% finished with just a few more things left. Now that it's mostly done I'm actually considering also doing a fixed position launcher that is basically the 4 missile launcher with a stationary base instead of the M113 body. Might be useful. I may also add some more pieces of kit to the sides of the body. Could use a big roll of camo netting. May even make version with deployed camo nets.

[AngusHeaf 0]

If you're going to self-bump a thread, do it in style!! I finally finished the tedious task of skinmeshing my M730. Before you get too excited, skinmeshing is just the process of setting up your texture map with coordinates for mapping it onto your 3d object. [/end noob 3d lesson] It actually takes about twice as long as making the model, sadly. But anyways, I've been texturing, texturing, and more texturing for the last couple days for a copule hours at a time. And here's what I have so far... It's not Marfy quality [yet] but I'm still far from done.

Let me know what you think please. Good and bad, I'm not about to go crying about my fee-wings. Thanks!!

Oh and if you're really interested in seeing the textures as I worked on them piece by piece just check out progress01 - 05 (look at picture url for details). Not as interesting but some people might care.

[soul_assassin 1742]

Great work m8, cant wait to play with it. The textures actually do quite look like Marfy's style, which is great.

[BATPBC 0]

Nice Work!!! I can't believe that there was all this talent I haven’t exploited yet

*thinks of ways to coerce Angus*

btw get your ass back in the game!!!

[digitalcenturion 20]

Wow, amazing textures! IMHO it really is Marfy quality...

One question: It looks like they missile launcher couldnt turn very far up now without the missiles would touch the launcher vehcile, wich i suppose is a bit of a disadvantage? Dunno anything about the Chapparral in real life tho..

EDIT: It doesnt look like it in the unskinned pics, but in the partly skinned..

[Scorpio 0]

They're pretty good textures, but a little overdone with the mud and rust IMO.

[AngusHeaf 0]

I actually happen to agree a bit with Scorpio on the mud (there's no rust). I went a tad overboard with it on the bottom edge of the body and have since figured out a better way to do it that looks more natural. It shouldn't be a problem to fix since it's on its own Photoshop layer. So it's no big deal.

The observation about the current's maximum upward angle is a good observation. But that's why the turret actually raises up on the center column before firing. Hehe. The wireframe model pics from before were doctored slightly and I raised the turret to the ready for fire level and then swivelled the rockets. The textured shot is with the turret in the travelling position that lets it fit below a canopy.

I'm not sure if I will do a completely canopyed version but the curved pieces on the front of the vehicle are actually 6 separate curved bars that connect to the corner posts on the back of the body. There's actually 5 more posts per side (that I left out) that connect to the little pyramid shaped things on the side of the flatbed. Then it's all covered with fabric (that's rolled up on the nose) like a 5T truck.

I've been working on this thing for a week straight and haven't played CTI in about 5 days. I'm having withdraw symptoms. Oof. I need to start playing again!!

[Mr. Snrub 0]

Looking very impressive! Take your time and make it as good as you can, and it will be appreciated that much more

If you can manage to animate the centre column (to and from the firing position), that'd be fantastic - the realism wouldn't go astray, and everyone likes fancy new features.

Looking forward to the release

[AngusHeaf 0]

I'm pretty sure these don't fire while on the move so I'm wondering if it's possible to make AI stop before firing, and make players have to stop or slow down before firing. That would be a huge bonus. Animating the turret going from storage to active mode would be pretty sweet and I'm hoping I can do get that done. I would also like to get it setup so that it can be deployed in different modes. One mode I'm looking into doing would definitely be with the roll of camo netting stretched over the whole thing except the turret. That would be pretty awesome.... We'll see though. The guys at Red Star Studios have volunteered their services (in exchange for my soul) and who am I to argue with that?

[blackdog~ 0]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (AngusHeaf @ 03 May 2003,21:42)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">I'm pretty sure these don't fire while on the move so I'm wondering if it's possible to make AI stop before firing, and make players have to stop or slow down before firing. That would be a huge bonus. Animating the turret going from storage to active mode would be pretty sweet and I'm hoping I can do get that done. I would also like to get it setup so that it can be deployed in different modes. One mode I'm looking into doing would definitely be with the roll of camo netting stretched over the whole thing except the turret. That would be pretty awesome.... We'll see though. The guys at Red Star Studios have volunteered their services (in exchange for my soul) and who am I to argue with that?

<span id='postcolor'>

Remember, this is for CTI... it has to be matched against the SA-13 (unless you are doing different versions). The storage could be much like any other tank (I think?) when you switch to "turn out" as driver.

[AngusHeaf 0]

Well yeah... it will be matched against the SA13 which means I will probably have to keep the missiles unrealistically underpowered and roughly in line with the strelas the Gopher fires, and not the sidewinders it actually fires in real life. That's not a big deal really, and I'm not a total slave to realism when it means defeating the purpose of why I am making the unit (to match up against the SA13 and replace the vulcan after the SA13 replaces the shilka). But hey, I doubt I will do anything that seriously hinders the ability for it to be balanced. If It needs ot stop to fire I will just make it a bit stronger to balance things out. Don't worry. Hehe.

Question...

You guys think I should go with yellow missiles? I have pictures of units using an olive paintjob and yellow missiles. Yellow obviously isn't great for camouflage but the SA13 uses yellow missile pods and it seems only fare to give both side an equally non-camo missile. I could also go with black, brown, and I've seen green with yellow stripes. Does anyone even care? Haha, probably only me!

[M9ACE 0]

AngusHeaf,

You are correct, it would have to stop to fire. As far as the color goes, it should be olive in color. I will get back to you on this when I have the time. And yes, I care.

[AngusHeaf 0]

Hehe. Olive seems appropriate but like I said, the SA13 has yellow which is a bit of a disadvantage. I'm really sort of torn on this issue since painting them olive would mean the unit is starting to turn into one big olive drab beast. I may go with a dark brown in the interest of not going insane because I"ve been looking at the same damn olive color in photoshop for 3 straight weeks. Hehehehe. But I'm still open to suggestions of course.

[elendil004 0]

Think it would be possible to have camo deploy as a command? Like turn out? Only when engine off, and it would deploy around the vehicle?

[Scorpio 0]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (AngusHeaf @ 05 May 2003,20:09)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">Hehe. Olive seems appropriate but like I said, the SA13 has yellow which is a bit of a disadvantage.<span id='postcolor'>

In the MT-LB pack 2.2 there is an SA-13 with olive green launchers.

[AngusHeaf 0]

Elendil... I would like to include that function. Coding it is beyond my own ability but that's why I have the help of others. Hehe.

Scorpio... Sweet. I haven't seen the 2.2 pack and I must be using the first release of it. Knowing this though I will definitely NOT make the missiles yellow.

[blackdog~ 0]

It's under someting or other marines. Check all of the SA-13's. (you might have the lite version, too)

[AngusHeaf 0]

I'm still working on the front as you can see. But so far I'm about done with the headlights and the various bits of gear between them (except the spare treads) and the front axle bulges. The tracks came out better than I expected. Then again they took me a couple hours to figure out how to get them looking right. Main wheels are done but I still need to do the corner (guide?) wheels. I'm not happy with the canopy bars on the front of the cab and will probably redo them. You can see my newer style of doing mud and dirt on the front and side of the cab. Gone are the over exaggerated dry mud dribbles, replaced with a nice little "we rolled in the dirt" look. But you get the idea... I just felt like posting a screenshot.