Project: uss nimitz 68 carrier

[DaSquade 0]

Hi, just want to say i'm making a USS Nimitz 68 carrier. First i must say it's my first addon attemp, but i'll give it a shot. I'm just trying to make a carrier, since i don't hear no more new news about carriers. (don't know if Falklands Hermes will bee finished...).

Here's a preview of non textured 3d max model i put in OFP(:;): works so far.

My Webpage

My Webpage

There's some more but over 100kb (me lazzy   )

just replace /GCS0035.jpg, /GCS0036.jpg, /GCS0037.jpg

Features (hopefull):

Overall lenght 333m width 77m (real size)

Place for 4 takeoff runways, 1 main landing runway with arrest hook scripts (something like the Hermes, nice work)

4 Lifts (if 1 works i'll bee happy) that access the 3 hangars in carriers belly.

Working landing (angle) lights, rotating radars....full original weapon systems:

4 Sea Sparrow launchers

3 Phalanx CIWS 20mm mounts [Nimitz & Ike]

4 Phalanx CIWS 20mm mounts

....

But that's the plan, because now i only have 3d modeling and some config and scripting skills. So advise or some "real help"    could come in handy.

[Airwolf 50]

Looks good! about time someone made an American carrier.

[Guest]

Can you take some pics in daylight?

[blackdog~ 0]

http://users.pandora.be/EEChome/GCS0035.jpg ...

http://users.pandora.be/EEChome/GCS0036.jpg ....

http://users.pandora.be/EEChome/GCS0037.jpg ...

and WOW those runway textures are great!

[DaSquade 0]

Just added some daylight pic at my site dir.

As you can see, still in urly stage. No text, geo LOD,...(view LOD needed?)...

Just want to say i don't know how far i'll ever will get, but i'll do my best.

[Yoshiro 0]

Wish I could help ya, but I have no modding skills. I would suggest though getting in contact with the various groups that are making carriers like Falklands, Bratty, and I think AIA said something about it but I could be wrong with them, and see what help/advice they can offer you.

[waffendennis 0]

Wow Really amazing finaly a big AC where we can do evry thing on...But i hope this will be released....

[lpdotcom 0]

Bootiful, love the textures on it!

[One 0]

someones definitely gotta make a new high quality f-14 now.....

[r1c0cH3T 0]

Wasn't Gulf War Crisis making one for their MOD (F-14)?

[DaSquade 0]

Latest news:

- I stopped moddeling the carrier...( for the moment....7.700 faces till now   )

-Since this is my first addon, i first have to learne some more about Geom. and Roadway LOD. (hmmm.... it works fine for  50% of the flydeck..but it seems like there are some "holes" in it ).

So, looks i'm stuck for the moment. But i'll give it a other shot.

Here's a first BETA of it.

%20USS%20Nimitz%2068.rar"]http://users.pandora.be/EEChome/[EEC]%20USS%20Nimitz%2068.rar

*note: addon still in early development, and huge bugs

So, if someone can help me or has sugg.

[Hudson 0]

You need to cut the model into sections like the Falklands mod did with the Hermes. The OFP engine has a limit to how big a roadwoay LOD can be. Im not sure what it is but im sure I saw it one time or another in these forums somewhere.

[The Frenchman 0]

What is it under? I cant find it in the editor.

[One 0]

Wasn't Gulf War Crisis making one for their MOD (F-14)?

looks aiight, scale is good - this plane is huge in RL - but they gotta fix the way the wings sweep - it'd be great to fly off the deck of a us carrier in ofp

[DaSquade 0]

To Frenchman:

Addon can bee found under Empty-Objects-USS Nimitz 68.

*note: there's a exemple mission in the addon file.

[Espen 0]

i got some ideas for u carrier that might be needed, Cut ur boat in pieces and make it as a group unit, also got the a idea for the hangar on carrier u will need some kinda rail road script that will drag the plane into hangar and out of hangar and some kinda of veil that will turn plane 180 degrease when going out at least u need the veil making plane turn 180 degress, sry if what is way to hard to fix then just ignore me ( just trying to help )

[Yoshiro 0]

Yea download the Falklands carrier and look how they broke it up.

On a side note, the falklands mod needs a scrip that over time damaged section of the carrier get repaired unless all the sections are destroyed. just IMO

[quakergamer 0]

Wasn't Gulf War Crisis making one for their MOD (F-14)?

looks aiight, scale is good - this plane is huge in RL - but they gotta fix the way the wings sweep - it'd be great to fly off the deck of a us carrier in ofp

It's fixed :P. Also great job on the textures and the model !! Will we be able to get on the building that is on the deck ?

Thanks!

[Major Gripe 0]

You need to cut the model into sections like the Falklands mod did with the Hermes. The OFP engine has a limit to how big a roadwoay LOD can be. Im not sure what it is but im sure I saw it one time or another in these forums somewhere.

I thought it was that the geo lod could be a maximum of 64m was the limiting factor?

[DaSquade 0]

Thanks for the help so far. Ok, since i overlooked the Roadway LOD limites. I disaded to start back from 0 and adjust the model to its Road LOD limites( is +-60m sections realy the limited?... fly desk original width is 77m and i don't want to split it in lenght. That should come on around 8 or 9 parts   Jezus were was my mind... ) Anyway, it's far to early to give up on this baby. I think i gonna test around with the max. R-Lod size.

Question: are there other limites i could expect? Like:

- What's max. faces off model (total = group or since there will be 6 or more parts + maybee best too split the tower section into an other addon too? I think the max. is 12 yeah?(like in group)

-Texture limites? And is it possible too import the 3Dmax mapping to O2? O2 interface scares me  (standard colour mapping works, but TGA pic. didn't work so far.)

Anyway i don't wan't to change this forum into a FAQ.  but better to know the buggs before than after.

[philcommando 0]

glad u are persistant. Dont give up. u will learn more on a journey than just rushing to the final destination. ( tip off a fortune cookie  

Some notes u might need.

1. 0.00 Lod. - this LOD, u can create anything u want for it is this LOD that will be viewed ingame. No limit to faces except that the more faces u have, the more cpu will lag to process the images. Try using good detailed pics to prevent yourself from creating more parts, eg,- pipeworks and door knobs can be viewed from a pic rather than individually created 02 parts -save on the polygons. Always use paa pics and only small jpgs when absolutely necessary - cut down on cpu processing.

2. GeoLOD - a)the main part of your model that is used by the ofp engine to get it working ingame. Limits - 64 meters square - length breadth and height. Any parts exceeding the 64 metres will have no collision detection - missiles will pass through. The engine will process the entire length and if it is more than 64metres, the engine will either ignore the entire part, making it invisible or partial geometry. It wont limit it to 64metres for u.

b.)Another reason for geoLOD is that this is the LOD that will be recognised by Ai. No geoLOD or exceeded LOD = Ai will walk through.

c.) do not copy and paste 0.00 lod into here, cos in 0.00lod, u can have as many components/parts u want to be viewed ingame, but in geoLOD, u only need to create boxes for parts that u think will be good to have collision detection, eg- doors, walls, etc. and such boxes need not be to the shape as in 0.00lod and also it must be at least 50cm thick to work. Less then 50cm thick,  and its no use. However do note that sometimes Ai can walk through it espacially the first men of an AI team. OFP engine is not that perfected yet.

d.) in geoLOD, u must ensure that it is fully convexhulled into components. Just click on the Component convex hull and 02 will make it into solid components for u. No convexhull = no geolod. Ensure also that no red links appear when u check for component convexhull, otherwise in game, invisible walls start to appear.

e.)when all else works fine, select all and click recalculate normals so that Ai will see the geometry as parts and not a gray mass.

f.) Mass - can be anyfigure - the smaller number = light and you ship might float into sky by a bullet hit. Make sure the mass is centrally located otherwise if the mass is concentrated on the rear, your ship bow will float up as it moves - unlikely for large ships.

3. Fire geometry. - this geometry is nothing more than a copy of the geoLOD. does not really matters as, if there is no fire geometry, ofp engine will use geoLOD as calculations for weapon impact points. I use it only when i want the soldiers on board to react to enemy fire, by first convexhull the ship then copy and past the soldiers units into firegeoLOD.

4.Hit points - just parts that u want to determine the death rate of the ship, eg - engine, windows, cargo, driver, gunner.

5. Landcontact - doesnt really matter, but placing 4 horizontal vertices at any height will determine at what height your ship will appear above water or ground.

6. Roadway LOD - a critical LOD if u want to move about onboard. Just single faces without textures will do for parts where u think troops and vehicles will move. Again its limit is 64metres.

7. Pilot view geometry - a must if u have a driver in game. Most of the troops view of the ship will come from this LOD. Just copy the parts which u think your troops will see and paste it into this LOD.

8. View geometry - nothing more than a size of your ship to tell the engine to view. Do not copy and paste 0.00Lod here as it does not need to see textures. Just create an estimated box size - length width height of ship shape will do. Cut down on your polygons.

Workaround -

1.)i manage to extend the roadway and geolod limits to 80meters and it seems this is the max ofp engine will allow. anything more than that your ship will only become eye candy.

2.) frankly speaking - breaking it into parts is a better idea, for ships in ofp espacially cariers in real life seldom moves too much - 225km is too small an area for a carrier to move about. Break it apart and it becomes a static object with much more user ( not Ai) freedom, more gaming fun. With parts, u can mount more missile firing points ( setpos command of other missile addons) making it more realistic than a moving ship which ofp does not even allow more than one mg point, let alone to fire missiles!

3.) Alternatively, u could create a moving carrier with only geoLOD support 80metres around the command module area for air combat operations,eg- enemy search and sneak attack onto the carrier with your aircrafts aloft  with support vessals protecting it ( destroyers) so that bombs will still be able to strike against the carrier......and another carrier in static parts form for flight deck operations.

4.) it is possible for 3ds objects imported into 02 to be accompanied by the textures, except i will plead u not to try for this ship as jpg textures for this size will crash the cpu. Learn how to create texturing in 02. Once u get the hang of it, it is pretty easy and even better than Max.

All the best!. Please disregard this post if u have found a better way.

[-SZ-Vladimir 0]

-Texture limites? And is it possible too import the 3Dmax mapping to O2? O2 interface scares me  (standard colour mapping works, but TGA pic. didn't work so far.).

Yep, 3DSMax mapping is ok in O2, I prefer texture in 3DS, that's easier I find for somethings, like Warptexturing.

Vladimir

[Yoshiro 0]

You got alot of us behind you on this, even if we can't help directly.  Don't give up!   Uncle Smily Sam   Wants YOU!  

On a side note, the Falklands mod guys said they wouldn't release a new version till their mod came out didn't they. Just wondering if they have it all fixed and working now

[DaSquade 0]

OK, first i would thank the people who's shown intrest in this project, special thanks for philcommando for sharing his knowhow (big respect and to all addonmakers...(:p )

Anyway, starting this "project" seems to really turns out into a big project. But i'm not quitting it jet   .

The info of Phil gave me a better view over the projects  cans an cannots. But i was "thinking"...(didn't had the time jet to test some more...)

The main idea from the start was i really wanna make the carrier out of 1 part (well or at least the flydeck) because (no offence!!! i'm only looking for what's possible) that was the "beauty" bug of the Hermes i thought (note: was BETA). You can see the parts. And i effects the total carrier: dammage + mapping + time?) So i was thinking: (should its work)

-1 (maybee 2 parts ...since my current flydeck mapping is +- 2000 pix. in lenght and i suppose 1024 is max?) AND by tking the "sideroad" (hopefull it works) making the Road (and) Geo LOD as seperated addon. Since Road will only contain a few horz. squares and the carrier doesn't need much "long" geo on the outside, and i could live with the fact a plane heli can fly trough the carriers belly (*note: carriers hangars will need 2 80m geo addons and there for covering a big part of the carrier).

I hope someone is seeing what i mean, but i didn't test multiple RoadLODs and Geo addons jet, since here's where the 60-80m bug was). In this way, i will reduce worktime and other S*.  If someone knows this will work, please let me know. I really don't want too split up the model TOO much. Since splitting up a real size carrier like my uss nimitz 68 would result in min. 5parts, then i still will need some weapon addons. (carrier has standard 11 weapons systems, but this can be reduced. But if splitting up the carrier is the only way,....Look's like i will suffer a max. 12 unit group limited problem or does the 12 units limited not count in addon?

Sorry for the big list of , but a few answers or thoughts could help in keeping me interrested in this project   .

Remember: It's is my first contact with OFP addons and modeling.

Answers: (to Espens question and sugg;)

- I thinking the same thing and the vehicles are cold a "mule" i thought. But that for the later. See list of features in my first post    ... i'll bee more then happy if that over!!!

[cbfasi 4]

I have indeed done more work on the Carriers in the Falklands mod, there might yet be another release of the 1968 Hermes beta with enhanced features but it has low priority as its actaully non-falklands (although when modifed the ships is the Falklands version).

You can actaully texture the roadway lod faces and this will attract the sounds assinged to that texture. I was lookign through either the 146cpp or the hpp's that come with o2 and it does detail some of the textures already assinged to soem soudns such as metal plating (quite handy when walking around a ship)

Just looking at your post above DaS

Nimitz class would indeed be 5-6 sections, plus weapons

A problem I have found is that vertical group placement does not work. This means I will be producing missions with multipart ships already laid out with appropriatte setpos commands that can be copied into other missions. This does mean the 12 unit limit in a group does not apply as the only parts that are ultra critical on placement are the sections of hull/roadway and this is all that is required in the group placement.

I am still doing much experimenting with the ship work and will pass on anything I think will be of help, my method is likely to be one of many to avoid the limits, but its the oen that works for me and suite my style.

To use 'mules' the aircraft would need to set up to allow this, if someone can do this then YIPPEEEE, they could use something like that towing script used by the pak and krupp