Using a Starfleet Command ships in BOTF

Post by **MrD** » Fri Apr 16, 2010 12:24 pm

I'm not an expert on this but doubt very much this is possible the way you imagine.
First you'd have to convert the SFC model into something a regular modelling software can use.
If, and I stress if that is possible and the software that creates SFC models is not a one-way-function, you would have to check if the model was created in a way that would allow it to be used in BOTF.
There are several key issued to be addressed before a model can be used in BOFT, the most obvious would be that shapes on the model cannot intersect with each other.
There is a lengthy thread that explains a lot about it here:

http://armadafleetcommand.com/onscreen/ ... opic&t=905

Now the next hing is if you had to change the model in any way to be used in BOTF, you'd have to contact its creator to ask permission to do so.

And then it might be more efficient to build a new one actually.
I've recently managed to pick apart the Klingon Academy equivalent to the botf.res, the ka.dat file.
I did so in order to gain access to the model of the Emperor class model.
Oh my goodness would that model be unusable in BOFT, I can tell you.

It was easier to build it from scratch and to simply use the KA model as a reference.

So I do not intend to discourage you in any way but I'd like to warn you it is not a simple conversion act, that much I am sure of.

Post by **Trelane_of_gothos** » Mon Apr 19, 2010 7:31 am

the SFC-models are saved as (f.e.) galaxy.mod
there is a plugin for milkshape to import & export them
(i've done some work with the Ent-J & NX-01 Refit for SFC)
but with milkshape there is no way to convert it to *.flt.
with a little coverter i found, its possible to covert from *.flt to *.hot and from *.hot to *.hob.
there is a way to save the model in milkshape into a file, that can be open by autodesk or something else (perhaps other programms will support a flt-file)

sfc supports 14000polys but BOTF only (i think) supports 499poly.
it's a lot of work to pull them down and it would be better to create a model of your own. with luck, you have a low poly model from sfc.

Post by **Dr_Breen** » Mon Apr 19, 2010 8:42 am

timmy i already sent you a second pm as promised.

the only way to get a working .flt is using the creator. i sent you a link to it together with a small tutorial written by thunderchero about how to use the creator.

before that you need milkshape together with the assimsoft plugins. convert your .mod to a .3ds and then load it into creator.

the link MrD sent you is the same i already sent you a week ago. you HAVE TO read that topic even tough its quite long.

Post by **MrD** » Mon Apr 19, 2010 12:27 pm

Trelane_of_gothos wrote:the SFC-models are saved as (f.e.) galaxy.mod
there is a plugin for milkshape to import & export them
(i've done some work with the Ent-J & NX-01 Refit for SFC)
but with milkshape there is no way to convert it to *.flt.
with a little coverter i found, its possible to covert from *.flt to *.hot and from *.hot to *.hob.
there is a way to save the model in milkshape into a file, that can be open by autodesk or something else (perhaps other programms will support a flt-file)

sfc supports 14000polys but BOTF only (i think) supports 499poly.
it's a lot of work to pull them down and it would be better to create a model of your own. with luck, you have a low poly model from sfc.

You can go a little higher than 499, but not too high.
http://armadafleetcommand.com/onscreen/ ... opic&t=868

After remembering that there is the "Klingon Academy 2" mod for Armada 2 where the folks have simply converted the models from SFC, I facepalmed myself.
Yes it is possible to convert the models out of SFC, it is certainly not a one-way-function.

Post by **Trelane_of_gothos** » Tue Apr 20, 2010 7:17 pm

perhaps it would be better to test some models from SFC1 or SFC2.
because these are very simple and should be easy to convert (they seem to have about 499polys)...

(btw. would be a nice idea for a mod to have feds, kling, roms, ISC & gorn/hydran/..., a nice TMP mod^^ there would be 7-10 moddels per race...including starbase and freighters-so simple and small enough to play without lags^^)

Post by **Tethys** » Tue Apr 20, 2010 11:16 pm

Trelane_of_gothos wrote:perhaps it would be better to test some models from SFC1 or SFC2.
because these are very simple and should be easy to convert (they seem to have about 499polys)...

(btw. would be a nice idea for a mod to have feds, kling, roms, ISC & gorn/hydran/..., a nice TMP mod^^ there would be 7-10 moddels per race...including starbase and freighters-so simple and small enough to play without lags^^)

I love your idea, i loved the SFC series

Lost my discs tho and i dunno of a site like AFC that would have free copys

Guess i could always torrent tho

Post by **MrD** » Wed Apr 21, 2010 6:16 am

The question is whether it would be a TMP mod with SFC ships or a true SFC mod with some of the strange quirks of the respective sides included.
Because then you'd run into some slight problems.
For example the Federation uses an old, or rather ancient cruiser design as their Light Lruiser and only later in the war represented in the game they develop their "New Light Cruiser", which is represented by the Miranda.
The problem is that in SFC Interplay/Taldren simply used the model that represents the Destroyer to represent the Light Cruiser as well.
So you'd have to use something els, like the Kelvin-type or the Daedalus to represent the Old Light Cruiser.
Or course in a straight-forward TMP mod that would be no isse since the Light Cruiser would most likely be represented by the Miranda.

Post by **Trelane_of_gothos** » Wed Apr 21, 2010 7:57 am

MrD wrote:The question is whether it would be a TMP mod with SFC ships or a true SFC mod with some of the strange quirks of the respective sides included.
Because then you'd run into some slight problems.
For example the Federation uses an old, or rather ancient cruiser design as their Light Lruiser and only later in the war represented in the game they develop their "New Light Cruiser", which is represented by the Miranda.
The problem is that in SFC Interplay/Taldren simply used the model that represents the Destroyer to represent the Light Cruiser as well.
So you'd have to use something els, like the Kelvin-type or the Daedalus to represent the Old Light Cruiser.
Or course in a straight-forward TMP mod that would be no isse since the Light Cruiser would most likely be represented by the Miranda.

don't forget:
the development of the hull is allready there, but the ships get other weapons and hull items in order to fill the role of certan classes.
at the beginning (called early era) you have a drone ship, a miranda hull with 4-6 rockets. nobody ever sees rockets in star trek used by the federation. so taldren/interplay made their own ST-universe. either FASA nor SFC are cannon. of cause if you want a true sfc mod, you'll have to serve the evolution/built list they used in sfc.why don't go with them and use same hulls but different roles?

Post by **Trelane_of_gothos** » Wed Apr 21, 2010 8:28 am

perhaps a possible built list (the order of things....=D ):

Okinawa(FF)
"Akula"(DD)<---that ship with one nacell on top and bottom
Miranda(CL)
Constitution(CA)
Excelsior(BCH)
Ulysses(DN)
Yamato(BB)
these are the basic hulls in sfc1

to have a few more ships i would include Oberth(SC-Science Ship) and Constellation (SE-Science Explorer)
_____________________________

tech1:

SC

tech2:

SC
FF

tech3:

SC
FF
CA (because of th refit)

tech4:

SC+
FF+
DD -Akula
CA

tech5:
SC+
FF++
DD+ -Akula
CL -Akula
CA+

tech6:

SC++
FF++
DD+ -Akula
CL -Akula
NCL -Miranda
CA+

tech7:

SC++
FF+++
DD++
SE
NCL+
CA++
DN

tech8:

SC+++
FF+++
DD++
SE+
NCL++
CA+++
BCH
DN+

tech9:

SC+++
FF+++
DD+++
SE++
NCL+++
CA+++
BCH+
DN+
BB

tech10:
SC+++
FF+++
DD+++
SE+++
NCL+++
CA+++
BCH++
DN++
BB+

this basic can be used for every race...

Post by **MrD** » Wed Apr 21, 2010 8:54 am

Trelane_of_gothos wrote: don't forget:
the development of the hull is allready there, but the ships get other weapons and hull items in order to fill the role of certan classes.
at the beginning (called early era) you have a drone ship, a miranda hull with 4-6 rockets. nobody ever sees rockets in star trek used by the federation. so taldren/interplay made their own ST-universe. either FASA nor SFC are cannon. of cause if you want a true sfc mod, you'll have to serve the evolution/built list they used in sfc.why don't go with them and use same hulls but different roles?

I am not sure whether I actually understand what you are saying, so I apologise if my answer sounds somewhat odd.

Interplay/Taldren did not actually create their own ST universe, they simply ported Star Fleet Battles to the PC, which is as you put it, an independent universe.
However it was created in the 1970s by Amarillo Design Bureau, not by Interplay.
Since this is where the stuff actually comes from I'd like to point out that they have a different model for the Old Light Cruiser than for the DD.
The DD is acutally the Saladin from the old Starfleet Tech manual.
It's essentially a TOS version of the Akula with only one nacelle.
The OCL is as they put it in SFB over 100 years old.
That's why I mentioned the Daedalus.
The OCL from SFB is not very pretty.
This is a link to the website of the makers of SFB, which is still an active game.
I hope this is not considered avertising.
http://store.starfleetstore.com/merchan ... ry_Code=FM

I only wanted to point out that Interplay used the same model for both ships since we have seen in some BOTF mods that whenever this is done it usually causes some kind of confusion so ships that actually look different would be better.

Oh and the "Miranda with rockets" that you are referring to is not from the Early Era in any of the SFC games, but from the Middle and Late Era.
And those are not more primitive versions of the Miranda, but specialty models designed for long-range bombardment.
In the SFB universe, that SFC is almost a 100% copy of, missiles are not more primitive that Photon Torpedoes, they are simply larger and therefore cause more damage, but they are also slower and can for those reasons be shot down.
SFB and SFC are the same game with the same ships and the same specifications and the same service dates for their ships (for this reason even the 2240s Constitution is show in her refit incarnation), but SFB is essentially TOS.
Interplay only applied different models to the SFB ships.