Authentic Model Improvement

[NightFright]

So, here are the compiled explosion boxes as compiled BSPs along with the map files (preview images are included):

Explosion boxes (1.1 MB)

They are already integrated into the id1 pak over on Github, ready to be used.

[NightFright]

Going to upload the BSPs separately on Quaketastic with source files.

Next week I am going to try my luck on the plasma cells. I doubt they will be as good as Tea Monster's, but as a temporary solution they'll do.

I got into Trenchbroom quickly thanks to dumptruck_ds's excellent Youtube tutorials. You don't need much for BSP editing. First I use DeBSP to decompile the original files. Then Trenchbroom to edit. Compile with ericw-tools (qbsp and light, with -minlight 200) and it's done. Maybe this hint helps Tea Monster to export his plasma cell versions to BSP.

In general, we must avoid renamed MDLs at all costs. Mods that change BSP behavior react highly allergic to that. I guess those exploding boxes were the only ones, but I'll check all BSPs with a hex editor just to be sure. At least it led to even more faithful models with restored animations.

[osjclatchford]

nice...link?

[NightFright]

Another thing: I realized Bloodshot's explosive boxes (b_exbox2, b_explob) are MDLs renamed to BSP, which is... not good. While this seems to work somehow in most ports, mods like Copper won't like it at all and will give tons of "Solid_BSP with a Non BSP model" warnings ingame.

Is there a way to convert these MDLs to proper BSPs? On the other hand, these should be easy to remake from scratch since they are simple cube shapes with elevated edges, only minor improvements over the originals. This would also be the chance to make the model animated again since right now it's only using one skin (the nuke symbols are supposed to blink).

What became of that plasma cell, btw? It looked quite good.

*EDIT*
I have managed to create new exploding boxes based on RRP models. They are VERY close to the originals and are animated. IMHO these are actually better than our previous replacements. But see for yourself:

yQIRdFf.jpg

fSKzPkH.jpg

[NightFright]

Well, it's better than nothing. The Vore would just need one additional walking frame which is minimally different from the previous/currently last one (provided you use the current mdl from Github), but the way I edited the model right now it's not a must to do this.

[Tea Monster]

I'll try and get the shub fix done. I won't have time to do anything else.

[NightFright]

NashMuhandes
I am afraid there are no source files as far as I know. We don't have anything besides the actual mdls. Tea Monster might have the sources for his models he provided, though.

osjclatchford and Tea Monster
Any progress in the meantime? I would at least like to have the fix for the Vore walking cycle + the Shub tentacle fix before doing another release. And maybe those DoE plasma cells.

For now, I have updated Github with the new (Multi) Grenade/Rocket Launcher featuring muzzleflashes, together with fullbright fixes for the Scrag (wizard.mdl) and Zombie headgib (h_zombie.mdl). It's something.

I also tried my best to fix the choppy Vore animation cycle. What I found was that our current model has frames 23+24 duplicated, but frames 25-34 are identical to frames 24-33 from Chillo's original (we changed it after r22). So I deleted frame 24 and bam, it's smooth again. However, we are now missing the last frame in the anim cycle (#34), so walking anim is only 11 frames instead of 12. I don't know if that's a big thing, but that last frame would only have very minimal movement going on, anyway. I couldn't just import the missing frame from Chillo's original via qME since triangle count of both mdls does not match (816 old vs 820 new). Even if it stays like this without adding the missing last frame, I doubt it's anything anyone would mind or notice since animation looks fine now.

[NashMuhandes]

Hello, can I get a link to the source Blender files, if they do exist? Just joined and it's a bit overwhelming to read all 67 pages of this. Thanks in advance!

[osjclatchford]

yeah, Id say the way its calculated its crap tbh as my ranking has dropped to the low 2,000's since yesterday... meh...

[NightFright]

TBH I don't know how that ranking is calculated. It might not be that great after all. Looks good, though!

[osjclatchford]

wow! that is kinda good.
I never noticed that ranking thing before.

I just discovered my own zdoom mod, major crisis is #520 of 45,080!? isn't that in +/- the top 2%? that surely cant be right... must just be because its been on there a long while and I update it a LOT!
brutal doom is #2! LOL no surprise there!

arcane dimensions is #369... thats fair I suppose I expected it to be higher...

shame that my quake mod for heretic, descent into heresy is only #11,224... no love for quake themed zdoom engine mods it seems... lol

[NightFright]

It seems by now this project is ranked #2.097 of 45.079 on Mod DB. That's quite good, especially considering the first upload just happened almost four months ago.

[webangel]

Tea Monster If you find the time please make a new highpoly model

[Tea Monster]

Stop apologising. You haven't done anything wrong. I am actually really busy. I have two commissions on at the same time and I don't have time to watch movies, let alone get anything else done. When they are done, I don't mind helping out. I wasn't lying about that. I am honestly stupid busy.

When at least one of the projects is done, I'll fix the tentacle animations and look at that stuff Chillo posted. I started to rig that Ogre and although I need to tweak the rig, it's going well.

[NightFright]

Well, it's nothing personal against Seven or anybody else regarding that matter. I just have problems with that kind of attitude in general. If I hurt someone's feelings, I am genuinely sorry and offer my sincere apologies. At least I hope it's somewhat understandable why I am thinking that way, and obviously I am not the only one.

Maybe we get at least the Vore walking animation fixed with Chillo's tool, possibly even the idle animation (if it works also with our custom models).

@ Seven
Thanks for the missing RL model update. You wouldn't have needed to do the Multi-Rocket Launcher as well, I would have been able to pull that off on my own. But thanks for that, anyway. We will go for the 480px skins to play it safe - dunno if all ports out there can handle higher resolutions.

@ TM
Since you have the source file for Shub, maybe you could at least take a look at those tentacle frames as indicated in the to-do list? Also, there are still some original models pending if you don't like to temper with existing ones. Did you get any further with the BSP plasma cells from DoE, for example? I think you had posted a preview of those earlier on.