How to do your own X2 Ship designs

Commander Jamieson · Post by **Commander Jamieson** » Mon, 20. Sep 04, 15:14

I finally got around to do some X2 ship design studies after realizing why I should not go the hard way and design brand new ships from the ground up. After checking out how many parts suitable for ship building are actually in the v folder, I wipped up a few ship design studies with 3DSMax 5 to see what actually can be used for it.

You will be amazed that there are many many parts which at first one would not feel using for ship building but after streching, pulling, re texturing, flipping, resizing, remoddeling, re meshing etc there is almost everything there in the v folder of the game one can use.

Furthermore, there is XTension and even XBtF where one can use some bodies or parts for something. Check out the XTension Mamba on the first page below and the "Old Argon M2" on the second page below. This one is almost unrecognizable now but it can even be changed more radical if one wants to. Disregard the look of the Mamba's green texture, I only used it to highlight the old Mamba body.

I even realized there are no Tanker Freighters in X2, so I just jumbled a couple of different ones up in a jiffy. I am sure I can do better if I had the time for it but just getting to know 3DSMax is a chore by itself.

http://www.hrh1000.com/x2designstudies.htm

http://www.hrh1000.com/x2designstudies1.htm

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Enjoy and cheers

KarlHemmings · Post by **KarlHemmings** » Mon, 20. Sep 04, 15:49

That Mamba model on your web site brought back some memories - thank you.

Karl

TSM · Post by **TSM** » Mon, 20. Sep 04, 17:29

I like the look af that M2 alot actually

dPM_HeMan · Post by **dPM_HeMan** » Mon, 20. Sep 04, 19:52

really nice ideas

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could you please tell me what parts u are using exactly in this design ?
the front seems to be a small Argon M2 cockpit, but what is the cargo box for example ?
and especially this little canon on top of the cockpit ?

Commander Jamieson · Post by **Commander Jamieson** » Tue, 21. Sep 04, 00:08

The nose is from the Argon battleship, the crossover is the Mercury's (I think), The tank is a small tank possibly from a station, the tank cluster in the rear is a group of small tanks also from a station, the bulkheads are a couiple of docking doors, the enginclusters are 2 sets of Paranid M1/2 ones with the ships shell removed, the rest are bits and pieces like the radar, various lasers, TL bridge, ports etc.

If you are after the part numbers, I am afraid I used different ones for my tests. But looking with a 3D object Viewer should tell you when you look at your V folder. Or do what I did to get a listing initially what different parts look like, I loaded each V folder part as a ship (by changing its part number to a ships Cut ID and loading it as this ship into the game to see what it is.

Cheers

dPM_HeMan · Post by **dPM_HeMan** » Tue, 21. Sep 04, 12:15

dPM_HeMan · Post by **dPM_HeMan** » Fri, 24. Sep 04, 18:13

inspired by your tanker idea i created a new ship:

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i call it "Nebukadnezar"

, it is still BETA status and needs some work done on the weapons, but as soon as i am ready ...

Commander Jamieson · Post by **Commander Jamieson** » Fri, 24. Sep 04, 23:11

@dPM_HeMan

...especially this little canon on top of the cockpit?

I forgot to say, those little laser canons on top of the tanker are those on Corvette/M6s. Nice work with your Nebucadnezar, as you can see, there are lots of parts just by resizing them and fitting together, those original parts get a completely new meaning

I also redid the XShuttle to retain her overall look but with X2 parts below:

http://www.hrh1000.com/x2designstudies2.htm

I posted this in the X Universe forum before but the sheer amount of new posts already send it on the next page, hence this little remainder.

Before:
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After:
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Cheers

Overkill211 · Post by **Overkill211** » Sun, 26. Sep 04, 05:30

So now the X-Perimental returns to its proper place in the X Universe scheme of things. An M6 loaded for bear, probably back to its 2 x 125MW roots. This could be used as the exclusive Terracorp Brennan tribute model.

dPM_HeMan · Post by **dPM_HeMan** » Sun, 26. Sep 04, 14:28

Commander Jamieson wrote:I forgot to say, those little laser canons on top of the tanker are those on Corvette/M6s.

*oh* really ? can't remember to've seen them somewhere, i'll check that, thx

Commander Jamieson · Post by **Commander Jamieson** » Sun, 26. Sep 04, 22:32

At least the single laser ones, nevertheless the twins are in the v folder and probably not used yet.

Cheers

Fachtna · Post by **Fachtna** » Mon, 27. Sep 04, 00:26

just from looking at this thread (i WILL read up on this, but tired now) does that mean it is possible to to actually customise current ships and add bits. or is it all just cosmetics.

Commander Jamieson · Post by **Commander Jamieson** » Mon, 27. Sep 04, 01:10

fachtna wrote:just from looking at this thread (i WILL read up on this, but tired now) does that mean it is possible to to actually customise current ships and add bits........

You can bet on it! Take for example a custom body you have imported (like I did with some of the old XTension ship bodies here in this thread) or made new in 3D Studio Max, you can add on the Nova's wings, place a different laser on it and fit other parts and different items on its body etc.

If you then subsitute this new ship as the Nova (cut ID 04171), each other Nova in the game will look like your modded ship, unless you allocate your new ship to one of the few spare slots of ships (the cut ID number of these) NOT visible in the game but still in the TShips file.

All one has to do is to scale a new or ammended ship body in 3DStudio Max down to its "in game" size (fighters about 4000-4500, battleships anywhere around 100 000 in size) and fit the parts one likes on it. Then assemble these parts which are by now already scaled down or up in size, which by now have their rotation and direction correctly done while fitting out your ship, into a "master" cut ID file for the ship one wants replaced in the game.

If NEW parts are made, the will have to be added in the v folder of the game with different part numbers, say in the 10500 range onward and your cut ID master file has to be ammended accordingly with the new numbered parts to work properly.

And there you are, a new or modded ship in the game

To get your lasers, turrets etc working, you have to play around with the TLasers, TTurrets, etc files as per instructions on various other threads here which deal with them

Cheers

Airship · Post by **Airship** » Fri, 7. Jan 05, 17:29

HOW do I make my own ships, I know its probably already asked, but I cant find it in this jungle

Do I need some special upgrades, and how do I install them

DeadlyDa · Post by **DeadlyDa** » Fri, 7. Jan 05, 17:52

HOW do I make my own ships...

The first thing to do is start reading through the relevant links in this thread. http://www.egosoft.com/x2/forum/viewtopic.php?t=48593

It can be a fairly steep learning curve, but most of the information you need is in there.

TSM · Post by **TSM** » Wed, 23. Feb 05, 20:04

Please explain how this is a how to? looks like loads of pics CJ has made but don't see where it's explained how they were made with 3d max or how they got into game

Commander Jamieson · Post by **Commander Jamieson** » Wed, 23. Feb 05, 22:27

TycoonSpaceMan wrote:Please explain how this is a how to? looks like loads of pics CJ has made but don't see where it's explained how they were made with 3d max or how they got into game

Perhaps the heading of this topic should have been better written by me. Like "How I did X2 ship designs with pre existing parts" or something like it.

A "How to use 3DS Max" manual, if you expected one here, would most likely fill several hundred pages, even then one would still struggle starting in 3DS Max without some prior experience. This also would be outside the scope of this Scripting and Modding Forum, besides there are numerous web sites with 3DS Max tutorials. With good reasons, as the learning curve of it is very steep and the enclosed tutorials in 3DS Max are written not for a novice but for people who know it already (as it seems to me so). I use 3DS Max for about a year now and I am still learning and discovering new things in it.

FYI

Cheers

Greyhawk1 · Post by **Greyhawk1** » Wed, 23. Feb 05, 23:04

Isnt that the software that costs £3,000 or something?

Ideaspy 2.5 · Post by **Ideaspy 2.5** » Wed, 23. Feb 05, 23:11

99€ If you're a student.

Greyhawk1 · Post by **Greyhawk1** » Wed, 23. Feb 05, 23:14

Ideaspy 2.5 wrote:99€ If you're a student.

What if you're a normal human being then?