I made a berm

[8thJinx]

[Note: HiTech thinks the TE already has berms in the shapes list.  I will defer to him when he finds the name of the file.  In the mean time, I did some digging.]

So I exported the revetment shape into AC3D, and opened it.  I was able to modify it into a berm.  (Coloring it is next.)  The whole process is actually quite easy, but probably insanely difficult for more complex objects.  But in the mean time, I accomplished what I wanted to do, which is make a berm object.

What file format do I need to save it in to get it into the terrain editor?  Is it the Direct X format (.x)?  If so, where do I save it to?

[Easyscor]

You save it in the ac3d native .ac format. It's actually a text file you can open in notepad.
File>Convert Ac3d File in the Object Editor.
It should show in the objects list the next time you open the OE.
Next, use the Edit Tree Button to start installing the properties. I would probably use the the same properties found in the original revetment shape.

One of the things you'll need to watch for is lifted edges not meeting the terrain.

[8thJinx]

Thanks Easy.  That's helpful to know.  Do you know where the files stored in order for the OE and TE to see them?

[hitech]

YOu can also use the revetment0 shape directly in the Terrain Editor. You simply need to show all shapes check box.
I'm all so adding it to the shape list in the TE editor so you will not need to check that box.

HiTech

[Easyscor]

Thanks Easy.  That's helpful to know.  Do you know where the files stored in order for the OE and TE to see them?

Good point.
The .ac files can be stored anywhere.
You will need all the textures that go with them to be in the same folder.
Once they are converted successfully, you will find the corresponding [shape name].shp and [texture name].htx files here:
C:\Hitech Creations\Aces High III\userlib
Typically there will be at least 3 files, but more if there is more then one texture.

Copy these files into the texsrc folder in your terrain.
Currently, the texture skinning will look different depending on which application you're using. The TE (or the skinviewer) will show the closest match to how it will render in the game.

[8thJinx]

Ok, it worked.. sort of.

I modified the revetment shape into a berm, checked it over, converted it, and dropped it into my terrain.  It even matches the color of the terrain, shadows are correct, it's solid, all sides are even with the ground.  I even put it on a hill, and it looks great. 

Unfortunately, the item seems to have been mis-scaled somewhere along the way, because it's 10 or 20 times the size it's supposed to be.  I checked the AC3D file, and in that software, it's the same scale as the original revetment.  In the object editor, however, it looks about the size of a cruiser main gun battery.

I'll experiment more this weekend, but if anyone has any thoughts, I'd be glad to hear them.

Also, modifying the revetment shape into a realistic berm in AC3D was very easy.

[Easyscor]

If it's about the size of a cruiser main gun battery, then it sounds like no scaling took place. It's easy enough to drop it next to a revetment on a vBase and check.

I like that you've gained some experience with converting ac3d objects.

[8thJinx]

Ok, I fixed the scaling issue.  I will probably start fresh with a new revetment modification this weekend.  And overall it still needs a lot of work, but this is the idea:

[8thJinx]

Regarding the lifted edges, I assume to fix that the bottom set of vertex points should all be a little bit negative, correct?

Also, the other side of the berm above has the coloring of the inside of the revetment shape.  Is there a way to change the coloring of each facet in the wire frame model?  Do I do that in AC3D, or in the text file.  I'd rather keep the coloring of the side you see in the image as the color for the whole thing, because it automatically adapts to the terrain it's sitting in.

[Easyscor]

1 Regarding the lifted edges, I assume to fix that the bottom set of vertex points should all be a little bit negative, correct?

2 I'd rather keep the coloring of the side you see in the image as the color for the whole thing, because it automatically adapts to the terrain it's sitting in.

1 Yes
2 The _A.bmp handles that. Make it all black. The _N.bmp bump maps the object. Look to Greebo's skin tutorial in the skinning forum for more details.

[8thJinx]

1 Yes
2 The _A.bmp handles that. Make it all black. The _N.bmp bump maps the object. Look to Greebo's skin tutorial in the skinning forum for more details.

I'm looking through Greebo's thread, but I can't identify where the bitmaps are stored.  Are they in the .ac file, as a property?

[8thJinx]

I can change the color in AC3D to all black, but I'm not sure that's what you meant, Easy.

[8thJinx]

I found the bitmap files.  _A, _N, and _S.  And I guess a main bitmap. I'll try to modify these.

[8thJinx]

I can modify them.  Easy, you are saying the _A bitmap should be 100% black.  I will give that a whirl.

Also, AC3D is awesome in that it lets you merge vertices, remove facets, split a large facet into more facets.  Great tool.

[Easyscor]

In the _A file, Black is transparent in some objects but in this case, it picks up the ground. White picks up the Diffuse bitmap.

In the Skinner's forum, find Greebo's sticky thread. http://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/index.php/topic,388296.msg5160422.html#msg5160422