Resizing Props

[capo]

Hi,

I have a small question. Yesterday I downloaded some Dutch Highway signs from the STEX, after changing all the building files in LE I finally got them to work properly without Brown Boxes. Unfortunately they look really big compared to all other buildings, some of the highways signs are as big as a 5 storey building.. so I was wondering if it is possible to resize props in an easy way? I have 0,0 experience with BAT, so excuse me if this is regarded as a 'stupid question'

Thank you

(ps, I dont know if this is the right place or if there's already a topic about this)

[RippleJet]

Unfortunately you would have to rerender the prop models in BAT if you want to rescale them.

[wouanagaine]

Or you can still edit the vertices in Reader, but for sure rerendering is way faster

[capo]

Unfortunately I only know some of the basics of the reader, is there a tutorial somewhere on how to edit the vertices? Because I dont have a clue what that means

Hmmm it seems there is no escaping for me this time, when Im back from Germany I guess I will have to spend one week with closed curtains and plenty of food in the fridge to finally learn how BAT works.

Thanks for the answers guys!

[cogeo]

Yup, you can open each S3D file of your model, go to the Vert tab and scale ALL x, y and z coordinates by the same factor. Then you have to assign a new instance ID to the changed S3D models (you don't want to get conflicts with the original model). The u and v coordinates, as well as the textures should be left unchanged.
This technique does work, and actually it's the only way if you are missing the orignal scene. I remember someone had made a coal power plant that was the double size of the ingame model.
However, as wou said, it may become veeery tedious, esp if your model is large (more than one groups for the closest zooms) and if the LODs are not simple boxes (remember, each model has 5 zooms x 4 rotations = 20 S3D files).
Maybe someone who does have knoweledge of the internal structures could make a small program that would scale a model. Such a utility could also implement a few more needed (and very tedious as well) operations, like make a model transparent (requires changing the blending parameters) and merging two models. The source code of iLive Reader is available, so this wouldn't require making all these from scratch. Wouanagaine perhaps ?  

[wouanagaine]

I think it is time for new coders to come in. However the S3D format is not public and not shown in Reader sources, so the new coder will have to decipher it ( which is 'quite' easy ). I'm dealing with too much stuff for doing that

[capo]

It's hard being the only (good) coder on SC4D eh? Well a piece of software to edit prop sizes would be a heaven tool, but I completely understand you do not have the time or will to do that wouagaine...you have given us more then enough already!

It's good to read that changing prop sizes is possible, it's going to be a struggle for me to get it done but now I know it's possible I will defenitely give it a try.

[RippleJet]

Capo, take a look at this thread: http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=3020.0.

Where I showed how I changed the u-vertices you can also see the x-, y, and z-vertices of the LOD box.
By scaling all those vertices with the same constant you should achieve what you want.

If the model is just a sign the LOD should hopefully be a simple box.

Just note that you would have to change the x-, y- and z-coordinates for all 20 S3D models.

[capo]

Capo, take a look at this thread: http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=3020.0.

Where I showed how I changed the u-vertices you can also see the x-, y, and z-vertices of the LOD box.
By scaling all those vertices with the same constant you should achieve what you want.

If the model is just a sign the LOD should hopefully be a simple box.

Just note that you would have to change the x-, y- and z-coordinates for all 20 S3D models.

Thank you very much! You will get your own shrine in my living room next to the one for wouagaine and his unwritten read-me's!