Custom Command Posts (FAQ)
Posted: Thu Feb 19, 2009 12:42 am
From helping in the Flags as CP topic I started playing around with the CP's and have come up with a few novel things. Note this just changes the CP it does not change the unit selection screen icon as well for that please view this topic Custom Ingame.lvl
This is an excerpt from the "Add An Era.txt" included with 1.3 patch about setting up custom holo geometry:
Now to the fun stuff, you can use any geometry as the command post as well as any geometry for the HoloImageGeometry. I will go through a couple of examples.
First just to change the Holo geometry only:
1) Choose or create your geometry, make sure it is centered around the x,y,z axis in XSI if you are creating one. Export it.
2) Copy from the common directory the com_bldg_controlzone.odf file to your world's odf folder.
3) Rename it to something you like, in my example I called it com_bldg_ftr_controlzone.
4) Open the file and change the appropriate parts for the Hologeometry for the teams.
In this example I changed the alliance and empire geometry and these are the results:
I did do some scaling and changes in XSI just in case you were wondering.
If you are going to do custom models I suggest a grey scale (monochrome) texture it works better for the holo.
To use a different CP object and hologeometry:
This is the same type of thing but removing the holo glow from the CP and therefore allowing color on your objects.
Follow the steps indicated above but this time also copy and rename the com_holo_controlzone.odf file.
Make changes to the controlzone odf, in my example once again I am changing the alliance and empire Hologeometry but this time I am also changing the CP geometry as well.
Also change the name of the Holo.odf file to what you changed the com_holo_controlzone to.
Next you will have to open the renamed holo odf file and make some changes there too.
Things that were changed were:
Color changed it lower so the flags weren't quite so bright
HoloType to custom, by doing this it will use the value set in the Color setting changed above. (Thanks to Yodakid for the unintended hint on that one)
Oh and the other color things mentioned there don't do anything useful that I have been able to find yet
HoloHeight because my flag geometry was compensated for when I made it.
HoloSize set to 1 because my model was built at a 1 to 1 scale
HoloBeamIntensity, HoloFlareIntensity, HoloLightRadius set these at or near zero because I didn't want any holo glow.
HoloRotateRate set to zero because I didn't want it to rotate.
HoloFlickerRate set to zero becuase I didn't want it to flicker.
HoloPopRate to zero, didn't want it doing the wierd pop thing.
And the result was a set of flags that are in color and appear to raise and lower as the CP is taken over.
In this case for the modeling the pole is the CP msh and the two flags are the hologeometry, they were made at raised height.
A couple of final notes.
So far no one has been able to figure out how to change the red and blue holo colors for friend and enemy. You can change the color of the holo using the Color and custom setting in the holo odf but the CP won't change when taken over.
Also during all this I found out that the only thing you can attach cloth to (other than a unit) is a prop (the error log told me so) so you can have a flag but it is static.
These are just a few things I discovered while playing around, I encourage you to do so also especially with the holo odf settings they can do some fun effects.
This is an excerpt from the "Add An Era.txt" included with 1.3 patch about setting up custom holo geometry:
Hidden/Spoiler:
Now to the fun stuff, you can use any geometry as the command post as well as any geometry for the HoloImageGeometry. I will go through a couple of examples.
First just to change the Holo geometry only:
1) Choose or create your geometry, make sure it is centered around the x,y,z axis in XSI if you are creating one. Export it.
2) Copy from the common directory the com_bldg_controlzone.odf file to your world's odf folder.
3) Rename it to something you like, in my example I called it com_bldg_ftr_controlzone.
4) Open the file and change the appropriate parts for the Hologeometry for the teams.
Hidden/Spoiler:
Hidden/Spoiler:
Hidden/Spoiler:
If you are going to do custom models I suggest a grey scale (monochrome) texture it works better for the holo.
To use a different CP object and hologeometry:
This is the same type of thing but removing the holo glow from the CP and therefore allowing color on your objects.
Follow the steps indicated above but this time also copy and rename the com_holo_controlzone.odf file.
Make changes to the controlzone odf, in my example once again I am changing the alliance and empire Hologeometry but this time I am also changing the CP geometry as well.
Also change the name of the Holo.odf file to what you changed the com_holo_controlzone to.
Hidden/Spoiler:
Hidden/Spoiler:
Color changed it lower so the flags weren't quite so bright
HoloType to custom, by doing this it will use the value set in the Color setting changed above. (Thanks to Yodakid for the unintended hint on that one)
Oh and the other color things mentioned there don't do anything useful that I have been able to find yet
HoloHeight because my flag geometry was compensated for when I made it.
HoloSize set to 1 because my model was built at a 1 to 1 scale
HoloBeamIntensity, HoloFlareIntensity, HoloLightRadius set these at or near zero because I didn't want any holo glow.
HoloRotateRate set to zero because I didn't want it to rotate.
HoloFlickerRate set to zero becuase I didn't want it to flicker.
HoloPopRate to zero, didn't want it doing the wierd pop thing.
And the result was a set of flags that are in color and appear to raise and lower as the CP is taken over.
Hidden/Spoiler:
A couple of final notes.
So far no one has been able to figure out how to change the red and blue holo colors for friend and enemy. You can change the color of the holo using the Color and custom setting in the holo odf but the CP won't change when taken over.
Also during all this I found out that the only thing you can attach cloth to (other than a unit) is a prop (the error log told me so) so you can have a flag but it is static.
These are just a few things I discovered while playing around, I encourage you to do so also especially with the holo odf settings they can do some fun effects.
just because it looked better. And as mentioned a greyscale texture works best.