Editing/Skinning Old *.DTS files in Starsiege
by Mark Gordon · in Technical Issues · 03/24/2010 (10:43 am) · 8 replies
I have been trying to enable skinning for some of the obscure vehicles in Starsiege and have been having some trouble.
Most of the 'special' vehicles are not able to be skinned.
I think it is either the vehicle tag or the DTS its self causing this.
Could it be the DTS?
*All of the special vehicles cannot be skinned..but when i change the *.DTS that the vehicle script [DatXX_XXXX.cs] points [For instance: A Standard Vehicle] it can be skinned.
*The 2 Cinematic Files can only be partially skinned be default, this being a limitation in the DTS file [Cockpit area cannot be skinned?]
Could it be the Vehicle tag?
*When I edit the super predators tag from SPRED to PRED it can be skinned and uses the standard predators skins. [this does not work when i change another 'special' vehicle.]
I have tried editing the DTS files in 3dsmax 2.5 but there is no importer for DTS files for that version [not any that i can find] And only 4 vehicles *.MAX files were released so I cannot edit them to see if that works.
Does anyone have any ideas?
Most of the 'special' vehicles are not able to be skinned.
I think it is either the vehicle tag or the DTS its self causing this.
Could it be the DTS?
*All of the special vehicles cannot be skinned..but when i change the *.DTS that the vehicle script [DatXX_XXXX.cs] points [For instance: A Standard Vehicle] it can be skinned.
*The 2 Cinematic Files can only be partially skinned be default, this being a limitation in the DTS file [Cockpit area cannot be skinned?]
Could it be the Vehicle tag?
*When I edit the super predators tag from SPRED to PRED it can be skinned and uses the standard predators skins. [this does not work when i change another 'special' vehicle.]
I have tried editing the DTS files in 3dsmax 2.5 but there is no importer for DTS files for that version [not any that i can find] And only 4 vehicles *.MAX files were released so I cannot edit them to see if that works.
Does anyone have any ideas?
#2
I just successfully changed the skins of Prometheus, Starsiege Magic Bus, Pouncer Assault Bike, Terran Dropship, and Rebel Thumper by copying a Gorgon skin, placing it in the game's main directory, and renaming it to override their default skins located in gameObjects.vol.
03/24/2010 (1:45 pm)
How special are we talking here and where are you placing the skins? They should go in Starsiege's root directory.I just successfully changed the skins of Prometheus, Starsiege Magic Bus, Pouncer Assault Bike, Terran Dropship, and Rebel Thumper by copying a Gorgon skin, placing it in the game's main directory, and renaming it to override their default skins located in gameObjects.vol.
#3
03/24/2010 (4:47 pm)
I knew how to do that...What I mean is get the Skins to show up in the Vehicle Lab...
#4
03/24/2010 (4:49 pm)
Prometheus, Starsiege Magic Bus, Pouncer Assault Bike's, etc. skins do not show up in the vehicle Lab.
#5
I just extracted all the necessary files to get the Banshee in the vehicle lab and successfully created extra skins for it ("BANS_test.bmp) just like any other vehicle.
EDIT: After looking through the scripts it looks like those specific vehicles you mentioned aren't capable of multiple skins. That was your original issue, but there's just some things that can't be done without the original source/raw files.
03/24/2010 (6:09 pm)
Are you placing the skins in the skins directory and executing RemapArt.exe?I just extracted all the necessary files to get the Banshee in the vehicle lab and successfully created extra skins for it ("BANS_test.bmp) just like any other vehicle.
EDIT: After looking through the scripts it looks like those specific vehicles you mentioned aren't capable of multiple skins. That was your original issue, but there's just some things that can't be done without the original source/raw files.
#6
One of those 2 things is keeping them from being able to use multiple skins.
It would help if I had the Original *.MAX files for the vehicles....[Or even better, the entire source] [Irony: Tribes 1 is Freeware/Psudo-Open source...why Isn't Starsiege?]
03/24/2010 (8:26 pm)
Which brings me back to my first post.One of those 2 things is keeping them from being able to use multiple skins.
It would help if I had the Original *.MAX files for the vehicles....[Or even better, the entire source] [Irony: Tribes 1 is Freeware/Psudo-Open source...why Isn't Starsiege?]
#7
And because I highly doubt the source code to Starsiege is still sitting around anywhere. The Starsiege community has asked repeatedly for the source code since this millennium started. Every once in a while a former Dynamix employee (Rick Overman the most, I think? Maybe Louie McCrady) will tell the community VU/Sierra lost the source code years ago.
03/24/2010 (8:46 pm)
Because Tribes/Tribes 2 was released as part of a marketing strategy for Tribes: Vengeance. Vivendi would not have released anything for free if they didn't see dollar signs at the end of the road. Since Starsiege was/is a dead part of the Earthsiege universe, VU saw no reason to be that nice. GG probably sees no reason to release it too, either for free or commercially.And because I highly doubt the source code to Starsiege is still sitting around anywhere. The Starsiege community has asked repeatedly for the source code since this millennium started. Every once in a while a former Dynamix employee (Rick Overman the most, I think? Maybe Louie McCrady) will tell the community VU/Sierra lost the source code years ago.
#8
And I seriously doubt the source is "Lost", I think that GG/Vivendi came up with the excuse so people wouldn't bother them for it. And if they were tired of people asking... Why not just throw on a GPL sticker and be done with it? Whats holding them back?
03/25/2010 (4:50 pm)
"Dead" is a point of view. There are people who still play it.And I seriously doubt the source is "Lost", I think that GG/Vivendi came up with the excuse so people wouldn't bother them for it. And if they were tired of people asking... Why not just throw on a GPL sticker and be done with it? Whats holding them back?
Mark Gordon