Allegiance Installer 3.01

Catch-all for all development not having a specific forum.
factoid
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Joined: Fri Sep 02, 2005 7:00 am
Location: Winnipeg, Canada

Post by factoid »

Which will go a lot faster if someone can help me with the mdlc thing. I have the artwork, I can put it up on dropbox if somone routinely compiles art. Otherwise I'll have to keep digging. One of my kids and I have been sick the last two days so progress has been slow. If I catch a break maybe I'll get it done tonight.
"I make it a point not to chat with AP off... space is vast, but it's never vast enough for my scout."
TheAlaskan
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Joined: Tue Apr 03, 2007 2:15 am
Location: Denver, CO

Post by TheAlaskan »

I've got good news and bad news regarding your issue with mdlc.

Good news: My experience is that mdlc sucks and I could never get it to make working mdl files. The good news is that you can use milkshape (!) and its AMT plugin to open up the model's .mdl file, attach the new skin to it and regenerate the artwork files ezpz.

Bad news: Milkshape sucks and it might take you a little bit to learn. I can help if that's the route you find best... it'll get the job done.
factoid
Posts: 929
Joined: Fri Sep 02, 2005 7:00 am
Location: Winnipeg, Canada

Post by factoid »

Well, $#@! that. I already wrote a mdlc decompiler in python. I can likely reverse it. Might be able to make a blender -> mdl exporter as well, but don't hold your breath.

Anyway, just call me Factoid: Code Anthropologist....
"I make it a point not to chat with AP off... space is vast, but it's never vast enough for my scout."
TheAlaskan
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Joined: Tue Apr 03, 2007 2:15 am
Location: Denver, CO

Post by TheAlaskan »

Ooooo you wanna export from blender into .mdl?

YP put a python script together a couple of years ago when I started DRac but we couldn't drill down how to communicate the 'up' direction of bones/hardpoints for the models. I don't seem to have a copy of it anymore, but I'll see if YP does if you want to consult it.

Blender --> .mdl would end the scourge of my life that is milkshape (!)
factoid
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Joined: Fri Sep 02, 2005 7:00 am
Location: Winnipeg, Canada

Post by factoid »

Speak of the devil. YP Just added me to the AllegZone repo for that very exporter. I'll check it out and see what I can do to finish it.
"I make it a point not to chat with AP off... space is vast, but it's never vast enough for my scout."
Mastametz
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Location: Stanwood, WA

Post by Mastametz »

factoid wrote:QUOTE (factoid @ May 27 2014, 07:47 PM) Speak of the devil. YP Just added me to the AllegZone repo for that very exporter. I'll check it out and see what I can do to finish it.
It wasn't coincidence ;P
There's a new sheriff in town.
TheAlaskan
Posts: 2256
Joined: Tue Apr 03, 2007 2:15 am
Location: Denver, CO

Post by TheAlaskan »

Okay.... progress had made on the issue of drac hi-res files crashing players when they attempt to log on to pcore while having 2048 max texture pack.

Alleg can handle up to 8 drac hi-res texture files without crashing a player under the circumstances described above.

Please test:

Leave only 8 drac hi-res textures in your allegiance 1.2\Production\Artwork\Textures folder
Launch a pcore game with a 2048 max texture pack.
If you launch safely, log out and add a 9th file.
If you crash, test 8 again.

If we can isolate it to only using 8 or less drac hi-res textures, then we can only provide a few hi-res textures. Honestly, looking at drac regular-res textures with max texture pack of 2048, the models are practically hi-res as it is. To that end, we would only need 6 of the bases to have hi-res for the best experience. Thus, we can widdle this down to only using 6 hi-res drac textures and pcore wont crash for anyone. Granted testing confirms my theory.
factoid
Posts: 929
Joined: Fri Sep 02, 2005 7:00 am
Location: Winnipeg, Canada

Post by factoid »

Sheriff Metz wrote:QUOTE (Sheriff Metz @ May 27 2014, 08:48 PM) It wasn't coincidence ;P
No, I was plainly referring to you... :lol:


Edit: Woot, woot! Got mdlc working, apparently it was caused by a lack of 24 bit image support in mdlc (which I quickly added). It would have been fine with X8R8G8B8, or A8R8G8B8, but just didn't know what to do without 32 bit images (or 16). So far I've successfully converted the mis01bmp.mdl and it didn't appear to crash. I'm going to convert the rest and then try running a drac game at 1024, if it's fine, I'll bump it up to 2048 and see where we end up.
Last edited by factoid on Wed May 28, 2014 3:31 am, edited 1 time in total.
"I make it a point not to chat with AP off... space is vast, but it's never vast enough for my scout."
fuzzylunkin1

Post by fuzzylunkin1 »

BTW, are we running the distributed PNGs through a tool like optipng? That should reduce the installer size and, less noticably (more noticable for people with slower hard drives), improve texture loading time.

I just shaved 20.7 MB off of the decompiled textures folder used with the "Free Allegiance" art. (default settings used here, I didn't use the max settings which takes a lot longer)

For those interested, it's as simple as running "optipng *.png" or dragging and dropping with one of the windows-base graphical interfaces. Make a backup first, as there's an extremely small chance (I've never seen it happen) that some files will be corrupt or the image just gets messed up, or perhaps your computer will grow a leg and kick your dog (I'm not responsible if it does).
Last edited by fuzzylunkin1 on Wed May 28, 2014 8:05 am, edited 1 time in total.
pkk
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Joined: Tue Jul 01, 2003 7:00 am
Location: Germany, Munich

Post by pkk »

Old news fuzz:
http://www.freeallegiance.org/forums/index...showtopic=59492

I tried that and ran even into more crashes, compared to classic bmp.mdl.

Text bmp.mdl and optimized PNG files are still on my other PC, 300 miles away...
The Escapist (Justin Emerson) @ Dec 21 2010, 02:33 PM:
The history of open-source Allegiance is paved with the bodies of dead code branches, forum flame wars, and personal vendettas. But a community remains because people still love the game.
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