Exporting .cmp with Milkshape 1.85B2 and Windows 10

There are 4 replies in this Thread. The last Post () by S-110.

    Just wanted to drop a note in here. I ran into a problem recently attempting to export a model to .cmp from Milkshape. I would use 3DS Max, but I have version 2019 and the latest Freelancer export tools don't work with it. I have to export from Max as an .fbx file and import to Milkshape from there. To go back I have to export as a Collada .dae file because the Milkshape .fbx exporter isn't readable by Max 2019. Cumbersome, but eh. I use 3DS Max 2.5 for the basic shapes and sub-modelling due to it's simpler controls, much like Gmax. Milshape is great for kit-bashing and final vertex adjustments, and it's pretty easy to adjust textures. It works, up until I went to export to .cmp. No version of the Milkshape exporter seemed to export any geometry, just the hardpoints even though the geometry is listed when viewing in UTF editors. I by chance zoomed in because I noticed that the hard-points were all jumbled together in a compact mass. Zooming a little further, the geometry was there; microscopic, but there. Using FL Model tool i scaled it up with a value of 92 - the default number in the CMP Exporter for scaling and the new ship was the right size and worked great. So the bug is that whatever dependency the CMP Exporter has to process scaling is either missing in Windows 10 or malfunctioning.


    The above workaround does the job just fine. The reason for the post is the only information I was able to search out was that the CMP Exporter doesn't work with Windows 10. This is incorrect, so if anyone else has these issues try the above.

    There are multiple cmp exporters. One of them has the option to scale the model but I am currently not sure which one it is.

    However, you are right, upscaling it by 92 usually does the trick. However, I would do the upscaling in milkshape prior exporting (thats how I do it) because the flmodeltool might mess up models with different groups. It seems to have problems scaling center points of multi-group objects.

    Doing this process in MS3d already is a more secure way to get a working file.

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    Thanks, I'll give it a try. Changing the scale slider on the CMP Export plugins does nothing - seems determined to re-scale by 92. I think probably legacy code since it was built to export Starlancer models to .cmp and they're enormous compared to Freelancer. I have to scale Starlancer models to 15% in order to work comfortably with them. I was getting some extra grey hairs trying to figure this out. I've been working on a mech shooter in Unity with a buddy, but my model skills are somewhat out of date so I've been using Freelancer models as way to brush up on my skills.

    No, i dont think this was specifically build for starlancer ships.

    For many years this was the only way exporting anything to cmp. And... well... since it was a working method I stuck with it instead of using 3ds max (to which I dont really have access to).

    Usually I do scaling directly in Milkshape (eventhough I dont use it for modeling purposes -> way too complicated).

    I import a sabre model from the game directly into my ms3d file and then use this as reference to scaling my ships. Once I have the size that I want I simply delete the sabre again, select all remaining groups and upscale them by 92 right before I export them.


    Comparing ship sizes after exporting is a mess.

    signew.jpg


    cfmoddblogo.png5904.png5904.png
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    Only dead fish swim with the stream.
    Don't discuss with idiots. They only drag you down to their level and then beat you with experience there.


    This is ten percent luck,
    Twenty percent skill,
    Fifteen percent concentrated power of will,
    Five percent pleasure,
    Fifty percent pain,
    And a hundred percent reason to remember the name!

    I noticed - thanks again for pointing it out. I had one model export and resize fine, another had realigned the separate parts so everything was positioned on the center point of the mesh. Scaling up before exporting will do just fine. I use a similar method of scaling new meshes for freelancer.


    If you wanted to try the latest version of Max it's pretty easy to get a free two year student license. Caveat is that it can't be used for anything you want to release commercially. Milkshape's importer for fbx files works fine, but the exported Milkshape version of fbx can't be read by 3DS Max 2019. Fortunately the 3ds exporter does the job and the resulting files import well to Max 2019. I've had issues importing 3ds to Milkshape however which is why I suggest fbx format for the return job. It would be wonderful to have the 3DS Max CMP export plugin updated to the latest version of 3DS Max.


    I have a working version of (really old) 3DS Max 2.5 that I use for lower poly modelling - simpler interface, much like Gmax. Works great for Freelancer modifications. For myself, Milkshape is better for changing textures via the groups. It's simpler than other options I've tried. It seems to be really easy to make glass textures like I've been puttering around with on the Hades in the attached image. The texture mapper is fairly easy to get the hang of. Changing and adding individual triangles in Milkshape is a good feature, but as mentioned, it's not great for full on modelling work.


    I'm just thankful that there's still working means after all these years to continue to mod Freelancer.

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