[Snail]

List of stuff which is useful for modders.

A lot of information can be found on the Wiki. It's likely your questions will be answered by exploring the

Wiki Modding Portal. Also, see the list of modding related articles which is transcribed here.

Modelling

• Creating Efficient Models
• ShadowWolf_IHs Complete Shipbuilding Tutorial

based on FSFs Shipbuilding tutorial

• Data boxing
• Hierarchy
• Multiparts on Angled Surfaces
• Rampage's Post Modding Guide (may be somewhat out of date)
• Subobject and subsystem properties
• Turret setup
• 3DSMax STL Check Modifier
• Fixing Non-Manifold Meshes
• Merging sub-objects into a single object
• RgaNoris' Blender-to-PCS2 tutorials (video links)

Applications

• 3D Studio Max
• Max to PCS2 Tutorial
• Max to PCS2 to In-Game Tutorial
• Blender
• LithUnwrap
• Maja
• ModelView32
• POF Constructor Suite (also called PCS)
• POF Constructor Suite 2 (also called PCS2)
• PCS2 User Help
• Important PCS2 Threads
• TrueSpace

VP files

• QuickVP
• VPMage
• Using VPMage
• VPmake

Texturing

• Texturing Wiki article
• Here's something really cool for normal maps creation
• A Simple Texturing Tutorial (not 56k friendly!)
• The GIMP Thread
• General Normal Maps & Modelling Thread
• About Normal Maps
• Normal maps...How?
• Figuring out Ship Shininess
• How do normal maps work
• The Idiot's Guide to Nameplates
• My3DTextures.com (Free textures resource website)
• K7g's Texturing in Blender Video Tutorial

Conversion & Mapping

• Blender to POF Conversion Guide
• VolitionWatch Fighter Guide
• Collada Importer
• POF Conversion Plug-In for 3DS Max
• Retaining Hierarchy on Export
• UVMapping and Tiling
• UVW Mapping Short Tutorial
• UVW Mapping Tutorial for 3DSMax
• In-Depth Look at UVW Mapping in 3DS Max
• UV Unwrapping Tutorial 3DS Max
• Steve-O's Animation Code Tutorial
• FSF's Shipbuilding Tutorial
• Mapping with UVW Unwrap in 3dsMax
• Texturing In 3D Studio Max
• Dxt5nm convert to blue (for converting normal maps from green to blue in GIMP)

Tabling

• List of Table Files
• Animation Code
• External Weapons Documentation by Bobboau (Note: the build linked to in this thread is old)
• Tutorial - Beam Weapons
• Modular tables
• Ship Templates
• Subsystems stuff
• Terminology
• Intro to tabling (video)

General

• Bobbaou's FreeSpace Tutorials (may be slightly out of date)
• FS2 Data Structure
• File Management (video)
• File Types
• Installing Mods for FS2 Open
• Karajorma's FreeSpace FAQ (may be slightly out of date)
• Hitchhiker's Guide to mod.ini
• List of user-made ships
• Squadron insignia
• General 3D Related Tutorials
• Conclusive 3D Reference Site
• MjnMixael's Anim Creation Tutorial
• Video Conversion to OGG

Skyboxes

• Seamless Skyboxes
• Spacescape
• Skybox package by ShadowWolf_IH

Misc

• Concept Ships
• Video Tutorials

[/list]

[Angelus]

Thx Snail 

I'd like to suggest that links to this threads is also added:

http://www.hard-light.net/forums/index.php?topic=63643.0

This thread explains in detail how to set up Max to do proper  hierarchy, turretsetup, subobjects as well as thrusters, and conversion to dae.
Contains also useful scripts for 3DSMax.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Scooby Texturing Tutorial could be unstickied. Or something.


I'm gonna Dig through the Forums this week and see if i can find moar tutorial jewels.

[Rodo]

Thanks for your work collecting all these usefull links Snail, I give you a thumb up

Bookmarked.

[JGZinv]

*raises hand*

How about my tut in my sig..?

[Snail]

Scooby's other tutorial and JGZinv's tutorial have been added. Articles that I deem uber important have been bolded.

Just so that you know, I basically just copied the Wiki's List of modding-related articles with a few additions.... Ah well hopefully the stuff will be more accessible here.


Any other suggestions for inclusion, format, and stuff?

[Angelus]

*raises hand*

How about my tut in my sig..?

That is number one on my list, but i forgot to add it as i posted Scoobys tut in my post, sorry.  

[Snail]

Already in.

[JGZinv]

Not all of these are tutorials, but most come from around here as to useful info.
Several are general modding tuts on things that get asked a lot.

Important PCS2 Threads:
http://www.hard-light.net/forums/index.php/topic,47596.0.html

Bobboau's Freespace Tutorials:
http://freespace.volitionwatch.com/blackwater/fstut/fstut_index01.htm

Multipart turrets on angled surfaces:
http://www.hard-light.net/forums/index.php/topic,60327.html

Retaining hierarchy on export from any program to tS 7.6 + VRML:
http://www.hard-light.net/forums/index.php/topic,56047.0.html

General normal maps & modelling thread:
http://www.hard-light.net/forums/index.php/topic,61838.0..html

About normal maps:
http://www.hard-light.net/forums/index.php/topic,55854.0.html

Normal maps....how?
http://www.hard-light.net/forums/index.php/topic,51975.0.html

Figuring out ship shininess:
http://www.hard-light.net/forums/index.php?topic=61860.0

How do shine-maps work?
http://www.hard-light.net/forums/index.php/topic,57506.msg1159894.html#msg1159894 

STL Check Modifier:
http://www.3dmax-tutorials.com/STL_Check_Modifier.html

UV Mapped and Tiled:
http://www.hard-light.net/forums/index.php/topic,60486

UVW mapping short tutorial:
http://www.hard-light.net/forums/index.php/topic,62304

Using UVW Mapping Texture Technique in 3D Studio Max:
http://www.republicofcode.com/tutorials/3ds/unwrap_uvw_mapping/

An In-Depth Look at UVW Mapping an Object in 3DS Max:
http://waylon-art.com/uvw_tutorial/uvwtut_01.html

UV Unwrapping Tutorial 3DS Max:
http://www.battlefield40k.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1301

Mapping with UVW Unwrap in 3dsMax:
http://merlin.zsnes.com/tutorials/mapping/index.html

Texturing In 3D Studio Max (Using UVW and Unwrap UVW Maps):
http://www.republicofcode.com/tutorials/3ds/texture_stealth/

Many Different 3D Related Tutorials:
http://www.pixelandpoly.com/reference.html

Another Major 3D Reference Site:
http://www.webreference.com/3d/

Fixing Non-Manifold Meshes:
http://www.shapeways.com/video/fixing-non-manifold-meshes

Merging sub-objects into a single object:
http://www.crymod.com/thread.php?postid=530154#post530154

[Snail]

Added.

[Angelus]

I suggest to put all offsite tutorials in a own category ( external links to...), with sub categories for modelling and texturing.

[Aardwolf]

Absolutely nothing about FRED on the list?

Or is there a FRED-specific collection somewhere else already?

[Angelus]

Absolutely nothing about FRED on the list?

Or is there a FRED-specific collection somewhere else already?

I was thinking to request something like that for the FRED board, but the entire board is basically a large tutorial area.
Wouldn't hurt, to have that sorted by task, though ( How to...do cutscenes, How to...do this, a.s.o. ).
But that would be a fulltime job for several days, maybe weeks, to sort all the usefull threads in that board and it's not worth the effort.


What could be done though, is add a stickie that contains only links to threads that cover the seriously complex stuff.
And, like someone already suggested, links to templates for certain FRED stuff on the wiki and the advanced FRED lessons Karajorma posted.

For everything else, there's the FRED Academy and the option to post a question.

[Snail]

Absolutely nothing about FRED on the list?

Or is there a FRED-specific collection somewhere else already?

FREDding really isn't a form of Modding IMO...

Adding a link or two to the list couldn't hurt, though.

[Angelus]

Another one that should be added under "Creating Ships for FSO in Blender-Step by Step":


http://freespace.volitionwatch.com/fs2/mods/fighterguide/

it's an older one, but it covers pretty much every step needed to bring a model ingame.
An Blender equivalent of JGZinvs Max tut.

[Snail]

Added. Sorry for the delay.

[Talon 1024]

The Animation Code and External Weapon Model tutorial by --Steve-O-- (may be slightly out-of-date):
http://www.hard-light.net/forums/index.php?topic=49741.0

External weapon documentation by Bobboau:
http://www.hard-light.net/forums/index.php?topic=30458.0

[Snail]

Both added.

[mjn.mixael]

Perhaps add this?

http://www.hard-light.net/forums/index.php?topic=74636.msg1475207#msg1475207

[Snail]

Added to the list.

[-Sara-]

Not so much a tutorial site, but an invaluable site full of concept art of thousands and thousands more ships! A great inspiration when anyone as a modder needs new ideas. Just remember to not model something 1:1 without asking permission of the concept artist first.

http://conceptships.blogspot.com/