Artillery Help M3D Whizz Needed

[Daiwilletti]

The problem: The stock 105mm howitzers are modelled with an orientation 180 degrees from the German howitzer. This results in a frontline where the German howitzers face the front of their gun emplacements; the Allied 105mms point out the back of their gun emplacements. Without modification, the frontline spawns with lots of German shelling and no Allied response! (This is addressed in ETO by using specific Allied and Axis facilities with subtly different orientations).

The question: I know there are whizzes out their who have identified shading, reflection, colour parameters within m3d files and can hack them.

Has anybody found the bit which specifies the default orientation of the model? Hacking the m3d would be the best solution.

A less elegant fix is to tweak the xdp so that the 105mms can rotate 180 degrees in each direction. But this does not look too good, the guns look they are shooting the trooper in attendance (attached screenie). Note the arms at the rear of the 105mms face the FRONT of the gun emplacements.

[Led Zeppelin]

What you can do is to create a specific artillery facility file with this 105mm howitzer model and you change the orientation directly in the facility xml file.

[gecko]

Yep, that's what you have to do. It isn't possible to change the orientation without the source file.

[Daiwilletti]

Yes that's what was done in ETO. That requires non-stock spawns.

The stock install is where I test various ideas, so I want to limit the variables.

What I may have to do is create a copy of the German howitzer, paint it green and make it a US 105mm in the xdp file. Or use one of the MAW artillery pieces.

An m3d hack would be great because it would be easier to share.

Thanks guys.

[NachtPiloten]

In the CFS3 gamepack, is there a 105?

[Daiwilletti]

In the CFS3 gamepack, is there a 105?

Hah, that is a very good question . I will fire up the CFS3 comp later today, and check....

[Led Zeppelin]

In the CFS3 gamepack, is there a 105?

yep, at least the following artillery guns in the vehicles folder have a '105':
a_105
b_105
g_howitzer

[mongoose]

There are also 105 flak guns around.

Raf_105mm_flak
preeze_105mm_flak_gun

[gosd]

There are also 105 flak guns around.

Raf_105mm_flak
preeze_105mm_flak_gun

Where are these from? Can't seem to locate them.

[Daiwilletti]

yep, at least the following artillery guns in the vehicles folder have a '105':
a_105
b_105
g_howitzer

That's good news! Thanks LZ! Does that mean that someone with GMax skills could open up the a_105 model in GMax, and rotate the default position so it points to the left, like the g_howitzer does? (I've looked at these models in m3d view and they point in opposite directions).

[mongoose]

Where are these from? Can't seem to locate them.

Not sure if they are generally available yet

[Daiwilletti]

That's good news! Thanks LZ! Does that mean that someone with GMax skills could open up the a_105 model in GMax, and rotate the default position so it points to the left, like the g_howitzer does? (I've looked at these models in m3d view and they point in opposite directions).

Ah! I see confusion reigns supreme in these threads, LOL.

To go back to the very good question about the GMax gamepack, unfortunately, no, there are no 105mm howitzers provided by MS as GMax models. The source files remain with MS, although the product is so old now they could surely release the source files??