Problem with creating a new usable tank (SOLVED)

[p.jakub88]

Hello everyone,

i thought, that it could be a great idea to add to H&D Deluxe another usable tank - in this case Matilda II.

I managed to download a good looking model and textures from http://www.cadnav.com/3d-models/model-40323.html.

I converted it to *.i3d format using 3ds max.

I added 4 seats to this tank and connected all collision dummies - i used the default Sherman model as a reference.

I also used all data from the Sherman tank to set all settings for my Autocannon actor (cannon, automobil and version properties).

The seats in this new tank works well - all crew members stay invisible while manning the Matilda II.

After placing the tank model in HDD editor some elements need to be re-sized to the value of 0.085959. In addition the right tracks of the destroyed and non-destroyed model need to be turned 360 degrees to match the wheels. This is not a big problem, because the tank still remains intact - all the parts are present in appropriate spots.


However, when i tested this new tank in HDD editor few errors occurred:

- when You start the tank's engine and start to ride the tank it will not move according to player's moves, but instead is "jumping" from place to place - it looks like a kind of teleport;

- when You start shooting from the tank's gun the cannon shell explode inside the tank destroying it (!), instead of leaving the barrel;

- before the shot, the tank's turret will rotate almost 360 degrees (when one of the SAS commandos act as a gunner).

[p.jakub88]

Finally i was able to fix the problem with the tank's cannon.

It seems, that a dummy called "head" is responsible for the spot from which the shell is fired from a tank's cannon. I linked the dummy with the cannon's barrel, moving the dummy at the end of the barrel. Now, the barrel could move up and down at degrees specified in HDD Editor - i personally put 5 degrees up and 5 degrees down for the best results. The tank's turret also could turn left and right making a full circle.

I will add more volumes (collisions) to the tank, so it will collide with other objects and actors correctly.

Below i posted an image showing how the tank actually looks like plus the moment when it shot from the cannon. The picture was taken from the HDD Editor (the tank won't be different in the actual game) and the target is a German soldier who volunteered for the test.

However, i am still experiencing problems with the tank movements as i described in my previous post.

EDIT: So far, i managed to force the tank to turn left, right and spin around, while the tank remain in place. However i cannot move forward or backward. It seems, that this problem might be related to the wheels dummies or joints. Something is "holding the tank to the ground" like a static collision type.

[p.jakub88]

I managed to add this new tank into one of my old mission add-on for H&D Deluxe ("Santa Claus") for testing purposes (see image below).

The tank's turret could rotate 360 degrees as well as the cannon's barrel itself for a certain degrees (i put 5 degrees up and down for best results).

I put all non-static collision and 4 seats into the tank. The tank is immune to infantry light arms fire (machine guns, rifles, etc) as it should be and the crew inside is safe.

However, when i tried to start the tank's engine the tank won't move normally, but instead is "jumping" from place to place. Only the movement to the sides is possible, but the tank is turning in place.

I tried to look into default H&D Deluxe tank models (Sherman, Tiger, Panzer IV and Panther) and use them as a reference. Somehow the game creators managed to make them movable, but i don't know how.

[NilsZ]

making vehicles is very strange in HDD. I am also not 100 % percent sure why they are jumping or flying away in some cases. But i think you must make sure that the wheels are in the right order (00 = Front Left, 01 = Front Right, 02 = Rear Left, 03 = Rear Right) and they must be lower the the other volumes of the car.

[p.jakub88]

making vehicles is very strange in HDD. I am also not 100 % percent sure why they are jumping or flying away in some cases. But i think you must make sure that the wheels are in the right order (00 = Front Left, 01 = Front Right, 02 = Rear Left, 03 = Rear Right) and they must be lower the the other volumes of the car.

Hi,

all the wheels are placed well - all the dummies are taken from the default H&D Deluxe tanks - in this case Sherman (plus i added few more for better crew protection). I also lowered all 4 wheels below the tank's main volume. Unfortunately it didn't help. Maybe i need to lower them more? The tank is turning in place or in some cases flying sky high and falling down to the ground (resulting in destroying it).

[NilsZ]

i also had this bug one time when i tried to make a new ship. It was also flying around, i am not sure but i think the chassis is too big for the wheels or something like this. Try to change the wheel positions.

[p.jakub88]

i also had this bug one time when i tried to make a new ship. It was also flying around, i am not sure but i think the chassis is too big for the wheels or something like this. Try to change the wheel positions.

I changed the wheels position, but it didn't help.

EDIT: Now the Matilda tank wheels are turning correctly, however the tank still cannot move forward or backward - only could turn left and right still being in place. Looks like something is holding the tank into the ground.

[Navyseals]

My goodness, how amazing!

[p.jakub88]

Finally some good news!

Thanks to NilsZ help i have a movable Matilda II tank model in the H&D Deluxe.

Now it moves normally. I tested it in the HDD editor.


However, there are some new problems, that weren't present before:

- the destroyed Matilda II model version seems to be wrongly connected with the un-destroyed Matilda II model version,

- missing UV mapping coordinates for textures on the Matilda II tank.


I had my own Matilda II tank model version, which has properly assigned destroyed model version and correctly placed textures, however it cannot move normally.

[p.jakub88]

OK, i managed to properly connect the destroyed Matilda 2 version to un-destroyed one in the model that you sent me via PM.

I tested it in the edited Greece 2 mission. The communist partisans had hard time to kill me, lol.

They had no chance against the tank cannon's shells.

Now, i will try to fix missing UV mapping coordinates for textures on Matilda 2 tank model using 3ds Max.

[p.jakub88]

Well, i don't want to complain NilsZ, but as you merged many smaller parts of the Matilda II tank into few bigger ones (i.e. Vez, Tank, etc), i didn't manage to properly UV map them. I tried every available type of UV mapping in 3ds Max: planar, box, etc. I only managed to add textures to both tank tracks. Rest of the original Matilda II tank textures will be distorted.

Which attach option you used to merge the Matilda 2 tank parts? It seems, that this is somehow related to textures and UV mapping. See pictures below.

[NilsZ]

I choose "Match Material to Material IDs". In some parts it worked.
I dont have any experience in UV mapping :(

[p.jakub88]

I choose "Match Material to Material IDs". In some parts it worked.
I dont have any experience in UV mapping :(

Aha, OK. However, there are some Youtube tutorials about textures UV mapping in 3ds Max.

Meantime, i managed to add a custom texture to the fixed Matilda II tank and i choose "Box" type UV mapping in 3ds Max.

Now, the tank has a "desert look", but at least this looks way better than before (the distorted textures): https://hidden-and-dangerous.net/board/ ... 27&t=43596.


If i only could do the same as You did, making the "correctly textured" (the Matilda II tank model with original textures) tank driveable.

I tried in many different ways in 3ds Max, but the tank is still spinning around and jumping instead of normal moves...


UN-DESTROYED MATILDA II TANK MODEL VERSION (YOUR FIXED MODEL)

In the un-destroyed tank model version, the hull is a single part named "Tank", the turret named "Vez" and the cannon's barrel named "head". Both tank tracks are attached together and named "pasy".

The "Vez" is linked to "joint y", "pasy" to "Tank" and the "Tank" is linked to "PantherZ".

The "joint x" is linked to "joint y".

The "joint y" is linked to "PantherZ".

The un-destroyed tank's collisions are linked to col.

Wheels (wheel_00, etc) linked to joints (joint_00,etc), "seats" linked to "entries".

"~02vs00", etc - linked to "joints_00", etc.

It seems that the dummies "col", "engine", "entries" and "joints" are not linked or grouped with anything in 3ds Max.


DESTROYED MATILDA II TANK MODEL VERSION (YOUR FIXED MODEL)

The destroyed tank model version is made of a one big piece called "anim_tank7" grouped into "~01Panther" and linked to "PantherZ", as well as all destroyed tank model version collisions volumes.

The destroyed model of the Matilda II tank has some kind of animation attached, but the other stock H&D Deluxe tanks have no animations (like Tiger, PZ IV).


MY EARLIER MATILDA II TANK MODEL WITH ORIGINAL TEXTURES

I suspect, that i have some wrongly connected tank's elements, so the tank cannot move - but i am not 100% sure...

[NilsZ]

I took the panther model as base. It has destruction animation and the same linkings and connections.
All tanks should be done like that, because the panther is a stock H&D Deluxe model.
The col dummy is important for driving. Without it your vehicle could drive through walls, because it has no collisions.

Maybe you can fix the bug that the original matilda becames giant in the editor. Then we can just link the parts in the diveable model and everything should be fine.

[p.jakub88]

Maybe you can fix the bug that the original matilda becames giant in the editor.

Heh, if i only knew how to do that...

The Matilda II tank model was already that big, when i converted it from *.max format in 3ds Max. At least it has all parts, because some models that i downloaded from www.cadnav.com after conversion wasn't complete.