.4SF

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urkki63
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.4SF

Post by urkki63 »

Hi all modders,

Does anyone know how to do the following: 4SF -> 3SF -> Photoshop -> back again? Apparently a converter of some sort is needed but the one that I found on the net, DXT Bmp texture manipulator - failed to open any. Is there anything more useful out there for free download?

Would like to tweak terrain objects - vegetation, buildings etc.- for some local colour.

Regards,

Henry
jomni
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Re: .4SF

Post by jomni »

4SF / 3SF is a 3D object file. Not an image. It will never load to PS. You are actually looking to change the DDS files instead. Load in DXTBMP save as BMP or PNG (so you retain thetransparency) then edit in Photoshop. Convert back to DDS using DXTBMP.
urkki63
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Re: .4SF

Post by urkki63 »

jomni wrote:4SF / 3SF is a 3D object file. Not an image. It will never load to PS. You are actually looking to change the DDS files instead. Load in DXTBMP save as BMP or PNG (so you retain thetransparency) then edit in Photoshop. Convert back to DDS using DXTBMP.
Yes. DDS have been easy so far. I´m just trying to figure out if I can get what I want without messing with that binary data. Doesn´t interest me one bit unless absolutely necessary. Opened an s4f file and oh man! Not my cup of ocha. Graphics I can handle. I have a lot a experience with graphics of other older wargames. Also photography, dark room, illustrations for books (freehand) etc. professionally (including Japan).

There´s a longer discussion about all this under Anegawa screen below.

Regards,

Henry
jomni
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Re: .4SF

Post by jomni »

As pip said, the 4SF is the shape and animation of the 3D object. You need a 3D software for that.
But there's no way of reading from 4SF that I know of. The process is exporting a S3F from whatever 3D software used then the game will make 4SF from it.
urkki63
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Re: .4SF

Post by urkki63 »

Hmm.. I think I´m beginning to understand. So first you create kind of a line drawing in 3d space. It´s then exported to s#f form using one of those plugins Pip mentioned. Done that, you color in the 3d line drawing and export it the same fashion. That thing becomes the dds texture file. The s%f combines the two and voila, a unit or an object. Or a map. Have I understood this correctly?

Cheers

Henry
jomni
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Re: .4SF

Post by jomni »

You "draw" your object in 3D using software like Blender, Maya, 3DS Max.
You map the 3D planes to coordinates of a flat image file using the 3D tool. This process is called UV Mapping.
You paint using Photoshop. Save your flat texture image as DDS using a plugin or external tool like DXT BMP.
You export the 3D mesh as S3F using a plugin in the 3D tool. Which can still be read by text editor. You can assign the file name of the texture DDS at this stage.
The games converts it to S4F.

The sections of the DDS you see now corresponds to a certain 3D planes of the object. It is fixed and you cannot move around. All you can do is repiant them. You cannot rename the file as the S4F searches for a specific file name.
urkki63
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Re: .4SF

Post by urkki63 »

Looks like a blender job then. I used to have a 3d tool ages ago but it went south in a crash and I never used it again. I remember it as a struggle. Then I don´t think it was Blender. Easy to use?

Would it be any real help using my standard 2d method: photographing, say, a miniature war elephant from various angles and digitalizing the object this way? In a perfect world, technology would handle the rest..

Where are the satellite view tiles, objects and unit icons located? Surely there´s no 3d there. I could perhaps try out a few older 2d ideas with those. War elephants are a must.

Regards,

Henry
rbodleyscott
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Re: .4SF

Post by rbodleyscott »

urkki63 wrote:Where are the satellite view tiles, objects and unit icons located? Surely there´s no 3d there.
There aren't any. The top-down view is just a top-down view of the 3D objects.
Richard Bodley Scott

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