Author
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Topic: Dragons!
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Teric Serf
Posts: 8 From: United States Registered: Nov 2001 |
posted 21 November 2001 00:40
There are programs for changing the anim. files (.BAM, I think, it's been a while) in Baldur's Gate II to .gif animation files, and there are programs that change .gif anim. files to whatever Diablo uses (not sure, never delved into that aspect of modding). From what I understand of recent discussion, the reason why putting new monsters into the game is such a pain is that the animations are so hard to do. So if you already have the animations... The BG2 dragons are the absolute coolest monsters I have seen in a game (really well done, too). If someone could tell me if this is possible, or if it isn't, tell me why not, because perhaps it only requires someone who is extremely talented in this field (I am not bragging...I don't really know that much about this stuff...which is to say next to nothing. However, I do happen to know a great many people and I have acess to some things others do not...)Anyway, please someone get back to me on this as soon as possible.

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Forsaken Honorary Warlord
   
Posts: 397 From: Dutch guy in France Registered: Sep 2001 |
posted 21 November 2001 06:21
quote: However, I do happen to know a great many people and I have acess to some things others do not...
Got a Cray/Silicon Graphics WS hidden somewhere? :-) Anyways, it should be possible, in theory, but it still takes up a LOT of time, not to mention the fact that D2 monsters are built from up to 10 bodyparts, and 10 might be a little limited for something as complex as a dragon....------------------ So much bandwidth, so little time

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pyrAXE WarLord
  
Posts: 168 From: Registered: Nov 2001 |
posted 21 November 2001 06:44
10 body parts are not limiting! In fact if I was converting a dragon I'd just make it one big body part. Most D2 creatures use about 4 anyway, but they could all use 1.

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mandzo Moderator
   
Posts: 658 From: Bulgaria,Sofia Registered: Aug 2001 |
posted 21 November 2001 07:08
pyrAXE from where are going to get cofs for these dragons------------------ Read or DIE Muahahahaha the next beta is coming and its beter then ever

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pyrAXE WarLord
  
Posts: 168 From: Registered: Nov 2001 |
posted 21 November 2001 07:16
That's a hard one..... hmmmmmmmmmm....I'll have to do some poking around. But I will find some (and get the to work). Are you still looking for gorgon cofs? 

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oni5115 WarLord
  
Posts: 194 From: Registered: Oct 2001 |
posted 21 November 2001 11:21
Pyraxe, if we get dragons in our mod that would certainly attract a lot of people.  Not to mention it would just be really cool.

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Teric Serf
Posts: 8 From: United States Registered: Nov 2001 |
posted 21 November 2001 11:45
You're going to work on this? Wow...I'm suprised. I didn't think...oh well, nevermind. Could you please explain to me how to put in new graphics? I'm getting a little confused. Also, does anyone know about how the Infinity Engine treats mobs? Among other things I'd like to know whether or not they are in pieces like D2 mobs, and if so, how many and is there any difference between the various pieces (does BG have the same bodyparts as D2). Also, if it ends up that the easiest way to do this is to run the Dragon as one part (TotalPieces: 1), what effect will that have on game speed, if any? What affect does TotalPieces have on gamespeed? What else (refering to mobs) affects speed? Thanks a lot, and feel free to tell me anything else I need to know. (although telling me that I am an ignorant n00b will be deleted--for one thing, I've had enough people tell me that in my time, and for another, that's one thing I'll admit freely !)

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pyrAXE WarLord
  
Posts: 168 From: Registered: Nov 2001 |
posted 21 November 2001 12:07
There has been a post on this same topic already. Did you miss it? It's still on the Gfx and Anim board.If you can get all the dragon's anims into gifs I will convert them for you. I don't care how you do it. Oh yes, rather give me each pic seperately, with folders named with each animation. This is so I can make the gifs how I need them. Yes, oni5115, this will attract people to our mod, lots of people. And we're going to be the first to do it. Even though it won't look that good, because the dragons are at the wrong angle, we can still try. Teric, What's a mob? I think the Infinity engine handles objects better than D2. Instead of creating meaningless animations, BG2 has a few but good ones. Also I think BG's creatures are 1 piece, unlike D2's. I can see no reason for D2's monsters to be in pieces. I challenge anyone to tell me. The most important thing now is getting the graphics of the dragons into .bmp or .gif format. Each frame seperately. I'm sure we can make this work. 

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54x Moderator
   
Posts: 3080 From: Wellington, New Zealand Registered: Apr 2001 |
posted 21 November 2001 12:46
mob = mobile = any NPC (diablo II NPCs are either merchants or monsters)------------------ 54x. "My computer has wheels on giant stilts that allow me to drive it over all the other, slower computers." "For great bandwidth!" http://www.planetdiablo.com/newdawn/ New Dawn Forum

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oni5115 WarLord
  
Posts: 194 From: Registered: Oct 2001 |
posted 21 November 2001 17:11
Someone send me or post a link to pages with utils to rip the dragons from BG2.I have the game, and will gladly rip them.  Also I think the angle is pretty close from BG2 to Diablo 2. Of course I haven't played BG2 since I had to reformat WinDoh!s a few months ago. Oh yeah, WinDoh!s is no typo... Just think Homer Simpson after getting BSOD. Doh! That and the other name for it would be innapropriate  ****EDIT****
I thought of a reason for multiple peices. If you have a skeleton that can carry multiple weapons, or shields, or have multiple heads, or torsos... and you don't want to re animate the whole figure just the piece that is swaped out. Might make the game run better if you do that instead of making 15 different skeleton animations. Just swap peices for a larger selection. But, Since the majority of creatures don't really do that... Only a few such as Corrupted Rogues and Skeletons do that... They are really the only critters that need to be like that. I don't really know why the rest would be like that. [This message has been edited by oni5115 (edited 21 November 2001).]

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FoxBat Moderator
   
Posts: 1618 From: PA, USA Registered: Feb 2001 |
posted 21 November 2001 21:18
More do it than you think, many of the alternate graphic parts are so subtle as to be virtually unnotacable (which kindof destroyes the point!) They have different weapons, or heads, or shields/non shield, etc. Fetish, Minions, Minotaur Lords, Skeletons, Zombies, Sabre Cats, Goats, Zakarumites, Overseers, Undead Horde, Doom Knights, Greater Mummies, Thorn Hulks, Fallen, etc. even more!But there are a few monsters like Diablo and Duriel which never have alternate parts, yet they are divided up anyway... And, it's probably easiest to just save the dragon animation as an ANIMATED gif. Then edit the animated gif, switching the directions around as necessary. You also need to worry about the "transparent" color (i'm still not sure which one it is supposed to be: 255?) I haven't found any decent Animated GIF editors though.

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Teric Serf
Posts: 8 From: United States Registered: Nov 2001 |
posted 21 November 2001 22:07
A Few things: First, I am out of town until Saturday, I will have those files for you, pyrAXE, as soon as I get back...any preferences as to which format they should be in?? And do you want other mobs from BG2 or another game? I could possibly manage anim. files from, say, Unreal Tournament or HL...that would be an awesome mod...lot of work though. About this mod you're making: Is it just you and oni working on it? how far have you gotten? What are your goals? Do you have a site for it? If not, will you?I am really interested in this and would like to help in any way I can. Am I correct in assuming that you have 3ds Max? Do you have the educational or full version? If you don't have it, I can get you the full one if you want. Any other graphics progs you want? How should I send you this stuff (the .gifs)? When are you usually on? I ask a lot of questions,don't I? (rhetorical question : DONT ANSWER ) ------------------ " 'tis now the very witching hour of night, / When churchyards yawn and hell itself breathes out / Contagion to this world." --Hamlet: Act III, Scene III

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pyrAXE WarLord
  
Posts: 168 From: Registered: Nov 2001 |
posted 22 November 2001 03:04
Teric, I'm in a rush now but I'll answer in a couple of hours, but since your out of town until saturday I can tkae my time.

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pyrAXE WarLord
  
Posts: 168 From: Registered: Nov 2001 |
posted 22 November 2001 05:21
For those files, bitmaps or gifs will be fine. Don't worry about other mobs just yet. Let's do one thing at a time. UT and HL characters in diablo do sound cool though.  Yes, it's just me and Oni5115 for now. We're just doing a few changes now, but we'll have quite alot changed soon. One of our many goals is to add a new helmet into D2 (one with graphics so you can see it on your character), it's going to be a halo. Looks good so far, with a glow. Oni5115, remind me to send the new version to you, it's a vast improvement on the crystal looking halo (and it's smaller). Teric, We don't have a website yet, but I'm sure we will (Isn't that right Oni5115?). Yes, you are very correct in assuming I have 3Ds Max. What do you mean you can get me graphics progs? FOR FREE??? As far as sending the stuff goes, e-mail works great. However I suggest you split the animations up into seperate zip files, and send me a couple at a time. I'm usually on, wait... let me send this post so I can see what time it says I sent it. 

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pyrAXE WarLord
  
Posts: 168 From: Registered: Nov 2001 |
posted 22 November 2001 05:32
.....Ok, Let me think. I live in South Africa. When I sent the above post my time was 2:20 pm.I normally go on every day (normally, not always). On weekdays at about 11:30 am (my time), again at 2:15 pm (my time) and once more at 5:30 (my time). On weekends, sometimes never, but maybe at 6:30am or 2:30pm. I hope I've answered all your questions. 

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Teric Serf
Posts: 8 From: United States Registered: Nov 2001 |
posted 22 November 2001 12:48
Yeah that's great, thanks. You'll have these as soon as I get back. Yes, software for free. What do you want? Anything is possible. I have about $5,000-$8,000 worth of graphics editing programs at home, and could get more if I don't have what you want.------------------ " 'tis now the very witching hour of night, / When churchyards yawn and hell itself breathes out / Contagion to this world." --Hamlet: Act III, Scene III [This message has been edited by Teric (edited 22 November 2001).]

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stargazer79 Honorary Warlord
   
Posts: 883 From: Sweden Registered: Jun 2001 |
posted 22 November 2001 14:49
Terric just a note.. those pieces of software better be legal.. this forum has some rather strict rules about things like that....
------------------ Love is the irresistable desire to be irresistably desired.

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Teric Serf
Posts: 8 From: United States Registered: Nov 2001 |
posted 23 November 2001 13:17
Legal how? As in, the progs themselves are legal or as in how I got them is legal? I'm not worried, but these things are useful to know...I don't really have a blazing desire to get banned .------------------ "To sleep: perchance to dream: aye, there's the rub For in that sleep of death what dreams may come." --Hamlet Act III, Scene 1. This is from the famous "to be or not to be" speech, in case you don't recognize it. [This message has been edited by Teric (edited 23 November 2001).]

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jbouley Forum Admin.
    
Posts: 4907 From: Portland, Maine, USA Registered: Jan 2001 |
posted 23 November 2001 21:26
Well, it's unlikely the software itself would cause legal problems...and I'm not about to track you down if you got it by less-than-honorable means (all the same, I also don't want to know...)Most importantly, though...and what stargazer is probably getting at...don't be making arrangements to distribute software in violation of copyrights around here. That will get you banned. If you do any such thing...you'd better do it somewhere else. I don't want the federal authorities up my rectum, ya know (even if they are a bit busy with anthrax here in the U.S. right now...and probably not too keen on tracking down copyright infringers). ------------------ - JEFF "A hero is no braver than anyone else. He is only brave five minutes longer." For my latest mod (for LoD/expansion), download at http://www.fileplanet.com/dl/dl.asp?/planetdiablo/phrozenkeep/mods/sic_beta.zip - Or for old stuff (for classic D2), visit my orignal mod site at www.planetdiablo.com/sanctuary

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stargazer79 Honorary Warlord
   
Posts: 883 From: Sweden Registered: Jun 2001 |
posted 26 November 2001 16:32
yer thats what i was getting at .. im a bit clumsy with my words .... thanks.. anyway off i go------------------ Love is the irresistable desire to be irresistably desired.

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JcoM Knight

Posts: 95 From: Finland Registered: May 2001 |
posted 26 November 2001 19:31
Do you know any Diablo clones? I remember Dark Stone but it was in 3D. It could be pretty painless to transfer graphics from similar game.And how about Fallouts? Muties walking around Sanctuary? With miniguns ofcourse  ------------------ Cheers, JcoM *Keep your words soft and sweet, just in case you have to eat them*

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pyrAXE WarLord
  
Posts: 168 From: Registered: Nov 2001 |
posted 26 November 2001 22:24
Nooo....... The dragons can't be transfered to D2!!! I had a look yesterday, the dragons have been split up into sections. It'll take too long and too much work. It won't even be worth it. Split dragons means you have to join them in some other paint prog. That could take months!

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stargazer79 Honorary Warlord
   
Posts: 883 From: Sweden Registered: Jun 2001 |
posted 28 November 2001 10:46
hmm damn no dragons  ah well i wonder.. if you could do a left right and top view.. of a dragon.. and generate a 3d imagine then modify that. hehhe anyone got any dragon toys they wann scan? Muahhahahaha
------------------ Love is the irresistable desire to be irresistably desired.

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pyrAXE WarLord
  
Posts: 168 From: Registered: Nov 2001 |
posted 28 November 2001 23:34
Hmmmmm.... I've only realised this yesterday while playing BG2. Make a character holding a weapon face in a south west direction. The weapon will be in his right hand. Face the character in a south east position and the character will have the weapon in his left hand! Looks like the images have just been mirrored!Dragons are massive things in Bg2, this is why they needed to be sectioned. So the players can walk behind the wing and in front of the dragon at the same time.

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Teric Serf
Posts: 8 From: United States Registered: Nov 2001 |
posted 30 November 2001 00:11
Yeah pyr is right about the dragons. I am still working on it (there's some really fascinating stuff in BG2's data files...), and I am waiting for some answers from various people on some files. If I or someone else gets the dragon (I'm trying for the red one right now), how the *BEEEP* are you going to get the .cofs? I mean, if you don't have those, It really doesn't matter whether or not you have the animations.------------------ "To sleep: perchance to dream: aye, there's the rub For in that sleep of death what dreams may come." --Hamlet Act III, Scene 1. This is from the famous "to be or not to be" speech, in case you don't recognize it.

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