Project EVE Ship Conversion

[Vash]

There was a topic a while back about converting EVE ships for use in Orbiter, but unfortunately the person who started it was unable to get the ships converted properly. I decided to give this a shot myself on Friday (which poured over into Saturday). After a truckload of pain, trial and error, and A LOT of self-teaching, I've finally come up with some good results on the Megathron ship.

I ended up doing the lights on the ship as a second texture with transparency so that I could add luminosity and have them be visible in the dark. Also, the painting on the texture had to be colored manually, so the dark green paint bits will not exactly match with what you see in the actual EVE model.

And no, before anyone asks, I don't plan on releasing any EVE content without their explicit permission.

Ship models and textures copyright CCP, EVE Online ( http://www.eve-online.com/ )

EDIT: Good News!
I've received permission from CCP to go ahead and release any and all conversions of their content so long as they are given proper credit for it.

See attached images.

 

[Master of Blades]

AWESOME! I've been trying to accomplish something similar for ages, care to share how you did it?

 

[Vash]

AWESOME! I've been trying to accomplish something similar for ages, care to share how you did it?

I may write out a guide on how to do this yourself if/when I have time. It took me a good 9 or 10 hours to work out what I ended up with there for just this one ship. I still need to see about refining my own process of converting these ships. Of course it will take a lot less time than that to convert a ship now that I know what I'm doing.

 

[Vash]

In a bit of more experimentation on trickier ships (Minmatar with their semi-transparent solar panels), I've converted over the Hurricane.

One problem I ran into, however, is that the solar panels appear fine when viewed from the top, but are completely invisible when viewed from underneath.

 

[Dig Gil]

You need to make the solar panels to be a solid (like a cube) rather a plane (like a square) then make a texture for each side.

 

[Kveldulf]

*drools*

Do you plan on asking CCP for permission to distribute these? Given their allowance of the models for use in a Homeworld 2 mod, I would think they'd allow this as well. They might even get a big kick out of Orbiter as well.

All you need now is the Rifter and Ragnarok. Those plus the Hurricane are the best looking ships in the game to me (but my character is also Minmatar, so I'm a little biased *whistles innocently*).

Also, are they going to be fully developed for Orbiter, or is it currently a proof-of-concept port?

 

[Vash]

You need to make the solar panels to be a solid (like a cube) rather a plane (like a square) then make a texture for each side.

Ah, right you are. I hadn't noticed that the solar panels were only 2D. Fortunately that is a very easy fix.

*drools*

Do you plan on asking CCP for permission to distribute these? Given their allowance of the models for use in a Homeworld 2 mod, I would think they'd allow this as well. They might even get a big kick out of Orbiter as well.

All you need now is the Rifter and Ragnarok. Those plus the Hurricane are the best looking ships in the game to me (but my character is also Minmatar, so I'm a little biased *whistles innocently*).

Also, are they going to be fully developed for Orbiter, or is it currently a proof-of-concept port?

I have already sent CCP a petition requesting permission to develop this mod for Orbiter. It'll just be a matter of time waiting for a response. I'll probably have to sign a written contract with them to release this stuff (I believe that's what had to be done with the Homeworld mod).

I agree, I love the Minmatar ships.

And yes, I do plan on fully developing them for orbiter. Right at this moment though, I've just got the models in there, replacing the dragonfly. If I get the permission to go through with this, I'll do up full configurations for the ships so that they maneuver in Orbiter the same way they do in EVE (albeit more realistically).

 

[BHawthorne]

I think I'm gonna roll over in my grave if I start seeing can flippers and gate camping in orbiter...hehe

 

[Vash]

I think I'm gonna roll over in my grave if I start seeing can flippers and gate camping in orbiter...hehe

Awwh, but can flippers are so fun to play with. Send out a miner as bait and lay in waiting close-by in a cloaked covert ops ship. Wait for them to open up the can, decloak, warp scram 'em, and pop 'em. They tend to leave you alone for a while after that (unless they're morons and keep coming back for more... it happens <.<).

Edit:
Fixed the problems with the underside of the Hurricane.

 

[Vash]

Good news everyone!

CCP has granted permission to release any EVE content as a mod for Orbiter so long as they are given credit for their content.

As soon as I get some more free time, I'm going to begin working on the actual programming for these ships so that they're more than just something to look at.

I'm also planning on converting over some of the jump gates as well as the stations if I can get those to work out properly.

 

[Dig Gil]

Ah, right you are. I hadn't noticed that the solar panels were only 2D. Fortunately that is a very easy fix.

I'm used to that problem in Anim8or; good job, looks like nothing happened!

 

[Kveldulf]

Good news everyone!

CCP has granted permission to release any EVE content as a mod for Orbiter so long as they are given credit for their content.

As soon as I get some more free time, I'm going to begin working on the actual programming for these ships so that they're more than just something to look at.

I'm also planning on converting over some of the jump gates as well as the stations if I can get those to work out properly.

You sir, just made my day.

I eagerly await news on this project :speakcool:

 

[Dambuster]

Very nice work! I can't wait to see these in Orbiter!

 

[Vash]

Starting to get the hang of these ships. Here's a Harbinger that I just converted.

I tried converting over a Gallente Space Station, but unfortunately the model came out all messed up in Orbiter. I'll have to try a different mesh converter program to see if something else will work better.

 

[Vash]

I'm not sure why, but I really do love the Providence.

For those of you who don't know, this is a VERY large Freighter ship. It's the first non-combat ship that I've converted so far.

EDIT: The last picture is using an updated, higher, specular value. I'm still playing with the light reflection values on all ships. This seems to be the trickiest part to get right. :/

 

[Tex]

Man these are VERY nice! I would like to use some in a future Orbiter film!!

Great work Vash! :speakcool:

 

[spec10]

ARGH! I quit in October 08 (started in 04) and I'm really having a hard time not to go back ... the last few days it got harder and harder, I'm really missing it. And now this ... !!!

Any chance you can pull a Rifter out of your hat?

 

[Kveldulf]

Just thought of something. Can we expect atmospheric flight with some of the ships, or are they going to be non-atmospheric?

 

[Vash]

Just thought of something. Can we expect atmospheric flight with some of the ships, or are they going to be non-atmospheric?

They are all non-atmospheric. Mostly due to their sheer size. Frigates, the smallest ships in the game, are about the size of a 747. They only get ridiculously larger from there. Granted, the frigates and possibly cruisers could enter the atmosphere, but none of them are designed for actual atmospheric flight. One would have to presume some type of anti-gravity technology as none of the ships have any kind of aerodynamic surfaces.

And yes, I'll do the Rifter next.
I'm planning on doing the vast majority of ships. But so far all I've done is convert them and edit textures as needed. It takes about an hour to an hour and a half to do each of the ships that I've done so far. Frigates may or may not be much faster to do.

I really need to start programming all these ships. Although right now I have no idea what to do for the exhaust textures as I don't seem to be able to find those among the eve files. :/

 

[Biscuit]

... now, if only there were a 'Hulk' with the animations included ...

Very, very nice job Vash ... I gave them a go a little while back, and couldn't get the texturing figured out ... your results give me the inspiration to go back and have another look at it.

... also, I can't wait until you start on the Gallente ships.