JustSomeGuy Posted January 25, 2016 Share Posted January 25, 2016 Hi. Since I'm sick and tired of my nation's army's (NATO member and whatnot) T-72M4CZs representing zee evil OpFor MBTs in pretty much everyone else's screenshots and scenarios, I am seriously considering making a visual mod that would turn the default T-72M4 into the T-72B3 the Russians are apparently offering in their "rent a tank for vacation!" service. However, the B3 lacks the CITV the M4CZ has. And while most of the M4CZ could be visually modified to at least resemble the B3, M4CZ's CITV is visually HUGE. I mean this: Soooo... Is there a way to "visually disappear" the CITV turret entirely using only textures, for example, through an alpha-channel or color of some sorts? Pre-emptive notes: 1) such a mod shouldn't be an unfair game disadvantage ("game cheat"), because nobody's aiming for the CITV anyway and for the random shots, it would still be "physically" there. It would only be a "visual cheat" to get around the inability to add new 3D models as a user. 2) I think that the resulting visual should not look awkward, since as far as I understand the way SBPro renders textures, there should be regular tank turret top underneath the "disappeared" CITV turret 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hedgehog Posted January 25, 2016 Share Posted January 25, 2016 I believe the typical response is:"Squint Harder!!"There is no way to change the 3d models in the game. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lumituisku Posted January 25, 2016 Share Posted January 25, 2016 Well I agree with this... M4CZ, is awesome tank in the many ways. And its pure pity it is used to simulate Russian T72 in so many missions. Im guessing... trouble is, that even with the mod, it would not change this behavior of those who create missions. It just looks so evil cause it starts with t72... that seems to have very unfortunate reputation being so evil. Without no real reason. Hell.. Even Finnish army used T-72s in the past <.< I kind of think, that things would change a lot if it would become crew-able vehicle. Then it would more likely be seen more on blue side and gain more LOVE than before. - Thought.. most likely even then be used as T72B3 replica >.<, cause lack of worthy clearly opfor opponents for modern western tanks. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grenny Posted January 25, 2016 Share Posted January 25, 2016 T90 would be a good alternative. Many T72 MCZ are there as opfor, as at the time of sce creation there was no T option with a TIS. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lumituisku Posted January 25, 2016 Share Posted January 25, 2016 T90 would be a good alternative. Many T72 MCZ are there as opfor, as at the time of sce creation there was no T option with a TIS. Yes, sadly it's only alternative. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rotareneg Posted January 25, 2016 Share Posted January 25, 2016 How's this? Unzip and place in the appropriate mods/textures/woodland/*country* folder. T-72M4CZ.zip 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lumituisku Posted January 26, 2016 Share Posted January 26, 2016 Looks great How did you do that? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rotareneg Posted January 26, 2016 Share Posted January 26, 2016 I used GIMP and a DDS plugin to erase (using the alpha channel) the textures for the sight. Fortunately it was mounted on a surface that was already textured, otherwise it would have just left a hole in the top of the tank. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JustSomeGuy Posted January 29, 2016 Author Share Posted January 29, 2016 Rotareneg: awesome! That's just what I've hoped for. Thanks a lot, I shall dedicate this weekend to retexturing your "CITV-less" M4 into a B3 :luxhello: 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maj.Hans Posted January 30, 2016 Share Posted January 30, 2016 Just wanted to stop by and say.that this is an awesome mod that's probably been a long time coming!I think the only other change to make is to disable the CITV (or only it's thermal channel if any?) In the mission builder?Actually, maybe Esim could incorporate this mod in the next patch as "OPFOR T72B3" as a new tank to allow for upgrades as time allows to armor modeling and ammunition? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JustSomeGuy Posted February 1, 2016 Author Share Posted February 1, 2016 Rotareneg, it somehow doesn't work for me.In SB, it has the CITV, and in the DDS, I can see the CITV turret undeleted.I am using Paint.NET to edit SB PRO textures, but the procedure should be the same: how do you work with the DDS alpha channel? Do you "make it transparent" using the "delete tool" so that you see the typical "checker board", or do you somehow designate rgb(0,0,0) as "transparent" and then save it that way?ThanksJSG 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rotareneg Posted February 1, 2016 Share Posted February 1, 2016 Rotareneg, it somehow doesn't work for me.In SB, it has the CITV, and in the DDS, I can see the CITV turret undeleted.I am using Paint.NET to edit SB PRO textures, but the procedure should be the same: how do you work with the DDS alpha channel? Do you "make it transparent" using the "delete tool" so that you see the typical "checker board", or do you somehow designate rgb(0,0,0) as "transparent" and then save it that way?ThanksJSGI've never used Paint.NET before so I tried it on my laptop and was running into the same problem until I realized it was SB itself that was causing the trouble: You need the same file in both the mods\textures\woodland folder AND the mods\textures\woodland\us folders, for example, otherwise it it will load the RGB texture data fine, but not the transparency! :confused:The eraser tool works, just save the file as DXT5 with mipmaps enabled and place the .dds file in both the root season folder and the country folder. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gibsonm Posted February 1, 2016 Share Posted February 1, 2016 Also just to clarify/confirm. Even after you do this the armour model, etc. will still "know" its there. So you may end up with kill rays that kill the tank, but look like they've missed because they have hit the part you have made transparent - its not gone. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JustSomeGuy Posted February 3, 2016 Author Share Posted February 3, 2016 Sure, see my 1st post.I don't think that CITV hit would kill the tank, though. And if someone trully wanted to simulate the B3, the CITV would be disabled/damaged from default anyway. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JustSomeGuy Posted February 3, 2016 Author Share Posted February 3, 2016 So, when using Rotareng's tip, I'm finally moving onwards. WIP 0.1: - CITV removed - GPS changed to Sosna-U - skirts changed to T-72B3-like painted - color adjusted to match B3 gray-ish green camo more (I don't like how I did it; I might have to redo that using different method) - attempted to modify DYNA-72 ERA to resemble Kontakt-5 more by deleting it's sides, but the result is awfull - I'll have to think out another way: 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JustSomeGuy Posted February 5, 2016 Author Share Posted February 5, 2016 (edited) OK, I re-did this using desert camo as a basis instead of the woodland one: This is as far as I think I could push it while unable to edit the model itself... It has been submitted for approval in the T-72 mods/downloads section. EDIT: http://www.steelbeasts.com/Downloads/p13_sectionid/283/p13_fileid/2737 I would recommend first copying the original "T-72M4CZ.dds" into the "woodland\cs\" subfolder, so that the Czech Army would retain it's U-2500 NATO camo when used as a distinct faction with the editor's "Camouflage scheme" set to "cs", and only then replacing the "T-72M4CZ.dds" original in the "woodland" and "woodland\ru\" folders with my "B3-ish" texture. Edited February 5, 2016 by JustSomeGuy 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JustSomeGuy Posted February 5, 2016 Author Share Posted February 5, 2016 Aaargh, I just realized I would need to modify the thermal signature as well, wouldn't I? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MAJ_Fubar Posted February 5, 2016 Share Posted February 5, 2016 Aaargh, I just realized I would need to modify the thermal signature as well, wouldn't I? Time for version 1.1. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Apocalypse 31 Posted March 2, 2016 Share Posted March 2, 2016 When swapping the two tanks in the map editor it's also important to make sure you change capabilities:- Disable the commanders sight, as the T72B3 lacks the commanders pano sigh that the M4 has.-Does the T72B3 have the anti-lase protection?The T72B3 is capable of firing an ATGM, whereas I don't think the M4 is capable.It may be easier to just use the in game T90 and disable some of the features. Both the T90 and the B3 look similar. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JustSomeGuy Posted March 12, 2016 Author Share Posted March 12, 2016 However, - T-90 has significantly better armor protection behind the ERA - T-72M4 is "hard-coded" for dozens of old scenarios, where "russian" T-72B3 would fit better than NATO T-72M4CZ :wink: 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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