Differences

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--- en:games:star_trek_armada_1:modding:tools:storm3d_tool [2025-03-22-20-37] – [Mesh Mode] 7saturn
+++ en:games:star_trek_armada_1:modding:tools:storm3d_tool [2025-03-22-21-32] (current) – [Mesh Mode] 7saturn
@@ Line 18: / Line 18: @@
 ^  Key  ^  Effect  ^
 | <key>F1</key> | Displays the different keys and their effects. The descriptions are, however a bit spartan. |
-| <key>F2</key> | Activates the >>advanced<< mode. |
+| <key>F2</key> | Switches between advanced mode and preview mode. The latter is the default mode. |
 | <key>F5</key> | Increases selection brush size when in mesh mode. |
 | <key>F6</key> | Decreases selection brush when in mesh mode. |
 | <key>F7</key> | Allows to mark the mesh of a LOD node, implicitly switching from node mode to mesh mode. |
 | <key>F8</key> | Opens a loading dialog to select an SOD file for use with //Storm3D Tool//. This does not yet place the model anywhere. |
-| <key>F9</key> | Opens up a save dialog to save an SOD file. |
+| <key>F9</key> | Opens up a save dialog to save the currently selected object to an SOD file. |
 | <key>PG Down </key> | Selects the next element. Depending on the mode that can be an entire model (when in object mode), a node (when in node mode) or a mesh LOD (when in mesh mode). |
 | <key>PG Up</key> | Selects the previous element. Depending on the mode that can be an entire model (when in object mode), a node (when in node mode) or a mesh LOD (when in mesh mode). |
@@ Line 46: / Line 46: @@
 | <key>-</key> | Switches to a different LOD. |
 | <key>+</key> | Switches to a different LOD. |
-| <key>t</key> | When having selected a mesh in mesh mode, this allows for selecting a different texture for that particular mesh. |
+| <key>t</key> | When having selected a mesh in mesh mode, this allows for selecting a different texture for that particular mesh. As no UV alignment can be done with //Storm3D Tool//, this is probably of limited use. |
 ==== Modes ====
-Modes can be switched by pressing <key>F2</key>, to activate advanced mode (or deactivate it), or keys <key>o</key>, <key>n</key> and <key>m</key> for object, node or mesh mode.
+Modes can be switched by pressing <key>F2</key>, to activate advanced mode (or preview mode), or keys <key>o</key>, <key>n</key> and <key>m</key> for object, node or mesh mode.
+=== Preview Mode ===
+Basically the same as the below described [[#object_mode|Object Mode]] just without the possibility to switch to [[#node_mode|Node Mode]] or [[#mesh_mode|Mesh Mode]] and with less information displayed.
 === Advanced Mode ===
-When this mode is active, the other (following) modes can be used. If you switch from advanced to normal mode with <key>F2</key>, then these modes will be turned off as well.
+When this mode is active, the other (following) modes can be used. If you switch from advanced to preview mode with <key>F2</key>, then these modes will be turned off as well and you revert to something similar as [[#object_mode|Object Mode]].
 === Object Mode ===
-This is basically the default mode. If advanced mode is not active, //Storm3D Tool// will behave exactly the same, except, that in advanced mode you can also switch to the node or mesh mode. In object mode you can place a loaded SOD model with <key>SPACE</key>, select other models with keys <key>PG Up</key> and <key>PG Down</key>, remove selected models with <key>DEL</key>, as well as move and turn a selected object. A selected object is surrounded by a blue box. View toggles such as showing animations, construction animations, wireframes or emitters can influence how the model is displayed.
+This is basically the same as preview mode, but displays some more information. If advanced mode is not active, //Storm3D Tool// will behave exactly the same, except, that in advanced mode you can also switch to the node or mesh mode. In object mode you can place a loaded SOD model with <key>SPACE</key>, select other models with keys <key>PG Up</key> and <key>PG Down</key>, remove selected models with <key>DEL</key>, as well as move and turn a selected object. A selected object is surrounded by a blue box. View toggles such as showing animations, construction animations, wireframes or emitters can influence how the model is displayed.
+In object mode the following information is displayed:
+{{ :en:games:star_trek_armada_1:modding:tools:storm3d_tool_object_mode.png?nolink&600 |}}
+  * Top left you will find the file name of the currently selected object.
+  * Next to the file name you will find the objects radius (parenthesis).
+  * Next to that the number of currently loaded objects is displayed. Light sources do count as well.
+  * Below the file name you find the LOD mode. Initially this is //AUTO//, as it is selected derived from viewer distance and size of the object. But when altering the selected LOD with keys <key>+</key> and <key>-</key>, this will turn into //LOD 1// to //LOD **n**//.
+  * Top right you will find the frame rate.
+  * Bottom left you find the current mode: //OBJECT//.
 === Node Mode ===
 {{ :en:games:star_trek_armada_1:modding:tools:storm_3d_node_direction_indicator.png?nolink|}}Node mode allows for manipulating the nodes of the [[en:games:star_trek_armada_1:modding:model_hierarchy|hierarchy]]. So, not the entire model is selected with <key>PG Up</key> or <key>PG Down</key>, but only the nodes of the model. You can activate it by pressing <key>F2</key> and then <key>n</key>. **Important**: Even when in node mode, <key>DEL</key> key will remove the entire model, not just the node. So avoid using it, unless you intend on removing the currently worked on model.
@@ Line 60: / Line 73: @@
 When having selected a node that ties to a mesh group, pressing <key>F7</key> switches to mesh mode, selecting the mesh that is tied to that node.
+In node mode the following information is displayed:
+{{ :en:games:star_trek_armada_1:modding:tools:storm3d_tool_node_mode.png?nolink&600 |}}
+  * Top left you will find the file name of the currently selected object.
+  * Next to the file name you will find the objects radius (parenthesis).
+  * Next to that the number of currently loaded objects is displayed. Light sources do count as well.
+  * Below the file name you find the LOD mode. Initially this is //AUTO//, as it is selected derived from viewer distance and size of the object. But when altering the selected LOD with keys <key>+</key> and <key>-</key>, this will turn into //LOD 1// to //LOD **n**//.
+  * Top right you will find the frame rate.
+  * Below the LOD info you will see the //NODE INFO//. It consists of:
+    * The node which is closest to the mouse pointer right now.
+    * The currently selected node.
+    * The hierarchy below but not including including the currently selected node.
+  * Bottom left you find the current mode: //NODE//.
 === Mesh Mode ===
 Mesh mode is used to manipulate model vertices and thereby also faces made up by them. In this mode the <key>PG Up</key> and <key>PG Down</key> keys do not select an object or nodes but the different groups of the model, also making up the LODs of it. Mesh mode is activated by pressing <key>F2</key> and then <key>m</key>. When working with it, it is recommended that you work on LOD 2 first, and later align the other LODs to fit the LOD2.
@@ Line 66: / Line 94: @@
 As vertices have no direction, the left-clicking and dragging of the mouse pointer is free for other uses. It turns the model.
+In node mode the following information is displayed:
+{{ :en:games:star_trek_armada_1:modding:tools:storm3d_tool_mesh_mode.png?nolink&600 |}}
+  * Top left you will find the file name of the currently selected object.
+  * Next to the file name you will find the objects radius (parenthesis).
+  * Next to that the number of currently loaded objects is displayed. Light sources do count as well.
+  * Below the file name you find the LOD mode. Initially this is //AUTO//, as it is selected derived from viewer distance and size of the object. But when altering the selected LOD with keys <key>+</key> and <key>-</key>, this will turn into //LOD 1// to //LOD **n**//.
+  * Top right you will find the frame rate.
+  * Below the LOD info you will see the //MESH INFO//. It consists of:
+    * The name of the currently selected mesh. An object consists of at least one, but usually multiple meshes.
+    * The hierarchy below but not including including the currently selected mesh's node.
+    * The number of vertices of the currently selected mesh.
+    * The number of faces made up by those vertices.
+  * Bottom left you find the current mode: //MESH/VERTEX//.
 ===== Tricks =====
 ==== Removing the Starting Logo ====
@@ Line 74: / Line 118: @@
 In certain situations it is preferable to not have the starfield background be present, but a black background. However, you cannot select this starfield background, as you can with the initially displayed //Star Trek: Armada// logo. So you cannot remove it. It is essentially fixed placed in //Storm3D Tool//. But you **can** place a black background, as there is one provided by //Star Trek: Armada// itself. Simply load file //SOD\MbgBlack.SOD// and place it with <key>SPACE</key>. This is particularly useful when creating [[en:games:star_trek_armada_1:modding:Wire Frames]] or [[en:games:star_trek_armada_1:modding:buttons#creating_a_button_image|button images]].
 ===== Known Problems =====
-As the tool is rather old, it has certain problems on modern systems. Specifically screen resolutions with more than 2047 pixels can lead to problems when going to full screen mode (<key>ALT</key> + <key>ENTER</key>) or when enlarging the window beyond that pixel number. (It does not matter if that is in x- or y-direction, both are affected.) Reason for that is a bug in the used Direct3D 7 framework, which crashes upon exceeding 2047 pixels in any direction. You can enlarge the window for more convenience. (Specifically the fonts are enlarged and will therefore be readable a lot better.) But when doing so, make sure you don't create a windows that is too big.
+==== Window Too Big =====
+As the tool is rather old, it has certain problems on modern systems. Specifically screen resolutions with more than 3071 pixels can lead to problems when going to full screen mode (<key>ALT</key> + <key>ENTER</key>) or when enlarging the window beyond that pixel number. (It does not matter if that is in x- or y-direction, both are affected.) Reason for that is a bug in the used Direct3D 7 framework, which crashes upon exceeding 3071 pixels in any direction. You can enlarge the window for more convenience. (Specifically the fonts are enlarged and will therefore be readable a lot better.) But when doing so, make sure you don't create a window that is too big.
+On very old systems you may also have a problem with running out of video RAM. Below 8 MB of video RAM the tool may give you a hard time starting in any higher resolution than 640x480 or 800x600 pixels with 16 bit color depth. Recommendation is to not work on such an antiquated machine.
+==== Desktop Color Depth Wrong ====
+Depending on the situation, having set a color depth of 24 or 32 bits can prevent the tool from starting. Try 16 or 32 bit color depth settings instead, when using 24 bits. If working with a Voodoo3 based graphics card, set it to 16 bits.
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