Table of Contents
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Storm3D Tool
The Storm3D Tool or also sometimes called Storm3D utility is a piece of software used to manipulate SOD models, as they are used by Star Trek: Armada. It directly uses the Storm3D Engine to display the models loaded.
Setting Storm3D Tool Up
You can get the Storm3D Tool from here: Armada Files. It was meant to be used with versions 1.1 and 1.2 of Star Trek: Armada. (See also Hashes of the Different Versions.) But in reality only version 1.2 has any relevance today. The Storm3D Tool.exe is placed in the root folder of the Star Trek: Armada installation folder and started from there.
It works well with the original CD Version of Star Trek: Armada, but not so much with an (unaltered) GOG version of the game. Reason for that are the modifications GOG made to the game in form of some DLLs. They make Storm3D Tool crash upon loading. You can in principle get the Storm3D Tool to work with the GOG version by removing all unneeded files from the GOG folder (make backups of it, before you do so!). If put that to the extreme, you can create a stand-alone variation of it, by only keeping the following files/folders:
- SOD,
- Sprites,
- Textures and
- Storm3D Tool.exe.
Placing mod files into those directories is necessary to modify SODs with Storm3D Tool. But the rest of the Star Trek: Armada installation is not required for Storm3D Tool to work then.
If created in this fashion, it will also start on a modern system.
Usage
Keys
There are a number of things you can do with the Storm3D Tool directly. The following keys may be useful:
| Key | Effect |
|---|---|
| F1 | Displays the different keys and their effects. The descriptions are, however a bit spartan. |
| F2 | Activates the »advanced« mode. |
| F5 | Increases reticule size when in mesh mode. |
| F6 | Decreases reticule size when in mesh mode. |
| F8 | Opens a loading dialog to select an SOD file for use with Storm3D Tool. This does not yet place the model anywhere. |
| F9 | Opens up a save dialog to save an SOD file. |
| PG Down | 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). |
| PG Up | 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). |
| A | Zooms out from model (when in object mode) or node (when in node mode) or mesh (when in mesh mode). |
| Z | Zooms in from model (when in object mode) or node (when in node mode) or mesh (when in mesh mode). |
| B | Plays the build/construction animation, that is also used when a ship is built in a yard, or a station by a Constructor. |
| D | Displays the indicators for low crew (damage patches), borg assimilation and emitters (life support or engines down). |
| O | Switches ob object mode, when in advanced mode. |
| N | Switches to node mode, when in advanced mode. |
| M | Switches to mesh mode, when in advanced mode. |
| SPACE | Place a loaded SOD model near the mouse pointer. Note: This also considers the mouse pointer location if the mouse pointer is not inside the window of Storm3D Tool. Meaning, your newly placed model might not be visible initially. |
| DEL | Removes the currently selected object (regardless whether you are in node or mesh mode, it will always remove the entire selected model!). |
| W | Switch display to displaying the mesh (no textures). |
| Left Mouse Button | Turn the selected element (in object mode, it will be the entire model, in node mode it will be the node). |
| Right Mouse Button | Moves the object in-plain (in object mode, it will be the entire model, in node mode it will be the node). |
| Middle Mouse Button | Moves the object perpendicular to the viewing plain (in object mode, it will be the entire model, in node mode it will be the node). |
Modes
Modes can be switched by pressing F2, to activate advanced mode (or deactivate it), or keys O, N and M for object, node or mesh mode.
Advanced Mode
When this mode is active, the other (following) modes can be used. If you switch from advanced to normal mode with F2, then these modes will be turned off as well.
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 SPACE, select other models with keys PG Up and PG Down, remove selected models with DEL, as well as move and turn a selected object. View toggles such as wireframe or emitters can influence how the model is displayed.
Node Mode
Node mode allows for manipulating the nodes of the hierarchy. So, not the entire model is selected with PG Up or PG Down, but only the nodes of the model. You can activate it by pressing F2 and then N. Important: Even when in node mode, DEL key will remove the entire model, not just the node. So avoid using it, unless you intend on removing the currently worked on model.
Selected nodes can be moved just as if they were entire models, including their directions. A node is represented by a triad of the three colors red, green and yellow. Their intersection (root) is the location of a node, while the yellow line indicates the direction the node faces. Some tools like Milkshape 3D cannot be used to properly set nodes and have them face the correct direction. If you use one of these modelling tools, you may need to adjust the node directions eventually, e.g. with Storm3D Tool.
Mesh Mode
Mesh mode is used to manipulate model vertices and thereby also faces made up by them. In this mode the PG Up and PG Down keys do not select an object or nodes but the different groups of the model. Mesh mode is activated by pressing F2 and then M.
Once active, the mouse pointer will be surrounded by a cyan circle-like indicator. This indicator represents how big the selector is. Keys F5 and F6 change the size of the mouse pointer circle. When hovering it over vertices, they get high lighted by smaller cyan circle-like indicators. When clicking on the vertices, they turn purple. This indicates, that the vertex is selected for manipulation. Manipulation can then be achieved by either right-clicking and dragging the mouse pointer (translate the selected vertices in-plain) or middle-clicking and dragging the mouse pointer to translate the selected vertices perpendicular to the viewing plain.
Left-clicking and dragging the mouse pointer turns the model.