Homeworld2 (2.0) [Update: SVN Public]

[Supernova]

I've gone ahead and made the SVN public, so now anyone can download the inprogress mod and have a look at it in game. Keep in mind there are problems that still need to be addressed in places and this is very much a work in progress but now you can atleast get a taste of what we've been doing.

So, how can I get at the mod?
1.) You need an SVN Client, I suggest you download and install TortoiseSVN (http://tortoisesvn.net/downloads)
2.) Create a folder in your HW2 Root folder, call it HW2Upgrade or whatever you'd like.
2a) Right click on the folder and select SVN Checkout. Enter http://svn2.assembla.com/svn/hw2u/ as the repository url.
2b) Hit ok, and away it'll go, downloading the mod.
3.) Finished, copy the contents of HW2Upgrade/Data folder in to your %HW2_Root%/Data/ folder.
4.) Sure you have -overrideBigFile attached to your shortcut, load up hw2 and enjoy.
5.) Turn on shadows, if you don't you won't see any changes.

Enjoy! We'll pack everything up in to a big file at some point, but for the time being the SVN is the only way we'll be releasing any of our work.

----------------End of Announcement---------------------

As some of you may have noticed, CnlPepper has made great strides in updating HW2s shaders. HW2 now has the potential to compete with the games of today in terms of graphics with full Per-Pixel Lighting, including: Specular, Gloss, and Parallax map support.

I and a few others are taking on the task of converting all of the Vanilla HW2 ships to the new shaders.
Current Team:
Supernova, Sky_Walker, Turambar, and Sastrei

This is currently ONLY a graphics update.
If anyone else wants to help send me a PM.

In response to our recent posting on Relicnews.com I'm updating the post a bit. (5/29)
Here are some of the images scattered throughout the thread:









7 Minutes of mindless explosions and showing off the per-pixel lighting. Remember its dark, but its designed to show off the new lighting:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jz8BYwDnMDk

If you'd like to read more about the technical side of the mod, please go here

[P.G.C]

HW2 Still can show force , Guys perfectly

This big work because you should change all textures on Parallax map

You alter game, it is already serious

[Kapyrna]

If I can muster audio workspace and time, I'm up for work on this in the respective area.

Do note, however, that Relic may/not directly condone this, and with Buggo's departure you may want to tread carefully until we have a community liaison in place. Just a thought.

[Supernova]

Hmm, that is a serious consideration. I'll make sure to contact someone at relic before releasing anything public. Thanks for bringing that up.

[Update]
Well I've started working on the Hiigaran Mothership...Yeah, should have picked something simpler. About halfway done with the first map, another four or five to go I think



Just the top half of the ship is 'done' (well getting there atleast). The lower half is in another map which hasn't even been started yet.

Oh..And as a basis for comparison here is the original on the same map/location:

[/Update]

[Eric072691]

Say hello to new gfx!

[P.G.C]

Well I do not think that on yes to involve those people which did(made) HW2,
in the first they likely already are not present in company Relic

All materials which extremely archive <<.big>>
It means will work as fashions.

If it gets out for frameworks of archive and will touch folders <<.Bin>> and is farther
Then certainly it already to receive a <<.mega patch>>

If you in process will touch a Source Code it already will turn out new game, here already very serious on yes to approach to this business!

[ford6]

Umm, P.G.C. I think you need to take a break from coding.

[Silver_Wolf#]

More power to you guys , I don't think relic will mind you guys working on this unless their already producing HW 3 (something similar happened to a major modification for Starcraft 1 about 1 year before the announcement that Starcraft 2 was coming) so either way I guess it will be all good (you'll either spur relic on to produce HW3 with this patch or you'll at least find out that their working on it).

[SRI-Sajuuk]

I love where this is going. Now out of curiosity, will this be a comunity patch in which other mods can be built on? Much like Modernization?

Good work by the way, the mothership never looked so good :P

[Supernova]

In a word SRI-Sajuuk. Yes.

The ides here is to just update the original graphics. Perhaps rebuild, or redraw some things. But most of it is to just update the original models to the new shaders, which is quite a project in its own right.

[Phazor]

Staggering amount of renovation to be done... O_o modified hod... I have all my ship hod modded already.

[Sajuuk333]

good luck, nothing else is left to be said...:P

[Mantaray]

well, im looking forward to this all-new sexy vanilla, almost make me want to do the campain again.
i have a custom music pack coming out soon, (not sugesting implimentation in this here)
but i feel it would be a quite nice addition and would suit the new shaders, i will probably play with the playlists upon the completion of this update and then release my own optional music pack...

[Schakal]

i love you guys for making this... i always think the vanilla ships are the best. But one question are you planning only to do the ships, or will you make all things on a map with those new shaders ?( i am thinking abaout tanis, balcora gate, ASTEROIDS, and so on)

[Sky_walker]

mantaray - we are making only upgrade of Homeworld 2, not adding any new features into it, so I guess that answer for your offer would be no. But thanks for offer. If you like I can host your pack (not on Assam, but rater something like direct download), just PM me and we can talk the details.

Schattenkrieger - yes, we will make all the stuff (well... besides the asteroids I think, as they are ok now, nebulae won't be modded too)

[L@pt0p Guy]

i thrown bentus in with the new shaders (this is the first time ive been able to edit the bentus textures because of the texture proportion.

it looks like my strange graphics card glitch is gone but the whole glowing center has pretty much died.
not sure if its the texute proportion problem again or if its an error on my end (could be) but im definatly sure ive done everything properly.

you might want to have alook into ships with textures 4 times or more larger width over length or other way round. im suprised its in game myself because each time ive tried to use such a texture game crashes on load.

[Mantaray]

sky_walker, did you miss the bit where i said i wasnt implimenting anything?
and also the bit where i said i would release it as a seperate addon after this was done?

[Sky_walker]

yea, sure, it was -if & when will be done- sorry Manta, I didn't mean anything bad

L@pt0p Guy - It might come from using wrong shader (try using matte), or having green channel of glow map too bright. I'm not sure when don't see the hod file.

[SRI-Sajuuk]

@Supernova: Ahh, sounds good. This does look very promising, it could help revive homeworld2 modding. I just wonder what relic is thinking about what we could do with their engine..

[Sky_walker]

Well... noone had anything about modding shaders for Babylon5 then I see no reason why here would be any problem. :]

[Riess]

You know, I wonder what these new graphical additions could do for the old models of the first Homeworld.

[Mantaray]

well, its quite simple realy, it would make them absolutley awesome >.<

[Silver_Wolf#]

Riess... if the Requiem War team was still around perhaps we could have found out in like a year (assuming that they would've completed their work by now).

[evillejedi]

reqeium war is just on hold we can always scrounge up the models

[Dragonfury]

Damn that looks so good... heh... I'll enjoy it even more when this comes out (finally got a new computer that can show full graphics and not slow down one bit!)

[Jianaran]

Supernova, I'm not too sure how much use I could be but from what I know, most of this mapping wouldn't be too hard. From an uneducated viewpoint, I think that a lot of it would be as simple as selecting parts of the existing map, filling them with a shade and upping/lowering the value.

If I'm right (and if this doesn't involve re-mapping the coordinates, because I only have access to 3DS Max which IIRC HW2 doesn't like), I'd love to help with this mod. HW2 really has never looked so good.

Oh, and in regard to ent-e and Requiem War:

Me:

Having finally tracked you down to a contactable account, is anything happening with Requiem War? not relevant, I know, but you don't seem to come to Relicnews or Paper Starships much anymore.

Ent-E:

Thanks for your interest. i am really busy with school these times, so i dont really have time for any extended projects, but i plan to redo PaperStarships since a long time. And RW... well, it was prolonged for so long, that i think it quite became obsolete by now...

I then sent him a message asking if he'd be willing to release his models to the modding community, but he didn't reply. It seems to me that he's basically ditched RW, although I hope that this isn't so.

[Sky_walker]

Just thought you might like it:

large image

bug

yep, you don't see new mothership here... it's cause Supernova didn't uploaded it yet for us.

cool thing

I thought that shaders won't react with light from Ion cannons, yet they do Isn't it great? XD

cannon itself is untouched, but platform looks neat ^_^

ps. weapons can't use new shaders, so you won't see any new shining torpedoes (don't know about the turrets yet, but will test it today)

[Schakal]

Sky_walker this more than great, its absolute amazing... i fell in love even with the ion platform O.O this lightning effects when the platform is shooting... wonderful

[Ammon Ra]

I really want to help with this, but with exams on the horizon I won't be of much use. I can edit the textures and create normal/bump maps with the PS nvidia plugin though, so if you ever need a monkey to create initial rough half-decent normal/bump/parralax maps, i'm more than happy to load up PS and work on that.

Otherwise, Good luck with HW2 2.0, and may the for-...erm, wrong universe.

[Silver_Wolf#]

We can only hope the God of Pain makes a comeback, until such a time (not a matter of if but when ) we will just have to contend ourselves with the mild Gods of more contemporary eras... May the force be with you as well Ammon (that and the good grade Gods too ).

[Supernova]

That looks great Sky_walker!

[Homdax]

Nice to see you back doing wonderful stuff, Super...

[CnlPepper]

I thought that shaders won't react with light from Ion cannons, yet they do Isn't it great? XD

Dammit Sky_walker you downloaded my lastest modifications, and used them before I announced them!

The reason the light looks so damn good is I've figured out how to make all the light per-pixel. It only works with the parallax shader (matte.st) for now, but I intend to back port it to the normal ship shader (ship/st).

As you can see the effects are rather good!

[Sky_walker]

/me blames Sastrei - "it was him! It was him!"
:P
Hehe, but any way: Lovely work Pepper!

[CnlPepper]

Thanks!

Oh I forgot to say, fantastic job with the gun turret. It looks brilliant!

Out of interest does this mod have an SVN?

[Supernova]

Yes, but its not public as of yet.

[Mantaray]

mm, those ions look rather nice i must say.
i would be nice to see an ion frigate.
or maybe even the battlecruiser ions,
with this taken into account... would it be possible to increase the light given out by the ions on the battlecruiser? or even the trinity cannon, i would love to see the flash on the ships as the trinity shot passes by
good luck

[Dragonfury]

*drools over the new pics*

Dude... totally awesome, it's never looked so beautiful!

[dagon]

I lurked for some time here, but now i just have to log in to say that this is just amaizing!
can't wait to see more ships especially the ones from the first game, the first motherbananaship would look awesomes with shaders!

[Sastrei]

Figured I'd toss up some of the ships I'm doing for the mod, I've been working on converting vgr stuff. All just converted textures for now, no hand done stuff.

Spoiler

http://www.maj.com/gallery/sastrei/G...te/ss00025.jpg
http://www.maj.com/gallery/sastrei/G...te/ss00020.jpg

And an experiment; the one in the back has no smoothing groups and just uses the normal map (I added some edge definition to the normal map instead), while the front one is the regular smoothing group one. The goblins are the same for either, so ignore them.

http://www.maj.com/gallery/sastrei/G...te/ss00066.jpg

-Stefan-

-Stefan-

[Turambar]

allright guys, how can i help?

i'd like to get started right away, making heightmaps and converting them for use in here.
i've just got the exporting tools working and i've got the interceptor main .dds texture open in photoshop. (starting small)

i'm about to make a heightmap, and then i'm going to try to export it back into the game

what i need from you folks is that shader, and some guidance
(i've got some good experience working on spaceships, i'm a FS2_Open modder a bit more than 3 years now)

[TON_Viper]

The shader is part of the B5 mod, which you can get the latest version of via SVN as described here: http://www.thegamingunion.co.uk/foru...ad.php?t=15122

[Ammon Ra]

Its quite amazing how much detail a simple bump-map can add to hw2...

[Supernova]

For your viewing pleasure..

I decided to get my ass royally kicked by an expert ai







The per-pixel lighting is incredible, looks amazing in motion.

[Kapyrna]

Just a note, please link all pictures wider than 800 pixels, or resize them to be 800 pixels wide, or just run in 800x600 resolution while screencapping, like Supernova does apparently.

[sinhosie]

Can you Make a YouTube video... Awsome work guys...

[Turambar]

[CnlPepper]

Guys, I've found the source of the odd strips of light present on some ships using the new shaders eg at the front of the Hiigaran mothership. I overlooked something in CFHodEd I need to take care of, for more details see: http://forums.relicnews.com/showthre...53#post2990653

[TON_Viper]

Nice texturing Turambar. Fast, too.

[Turambar]

you think that's fast?

i've already done the interceptor and the scout too, and i'm starting the gunship vette :-D