Next mod update in the works

The next mod update will be a huge one and I'm already working on it.  ATM I'm converting DF Xtreme terrains to DFBHD, then I'll add Joint Ops terrains and then I'll add Terranova items and such.  Still a lot to do, but this is what I'm planning.

Will you be packing it into a pff file?
Out of curiosity what is involved in converting the terrains from JO to BHD?

Good luck with it all.
Depending on the size i will host it for you.

Most likely I'll pack the mod into a .pff this time, but unfortunately that means I'll have to convert some of my skins from .tga to .dds format which saves some space but loses quality, that because otherwise while reading the mod from the .pff, the game gives priority to stock .dds skins instead of the new .tga ones.

Converting terrains from JO to DFBHD requires Hex editing, I've found the instructions in a ReadMe file contained in an unofficial JO/DFX tool package. BTW I've already converted DFX terrains yesterday, they look nice, but since DFBHD is on an older engine, the terrain rendering is different, less detailed for the ground textures.

Thanks for hosting my mod.  I'll do my best to keep it as small as possible, but at the same time I want to add various items from different mods, so it will increase in size considerably.

Is it gonna have it's own installer and everything like that lol.Sound's like to me you have been busy my friend,any release date set yet?

Cool, thanks for that.
The reason i ask, as far as a know you have to take out the alpha channel when going from BHD to JO, was interested if you had to add it back in when converting backwards, but it seems you do it a different way.

I might even have a go on the weekend, been so long since i have played with the tools.

Yes, LW, I'm considering to make it have its own installer.  I'm afraid there is no release date yet, I'm always busy with university and RL, but since I'm liking the results of what I've been doing with the mod, you can be sure that my next update will see the light of day, sooner or later.

You're right, 2DNED. I have to add the alpha channel back to the colourmaps of each terrain, unfortunately I don't know how to create new proper ones for each terrain, so as of now my terrain conversions use the alpha channel of the stock flat terrain of DFBHD.

As you all know, my mod is singleplayer only, I've been making some tweaks to the gameplay and now it is even harder to bring down an enemy (before it was one bad shot, one kill; now it's like Joint Ops and DF Xtreme, enemies have slightly higher hp points so you may need from one to three shots to make a kill).  

Anyway, I'm considering to add some new weapons to the mod (I'll make a topic for it). Since we also have conversions of DF1 items to DFBHD, I'm wondering if we could somewhat port the sp missions from DF Xtreme (which was a remake of DF1 in all aspects IIRC) to DFBHD, as long as I keep the same terrain names and I add equivalent new items with the same IDs. If only we could convert .3di files from JO to DFBHD...

Some Joint Ops terrains I have converted don't look as good as I thought, this because unfortunately DFBHD uses just one detailmap ground texture, while JO and DFX terrains use more than one for rendering cliffs, hills and so on. I must find a tutorial on how to make new alpha channels for each terrain, at least I could make it so that terrain shadows are properly rendered.

Blaze, i found a DVD with some old stuff on it.
I have 2 tutorials how to add Alpha channels, 1 is for Photoshop and 1 for Gimp
I will upload them and send a link to you shortly.

I got your links, many thanks 2DNED.  Whenever I have time I'll get to work.  BTW what other DVD stuff do you have?  I mean, is there anything else that could be useful to me for the mod? As of now I've been busy converting Joint Ops Escalation terrains, now I must convert the original JO terrains. In the meantime I tweaked some textures of the Team Sabre's trees foliage, as well as fixing some things that bugged me in Team Sabre missions.

The DVD's are mostly full of game brake downs, broken down into folders and converted tga, pcx...
Tool, lots of 3d stuff i collected from other sites over the yrs. I was looking for any old mods not listed but no luck. I did find an old mod BHD Restoration Mod (listed on my site) which has throwing knifes which i thought was cool.


I have started playing around with the tools to see what still works and most are fine.

Only thing i can't do so far is open a JO on .tga file, pre JO are fine but cant open JO,JOE,DFX,DFX2 terrain tga files

Got Photoshop 7 with the plugins working, MilkShape with the BHD plugin working, using a free program called FileViewPro to view 3di and trn files to see which files are associated

To open those .tga and other .dds files in games from JO and later, you need to use a tool called BFC1Extractor.  It was made specifically for JO, in order to decompress such .tga and .dds files which otherwise couldn't be edited. It also decompresses .wav files from JO and later games.

I wish I were able to use Milkshape and the OED properly, I'd like to do lots of things, but for now 3d editing is too complex for me.

It seems you can do quite some modding then, if you want to contribute for my mod just let me know. If you can improve something in graphics (skins, terrains, etc.) or sounds or anything else, like making maps for it (especially sp maps) then feel free to post your works.

Maybe some of buzzman47's buddie's makes maps,or he maybe he's a map maker himself, try and get some of your friend's to register here bm47 and get them making map's lol.

BFC1Extractor, yep that does it
Been so long since i did anything it is like starting again but without as much passion lol

Blaze, i don't know how to use Milkshape properly either. I use it for viewing BHD 3Di's but it can be used to make new models, i believe there are good tutorials around, i might have to collect a few and get into it.

What sort of help would you like? im no good with graphic but anything else i should pickup quickly

Thanks for offering to help, 2DNED. Well, I'm taking care of the graphics, so anything else can use a little more work.  

What about sounds? My mod wants to be a little more realistic (although DFBHD is an action game, not a military simulator after all), some of the sounds that I have applied are not so realistic. Mainly the CAR-15 and M-16.  I have lots of sources where to get realistic sounds from, but if you have any other, I'll gladly take a look at them.

LoneWolf wrote:Maybe some of buzzman47's buddie's makes maps,or he maybe he's a map maker himself, try and get some of your friend's to register here bm47 and get them making map's lol.

I's been about 5 years since I made any maps, but I do have a couple of friends that still make them.

I'm mostly interested in singleplayer maps since they are the most difficult to make, but multiplayer maps can be turned easily into sp maps if anyone wants to.

ATM the version of my mod available in the mod section just contains single player mode. I'm planning to re-add multiplayer though, as well as adding many items from Terranova and Black Ops mods.

Since I may take way too long to finish the mod update as I'd like to, I was thinking if you guys would like to have a release which will contain all the new terrains and some new character skins, plus tons of reworked textures and other stuff, but minus the new items from various mods which I have yet to add.  If you want a beta-ish release, just let me know.

PS: new character skins such as snow skins for Delta and Ranger soldier models, reworked from the files of the Terranova mod. I may rework the menus to include multiplayer, as I have included new skins for all environments (desert, woodland, snow) for Delta and Delta Mercenary soldiers (those that appear as enemies in multiplay).  Only the SAS models are missing snow skins for now.

Little question, and please have no fear to share ideas about it.  

My mod needs a better name, simple as that, so... how should I call it? I don't have great ideas atm, hence why I'm asking.

i have stripped C4 and converting items to BHD for you Blaze.
I have about 10 buildings plus about 10 items done so far that work fine.
I will do the rest as i get time then upload them...

Wow, thanks a lot, mate, that is the kind of help that I need. I'm very interested to see if we can convert C4 foliage and plants properly, we need more trees and vehicles indeed, as well the buildings.  

We are sort of re-doing what Terranova mod already did, but this time with better detail, fixes and textures that I'll make with time.

Some of the foliage is already in BHD. e.g. Snow Pine Trees

I found the JO:E items in .obj form
So i can import them into Milkshape, save and import into biturn then import into OED for final conversion.
I will upload them Blaze and send a link.