Unit models and textures - some game conventions.

[Patrick Ward]

Is it possible to extract the models into Blender (or an equivalent) to create new versions?

No. .s4f is a proprietary format and cannot AFAIK be converted to fbx or .blend

P

[kronenblatt]

...

colour/alpha (base colour/transaparency) is then the DIFFUSE file?

If I were to make some simple changes to colors of skin, uniforms, and shields color wise, what are the most obvious practical suggestions you (or other people, for that matter) would give? To me it's difficult to get a feel for the 3d effect and model off the 2d texture surface in the diffuse file. I'm using GIMP.

If all you're doing is changing colour thats already there, then you don't need a feel for the 3D. You just need to change the hue, sat and value.

It's basically only about changing colours. Ideally adding e.g. a chainmail texture (or something that resembles chainmail) instead of mere textile clothing.

[Athos1660]

More than new 3D models, I'd prefer to see a mod mimicking immobile tabletop miniatures with each its own expressive and fun fighting pose when not in melee and 'Idle animations' turned off, something like this :


(source)

... just to see if it was fun.

I guess it'd be a matter of importing poses (not 3D models) and giving each figure a different one. Not sure it is feasible though.

However I guess it is no coincidence if this option has not been chosen by the devs...

Funny you mention this. I remember being in a duty free shop in Milan, on the way back from Home of Wargamers some time in 2013, talking about this very thing to our Creative Director. We were quite excited about the cool little dioramas you could create and how each stand/group could tell its own story. Then while eyeing up the amaretti biscuits we quickly considered the logistics, the restrictions it would impose on gameplay and the poor UX, and thought - no.

Pat

Morality : one should always eat an amaretti biscuit before posting

[Paul59]

It's basically only about changing colours. Ideally adding e.g. a chainmail texture (or something that resembles chainmail) instead of mere textile clothing.

If, for instance, you want to add mail to those Imitation Legionary textures, that is very easy. As the Imitation Legionary model is exactly the same as the early Roman Legionary model, you have a number of options, the most obvious are:

1) Just use one of the Roman Legionary models (and textures) that has all mail armour. In that case you might need to swap the Roman shield patterns for the more basic Imitation legionary pattern.

2) Cut and paste the mail armour texture from the Roman Legionary texture into the Imitation Legionary texture. You would also have to do the same for the corresponding areas of the Spec and Normal textures.

[kronenblatt]

It's basically only about changing colours. Ideally adding e.g. a chainmail texture (or something that resembles chainmail) instead of mere textile clothing.

If, for instance, you want to add mail to those Imitation Legionary textures, that is very easy. As the Imitation Legionary model is exactly the same as the early Roman Legionary model, you have a number of options, the most obvious are:

1) Just use one of the Roman Legionary models (and textures) that has all mail armour. In that case you might need to swap the Roman shield patterns for the more basic Imitation legionary pattern.

2) Cut and paste the mail armour texture from the Roman Legionary texture into the Imitation Legionary texture. You would also have to do the same for the corresponding areas of the Spec and Normal textures.

Many thanks, Paul!