Adding eye flashing to droid model "C_ConDrdL"

[Sith Holocron 2,480]

So there's a droid type - C_ConDrdL -  that I have seen mostly seen on M4-78 but may exist elsewhere in the game.  Unlike HK droids, this droid doesn't have lighted eyes that flash when they speak.  Is there a way to add that feature to a model?  And here's the type that I'm talking about.

And here's the model type:

 

If this is something that interests you but you don't have the ability to work on, please add a like to show your support. 

[Thor110 510]

47 minutes ago, Sith Holocron said:

So there's a droid type that I have seen mostly seen on M4-78 but may exist elsewhere in the game.  Unlike HK droids, this droid doesn't have lighted eyes that flash when they speak.  Is there a way to add that feature to a model?  And here's the type that I'm talking about.

And here's the model type: https://i.imgur.com/vu2MXp0.png

If this is something that interests you but you don't have the ability to work on, please add a like to show your support. 

Didn't you write a tutorial on adding animated textures?

Wouldn't you just be able to animate it and add the parameters to the .txi?

Thor110

[Sith Holocron 2,480]

It's not a matter of textures per se. It has to do with the model. I don't know how to work on emitters. 

[Thor110 510]

18 minutes ago, Sith Holocron said:

It's not a matter of textures per se. It has to do with the model. I don't know how to work on emitters. 

Ah of course, I was just thinking of a lazy approach such as flickering lights. Not long woke up so mistook your request.

[Sith Holocron 2,480]

This post has been edited a few times.  If you read it before, please re-read it.

Malkior reached out to me and reminded me that I have requested something like this before but for a different droid model - . 

So this sort of thing is definitely possible, as can be seen here.

But to continue, he replied to my question about droids on Discord and said:

Quote

I'm going to need to collect some saves since my Kotor install is currently set to run ROR for testing; so in the meantime, here are the files I sent to you in 2019 with as I understand it, the texture I made, the bumpmap, and the glowing eyes.  NDix_UR is the one who made the models, all I did was the textures and testing.

So I don't have share his GoogleDrive link, I've put that other droid's files up on my Dropbox here so it can stay there until there's an official release.

So this request for the droid I asked about - C_ConDrdL -  is still being requested.

Oh and for those looking for the first time I asked about a request along these lines, here's the link to that.  It seems I was looking for the texture and I didn't know about emitters back then.  I still don't know they work but at least I know they exist this time 'round.

[90SK 159]

AFAIK:    Add "CM_GLOW" or "CM_BRIGHT" depending on which one works, in the ENVMAP column in appearance.2da (the envmap column is towards the back)

Row 560 for the C_ConDrdL-using droid.

This modified texture has transparency applied to the glowing parts only, not on the body/reflective (aka just the eyes)

C_CONDRDL.tga

So, adding flicker is beyond me. They won't flicker for sure without model edits, isolated eyes, and new uvmapping all across AFAIK

Hopefully this texture and this information is helpful!

 

[Sith Holocron 2,480]

I'd test this now and provide screenshots if I had M4-78 EP installed at the moment but I'm using the Reddit Mod Builds which are supposed to be incompatible with it. If anyone would like to test it out, feel free.

Now we need model edits (and likely some LIP files) to get to the flickering. Step by step, folks!

[DarthParametric 3,795]

The correct approach is to apply self-illum to the eye meshes. The level of self-illum is then animated by the talk anim (which requires the LIP files to work). The appropriate keys could be copied from HK's talk anim.

Using an envmap texture-based approach won't work, as there's no way to animate that from the model.

Edit: As I recall, the model lacks separate eye meshes (they are just painted onto the head). I believe I gave them some years ago, probably back in the LF days. Also possibly did the same trick as with that recent TSL HK issue, added keys for the self-illum to be off during the disabled anim so the eyes only light up when the droid activates, specifically for that scene on Dxun.

Edit 2: Oh, it was from your original thread. The model was supplied by ndix UR, since ye olde MDLOps couldn't handle droids properly back then. Not sure that the animation was actually done or not though. Guess age old is playing tricks on me.

Edit 3: OK, try this. I didn't look at ndix UR's previous one, since there was talk of retextures with normal maps in that thread, so I just made my own. Added new self-illum eyes, added a talk anim, edited the disabled anim to turn the self-illum off. I haven't tested it at all, but it will need LIP files to work correctly. You can probably just steal some from T3 and rename them.

Edit 4: Removed.

 

[Sith Holocron 2,480]

Though the Foreman droid isn't the request, I sure as hell am not going to throw this away. Thanks!

Is anyone able to test this at the moment? If you don't have M4-78 installed, you can also find the Foreman droids located in the Mandalorian Cache in Dxun with a number of other droids.

[Thor110 510]

Something I just mentioned to another user, I have created a set of testing rooms that contain every NPC in the game.

Quick and easy access to seeing them all in action without having to load any saves : 

I also created a set of rooms for Placeables and Doors, I find them very helpful for testing and quickly picking an appearance for an NPC to place in a module.

This is the result of the files provided by DP

And this is the result of the files uploaded by Malkior

Though I don't have a .dlg file attached to test actual dialog / flickering, I can easily attach one, or they might exist already in the testing rooms I was starting to setup for every type of dialog / alien language, but I don't think I got too far in setting that room up.

Thor110

[Sith Holocron 2,480]

6 minutes ago, Thor110 said:

Though I don't have a .dlg file attached to test actual dialog / flickering, I can easily attach one, or they might exist already in the testing rooms I was starting to setup for every type of dialog / alien language, but I don't think I got too far in setting that room up.

Folks would also need LIP files in addition to any possible DLG files to test for flickering.  As @DarthParametric suggested above, grabbing T3-M4's LIP files, copying them, and renaming them might be the easiest way of going about it.

[Thor110 510]

Above is DarthParametric's Edit.

Below is how it looked originally ( no edits ) so it seems they already had flickering eyes, though it's not very prominent. ( update : no it's just my eyes playing tricks on me I believe, the reflection as the head moves made me think there already was a slight flicker )

 

Edited September 3, 2022 by Thor110
Original Update

[Sith Holocron 2,480]

Unfortunately, that is not droid model "C_ConDrdL".  That is droid model "C_ForDrd".  So you might want to rename that video as we already have had some confusion in this thread before over which droid is which.

And if that video was supposed to be showing any flickering, I couldn't see it.   I do see a glow though.

Edit: It is much easier to see flickering when watching the video on YouTube. 

[DarthParametric 3,795]

8 hours ago, Sith Holocron said:

the Foreman droid isn't the request

Whoops, my bad. I guess I only scrolled up as far as the pic you posted from Malkior.

[Malkior 476]

Yeah, that's my bad. I saw the pic of the same droid head and assumed. 

[Sith Holocron 2,480]

37 minutes ago, DarthParametric said:

Whoops, my bad. I guess I only scrolled up as far as the pic you posted from Malkior.

@DarthParametric, I'm still glad to have what you offered so thanks again!  Do you know if C_ConDrdL is also in the Mandalorian Cache on Dxun?  I know of at least two other droid types that are in there.

 

15 minutes ago, Malkior said:

Yeah, that's my bad. I saw the pic of the same droid head and assumed. 

@Malkior, the confusion by a few folks is what inspired me to change the names of both this thread and the 2016 thread.  Hopefully, everyone is back on the same page. 

However for those folks just joining us but they haven't scrolling back (Hi!) , this is the fella that the request is referring to.

[DarthParametric 3,795]

Here you go, got the right one this time:

Edit: Removed

 

5 hours ago, Sith Holocron said:

Do you know if C_ConDrdL is also in the Mandalorian Cache on Dxun?

No idea. Haven't played TSL for a few years.

[Thor110 510]

3 hours ago, DarthParametric said:

Here you go, got the right one this time:

TSL_Construction_Droid_Talk_Anim.7z 217.11 kB · 0 downloads

No idea. Haven't played TSL for a few years.

That's it in action.

[DarthParametric 3,795]

Hrm, hard to even see anything, but it looked in one shot like it was actually working. The low values just need to be reduced even further so there's enough contrast.

Try this version: 

Edit: Removed.

[Thor110 510]

1 hour ago, DarthParametric said:

Hrm, hard to even see anything, but it looked in one shot like it was actually working. The low values just need to be reduced even further so there's enough contrast.

Try this version:  TSL_Construction_Droid_Talk_Anim_v2.7z

Sorry for the late response : 

Overall it's much more noticeable, but I think the shapes should recess into the eye as opposed to extrude from.

[DarthParametric 3,795]

Well it was just a quick and dirty addition to test the principle. The animation was the important part. It's easy enough to fancy it up later.

Looks like the camera hook needs some adjustment. I guess they never intended for it to be in a conversation.

[Effix 534]

It's quite subtle, but pretty cool 👍

[DarthParametric 3,795]

Yeah I don't think white is the best choice for that sort of thing.

[Sith Holocron 2,480]

4 hours ago, DarthParametric said:

Looks like the camera hook needs some adjustment. I guess they never intended for it to be in a conversation.

How difficult would that be to adjust?

 

6 minutes ago, DarthParametric said:

Yeah I don't think white is the best choice for that sort of thing.

How about a golden yellow?

[DarthParametric 3,795]

3 minutes ago, Sith Holocron said:

How difficult would that be to adjust?

Not very. It's just a dummy object. I just need to compare it to other models .

5 minutes ago, Sith Holocron said:

How about a golden yellow?

That can be left up to people that want to edit the texture/s. I don't want to actually use a coloured self-illum.