United3dArtists Archive

Recently (as recent as today actually) I started getting into modding Space Engineers. This Minecraft-like spaceship building game offers a lot of fun game-play ideas such as crashing ships into space stations, crashing ships into asteroids and finally crashing ships into each other. Needless to say, the destruction physics (though they do require a pretty powerful PC) are really cool to watch.

One thing the game still lacks though (other than an FPS higher than 40) is contents. There are a few basic blocks, some lights, very limited engineering pieces and various gravity control-blocks.
A lot of the assets aren't even finished yet and have very basic textures/models. Luckily what it lacks in appearance it makes up for in easy modding. Well, I won't say it's that easy but as long as you have some version of 3DS Max or Maya (or any other 3D app that can export to FBX), a decent knowledge of DDS texturing/exporting in either GIMP or Photoshop then you should be set.

A normal model conversion process goes as follows:

1. Export model to FBX (keep note of the material names in your 3D app)

2. Make an XML file (more info here)
(2.5) Tweak XML file to include textures and specularity.

3. Generate MWM file using MwmBuilder (Comes stock with the game on Steam! Can be found in the Space Engineers Steam directory)

4. Either replace the model you're modifying or create a new entry in the relevant SBC file (more info here)

Personally I'm sure I'll have a lot of fun modding this game. Naturally anyone here is welcome to join me!

I started by converting one of my models as a test:





This was my SU 47 model I made a few years back.

Next I decided to replace the horrible looking stock machine gun with something more to my liking. I decided to go for the TCO-14 model I made last year for the Interstellar Marines project.





When I successfully got the model into the game. I realized that the stock iron sights wouldn't do (I had ported them over to make sure they aligned properly). This is when I remodeled and re-textured the Holosights I had made for another Interstellar Marines concept, the FCO pistol.





After that I simply sorted out some texture issues related to the emissive-channel not working properly. With that fixed, it was pretty much done.



Next I think I'll try to get my SWX-series Interceptor into the game:



Somehow....

I'm looking forward to seeing what you make for the game. Maybe you can make some videos showing your models being used in the game.

clintonman wrote:I'm looking forward to seeing what you make for the game. Maybe you can make some videos showing your models being used in the game.

I might just do that when I have gotten the hang of importing models with a faster workflow. Right now I'm going to try importing parts of my SWX-6 (or the craft as a whole) and hopefully be able to add multiple build nodes for blocks, that way I'll be able to add thrusters and reactors without having to build a frame of blocks around it like I did with the SU-47 jet model.
I also still have to figure how to make transparent textures... something which seems rather impossible as the Alpha channel for the Diffuse texture is used for glow and the A channel for Normals maps is used for specularity. I think the answer lies in 3DS Max, you need to change the opacity in some specific kind of way, experimented around with that some yesterday. No luck though. I'll have to keep trying to find the right settings.
Online information on the subject seems very limited if it exists at all. It's still a very new game so the modding community isn't very big.

Remodeled and imported the SWX Interceptor:

looks cool mikom. Happy modding.

hey nice stuff! Are you still modding this game?

Thanks! Not the moment, no. I have work and some other projects that I am working on now. But there are a lot of great mods for Space Engineers out there now that the game has official mod support and Steam workshop integration.

Some friends have been asking me to consider helping them with some mods for this recently. Only right now I don't really have the time. Working on networking a simple space Sim with Unity right now. That, a regular job and family.
Like your ships, TrueSpace?

Yes, I use trueSpace for pretty much all of my models. Sometimes Sculptris as well. I had to use 3Ds Max to export these models though. Clintonman's FBX plugin came in handy there.

I haven't used TS for a long time. But another way to get FBX out of TS if I remember correctly is to export to an OBJ, import into Daz Studio and then export as FBX. Have not been around this community for a while even. But a few weeks ago I was rearranging the house for my woman and found my old copy of TS7 in its box with the printed manual. To think that I was upset back then about paying 300 bucks for TS when the much anticipated version 7 came out. Looking back now that the thousands of dollars I have spent its really not a significant amount. I still have a special place in my heart for the software. I guess that's the thing that got me looking for this community again.

Anyway, nice work on the stuff in the screenshots.

I'm glad you are getting back into it. I stuck to it after it all and only now am actually earning money off TS! It's a fun little thing.

Been getting back into Space Engineers again recently. I built the Ironheart. I also designed various Mono-rails and an old LEGO favorite of mine the Mars Mission Switch fighter. That one got pretty popular on the Workshop.

Also here is another test I did importing a model as an Asteroid:

I built a racetrack using the skeleton formation:

Well, now I made an actual mod:



Made this mod that ads the classic porthole-style windows to the game.

You can get it on the Steam workshop.

Wow, these are great! Love the track, reminds me of gravityless podracing.. Did you ahve to build your raceship in the game to race?

Good work!

Yeah the racers are also mine. They were just made with in-game parts though (only some of which were mods).

Thanks!

Here is another mod I made, a cockpit block.



On the workshop.

...and now I'm working on some Star Wars style command bridge-style windows. It was request by a buddie of mine who was making Star Wars ships:



If you have a Steam account you can naturally check it out on the workshop.

Nice! Maybe will check it out when I can find the time.