X4-Blender-Module-Drag-and-Drop V4

Python script to enable drag and drop of hard-points in Blender (or any tool that can export to x3d) for X4 foundations.

Egosoft forums: https://forum.egosoft.com/viewtopic.php?f=181&t=409209

X4 Foundations nexus (zip outdated):https://www.nexusmods.com/x4foundations/mods/155/?tab=posts&jump_to_comment=66174131

WARNING: Included EXE will be out of date from time to time, to ensure you have the latest version use the python script.

How To

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• Convert your XML to DAE (https://forum.egosoft.com/viewtopic.php?f=181&t=404786#p4769763)
• Open your model in blender and start putting down your "hard-points" the script can mirror (will be queried when script is run) for you so you only need to do one side.
• Rename hard-points according to the naming scheme so the script can recognize what you are putting down.
• Select all to be exported hard-points (you do not want to select the ship here) and select export to X3D.
• In the export settings make sure have, y-forward, z-up and only "selection only" selected. If you are not using blender the axis might be different you will need to experiment to find out.
• Run either gui.py or main.exe an interface will open.
• Select your input files and set their options as you like (mirror/inject)
• Press start.
• If you are injecting you will be asked for each file into what file you want to inject. Injected xml code will be injected after the last <connection></connection> element in the selected file.
• If you are just outputting there will be %input%_output.xml files in the script root directory. Copy the content of this file over between <connections></connections>
• Video tutorial (outdated) https://youtu.be/b8-ie1u05Lw

Details on specific Modules and Elements

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Generic Elements

• Generic elements can be placed down to get their location and orientation.
• They will appear as con_generic_generic_nr under <connections></connections>

Engines:

• Engines can only face backwards.
• You can only ever have one engine size on each ship, aka no mixing of L and XL engines.
• Engines behave weirdly when not in one group together

Shields:

• When in a group will only shield components in group and not the ship as a whole.
• When not in a group will shield ship.

Storage

• storage and ship storage (for storing fighter/corvette/frigate) modules indicate the location for internal(as far as I can tell invisible) ship and cargo storage.
• The connection point they indicate needs to be assigned to a storage component macro in the ship macro.

Waypoints

• Waypoints are for "mass traffic" moving (also for docking path of small ships I suspect).
• There are 4 types of waypoints, waypoints, start dock waypoints, end dock waypoints and close link waypoints.
• If not injected waypoints are stored in the output file under <waypoints></waypoints>.
• Waypoints can have links to other waypoints. Links are indicated as numbers behind the type element in the naming schema.
• Example: waypoing-2-3-4-5_1 indicates waypoint 1 linked to waypoint 2,3,4 and 5.

Playercontroll/Cockpits

• There are several indicators of playercontroll (camera location?), ai movement points, teleporter indicator, cockpit indicator ect.
• Currently only playercontroll and the cockpit location are supported.
• The connection point they indicate needs to be assigned to a cockpit component macro in the ship macro.

Docking areas

• For dock-area and launch-tube, the connection points indicated need to also be assigned a macro in the ships macro.

Turrets

• Turrets can be placed down however you like.
• Prevent mixing of diffrent size turrets in the same group.
• Turrets can be mixed with engines and or shields

Fixed Weapons

• Fixed weapons (like engines) cannot have a rotation and will always point forward even if you indicate one.
• Fixed weapons MUST NOT be in a group.
• TODO: Text fixed weapon size mixing.
• There seem to be some naming restrictions regarding fixed weapons, for example the large weapons MUST be named con_weap_nr.
• TODO: Find restrictions on m and s weapons.

Assigning things in the ships macro

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Some elements need to also be assigned a macro that will attach to it, this includes but is not limited to. - Cockpits - Dock-areas - Storage and ship storage

Now lets say we have made a connection as follows:

  <connection name="con_dockarea_dockarea_1" tags="dockarea">
  	<offset>
  		<position x="-20" y="30" z="120"/>
  		<quaternion qw="1.7320510330969933e-07" qx="0.003661001092863849" qy="0.0" qz="-0.999993298513029"/>
  	</offset>
  </connection>

To actually have a dock appear at that location and rotation we need to assign it a dock macro (aka what object will spawn there) in the ships macro file. This will look like the following and must be located between <connections></connections>:

<connection ref="con_dockarea_dockarea_1">
      <macro ref="dockarea_arg_s_ship_01_macro" connection="Connection01" />
</connection>

Here - con_dockarea_dockarea_1 indicates the connection we specified in above. - dockarea_arg_s_ship_01_macro is the macro of the object that is going to be spawned here. - Connection01 is the connection point in the objects macro at witch it attaches to our connection point.

Naming Scheme

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_ is used as separator do not use this outside of as stated below.
Refrain from using special characters like (@!#$%^&*.,), '-' is allowed.

groupname_type_nr-in-group

groupname       Name of the group, optional.
type            Type of the component (see component list)
nr-in-group     Nr. of component in group.

options:
include 'left' or 'right' in your group name if you want the group to be mirrored.

Examples:
left-top-bat-1_lturret_2
lshield_1
medium-group-center_lshield_1
funcannongroup-1_mturret_666

Supported Modules

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Supported modules (m indicates missile capable turret)
#Generic
"generic"
 
#Turrets 
"lturret"
 "lmturret"
"mturret"
"mmturret"
"sturret"
"smturret"
#Shields

"xlshield"
"lshield"
"mshield"
"sshield"
#Engines
"xlengine"
"lengine"
"mengine"
"sengine"
#Countermeasures
"counter"
#Fixed weapons 
"lweap"
"mweap"
"sweap"
"lmweap"
"mmweap"
"smweap"
#Waypoints
"stawaypoint"
"endwaypoint"
"waypoint"
"clowaypoint"
#Player controll/cockpit
"playerctrl"
"cockpit":
#Storage modules
"storage" :
"shipstorage"
#Docking
"dock_xs"
"dockarea"
"launchtube"

Requirements

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For exe users

- none

For python users

- Python 3.7 https://www.python.org/
- pyquaternion http://kieranwynn.github.io/pyquaternion/

Currently working on:

• Injecting stuff into the ships macro for ease of use.
• Proper docking
• More player and AI controll elements (aka cockpit locations, betty sound origin ect.).
• XML and XMF intergration (long term goal).