#55
14th Oct 2009 at 12:48 AM
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I don't know all of the details on why MTST blocks are used, I think you have to look other places.
I am not certain about using a dropshadow group for a different purpose, because they have a different flag in the MODL and I don't think that would be changed... parts are just copied over from the original MODL file.
But you could try it. If the shader listed in the MTLSRC file is not a dropshadow, then it will be treated by the recompiler like any other mesh. The MilkShape plugin already does that, the special handling is in the decompiler/recompiler code.
However, you can't just add in a group into the MODL file. Most, or maybe all, of the meshes I have studied only had the dropshadow in the more detailed LOD ("00000000") and not the less detailed one", 00000001", and none in the sunshadows. So when the less detailed mesh would be displayed, some part of your mesh will disappear.
So for that reason, I don't think it is a useful change.Certainly, glass things would perhaps have a reduced or no groundshadow, but this can be done by changing the uv map to point to some invisible part of the dropshadow texture map, or making a new image that is invisible and leaving the uv mapping alone... either should work to make the groundshadow invisible.
I have been hiding in this hole here for a while, but it looks like much of the object characteristics can be edited in the OBJD and XML items, which means there is a wider latitude for choices of base objects to clone from. I know I have seen static objects with three usable groups, glass, metal and wood/plastic, but I have forgotten which one it was.
If you like to say what you think, be sure you know which to do first.