How to Voxelate Vectors Like a Boss... Part 2

OK, I'm starting to set up for my build of Intrepid, and this seems like a great time to finish my Voxel Tutorial
See Part 1 (here)

Public Service Announcement: As a reminder,  Voxel imports can be abused.  If you see someone flying a glob of hull masquerading as a ship, be a good friend, and talk to them about voxel abuse.  The fleet you save from ridicule might be your own.



Step 4:   Setting up your SMedit environment
As of this writing, smedit does not yet play well with StarMade 0.1  You will need to fall back to StarMade .09

1. Make a new directory called SMedit
2. Make a new directory in SMedit called StarMade.
3. Copy your StarMade-starter.exe file into SMedit folder.
4. Download http://files.star-made.org/build/starmade-build_20140114_182618.zip
5. Unzip the downloaded folder into SMedit/StarMade.  
6. Download SMEdit.jar from http://www.starmademultiverse.com/files/file/34-smeditjar/
7. Copy SMEdit.jar into your SMedit/StarMade directory
8. Create a shortcut to SMEdit.jar your SMedit directory called LaunchSmedit
9. You will probably want to work with some fairly large models, so the ability to add some memory to the program is preferred, so edit the properties of the shortcut with whatever file paths match your system.
• target: C:\Windows\System32\java.exe -Xmx3072m -Xms2048m -jar "C:\SMedit\StarMade\SMEdit.jar"
• Start in: C:\SMedit\StarMade\

Rotate your Isanth to attain comfort

Step 5: Loading and orienting your voxel model

1. Launch SMEdit using your LaunchSmedit shortcut.  Smedit will load with an isanth fighter in the window.  
2. Play with rotating the isanth until you are comfortable. If you remain uncomfortable, go to File/Properties and try inverting things until rotating ships becomes compatible with your brain.
3. Point the isanth slightly off all axis so that you know how it's oriented in three dimensions.
4. File/Import/Binvox  (then browse to your binvox file)
5. At this resolution you only have a silhouette, but the the imported model will come in with the same core orientation as the isanth we were just looking at, so we can tell that the structure of our ship is  "backward" relative to the core.  Modify/Reflect and set Fore/Aft to "true".  Your ship is now pointed in the same direction as your previously displayed isanth.

Backward!

Reflect!

Much Better

Step 6: The Paint and Chop maneuver

1. choose your least favorite color... or at least a color which won't be the primary color of your hull.
2. Crank the "radius" setting up to 64, and paint the entire ship that disgusting hue.  Don't worry.  When we're done, not one imported voxel will remain.
3. "Edit/Select Specific"  Instead of 300, just make sure you use a value large enough  to encompass the whole ship
1. StartX, StartY and StartZ should all be -300 (or whatever)
2. EndY and EndZ Should be 300 (Or whatever)
3. EndX should be 7.  Don't look at me like that, it's not my fault.  SMEdit figures its coordinates based on the core... but the core is always at 8,8,8. go figure.
4. The last step should have selected the entire Starboard side of the ship, not including the meridian line where resides the core.  select "Edit/Delete".  No, I'm not trolling you.  Just do it.
5. "File/Save as/Blueprint" and name it something descriptive like "OMGHalfMyShip"
6. Close SMEdit

Step 7:  Load and Trace  

1. Launch StarMade-starter.exe and DO NOT upgrade when prompted.
2. Figure out what color you DO want as the primary color for your hull.
3. Conjure a crapton of that color hull, preferably hardened, "/giveid username 271 50000" for instance.
4. Load your halfship  "/load OMGHalfMyShip TraceShip"
5. You should now have a nice hideously colored half-ship floating in front of you with it's exposed core in the middle.  Go to build mode.
6. Select odd-symmetry, and Y-Z plane symmetry, centered on the core.
7. Using your hardened hull, trace every important feature on the half-hull you have, and watch in satisfaction as it's symmetrical twin materializes in space on the other side.  On a large ship this can take quite a while.   You are using the voxel as a form to create the skeleton of your ship.   Trace contours.  Trace outlines.  Trace protrusions.  You want to give yourself enough detail to save yourself guesswork and trouble later.
8. Remember the voxels are your guide not your master.   Keep a picture of your intended final product handy.  If the voxel produces strange artifacts, modify or discard them as you see fit.  This is an art, not a science.
9. When you look on your Starboard side and decide you have enough structure to work with, save your ship.  "/save TraceShip"

Step 8: Breaking the Mold

1. Launch SMEdit using your LaunchSmedit shortcut.  Smedit will load with an isanth fighter in the window.
2. File/Open/Root/Blueprints/TraceShip
3. hit the button at the bottom called "Mods" and "replace blocks"
4. Replace whatever color hull you used on your HalfShip with "air"
5. File/SaveAs/Blueprint "ShipFrame"

Step 9: Moving to .1

1. Launch StarMade-starter.exe and DO NOT upgrade when prompted.
2. Instead of starting a session, from the "starMade Connection Setup window, select Tools/"open Ship Catalog Manager"
3. Select "ShipFrame", and press "export"
4. You will now find "ShipFrame.sment" in the "SMedit/StarMade/blueprints/exported" directory.
5. Import "ShipFrame.sment" into your regular up to date StarMade client.

Finishing like any other build

• Now you have a Framework on which to build the rest of your ship.  Much of the creative process remains, but you've gotten the scale and proportions consistent, based on a 3d model that you've already approved.
• Those tricky 3d compound curves are already mapped for you in space, you just need to put them together.

Happy Building!