The system name reference is in ..\DATA\UNIVERSE\Universe.ini; for example, the New York system:

[system
nickname = Li01
file = Systems\Li01\Li01.ini
pos = 7, 8
msg_id_prefix = gcs_refer_system_Li01
visit = 1
strid_name = 196609
ids_info = 66106


The strid_name works the same as the id_name for a planet.

If you want to add dockable bases to your system, you should also initialize them in this file, like:

[Base
nickname = Li01_01_Base
system = Li01
strid_name = 196766
file = Universe\Systems\Li01\Bases\Li01_01_Base.ini
BGCS_base_run_by = W02bF35

Actually I never bothered to find out what the code in the last line means; I guess it's a reference to the faction... Too bad they didn't use the Li_n_grp variant.



"We are a way of the Cosmos to know itself"

-- Carl Sagan

Cool web site you made!

Arbiter wrote: "Don't know if anyone can help me with my next two problems; trade-lanes and asteroid-belts..? I got the trade-lane working after copying one from li01, and got the names correct according to my system, BUT when I tried to move it in to position I was sent on an never-ending flight into Neverland...? Backwards, in fact.. "

Trade lanes are a bit nasty. I guess you already find out the tradelane_space_name, prev_ring and next_ring?

You must make sure that the "rotate" parameter makes the tradelane ring aim at the next one. If this is not the case, you indeed end up in an never-ending flight (of which you can escape by selecting a targetable object on you nav-map and than press F3-dock.)

The tradelane rings should be between 5,000 and 10,000 from each other (actually I haven't tried a much bigger distance so maybe it wouyld also work to give them a distance of 100,000 but this is never done anywhere in the game).

There was a guy who posted a tradelane calculator on this forum; it looked great but it didn't work on my comp. Do a search for it; it might work on your comp. If it works, it enables you to just type the begin and end coordinates, and it renders the necessary code, which you can copy-and-paste into you system file. Too bad it don't work on my comp, would have loved it!




Asteroid fields and nebula's are done like this (I'll only give a brief overview so you can check out the details yourself; I'll use Omega-7, Bw03.ini, as an example)

First, they are initialized ion this way:


[Nebula
file = solar\nebula\Bw03_Walker_nebula.ini
zone = Zone_Bw03_Walker_nebula

[Asteroids
file = solar\asteroids\Bw03_Gubenfelde_lava.ini
zone = Zone_Bw03_Gubenfelde



Then they are placed in the system by creating a zone:


[zone
nickname = Zone_Bw03_Walker_nebula
property_flags = 32768
property_fog_color = 100.000000, 60.000000, 10.000000
ids_name = 261344
pos = 95, 0, 50
shape = SPHERE
size = 80000
visit = 32
ids_info = 66221
sort = 99
Music = zone_nebula_walker


and


[zone
nickname = Zone_Bw03_Gubenfelde
property_flags = 514
ids_name = 261308
pos = -4021, 0, 14468
shape = SPHERE
size = 8000
ids_info = 66016
visit = 32
spacedust = lavaashdust
spacedust_maxparticles = 75
sort = 99
Music = zone_field_asteroid_lava



And, as you can see in the initializations, the contents of the nebula and the asteroid field are made up in separate files:

solar\nebula\Bw03_Walker_nebula.ini

solar\asteroids\Bw03_Gubenfelde_lava.ini


Look into these files to see how this works.



"We are a way of the Cosmos to know itself"

-- Carl Sagan



Edited by - hans olo on 14-06-2003 09:44:51

Very nice! Got the nebula working perfectly, BUT.. how do I add the nebula to the map?! I know I'm floating off the subject here.. hehe

For the complete map - http://freelancer.rr.nu - I am the Arbiter

Arbiter wrote "how do I add the nebula to the map?! "

Hmm... This is done in the "visit =" line, but I don't know the number. Obvviously not 32 if that don't work.

Well, look at the code of a nebula that does show up, and copy the "visit =" line to your own nebula.


"We are a way of the Cosmos to know itself"

-- Carl Sagan

It seems I was to quick in stating that everything worked fine.. the nebula you showed in your example covers the entire system.. and the asteroid aren't there at all.. I tried copying a nebula from li01 and it too didn't show.

[Nebula
file = solar\nebula\li01_Pittsburgh_pirate_base_nebula.ini
zone = Zone_Li01_Pittsburgh_Pirate_Base_Nebula

[zone
nickname = Zone_Li01_Pittsburgh_Pirate_Base_Nebula
pos = 30000, 0, 35000
shape = ELLIPSOID
size = 10000, 5000, 8000
property_flags = 32768
property_fog_color = 20, 18, 24
Music = zone_field_debris
sort = 99

I placed the pos ontop of a base I knew the location of.. and flew there, but alas no nebula. This really bites.. Also I'm trying to make what I figure is an "exception" I want to make an empty space inside the nebula, but nebulae are not widely covered in the tutorials here.

For the complete map - http://freelancer.rr.nu - I am the Arbiter

Got a question for ya Arb. When you changed the name of your system, what does it say when you enter the system using the junp gate or exit the base.

"your system name", Liberty Space? or something else?

Nebula? ok.. Hang on. Asteroid fields work the same way though:

Let's say you want the Badlands in your system.

Go to li01 and copy these two:

[Asteroids
file = solar\asteroids\Li01_Badlands_Asteroids.ini
zone = Zone_Li01_Badlands_Asteroids

[Nebula
file = solar\nebula\Li01_Badlands_Nebula.ini
zone = Zone_Li01_Badlands_Nebula

and paste it into your own ini file. It's easier if you put all your nebula and asteroid fields at one place so that you know where to find them.

Anyway, as you can see, the [asteroids are for the asteroids in the Badlands and the [nebula is for the badlands nebula itself.

ok then. Now we need to put tyhe nebula in your system. so copy this from li01.

[zone
nickname = Zone_Li01_Badlands_Asteroids
pos = -7460, 0, 63000
shape = ELLIPSOID
size = 54000, 19000, 34000
property_flags = 8200
Music = zone_badlands
visit = 128
sort = 99.500000

and this

[zone
nickname = Zone_Li01_Badlands_Nebula
ids_name = 261208
pos = -7460, 0, 63000
shape = ELLIPSOID
size = 55000, 20000, 35000
property_flags = 32768
property_fog_color = 10.000000, 7.000000, 30.000000
spacedust = radioactivedust_blue
spacedust_maxparticles = 50
Music = zone_badlands
ids_info = 65996
visit = 32
comment = Badlands
sort = 25
toughness = 3
density = 5
repop_time = 20
max_battle_size = 4
pop_type = nonlootable_ast_field
relief_time = 35
faction_weight = fc_lr_grp, 10
encounter = area_scout, 3, 0.670000
faction = fc_lr_grp, 1.000000

now you can change their position if you want to.

Also. what is good is that you rename the things.
so if you are working on a 6th liberty system you could change all the li01's to li06's (01 is new york, 02: California, 03: Colorado, 04: Texas, 05: Alaska)

but if you change that, you won't find your nebula in your system. and you'll have a possible crash. The reason for that is that there is no solar\asteroids\Li06_Badlands_Asteroids.ini file. So, what you need do is go to the data\solar\asteroids directory and copy the li01_badlands_asteroids.ini file and put is somewhere else. Then rename the file to li06_badlands_asteroids.ini and put it back in. Then open the file.

it should look like this:

[TexturePanels
file = solar\asteroids\rock_shapes.ini

[Field
cube_size = 355
fill_dist = 1250
tint_field = 15, 15, 15
max_alpha = 1.000000
empty_cube_frequency = 0.200000

[properties
flag = badland_danger_objects
flag = danger_density_low

[Exclusion Zones
exclusion = Zone_Li01_badlands_low_density_asteroids
exclusion = Zone_Li01_to_Li04_hole
exclusion = Zone_Li01_Benford_to_Iw03_gate
exclusion = Zone_Li01_Tradelane_20
exclusion = Zone_Li01_013_Station_Li01_05
exclusion = Zone_Li01_012_Station_Li01_04
exclusion = zone_Li01_Jumpgate_to_Iw03
exclusion = Zone_Li01_Badlands_exclusion_asteroids_01
exclusion = Zone_Li01_12_exclusion
exclusion = ZONE_Li01_vignette27_exclusion
exclusion = ZONE_Li01_vignette28_exclusion
exclusion = ZONE_Li01_vignette53_exclusion
exclusion = ZONE_Li01_vignette60_exclusion
exclusion = Zone_Li01a_to_Li01b_hole

[Cube
xaxis_rotation = 0, 0, 180, 180
yaxis_rotation = 0, 30, 90, 195
zaxis_rotation = 0, 0, 180, 180
asteroid = badlands_large1, -0.700000, 0.500000, 0.500000, 3, 35, 0
asteroid = badlands_medium2, -0.400000, -0.400000, -0.700000, 5, 0, 0
asteroid = badlands_small1, 0.300000, -0.650000, 0.200000, 0, 50, 8

[DynamicAsteroids
asteroid = dasteroid_badlands_small1
count = 10
placement_radius = 200.000000
placement_offset = 150.000000
max_velocity = 50.000000
max_angular_velocity = 3.000000
color_shift = 1.000000, 1.000000, 1.000000

you could either do two things now: the easier and the harder part:

The [exclusion zones section will crash your system, because according to your ini, they should be in your li06.ini file, but they simply aren't there, so your system crashes.

Now, you could either delete this section:

[Exclusion Zones
exclusion = Zone_Li01_badlands_low_density_asteroids
exclusion = Zone_Li01_to_Li04_hole
exclusion = Zone_Li01_Benford_to_Iw03_gate
exclusion = Zone_Li01_Tradelane_20
exclusion = Zone_Li01_013_Station_Li01_05
exclusion = Zone_Li01_012_Station_Li01_04
exclusion = zone_Li01_Jumpgate_to_Iw03
exclusion = Zone_Li01_Badlands_exclusion_asteroids_01
exclusion = Zone_Li01_12_exclusion
exclusion = ZONE_Li01_vignette27_exclusion
exclusion = ZONE_Li01_vignette28_exclusion
exclusion = ZONE_Li01_vignette53_exclusion
exclusion = ZONE_Li01_vignette60_exclusion
exclusion = Zone_Li01a_to_Li01b_hole

Or, you could find all those exlusion zones in li01 and put it in li06 as well and rename everything. It's takes a lot more time, but in the end, you will have the same exclusion zones as in li01. But I can imagine that everyone wants his/her own exclusion zones, so let's just delete them.

ok, you are done for the asteroids part.

now for the nebula:

Go to the data\solar\nebula directory and copy the Li01_Badlands_Nebula.ini file and put it at some other place. Then rename it to Li06_Badlands.Nebula.ini and put it back and open this file as well.

[TexturePanels
file = solar\nebula\generic_shapes.ini

[properties
flag = nebula

[Fog
fog_enabled = 1
near = 0
distance = 1000
color = 10, 7, 30

[Exclusion Zones
exclusion = Zone_Li01_013_Station_Li01_05
fog_far = 2000.000000
zone_shell = solar\nebula\plain_inner_sphere.3db
shell_scalar = 1.000000
max_alpha = 0.500000
exclusion_tint = 180, 105, 255
exclusion = Zone_Li01_012_Station_Li01_04
fog_far = 5000.000000
zone_shell = solar\nebula\exclu_generic_sphere.3db
shell_scalar = 1.100000
max_alpha = 1.000000
exclusion_tint = 125, 70, 250
exclusion = zone_Li01_Jumpgate_to_Iw03
fog_far = 1500.000000

[Exterior
shape = generic_exterior1
shape = generic_exterior2
shape = generic_exterior3
shape = generic_exterior4
shape_weights = 1, 1, 1, 1
fill_shape = nebula_circle2
plane_slices = 3
bit_radius = 10000
bit_radius_random_variation = 0.200000
min_bits = 3
max_bits = 8
move_bit_percent = 0.500000
equator_bias = 0.500000
color = 40, 30, 90

[NebulaLight
ambient = 15, 10, 45
sun_burnthrough_intensity = 0.500000
sun_burnthrough_scaler = 1.750000

[Clouds
max_distance = 300
puff_count = 10
puff_radius = 100
puff_colora = 45, 40, 160
puff_colorb = 55, 10, 20
puff_max_alpha = 0.500000
puff_shape = generic_cloud1
puff_shape = generic_cloud2
puff_shape = generic_cloud3
puff_shape = generic_cloud4
puff_weights = 1, 1, 1, 1
puff_drift = 1.000000
near_fade_distance = 125, 200
lightning_intensity = 1.000000
lightning_color = 65, 25, 85
lightning_gap = 5.000000
lightning_duration = 0.500000

[BackgroundLightning
duration = 0.750000
gap = 3.000000
color = 35, 15, 65

[DynamicLightning
gap = 1
duration = 0.400000
color = 180, 200, 220
ambient_intensity = 1
intensity_increase = 1

As you can see, here are also exclusion zones. Do you remember the larger area around Ithica and Benford? (with that small sun in the field) You could see much further in those areas. This is what caused that. An Exclusion zone is basically just a thing that tells the computer that you don't want asteroids or the nebula there. but for the Nebula it's a bit more complicated, because you can't say. I don't want the nebula there within a nebula. What you'll need to do is create a small "background" then. As you can see, there is one for Benford: exclusion = Zone_Li01_012_Station_Li01_04 and one for Ithica: Zone_Li01_013_Station_Li01_05 Anyway, you can delete this section as well. so that you are entirely exclusion zone-free.

and you are done. Ohw.. btw.. Let's bring up this one again.

[zone
nickname = Zone_Li01_Badlands_Nebula
ids_name = 261208
pos = -7460, 0, 63000
shape = ELLIPSOID
size = 55000, 20000, 35000
property_flags = 32768
property_fog_color = 10.000000, 7.000000, 30.000000
spacedust = radioactivedust_blue
spacedust_maxparticles = 50
Music = zone_badlands
ids_info = 65996
visit = 32
comment = Badlands
sort = 25
toughness = 3
density = 5
repop_time = 20
max_battle_size = 4
pop_type = nonlootable_ast_field
relief_time = 35
faction_weight = fc_lr_grp, 10
encounter = area_scout, 3, 0.670000
faction = fc_lr_grp, 1.000000

if you renamed it and put it at some other place then it could look like:

[zone
nickname = Zone_Li06_Badlands_Nebula
ids_name = 261208
pos = 60000, 0, 45000
shape = ELLIPSOID
size = 55000, 20000, 35000
property_flags = 32768
property_fog_color = 10.000000, 7.000000, 30.000000
spacedust = radioactivedust_blue
spacedust_maxparticles = 50
Music = zone_badlands
ids_info = 65996
visit = 32
comment = Badlands
sort = 25
toughness = 3
density = 5
repop_time = 20
max_battle_size = 4
pop_type = nonlootable_ast_field
relief_time = 35
faction_weight = fc_lr_grp, 10
encounter = area_scout, 3, 0.670000
faction = fc_lr_grp, 1.000000

it's somewhere in the right bottom now. Anyway. what I wanted to tell you is this section:

comment = Badlands
sort = 25
toughness = 3
density = 5
repop_time = 20
max_battle_size = 4
pop_type = nonlootable_ast_field
relief_time = 35
faction_weight = fc_lr_grp, 10
encounter = area_scout, 3, 0.670000
faction = fc_lr_grp, 1.000000

This section has nothing to do with the nebula, so you can leave it out.

But what is it then? Answer: traffic.

In your nebula that is.

I am sure traffic is explained in more detail somewhere else, but if you want me to explain it to ya, then just say so.

If you want no traffic in your nebula: just delete the section. If you want this traffic here, just add this to your li06.ini

[EncounterParameters
nickname = area_scout
filename = missions\encounters\area_scout.ini

and that's all for nebula's and asteroid fields. It should show in your system now.

btw: if you know how to rename something and create a new infocard:

These are the files that are important then:

ids_name = 261208
ids_info = 65996

Thanx, you gave me a little more to sink my teeth into. Didn't bother looking into the nebula-files themselves..

And to your first question: when I enter the new system it is named (yeah I know everyone has done it before me) "Sol System - Rheinland Space".. don't know why it says Rheinland space though..?

For the complete map - http://freelancer.rr.nu - I am the Arbiter

Thank You, Silver!

I now have a fully "functioning" BadLands just surrounding a jump gate.. but I'm experiencing an unexpected problem.. there is a big asteroid inside the gate.. how can I clear a space big enough for the gate inside the field. I'm guessing this is an "exception"...

So far I've understood that;

1. Creating a new system is simple
4. Creating a jump gate is easy
3. Creating a new base is easy enough
4. Creating a new planet is easy enough, a bit more to check
5. Creating nebulae is challenging
6. Trade lanes suck

Q: Does Radiation work like atmospheres?
Q: Does Mines and Gas deposits work like Asteroids?


For the complete map - http://freelancer.rr.nu - I am the Arbiter

As for the Rheinland space thing. Join the club. When I enter my own system it says: Florida, Rheinland Space. Really stupid and I haven't found a way to fix it yet.

Now for the questions you had.

first taking away that asteroid in your jump gate. This is where the exclusion zones come in. You need to "tell" the computer that you don't want any asteroids near your jump gate with a radius of let's say 1200.

to do that go to your Sol.ini (or something. I don't know how you named it)

add add something like this:

[zone
nickname = zone_sol_JumpGate_Li01
pos = 45000, 0, 60000
shape = SPHERE
size = 1200
property_flags = 131072
visit = 128
sort = 99.500000

About the nickname: This can be anything. You can name it just jumpgate or whatever. I assume you have a connection with New York, so I put Li01 after it

About the position: Again, I have no clue where you have put the jump gate. But the best thing you can do is just use the same position as your jumpgate has.

save and go to your data\solar\asteroids\sol_badlands_asteroids.ini and open it.

Here add the following section:

[Exclusion Zones
exclusion = zone_sol_JumpGate_Li01

Save and when you go to the gate now, you'll see that there are no asteroids within a 1200m radius around your gate.

For the question about radiation.

I don't know what your question really is, but if you want a zone where there is radiation, just add this to your sol.ini

[zone
nickname = Zone_sol_radiation
pos = 27500, 0, -4500
shape = SPHERE
size = 2250
edge_fraction = 0.300000
damage = 1000
interference = 0.500000
visit = 128
sort = 99.500000

again, nickname and postion are for you to decide.
size should speak for itself
and damage as well.

However. To give a little idea about damage.
50 is the number that is used with the wrecks in the badlands nebula in New York. so the 1000 here a lot higher. From my experience, 1000 radiation damage will destroy the hull of a Falcon in about 30-45 secs.

so that's about radiation.

Now for that other thing.

Mines.

I assume it is the same as with asteroids, but because I have never created a new minefield, I don't know for sure.

and the tradelane part. tradelanes don't suck. They can take up a lot of time to get them right. What you can do is use a tradelane calculator to calculate the positions of the rings for you, but the trouble with those calculators is that they never seem to have the same distances between those rings. You can start with one, the following is like 11k away. and then all rings are only 5.5k away.

Very unprofessional if I might say so. The distance used in the normal freelancer systems is 6.9,7.0 or 7.1k. Most of them are spot on 7.0, but it can vary a little.

so how do you get them to have the same distance then?
simple.. trial and error. Just create one, and put another one near it. Go to the first one and if you are in the middle of the first, look at your second and look at the distance between you and the 2nd ring. If it has the position you want, just use the tradelane calculator to calculate the right angle. Set the angle right in the rotation and you know how much further you have to place the third ring.
Just calculate how much the X and Y value have changed from the 1st to the 2nd and do that again for the 2nd to the 3rd.. and so on.

It may be a bit confusing now, but it's really easy to do. Tradelanes are just a bit more work than the average thing you edit in a system.

But once again. The Rheinland bug is something I haven't been able to solve so far

good luck creating our homesystem

Arbiter,

I'm glad you seem to have mastered the neubula.`

I haven't had time to check the board, because I had a major srew-up of Freelancer, losing my precious mod in the proces (AND, what's worse, I accidentally deleted its backup, believe it or not). My mourning process hasn't yet reached the point at which I can manipulate myself into thinking that i learned a lot from this mistake, but I guess that'll come soon.


"We are a way of the Cosmos to know itself"

-- Carl Sagan