The best thing you can do is stick to either resizing a vanilla SUR or learn how to use the SUR Splicer. ATM we cannot create a fully 100% working SUR, I can get a 90%-95% SUR from the exporter but it takes 5-6 times the work that most people put into thier models, I usually have to rip models apart and rebuild them properly before I stand a chance with the SUR. The Splicer gives a 40%-50% SUR as it only has 1 layer of damage detection while a vanilla has 3. Resizing will give you a SUR that works, it just doesn't fit your ship very well.
Both the splicer and resizing can give you destructables if you build your model properly (something the vast majority don't do), the exporter has a problem with destructables as it's the only part I can't get to work properly.

**shuffles of with a new headache**

Oops....

LoadLibrary failed on: E:\Program Files\Common Programs\MilkShape 3D 1.7.6\msSURExporterV1_2.dll. Please check dependencies ...

Cosidering that the version I have is msSURExporterV1_1.dll, and the source code available on the EOA site is V1_2, this means that either Colins code doesn't work (not likely), or you (or whoever did it for you) made a mess of compiling the dll.

AFAIK there is no real difference in the two (export UI I think), so stick to the one in the TLR downloads.

And PLEASE follow the advice in the post above yours, creating a SUR with only the Exporter is a nightmare, It's taken me over one hundred hours of experimenting, testing, retesting and tweeking to get SUR's that can reliably take cosistant damage on all sufaces, from both collision and weapons fire, destructables still don't work (CTD on part destruction).

*BIG EDIT*
Just found a compiled version over at EOA, It doesn't work for me either, I get the same log entry for 1.7.10, guess it's back to the drawing board for Colin with this.

**shuffles of with a new headache**

Edited by - Bejaymac on 2/9/2007 9:19:02 AM

it works great for me every time, when i put the SURs through sur-splice - before that i was constantly getting crashes and poor hit detection. anyways, i don't need all the parts to collide consistently (the only problem i have had) so long as they always take damage from hits - so I think they've done a great job considering the complexity of this delaunay triangle/qhull library stuff (see qhull.org to fully appreciate it)

XP pro
ms3d 1.74
dotnet 1.1
sur exporter (Arghs binary)
sur splicer (Dev)

Edited by - Cold_Void on 2/9/2007 6:54:57 PM

**sur exporter (Arghs binary)** That's the V1_1 thats here on TLR, Colin had the source for V1_2 available for download over on EOA, but since the new year he's had a compiled version of it available. It's this version that doesn't work, I've tried with MS 1.7.0 through to 1.7.10 and it doesn't load into any of them. I've even tried it with the mesa files and NET 1.1 & 2.0 with no luck, the MS log on the early versions show this:-

Trying PlugIn: C:\Program Files\MilkShape 3D 1.7.0\msSURExporterV1_2.dll

and later versions this:-

Trying PlugIn: C:\Program Files\MilkShape 3D 1.7.10\msSURExporterV1_2.dll
LoadLibrary failed on: C:\Program Files\MilkShape 3D 1.7.10\msSURExporterV1_2.dll. Please check dependencies ...

Like you I take my hat off to Colin, Dev and the rest of the people that have got the exporter to a working state, I just think that V1_2 has got a little corrupted when it was compiled, but as I haven't a clue how to compile it myself I can't test my hunch.

My only problem with V1_1 is still the destructables, they take damage as you can see it in the repair window when you dock, it's just that when they go BOOM so does FL, AFAIK everything else works fine for me and it's this version that I've done all of my SUR work with.

well if you need help with destructibles afaik there's only one expert here - thats a me ;P so if you'd like me to help post or email your INI shiparch/collisiongroups INI sur_splice SURs and completed ship here or on my mod forum and i will do what i can. not sure what could cause a crash when the parts are destroyed, other than bad code on the collisiongroups/missing hardpoints on dmg parts. did you have any trouble finding Argh's binary? let me know if you need it - i haven't tried Colin's new bin but I suspect Argh was just increasing some variables until the SURs sorta-worked, and they probably look identical after sursplicing

Edited by - Cold_Void on 2/10/2007 3:11:09 PM

Thanks for the offer bud but normally destructables work fine for me, I used to do them with a resized vanilla SUR without any problems, but since Argh released his compiled DLL of the Exporter I've had limited to no success with the custom SURs. I can fly my test ship with a resized SUR and the destructables work fine, swap it with the custom SUR and CTD on part destruction, and don't ask about the SUR-Splicer (it doesn't like me ) as I still can't test any of the ones I've made with it (CTD on launch).

I believe that it's possible to create a fully working SUR with the Exporter as I've had limited success with destructables, it's just a case of nailing the construction method for the CMP & SUR perfectly ( I'll get there eventually or die trying )

**shuffles of with a new headache**