Greets and a few questions

[Xarian]

I know there's only very few around here but I've been lurking on this forum looking for answers to just about everything for about 2 weeks now so i thought i'd say hello to anyone left and ask a few simple Q's that i cant find info for.. as its more recent stuff that came out later.

Im using the X2 Editor and all the latest (well last release) tools and i've got all that down, replacing textures is starting to make some sence.. though i think im going to make a list of what uses what bumpmap to save my sanity, I'm surprised that doesn't exist honestly.. anyway my questions are thus...

1. How do i make a new shield.. is it a matter of just cloning an existing shield and info's.. then telling the Tships what can use it?
2. Is that the same for Rockets & Guns too? im all up on the gun loading stuff having just found the cockpit lists as well (now my loadouts work)
3. This ones not really been even addressed.. but it makes me think..
Using dbob.exe i can extract a .bob or .bod to .txt and have a look.. thats great for knowing exactly what a ship uses (brilliant for importing!.. genius!) but im curious as to weather it goes backwards? as that would be possibly the greatest thing since sliced cahoona's. I've got a few number conflicts and my theory is i can change out the numbers in this .txt version (i know what im doin its ok) then recompile.. or whatever that dbob.exe thing does.. then use the renumbered parts as a new model (basically.. same model but numbers changed) this would also be great for changing textures manualy instead of having to jungle shared textures... I can get what looks like a .bob & .bod back out of the dbob.exe .. but id rather hear from someone that's done this and it worked.. im still new to how X2 handles meshs, but ive had my share or mesh related problems with other starships in another game.

That's my Q's.. at least for now i've managed to get pretty far by myself but these things above are the ones that have made me stop and say "latter when i know a bit more" im just building a mega mod for my personal joy (mass destruction on a galactic scale.. funtimes) but when im done i may be able to give back a bit to those that are left still modding this game.. I really wish i started sooner..(5 years ago maybe.. lol) im sorry im late to the party but im willing to dance!

Oh and if there's an afterparty im missing.... Feel free to point me in that direction..

[Cycrow]

shields and weapons work slightly differently.

to add new ones you can add a new entry in the correct file, TShields/TLasers/TMissiles

but to link them to the ship, for shields you set the maximum shield the ship can use, which is the position of the shield in the file. Then the ship can use that an all lower shields

for weapons, you have to set the individual masks for each laser/missile. There is also a limit to 32 lasers and missiles

for the Bod/Bob, Bod files are essentially just text files so you should be able to edit them directly. And assuming you have the format correct, the game should be able to read those changes.
Bob files are compressed versions of Bod, so you use the tool to decompress them. You can compress them back up again after editing them

[Xarian]

Thanks for the clarification i got a bit lost in that original 4-5 page infofest on the structure of the .bob / .bob but it never addressed that.. or if it did i was burnt out from all that info.