joebeard wrote:Is it possible to make them as big as you want? I would like to add a planet that is *slightly* more realisticly sized (about 10x normal size, though preferably I'd want 100x but I'm guessing that is impossible). Also, is it possible to make them move (other than rotate). In that way I could simulate the sector and its gates orbiting the planet, would be great fun!
It should be possible to make the planets any size you want to as they are just round 3D spheres with a texture coat. In their 3D files is a size figure where I can make my planets any size I want by just adjusting that. As pointed out here the one thing to watch out for is, they don't occupy the same space with any other object in it as collission detection will kick in and something will go boom.
One would be able to create a planet in 3DStudio Max and export this with the Export DLL which is supposed to be part of the modding kit.
In case one wants different textured planets or by changing the size and texture number in the planet's bod file (which is a text file when read and modified with NotePad) this would be relatively easy. If you can see bod files in your v directory (once you used StoneD's and OlisJ's tools on the 01.dat file) look for any large number just beneath the material lines. They should be in the 300 000 to 600 000 size range. The line should read something like:
xxx xxx; / Automatic Object Size
One can alter this with NotePad to any number within reasons.
Re moving the planet about an orbital path, perhaps in 3DS Max's animations section one can give the planet an orbital path which can be replicated in the sector. I am not the 3DS Max expert but I guess that should be possible. Once so designed, one would have to give the exported planet's bob file a unique number, substitude that number with the planet's number one wants changed in the sector file so as not to upset any other use of the same planet in the game if one would just exchange the planet/s bob/bod number. As some planets are used several times in different sectors.
I hope all the above makes sense, once one gets to know the relationship of the cut and v files and once one sees what they are, it will be easier to understand.
Now you will ask, how do I know what a particular bob/bod file is. Easy, if you can not get any clue by reading it as a text file just rename the file you want to know what it is to a particular ship's file's number, say a Goner ship (04171.bob) but back them up first. Use a ship creation script (on my web site's X2 Script page or the X2 Scripting Centre) to create the Goner ship and you will see what this object is, providing it is not a planet, galaxy or any too large object which will touch any of the planets, ships and stations nearby when the object is created.
I did this as above and catalogued over 1000 objects so far this way. I had many "Game Endings" but so what, one moves on to the next object, makes a note in your writings to that effect so you know next time.
I hope this will help
Cheers
).
....let's just take one thing at a time here! 
i remmember that 