eyewi122 Posted May 4, 2004 Share Posted May 4, 2004 hey guys chack this page it might help with how to crack the model format http://filext.com/detaillist.php?extdetail=mdl Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tk102 Posted May 4, 2004 Share Posted May 4, 2004 Thanks, but we we're pretty sure we're dealing with 3ds Max software since that's what Bioware used with NWN and some clues found in the erf texture packs. Keep your eyes peeled for .mdl documentaion like this! Unfortunately Torlack can't tell us squat about KotOR because he's now part of Bioware. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cchargin Posted May 6, 2004 Share Posted May 6, 2004 Hello all, Is anyone actively working on the .mdl format? I have seen a few posts about people glancing at it. I took a look at some extracted KOTOR .mdl and .mdx and compared them to Torlacks information. Here is what I have seen: The format on Torlacks web page is very similar to what I see in the .mdl. The header is 12 bytes long. The first 4 bytes are all 0. The second 4 bytes are the size of the .mdl file. The last 4 bytes are the size of the .mdx file. This leads me to believe that the .mdl holds the structure and the .mdx holds the raw data. Then you get to a geometry header. The big change here is that in Torlacks info it states that the geometry name is CHAR[64], in a KOTOR file it appears to be CHAR[32]. Then you get to a model header. Again the CHAR[64] appears to have been changed to CHAR[32] Then you get 16 bytes and an array that appears to be the names of the model parts. These are not in Torlacks info. The 16 bytes appear to be 4 integer numbers. The first number is the offset to the root node of the geometry (like in the geometry header). The second number seems to always be 0. The third number is the size of the .mdx file (again!). The fourth number seems to always be 0. Then you get to the animation nodes as pointed to in the model header. Then you get to the other nodes as pointed to in the geometry header. This is as far as I got trying to manually trace the offsets with a hex editor. I am guessing some of these changes were made to save memory on the xbox version. Chuck Chargin Jr. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StormSinger Posted May 6, 2004 Share Posted May 6, 2004 I compared the sizes of the c_ronto.mdl from the PC version and the xbox version. PC: 229,376 bytes xbox: 229,376 bytes Even so, when I compared them in a hex editor, they came up with 305 differences which accounted for about 85-90% of the file. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tk102 Posted May 6, 2004 Share Posted May 6, 2004 cchargin said: Is anyone actively working on the .mdl format? I have seen a few posts about people glancing at it. I have to admit I've spent 0 time trying to decrypt the model information. I'm not sure what I'd do with it once I got it, since I have no 3d modeling software to work with (which I assume you could use if you could convert the .mdl to ascii format like Torlack's nwnmdlcomp utility does.) cchargin, thank you for taking the time to post this. If you have the time to do so, it would very much help if you could put your format information into a table for quick reference, sort of like the way Bioware does it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Feza Posted May 6, 2004 Share Posted May 6, 2004 Originally posted by tk102 I have to admit I've spent 0 time trying to decrypt the model information. I'm not sure what I'd do with it once I got it, since I have no 3d modeling software to work with (which I assume you could use if you could convert the .mdl to ascii format like Torlack's nwnmdlcomp utility does.) cchargin, thank you for taking the time to post this. If you have the time to do so, it would very much help if you could put your format information into a table for quick reference, sort of like the way Bioware does it. Dunno if it would help or not, but there is a freeware version of 3ds Max software at http://www.discreet.com/products/gmax not sure if you can find any info there to help you, but maybe worth a look (?) if you can figure out how to decrypt the models. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Feza Posted May 9, 2004 Share Posted May 9, 2004 Here's a link talking about the freeware version of 3ds Max software - Gmax- and modeling in NWN. Not sure if any of this can help with KotOR, but what the heck, maybe it will give some one ideas http://tutorials.city-of-doors.com/gmax.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T7nowhere Posted May 9, 2004 Share Posted May 9, 2004 I have actually started to learn how to use gmax But to use it we need someone to make Import/Export script and to do that you would have to first understand KotOR's model formatt. Which is something noone has yet done, much to the chagrin of all KotOR modders. Thanks for posting that though. I found it interesting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doom_Dealer Posted May 9, 2004 Share Posted May 9, 2004 just a quick question, has anyone tried emailing bioware about it representing the kotor modding community (i.e this forum) i know its a long shot but if someone could get the question to someone at the devs we might get some answers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T7nowhere Posted May 9, 2004 Share Posted May 9, 2004 I did. I won't name names, but the final word was "LA told us not to support modding KotOR".. not exact quote I meant to save that PM before it got deleted D'OH! LA being the Publisher has complete control of anything official to do with KotOR. I couldn't even get a straight answer from the Dev I contacted just "LA told us not to support modding KotOR" about 6 times to different questions. The only hope to get official Modding support would to harass LA . Though I don't see LA ever giving us anything. There was a thread on the LA/KotOR forums asking to let bioware release more content and or to release Tools, but It was deleted. Even Obsidian has said Sith lords will have as much Modding support as KotOR. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doom_Dealer Posted May 9, 2004 Share Posted May 9, 2004 pah, boooooo! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jackel Posted May 9, 2004 Share Posted May 9, 2004 Originally posted by T7nowhere Even Obsidian has said Sith lords will have as much Modding support as KotOR. which means we better start planning mods for KOTOR2 so we can start making them with our current tools Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hax0redCardz Posted May 9, 2004 Share Posted May 9, 2004 Why is LA being so ghey? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quisor Posted May 9, 2004 Share Posted May 9, 2004 I like to call it stupidity. It has been shown that the more mod support there is, the more name recognition there is, and sales go up. Therefore, LA is stupid. Even Microsoft hasn't yet been quite that stupid. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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