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Linking Custom Hilts Help!

:USA:Hefe(I)

By :USA:Hefe(I)
in Holowan Laboratories

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:USA:Hefe(I) Newbie

:USA:Hefe(I)

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Posted

Hello,

I've been modding JA for a while now and just started modding Kotor:)! I like making hilts, thats my thang! But I have one thing I can't figure out:( Ok I import lets say g_w_lghtsbr01

Now I place my new hilt, line it up ect... but how do I link it? I exported one but lol there was no hilt model and one blade face.

Thank you very much in advance.

 

:USA:Hefe(I)-www.clanusa.org

 

Oh and BTW heres some of my JA hilts-Will be available soon!

untitled79qf0ae.jpg

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ChAiNz.2da Newbie

ChAiNz.2da

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If you have cchargin's MDLOps (I'm assuming so in order to bring a model into GMAX), his "Replacer" Tutorial has very specific instructions on how to link your new model, reseting Xform, blah, blah...

It definitely helped me to navigate within GMAX...

 

Stuff I'm sure you're familiar with (pardon my dribble ;) )

 

In actuality, other than making the saber itself, the Replacer Tutorial tells you pretty much everything you need to know on how to get stuff in & out of GMAX...so kudos cchargin on your skills :thumbsup:

 

Quoted from cchargin's replacer tutorial:

 

6) position your new lightsaber so that the top of your hilt

is even with the top of the original hilt.

 

7) Position the pivot point of your light saber to have the same coordinates and rotation as the original hilt.

- a) select your lightsaber and then click the "heirarchy" tab.

- b) make sure "pivot" is selected then click "affect pivot only"

- c) click the "align" button on the top tool bar and then click the "old" hilt.

- d) in the align window make sure the following options are selected:

Align position: x position

Align position: y position

Align position: z position

Align position: current object: Pivot point

Align position: target object: Pivot point

Align orientation: X axis

Align orientation: Y axis

Align orientation: Z axis

- e) click OK

- f) click on "affect pivot only" to turn it off

 

8) select your saber then click the "resetxform" button in the nwmax "mesh tools" section.

 

9) You can re-link the blades and the dummies, but it is not necessary.

 

10) Link your new saber mesh to the old hilts parent (from step 3).

 

11) export.

There are more steps to take, but it'd make more sense to just read his tutorial offline...plus, it's not my original work to be displaying around ;)

 

Those are some pretty sweet hilts, so I really hope this helps! :D

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:USA:Hefe(I) Newbie

:USA:Hefe(I)

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Thank you very much for your reply:) I must be an idiot or something I followed the tutorial to the letter but when imported it seems the mesh is there but its transparent(you can see an out line of the top of the mesh from the saber glow) I just dont get it:(

 

I meen ok, I trimesh my model which is one mesh lowpoly, line it up using the pivot thingy, resetxform, link to dummy01, export?

 

Then go through the whole replacment deal.

 

I'm very frustrated at this point-6 hours straight no joy:(

 

I would be very greatfull if someone could supply more help thks:)

 

*About to send PC flyin out window* :USA:Hefe(I)

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Bobo Newbie

Bobo

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Very nice hilts you got there.

 

It will be nice to have those in Kotor

 

Judging by them they are not made by LucasArts, so i am guessing its going to be Legal to make them Kotor :D

 

--------Bobo:c3po:

 

EDIT: The Anakin Hilt is currently being done by Svosh i beleve

 

but to have Obi-Wans hilt would be wonderful, to go with Qui-Gons hilt by T7 and Xavier2's Robe mod!

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ChAiNz.2da Newbie

ChAiNz.2da

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Originally posted by :USA:Hefe(I)

Thank you very much for your reply:) I must be an idiot or something I followed the tutorial to the letter but when imported it seems the mesh is there but its transparent(you can see an out line of the top of the mesh from the saber glow) I just dont get it:(

 

I meen ok, I trimesh my model which is one mesh lowpoly, line it up using the pivot thingy, resetxform, link to dummy01, export?

 

Then go through the whole replacment deal.

Just thought of something.

 

Have you constructed your UVmap, skinned it, and applied it to your materials in GMAX before exporting? And, did you set the material to "metal"...

 

As I was constructing Xia's Saber (my latest WIP topic) I had a similiar problem. Turns out that even though I had applied my skin, I didn't set the diffusion to all white...which made my saber black since my skin .tga's alpha channel was full-blown.

 

Also, check to make sure you included the .txi files for your hilt skin, and that your hilt-skin's alpha channel isn't all quirky (or for that matter, make sure an alpha channel does exist).

 

Sorry to be so confusing, but worst case scenario, it might be a mix of all the above...

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T7nowhere Newbie

T7nowhere

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Originally posted by :USA:Hefe(I)

Thank you very much for your reply:) I must be an idiot or something I followed the tutorial to the letter but when imported it seems the mesh is there but its transparent(you can see an out line of the top of the mesh from the saber glow) I just dont get it:(

 

I meen ok, I trimesh my model which is one mesh lowpoly, line it up using the pivot thingy, resetxform, link to dummy01, export?

 

Then go through the whole replacment deal.

 

I'm very frustrated at this point-6 hours straight no joy:(

 

I would be very greatfull if someone could supply more help thks:)

 

*About to send PC flyin out window* :USA:Hefe(I)

 

Ok what happens when you use the replacer?

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:USA:Hefe(I) Newbie

:USA:Hefe(I)

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Thanks again for the replys:)

 

Ok I managed(and dont know how) to import 1 hilt. Its the Luke hilt from ROTJ. I figured maybe that the other hilt I was tryin to import had to many faces or polys so I modeled a new hilt using 8 sided cylinders and using 2 cap segments and wielding verts between each cylinder. At the end the model was about 236 polys!

 

I do know about changing the diffuse and ambeint to all white, but that seems to wackout the texture?

 

So I get the Luke hilt in, I think I got it nailed! WRONG! lol

 

So I model a Vader hilt, ends up 268 polys, do all the same stuff and BAMB! Transparent hilt once again?

 

And about the Alpha channel thing, I opened my tga and sure enough theres a alpha there, so I delete it. But when I open it back up its still there? Does photoshop generate a new alpha every time you open a tga?

 

I haven't tried deleting it and tryin it in game yet but I will do so.

 

Oh and when I run replace thingy everything seems to go fine?

 

Thanks again guys! Nice to see Kotor has such a good community:)

 

:USA:Hefe(I)

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ChAiNz.2da Newbie

ChAiNz.2da

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Originally posted by :USA:Hefe(I)

And about the Alpha channel thing, I opened my tga and sure enough theres a alpha there, so I delete it. But when I open it back up its still there? Does photoshop generate a new alpha every time you open a tga?

 

I haven't tried deleting it and tryin it in game yet but I will do so.

ACK! hehe no, keep the alpha. Alpha = Good ;)

Save .tga in 32 bit as well...

 

Out of curiosity, what Photo Editing software are you using & what version? (Photshop, Paint Shop Pro, Gimp, etc.) ...

 

Oh, and listen to anything T7 suggests, he's far more proficient in this area than I am :D

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ChAiNz.2da Newbie

ChAiNz.2da

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Originally posted by :USA:Hefe(I)

Ok I got it now lol! I think it was the alpha but i dont know! It just works now hehe! I have an Armada of hilts ready to be imported heres a screenie of my first two!

a10ig.jpg

 

Thanks again for all your help:)

 

You'll be seeing alot of me round now hehe!

 

:USA:Hefe(I)

::stunned:: NICE WORK! :thumbsup:

 

I'm glad you got it to work (no matter what voodoo magic was involved ;) ), and welcome aboard Holowan Laboratories :D

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Bobo Newbie

Bobo

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Bravo! You just joined and your already exelent. hehe, amazing!

 

And WHEEEE! TSL is only A DAY AWAY!

 

I cant wait to make my Jedi Guardian, Crix!

 

but i plan to play it twice, Light and darkside without mods before modding. :)

 

 

-Bobo:c3po:

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:USA:Hefe(I) Newbie

:USA:Hefe(I)

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Hey everyone,

 

Thanks for all the nice replys:)

 

Ok I figured out its Ahlpa vs Ambient, Diffuse, and Specular.

 

So I can get my hilts in with the dull flat looking textures.

 

My next question (and I know theres a tutorial on this but I don't have word and can't open it:( Is how to do the shiny chrome effect?

 

I know you'll say "but hey doesn't one of your screens have a shiny hilt? Yeah but I don't know how I did it lol!

 

I also noticed that if you set the ambient and diffuse at one hue and the ahlpa at the opposite you get the flat looking texture I think?

 

And if there the same you get the transparent hilt. Cool I guess if your making ghost skins!

 

I'm just confused on how to set up the Diffuse,Ambient,Specular,and Ahlpa and is this xsi file need to get the chrome effect(I didn't make one for my first and it happend?)

 

Btw, everyone here is great! Thanks again for all the help and positive responses:)

 

:USA:Hefe(I)

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ChAiNz.2da Newbie

ChAiNz.2da

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Originally posted by :USA:Hefe(I)

My next question (and I know theres a tutorial on this but I don't have word and can't open it:( Is how to do the shiny chrome effect?

 

I'm just confused on how to set up the Diffuse,Ambient,Specular,and Ahlpa and is this xsi file need to get the chrome effect(I didn't make one for my first and it happend?)

 

Btw, everyone here is great! Thanks again for all the help and positive responses:)

 

:USA:Hefe(I)

What I usually do is in your Materials Editor, select "Metal", this should make the 'specular' option go away. Set your ambient to "all white"...carry on with the saber build..blahblah

 

Now, in your skin .tga, every part that you want to be super-shiny you'll need a strong (20-50%) black area on your alpha channel corresponding to your hilt parts....

 

Also, you'll need to have your .txi file to have his: 

envmaptexture CM_Baremetal

 

There are other shaders you can use as well, but this is a default that I at least knows works ;)

 

ps - T7's tutorial should also open up in Wordpad, which is standard in Windows. The format is .rtf

You can also download Microsoft's Word Viewer which is free :)

 

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=95E24C87-8732-48D5-8689-AB826E7B8FDF&displaylang=en

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ChAiNz.2da Newbie

ChAiNz.2da

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Originally posted by :USA:Hefe(I)

Dude You ROCK!!!:)

untitled30tm.jpg

 

Thanks a Million:)

 

Should have about 10 more done by the end of the day! Woot!

:lol: After seeing those sabers, I have to say...no...I don't rock...

 

YOU ROCK!, wow. those sabers are sweet looking. I think I might go back to .2da editing so I don't get shown up as bad... :fist: (kidding, keep up the fantastic work!)

 

:thumbsup:

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Darkkender Newbie

Darkkender

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WOW, Your a machine if your going to put out more than 10 into game. Those are great from your original pictures, and that one you've just completed looks spectacular.

 

I'm curious are you planning to be as nice to us as Chainz.2da was by making them have all the different color of blades? If so that will be even better.

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