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A-Z of Modeling a new Lightsaber


T7nowhere

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Originally posted by KillerWave

I tracked the SanityCheck error. It is because of the new hilt model itself, although I have no idea to why it causes it.

Someone know how to fix it, if possible?

Can you paste the error here so we can help you ;)

 

svösh

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No I mean your actual error

 

Found in this folder

C:\gmax\scripts\NWmax\sanity

Or this one C:\3dsmax#\scripts\NWmax\sanity

 

named the same as the model you are working on ex : w_Lghtsbr_002_sanitycheck.txt

 

Example like this :

 

Checking node w_Lghtsbr_002

AuroraBase "w_Lghtsbr_002" has a non-zero rotation

'Zero Rotation' Check failed.

Checking node ignore_NGon01

Checking node Dummy01

Checking node new

Checking node plane242

Checking node plane239

Checking node plane240

Checking node plane241

 

what is red is what my problem was ;)

 

svösh

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Checking node w_Lghtsbr_001

Checking node ignore_NGon01

Checking node Dummy01

Checking node w_saber

Node "w_saber" has a scale that is not 1

'Zero World Scale' Check failed.

 

EDIT: Hmm...I managed to get rid of the error scaling the saber before importing it to gmax, but unless I am mistaken, it doesnt export anything :(

Neither the mdl or the ascii mdl seem to change

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Originally posted by KillerWave

Checking node w_Lghtsbr_001

Checking node ignore_NGon01

Checking node Dummy01

Checking node w_saber

Node "w_saber" has a scale that is not 1

'Zero World Scale' Check failed.

 

Save your scene then select all in scene and hit reset Xform on the NWmax tool bar and try to export again.

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It doesn't give me any errors when I hit the "export geom only" on gmax, but id doesn't export anything at all :(

 

It does say: exported at "x" date at "y" hours but the mdl files doesn't change at all. It remains the exact time/date and size from when they were extracted from tsl.

 

AAARRGHHH! Why it doesn't export?

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Alright let me start by saying, I'm a total noob at 3d editing. Ok now I have one question for now. What exactly am I dong here, am I creating many different NGons and pinning them together , or am I taking one NGon and then extrude and bevel it untill it resembles a saber?

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Ialways want to make my custom lightsaber with a bigger "blade", so i decide (before starting with my custom hilt) to change the blade height.

 

In another worlds, i want to make a Long Lightsaber.

 

But after editing the the .mdl file and exported to the override folder i found myself with this problem... see it for yourself.

 

 

k2000001jy.jpg

 

k2000048oq.jpg

 

And when i center the camera behind my player, the part of the blade i mark in the other pics dissapear...

 

k2000030ul.jpg

 

What i have done in gmax is extend the Vertex to a higher position to make it larger. And the model i'm using is w_lghtsbr_002.mdl.

 

So please someone could tell me what i have to do to extend the blade of a lightsaber without having that problem.

 

Thanks.

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I'm surprised you even got that far, it used to be said that you couldn't edit the length of the blade... hmmm I still don't think you can actually change the blade length, but I'm wondering if it is possible now with Taina's replacer tool hmmm, I wonder.

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@SoNico717 why not use Malak’s saber and replace the default with your hilt ;). It’s quite long as it is and wouldn’t have to be any longer without clipping through the ground when flourishing.

w_lghtsbr006 - DARTH MALAK's LIGHT SABER

w_lghtsbr_006.mdl

w_lghtsbr_006.mdx

 

It’s in k2 as well just not used, but it’s in there.

 

@KillerWave try to make a temp directory on your desktop or something, go to it. Copy it’s location from it’s address bar

 

ex: C:\Documents and Settings\##\Desktop\my NEW HILT

 

Then in [g]max just below the modifier stack there is palace for location paste that address in there.

 

When you export with the [ Geom only ] button just below it your new model should be found in your new dir \ . Now if nothing is there, you may have skipped an important step of linking your hilt to the animation dummy so the hilt is not rigged . Try re-reading T7’s helpful saber tut and the Replacer one that comes with Mdlops.

 

Hope this helps ;)

 

svösh

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Originally posted by svösh

@SoNico717 why not use Malak’s saber and replace the default with your hilt ;). It’s quite long as it is and wouldn’t have to be any longer without clipping through the ground when flourishing.

w_lghtsbr006 - DARTH MALAK's LIGHT SABER

w_lghtsbr_006.mdl

w_lghtsbr_006.mdx

 

It’s in k2 as well just not used, but it’s in there.

 

svösh

 

Thanks, i never figured out that model is in KT2 ... i'm going to play with it when i get back home.

 

Thanks again :)

 

EDIT: BTW great tutorial T7, just perfect! even a noobie like me can start moding a lightsaber :)

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Can anyone tell me what I'm doing? Also everytime I reopen GMax, The saber and cylinder almost double in size! How do I re-size it once it has been converted to editable mesh? I'm sorry if this sounds a little childish, but I'm really eager to start modeling my first saber hilt.

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Originally posted by Clibby

Can anyone tell me what I'm doing? Also everytime I reopen GMax, The saber and cylinder almost double in size! How do I re-size it once it has been converted to editable mesh? I'm sorry if this sounds a little childish, but I'm really eager to start modeling my first saber hilt.

Is it physically re-sizing, or is it just your Zoom extent POV? Once you've resized, Save your scene, close it and immediately re-open it to see if the changes "took hold"...

 

Also, make sure you "set environment" before opening your project (and starting new ones)...

 

As far as resizing, there's numerous ways.

You can segment/slice your polys and use the Move feature, you can fiddle around with the extrusions (though your hilt may wind up inside itself)... or you can use scaling.. 3dsMAX & GMAX support uniform & non-uniform scaling as a whole, lengthwise & width-wise. Or you can try editing in the verts sub, physicall moving your vertices dimensions....

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Ok, thanks Chainz, I forgot to set the enviorment. Now what exactly am I doing? I still havent figured it out. I have the 2cm base that I want, but what do I do now. Do I create more NGons untill I get it like a saber, or do I just work off the 2cm one?

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Originally posted by Clibby

Ok, thanks Chainz, I forgot to set the enviorment. Now what exactly am I doing? I still havent figured it out. I have the 2cm base that I want, but what do I do now. Do I create more NGons untill I get it like a saber, or do I just work off the 2cm one?

Once you've established the 2cm base, select the "top" face and add an extrude modifier from the drop-down list. I usually start with a .5cm extrude.

 

Right-click on the extruded base and convert to Editable mesh. Now to your right in the window you'll see the new "Mesh" sub. Open the tree, select "poly" and now you can build off of the base you just created. Using simple extrudes and beveling can get you almost any design you want. For further "elements" you can experiment selecting different faces and use combinations of bevel, extrude, scaling, move, booleans, etc.

 

It's all really "experimentation" until you get familiar with the tools and how they're incorporated into MAX. Start simple, then try more advanced designs as you go along :)

 

ALSO, read up on the tutorials listed in the Skinning & Modeling Stickies located at the top of this forum.

 

both svösh & T7 have gone to great lengths in detailing the steps needed in order to properly model a saber. Trust me, after a few models.. you'll be making these things blind-folded ;)

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Originally posted by svösh

@KillerWave try to make a temp directory on your desktop or something, go to it. Copy it’s location from it’s address bar

 

ex: C:\Documents and Settings\##\Desktop\my NEW HILT

 

Then in [g]max just below the modifier stack there is palace for location paste that address in there.

 

When you export with the [ Geom only ] button just below it your new model should be found in your new dir \ . Now if nothing is there, you may have skipped an important step of linking your hilt to the animation dummy so the hilt is not rigged . Try re-reading T7’s helpful saber tut and the Replacer one that comes with Mdlops.

 

Hope this helps ;)

 

svösh

 

I did all of this, no luck!

 

http://killerwave.solsector.net/tsl/missing.jpg

 

1. Created a temp folder

2. Made sure it was linked

3. Changed the export path and choose "export geom only"

4. Gmax say it was exported

5. The temp directory is empty!

 

What the hell!? It refuses to save.

 

Strange thing is that when it had the sanitycheck error, it made changes on the original mdl, but didnt saved the new hilt.

Now it doesnt save anything, even if I restart from scratch and leave the sanitycheck error.

 

Gmax hates me :(

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Originally posted by KillerWave

I did all of this, no luck!

 

http://killerwave.solsector.net/tsl/missing.jpg

 

1. Created a temp folder

2. Made sure it was linked

3. Changed the export path and choose "export geom only"

4. Gmax say it was exported

5. The temp directory is empty!

 

What the hell!? It refuses to save.

 

Two things that may be worth checking:

 

1) Did you start gmax by choosing nwmax? There should be a green/black "nw" icon down in the system tray in the taskbar if you did.

 

2) Do you use Win2K or WinXP as operating system on your computer? NWMax Snoop, which is used for exporting, does not work in Win95/Win98/WinME....

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Originally posted by stoffe -mkb-

2) Do you use Win2K or WinXP as operating system on your computer? NWMax Snoop, which is used for exporting, does not work in Win95/Win98/WinME....

 

That is it!

I have 2 pcs, one is running Win98 and the other WinXP. I tried on both. Although I was, in both cases, opening the files from the Win98 pc, wich caused it to dont work even on XP.

I got all the files on XP and now its working. :D

There is a pic in case anyone is curious:

http://killerwave.solsector.net/tsl/hilts.jpg

 

A quick note: The hilt models arent mine, so I am not releasing it.

If there is interest however, I could try to contact the modelers for their permission.

 

Thanks for the help.

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Originally posted by KillerWave

That is it!

I have 2 pcs, one is running Win98 and the other WinXP. I tried on both. Although I was, in both cases, opening the files from the Win98 pc, wich caused it to dont work even on XP.

I got all the files on XP and now its working. :D

There is a pic in case anyone is curious:

http://killerwave.solsector.net/tsl/hilts.jpg

 

A quick note: The hilt models arent mine, so I am not releasing it.

If there is interest however, I could try to contact the modelers for their permission.

 

Thanks for the help.

 

That's great KillerWave!, congrats :)

 

I like both LightSabers!

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  • 2 weeks later...
Originally posted by T7nowhere

Remember if there is any part thats unclear please post so I can see about amending the tut.

There is for me, (I don't know about anybody else because I am the biggest modeling n00b in the universe).

 

In Part 3, I know how to get another KotOR saber into Gmax, but after that bit I have no idea what to do :confused: , this includes going through Part 4 aswell. I'm wondering if you can please explain this in more detail for me (I've never used Gmax before and I know that you said that you were writing it for people who have some knowledge. I went to the main site to look for tuts but it looks like you have to pay for them :confused: ). Overall though it's a great tut.

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