I heard someone here say you can use gmax for skinning?

[REDJOHNNYMIKE]

Hello all, the diaper dandy's in poodoo again:D

 

On my PC, gimp and TSL have, after a long uneasy truce have finally declared war, the result being my computer crashed 3 times in a row.

 

I can't run them at the same anymore, and I think I remember someone telling me that there was a feature that Gmax had that was useful for skinning,

Please tell me what it is, I know I've seen w.i.p. pics of modelling work with textures on them, can you work on a texture while seeing it on a model in gmax?

[svösh]

here you go the thread is in the modeling skinning section http://www.lucasforums.com/showthread.php?t=143301

 

hope it helps

 

svösh

[REDJOHNNYMIKE]

Thanks Svosh:)

I'll try that asap,

just one question though, once I start updating it and viewing it, would Gmax have the same problems with gimp as TSL does?

[svösh]

Np It shouldn't cause problems, just overwrite each .tga save it to the same place and

gmax will display the update.

 

However I used to have a problem running 3dsmax while k1 was on,

but I believe it was my old Ati Cat drivers because a few months later

I had no trouble at all .

Remember to load gmax with the green and black Nwmax icon not the YMCA looking gmax one.

 

svösh

[REDJOHNNYMIKE]

I've never noticed that one, it just put this little red Y shaped one on the desktop?

[Det. Bart Lasiter]

Also, I fairly sure that there's a plugin for skinning models in gmax/3Ds Max, although I'm not sure it works with GIMP.

[Darkkender]

Now your not trying to run GIMP and TSL at the same time are you? If so your having conflicts for memory and you'll have an even worse conflicts with gmax competting for memory.

[REDJOHNNYMIKE]

Yup that's what I'm doing, I HATE load times so I pick a spot with decent lighting, minimize the game, change a couple pixels, maximize, realize they're in the wrong spot,

rinse and repeat:D

 

But Gmax starts faster doesn't it, every time I start TSL the load screen takes a while to show over 800 saves:D

[oldflash]

I use *max for skinning. Only for seting alpha channel (chrome effect) I use TSL. But in time you will get some experience and in 2-3 steps you will get the right alpha mask.

Use metod described by svösh. It's the best. And safe.

[REDJOHNNYMIKE]

?

I Dled mdlops, extracted it to KT's directory,

Extracted the giarmor02.mdl and .mdx to a storage directory, used mdlops to convert .mdl to ascii.mdl (or something like that) but when I used File-> Import in gmax, it said it couldn't read the file type,

what was I supposed to do with the .mdx?

and what green icon, the red one is all I see?

[oldflash]

?

I Dled mdlops, extracted it to KT's directory,

Extracted the giarmor02.mdl and .mdx to a storage directory, used mdlops to convert .mdl to ascii.mdl (or something like that) but when I used File-> Import in gmax, it said it couldn't read the file type,

what was I supposed to do with the .mdx?

and what green icon, the red one is all I see?

 

First, is noo need to extract mdl/mdx files to get ascii version. On kotortools doubleclick on *.mdl file and follow the instuction on next screen. Be sure to uncheck "clear working directory". In that way you will get aschii mdl and afiliate textures just good to import in gmax.

[ChAiNz.2da]

?

I Dled mdlops, extracted it to KT's directory,

Extracted the giarmor02.mdl and .mdx to a storage directory, used mdlops to convert .mdl to ascii.mdl (or something like that) but when I used File-> Import in gmax, it said it couldn't read the file type,

what was I supposed to do with the .mdx?

and what green icon, the red one is all I see?

Do you have the Gmax plug-in for ascii models?

 

You can grab it here:

http://nwmax.dladventures.com

 

You'll need to use the plugin's toolbar in order to import the file, not Gmax's File > Import

 

Also, the "green" icon you're looking for should be in Gmax's program folder once the plugin is installed. Gmax doesn't place the icon "out in the open" so you have to do a little snoopnig to find it (sneaky aren't they?) .. hehehe

[REDJOHNNYMIKE]

@oldflash, is that an option that has been added since spring?

 

@chainz, OH, well that just makes sense now doesn't it:D

 

I guess I'm updating Gmax and KT then

[oldflash]

Oh yes, take last version of KotorTools from http://kotortool.home.comcast.net

If you have a good internet connection I suggest to use 3DsMax instead Gmax.

I use 3dmas for reskin. I open texture files in photo editor (here is no matter what you use) and model in 3dmax. After I make some modifications on texture I save-it, "alt+tab" and I look at result. In Gmax I wasn't abble to do that. Easy way in Gmax is to reload only texture (same steps like putting texture on model - except no need to remap).

Some time ago I have found NWNMdlViewer1.0 (aurora model viewer for NWN and it works for kotor models) and it was pretty good. I don't remember where is hosted (I think is on bioware sitem) and in read-me.txt is only this "Sorcerer's Place - http://www.sorcerers.net". If it's work in you machine will be great. It's fast. Only one problem with this: does'n know about envmap and alpha channel is interpreted like transparency.

 

Good luck.

[REDJOHNNYMIKE]

Thanks for the help, but I thought 3dsmax was expensive and Gmax was the free version?

[oldflash]

Thanks for the help, but I thought 3dsmax was expensive and Gmax was the free version?

 

Yes, it's true but also 3dmax have a tryout version (30 days).

[REDJOHNNYMIKE]

Okay, everything worked until after the material editor step, I couldn't figure out all the texture related stuff, but am I right in asuming that in the material editor, the sphere with the texture on it is the original shape of the model, with the "vertexes?" moved to match shapes with the textures?

[T7nowhere]

I couldn't figure out all the texture related stuff, but am I right in asuming that in the material editor, the sphere with the texture on it is the original shape of the model, with the "vertexes?" moved to match shapes with the textures?

 

No, don't worrie about the sphere. The way models work is first the geometry is "sculpted"(not the best word but it will do) then you apply the UVmapping and you map your 3d object in 2d with the UV editor. Once you have your UV map complete you then export (screen cap on the UVmap in the UV editor, svösh wrote a tut explaining how to do this for PS) it to a paint app like PSP, PS, the gimp. Then you use the UV map as a guide while you make the texture. To check your painting progress on the model in gmax save your texture as tga and apply it to your model in the Material editor.

[REDJOHNNYMIKE]

oh, about the sphere, I was just curious about that aspect of modeling, and figured I'd mention it in passing instead of starting a thread:D

But do you mean like cutting shapes off the model, I was under the impression that this type of modeling was more like just moving a limited number of points around.

I've actually used programs where you make models for Machined parts (where you add shapes together and cut parts off), but I thought it was different?

 

The screen cap, that's of the unwrap right? it was in a window with toolbars, does it have an option to save what's in it, without the toolbars and the desktop, in the right resolution so you can use it as the texture, with all the lines (I'm asuming edges of the model) showing up in the actual ingame texture?

 

OR do you just reference the Screenshot to give you a better approximation of where to paint?

 

Also for as many steps as I was able to understand, I used the "sam fisher mask" because it was simple,

I want to retexture the second level armor, but it shows up all "chunky" parts textured, parts with just white model sticking out?

and the texture shown in GMAX wasn't the texture for the Basic armor, it was for the Red one?

 

I'm not making any sense anymore am I:(