Model Help

[Istorian]

I've made a new module, well to be precise I modified an existing model in Max, and there's a problem. Whe I put it in the game, everything is dark, and when I run, my head can tilt 360 degrees but my body stays where it is...I added more AuroraDLights, but it didn't work...why doesn't it work? Here are a few pics of my module:

 

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Any help is appreciated!

 

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[Sithspecter]

Editing a model is a very bad idea. MDLOps just doesn't have all the controllers for most of the lights used in the game, and the UV maps are often very screwy. I honestly don't think that you will be able to fix that.

[Istorian]

Well, I don't use mdlops, I use KAurora...So, would it be better if I started a new model from scratch?

 

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[Sithspecter]

Well, you had to use MDLOps to convert it to ASCII

 

Yes, that would be the best thing. I mean, it's possible to fix it, but it would take probably more time to fix it than to make a new one.

[Istorian]

Well, doesn't NWMax exoprt the mdl file into an ASCII? And if I wanted to fix it, how could I? Thanks for all the help so far!

 

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[Quanon]

Well, doesn't NWMax exoprt the mdl file into an ASCII? And if I wanted to fix it, how could I? Thanks for all the help so far!

 

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Hmm is this a new area with its own .mod file ?

 

If so it might be best to make a .lyt file aswell.

Its just a textfile with this in it ( an example ofcourse)

#MAXLAYOUT ASCII
filedependancy 002QGM.max
beginlayout
  roomcount 3
     773QGM_01a 0.0 0.0 0.0
     773QGM_01b 0.0 0.0 0.0
     773QGM_01c 0.0 0.0 0.0
  trackcount 0
  obstaclecount 0
  doorhookcount 0
donelayout

 

You then just have to do the "Save As" and add the .lyt extension.

This could make your room pop-up

 

PS : The file was saved as 773qgm.lyt , same name as the the .are, .git and the .mod

[Istorian]

nah, the area is 261tel, the polar plateau in Telos...I just want to modify a few things...I made a .lyt, a .vis, a .mod (of course!), the .mdl and .mdx (they're binary), but I only used KAurora, as you did in your excellent tutorial, Quanon! I didn't use mdlops:D Oh, this drives me mad...Ah, I figured that my .lyt file doesn't have "0.0 0.0 0.0", but real X, Y and Z coordinates like "250.0 -120.0 etc"...However, that's because the center in the model (where the grid and the Aurora Base are) is near the skybox....Far far away from the spawning area...Does this have anything to do with the walkmesh? Because I didn't make a new one, I just used the original...If I made one, would the area pop-up? Thanks for the replies, guys!!

 

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[Quanon]

...Ah, I figured that my .lyt file doesn't have "0.0 0.0 0.0", but real X, Y and Z coordinates like "250.0 -120.0 etc"...However, that's because the center in the model (where the grid and the Aurora Base are) is near the skybox....Far far away from the spawning area...Does this have anything to do with the walkmesh? Because I didn't make a new one, I just used the original...If I made one, would the area pop-up? Thanks for the replies, guys!!

 

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Ah I see, don't touch the coords then in the .lyt.

 

Mine are only at 0.0 0.0 0.0 as each part/ room AuroraBase is at the center, kind stacked on top of each other

See in the game each area is made of several rooms, though each room has its own Aurorabase and the coords of these I think are based on a sort of centrale room.

 

So I wouldn't touch them then or else you might see some heavy shifts of 3D meshes.

 

 

On topic of the ASCII affaire, do note that when you get the Orginale BINS and you then compile them info gets lost.

 

MDLops doesn't handle all the things in a model. I'm thinking here about certain lights being dumbed down to Dummy objects.

 

It seems Obsidian and Bioware had a way to export and convert regular Max lights to do the main part of the lighting, plus the Lightmaps.

 

Thing is the AuroraDlights (which we currently use) are rather more like extra atmosphere lights.

Anyway to get to my point, NWmax doesn't export out Max lights and Kaurora doesn't compile them.

 

Sad thing is Kauroras Bin to ASCII functions don't work yet.

But hey most of blabbering is speculation and based on my small "expertise" on this.

 

I must admit I can't really give much advise on this as I've only created Areas from scratch.

 

I kind of believe that at this moment our tools we have are not able to do what we want them to do.

 

 

I had a PM a week ago from Miltildias, he was also editing an area model and he did seem to have a familair problem with the blackness thing; though it was only on his extra edited part.

 

Odd stuff ...

[Istorian]

Yeah, you're right, but what troubles me most is that the head is floating, you can see that in the pics...it can turn around 36o degrees without the body moving...If everything in the PC was OK, I could say the problem is lightning, but now it seems a bit mre complicated...so, should I just create the areas I want from scratch until svosh, cchargin, you, stoffe, tk make a complete tool for us? As you said, we don't have the tools to make what we want them to make yet...I might post a tool request in the forums...Thanks for all the help, guys! You've all given me a great advice!!

 

EDIT: Yeah, SS, you're right...I'll not try to fix that, as it has caused me some headaches...I'll try a new area...thanks again for all the help!

 

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[Sithspecter]

Alright, I'm fairly certain that the blackness comes from the ambient or diffuse on the Aurora Trimesh modifier being set to black. But Aurora lights can fix that. The only problem is that I'm afraid you'll find that most if not all of the geometry is seriously screwed up. Also, you'll want to hex edit the walkmeshes so that the aurora bases correspond with that of the new area, otherwise the game won't use them. I still think that it's more of a headache to try to fix it, but that just my opinion.