Gmax exporting

[aazell]

Hi all

 

I'm trying to make a model (not a player model just a model) of a battle droid to use in the droid factory level I'm making. Does anyone know if it's possible to export from Gmax into an acceptable model format that JK2 can use???

 

thanks

 

Aazell

 

p.s I can't afford 3d studio max so please don't suggest that. Oh and I know that lot's of you have hacked copies. Tsk Tsk.

[volrathxp]

you can use Gmax you just need the tempest plugin.

 

Go download that and export your model as an md3.

 

Now: your model will not work what-so-freakin ever in jk2 for one reason:

 

a)gmax tempest was made for q3 so path info is strictly ****ed up.

 

Now what ya need to do is get a demo copy of Milkshape or just buy it (I mean it's what 20 - 40 bucks I think really) and import your md3 into Milkshape. Keep in mind Milkshape has problems with some models that have super high poly counts and whatnot.

 

steps to follow:

 

1) Import into Milkshape

2)Create the materials and assign the proper textures to the proper groups (Do this before hand and you'll be happy)

3) Go to Tools -> Quake 3 Arena -> and select "Generate control file..."

4) If it's your first time creating one it'll ask you what program you want to open it with. just associate it with notepad and open it.

 

5) Now, edit the control file to match the correct paths for your textures and model. These must be relative to your base directory (i.e. the first line would most likely read something like "models/map_objects/bdroid/bdroid.md3" and then the texture map lines would read to the textures in that folder for the model. This is why I always texture in Milkshape before I generate the control file because it's harder remembering which textures go with which groups then it is seeing them and being able to reference off them in Milkshape.

 

6) Then once the control file is done save it in the same directory as your model will be in (i.e. "models/map_objects/bdroid/bdroid.qc")

 

7) Go to File -> Export -> Quake 3 Arena MD3... and type in the filename exactly as it is in the qc file. i.e. ("bdroid.md3") then all you gotta do is import it into radiant using misc_model.

 

It's a bit of a process but even with 3ds max you'd have to do the same thing mainly because q3's path info is kinda different in some ways (i.e. "map_objects in q3 is 'mapobjects' sans the underscore that sorta thing and gmax assumes this when exporting). Anyways, this has always worked for me when I make a model for a map. Hope it helps you out some.

 

Some background info on the purpose of a control file: when you export your model you can get rid of the qc file. the main reason a lot of people have troubles with model files is because they place it in the wrong place under the base/models folder. For the first couple days the Millenium Falcon model came out a bunch of people had problems before they realized that the md3 embeds path structure into the model file itself telling it where it needs to go. Weird yes i know, but that's how its done. when you export the qc file gets embedded into the md3. anyways, hope I helped out a bit. Good day.

 

volrath

 

p.s. I may publish a small tut on this soon for the hell of it.

[aazell]

Fantastic help.

 

I can't thank you enough.

I've already got my copy of milkshape so It's looking good.

 

Can't wait to see the tut.

 

aaz