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Can I alter an existing model? - Where do I start?


Highspins

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I've just recently learned skinning and started a project where I want to enlarge the ears and play with the face a little.

 

I've read through some of the tutorials here but haven't come across one that tells you how to do that. I've also downloaded GMax but don't know how or what files to use or if it's the right program. Can anyone give me hand?

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Thanks but thats a little bit vauge of an answer, could you be more specific thats alot to go though? I'm totallly new to modeling but here's what I want to do: I'm just about done with a ol' school Spock skin complete with custom sound files, I want to add the Vulcan ears and if possible play around with nose/face a little.

 

I've also downloaded Milkshape and figured out that it's the .glm files I need to open and export or save(Is that right???) You say I need to get 3D Studio Max 4.x(Or higher???) to do that. Assuming I get that will I be able to do what I desribed? Could you provide a link to it or do I have to get it at a software store?

 

Thanks

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If you want to modify a 3D model you need 3D studio max 4.x to export it back so it can be re-compiled.

 

Click on my signature---> Psyk0's Realm

 

Go to the tutorials section and read the complete guide to JK2 characters (still in progress but that should give you an idea on how things work)

 

This is not a tutorial that tells you how to create a 3D character, but what to do once you've completed your new model/or altered existing model.

 

You can find info on 3D max @ http://www.discreet.com. It's not free, so i doubt you'll want to spend that kind of money for a simple model alteration.

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Hey again.

 

First when I click on your realm it just goes to a page with no links, and for some reason(might be my security settings) I can't get to discreet's page so I'll guess that it cost a pretty penny???

 

Second I did a little more research and found a plug-in for GMax1.2 that lets you import and export .md3 files. So then I can use the MD3View that came with the first tool pack to convert them to .glm files.

 

Now I just need to get the original .glm files into .md3 files or something else GMax1.2 can read. I can import the .glm files into Milkshape1.6.5 but the .md3 exporter didn't work so I tried exporting them as .dxf(which GMax can read). By the time I converted them from. dxf to .md3 to .glm I got a bunch of error messages when I tried to use them in ModView.

 

Anyone got any ideas???

I feel so close yet so far away....

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(edited: Keep the warez talk off of lucasforums please)

(edited: "warez talk"? What did i say? :confused: )

 

i've been wanting to make Ghoul2 models ever since JKII came out.. i just don't have MAX 4.x to do it.. i only have 3.0 :rolleyes:

 

i think i've tried what you're doing, i never got anywhere with it. You have to export it in XSI format from MAX and then convert it to Ghoul2 with Assimilate (which was released in one of the tool packs). That is, for creature meshs that use skeletons. What you're doing, i think, is designed for Ghoul2 models without skeletons... such as the weapons.

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You'll never be able to export a Ghoul 2 player model with only Gmax.

 

The process is not a simple file conversion, you have to attach the mesh to the skeleton so it can move in real time, using raven's GLA file.

 

So you need max 4.x and the xsi plugin that's it, no other modelling software will work for the export process.

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  • 2 weeks later...
Originally posted by wudan

What format is it in when you attach it to the skeleton? Can it be in ASE format?

 

As long as it is a 3d file format that can be imorted into 3ds max, you can merge the mesh with the skeleton. You probably will need to do some scaling/fitting/modifying to the mesh in order for it to animate properly.

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Ok I know these are probably stupid questions but I want to ask before wasting anymore time screwing around. I've read though SpaceMonkey's Tutorial & the Addendum as well as your tutorials Psykosith but I still have some questions on stuff that wasn't covered:

 

1. To alter a model from the game what should I use to export the .glm file from the original model??? Then transform it to what kind of file to get it into 3D Max4.2 ???

 

2. Can .surf files be used with regard to question 1???

 

3. I'll take it that once it's in 3D Max I'll have to re-attach the skeleton following the info in the tutorials is that right???

 

4. When you add on a part to the model like say a horn or enlarging the ears like I talked about before, how hard will it be to UVW map it??? Or do I have to start from scratch with the mapping???

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1. To export the glm, you can import into milkshape and export it as .3ds or .md3 or anything that his supported by 3d max.

 

Or maybe the md3 viewer??? never tried a player model with it.

 

2.??? .surf files are used to remove surfaces on the "in-game" model, if the model doesnt have any extra surfaces then nothing can be removed...unless you screw up the .skin file.

 

3.Damn right.

 

4.I would say it's easy but i know how to uvw map, if you havent done any uvw mapping, then it might be a bit harder. Uvw maps are already done on the model, you will only need to uvw map or fix the new/modified meshes. So i guess it wont be too difficult.

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one thing on mapping.... depending on what tools/modifiers you will use to edit the model, you may end up seriously messing up the mapping. A word of advice, I would try to learn mapping.

 

It wll come in very handy and will save you time when editing a raven model, if you try to edit the mesh without affecting hte mapping, depending on what you want to do, you can find yourself very limited in what you can do.

 

Oh, also your LOD's wont look too good if you don't re map them. :D

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keep in mind that if you export from milkshape in 3ds format, your object names are going to get cut off and you'll loose some caps.

 

I'd suggest removing all the tags from the imported model before trying to export it as 3ds. then try to abbreviate the names of the caps.

 

torso_cap_l_arm_off if way too long and will get cut off to something like: torso_cap_l_a

 

since some surfaces will have iudentical names after being cut off like that, they will be deleted from the exported model. just try to keep the obect names short and rename all caps to something short that you can recognize and change back once in 3ds max.

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