Need some info on moddeling/etc.

JackTheCrack · Vehicle Driver **Joined**: 01 Jun 2010

Hi! Posted this on revora forums as well.

I'm currently working on my own mod, inspired by Sedistix's Tactix mod (KaneG here from filefront forums). I have edited all the xml files I wanted for the game to drastically change and now I gave myself a hard work by trying to make a new faction.

Since the faction I have in mind is Star Wars's Empire for the time being (I may be interested in adding more than 1 if I succeed in this one) I have installed Empire At War and it's expansion for that reason. With an extractor I extracted the neccessary ART files (models, textures, shaders) and even found an ALO importer/exporter as a plugin for the Studio Max (in which I have 0 experience but I'm eager to try my best to learn the simplest things at least). I have successfully imported the ALO model, for example TieFighter but I have no idea what to do with them anyway. I have read the tutorial from here http://cncguild.net/item-148?addview and while some things are similar it is very different as the entire ALO model is already done. There's the basic model, muzzle flashes, etc., not everything has bones I guess as I've seen or what's it called but pretty much it's already done. I've installed the w3x export plugin from MOD SDK and exported it as the animated hiearchy or what's it called with the errors of DirectX shader 9, though I am using it and even applied later the FX things on the damn parts. I've then put it in EU folder inside ART folder (the model was TieFighter) and according to the tutorial used Stormriders xml code hoping it would work, since it wasn't about the tank it was even harder for me but still did it, ended up with an invisible model inside game meaning I didn't do a thing right ;D

I'm far from being an expert so I was wondering if anyone could help me with this to at least learn it myself, I'd appreciate if someone had the time to try installing Empire At War and then with the importer import the ALO file and check what can be done, not asking for the entire work to be done but I'd appreciate some good tips from someone who tried this so I could then do it myself, unless you would want to lol. Never had the touch for photoshop either or any other such program so manually making textures, meshes, muzzle flashes would be a pain in the ass if there is no way to make a working imported unit and structure from Empire At War.

Waiting anxiously for a reply ;]

JackTheCrack · Vehicle Driver **Joined**: 01 Jun 2010

Heh still no reply but I got progress to post.

After 3 days of almost blowing my brains out I have finally made a step forward, I imported the .ALO model from Empire At War ART/MODELS, then I imported .DDS textures from ART/TEXTURES to Photoshop, saved them as 32bit imagines now at original size, then converted them to .TGA, (the one I did was for BobbaFett which would basically serve as a Commando).
After extensive search I finally managed to apply correct shaders, and textures neccessary (made NRM as addittional, SPEC was already done by LucasArts or whoever). For muzzle flashes I used from predator tank but w/e lol. I finally got to export the damn bobbafett to w3x without bullshit errors.

Problem came later when I made the EUBobbaFett.xml and since I only had 1 w3x and the .tgas for it had to delete a lot of code I borrowed from GDICommando, end result was game crashing & now I'm gonna even have to reinstall the game because game browser automatically crashes when I want to load my mod lol.

I checked the Art Pack 2 I downloaded separately and checked gdicommando as well as other models I saw there's multiple .max files there as well so my question is do I need those .max files inside my MOD/Art/EU folder or do I just need the .tga files + multiple w3x files for different animations depending what unit/structure it will be ?

There's also the problem with .ALO model already having the entire animation pasted together, BobbaFett goes from random moving to shooting, flying, moving, dying but I guess I can just export from different frames for different animation purposes.

Anyway, this is proof it is still very much doable, I'll be posting my progress and if I succeed in this I'll be happy to share the models (they're not mine after all anyway) as well as w3x files and everything neccessary should someone wish to include Empire as a new faction.

I might need help on coding the unit.xml's though since I'm not that good especially since I get lost in the animation states + extra bones and effects codes that are already done. Also i'd like to know where the hell would I add sounds for the models I don't want the unit to sound like a GDICommando after all, I have all the sounds neccessary for units and weapons.

PS: Forgot this, muzzle flash I understand I could change it's size as well as the color, but how would I make it look that the units shoot lasers like in actual Star Wars instead of bullets which you can't see at GDI & NOD?

Ju-Jin · Posted: Thu Jun 03, 2010 11:43 am Post subject:

You don't need to convert dds to tga. dds is a native format of all direct x games.

_________________

JackTheCrack · Vehicle Driver **Joined**: 01 Jun 2010

LOL so you're saying I've just been killing my brain trying to find a converter that wouldn't go trial mode to make watermark bullshit to destroy my patience when converting from .tif to .tga for nothing? epic :O

So it should work nice with TW and 3DS Max ? I'll see then. Appreciate the info.

Ju-Jin · Posted: Thu Jun 03, 2010 2:22 pm Post subject:

actually your tga file will be converted to a dds file while compiling #Tongue

_________________

Stygs · Posted: Thu Jun 03, 2010 4:35 pm Post subject:

Quote:

do I need those .max files inside my MOD/Art/EU folder or do I just need the .tga files + multiple w3x files for different animations depending what unit/structure it will be ?

max files are made with 3dx max (a modeling program) and then converted into w3x files, so you only need the w3x files and/or tga/dds.
Note that you dont need to include w3x files that are allready in the game - the compiler might complain that he cant find them, but as long as they are allready in CnC3, it will work fine ingame.

Also note that the game only reads dds files - if you add a tga, the compiler will convert it to dds (however, I suggest using dds since converting tga to dds costs a bit of time everytime you compile the mod).

Last bot not least: as far as I know, you cant simple overwrite existings textures/models - if you want to replace one, you have to compile it with a news name and change every reference from the old one to the new one.

_________________

The-Light · Posted: Fri Jun 04, 2010 9:17 am Post subject:

When you would need a program for TGA or DDS files after all, then you could use Paint.Net, which as you searched for is free, and doesn't even need a plugin to work with dds or tga.