3DS Max Import/Export plugin

I've got some more details on the wierd shadows that show up on some models, so I thought I'd post them incase someone else runs into this.

The dark areas are completely independant of the texture or UVW map, they are somehow imbedded in the model itself.

Any element of your model based on a cylinder will have the bottom ring of faces partialy obscured in shadow. A workaround is to create an extra section at the bottom of the cylinder that is so small you cant see it in game. For example an axe handle only requires one section hight wise, but this would leave the botton half of the handle obscured. If you made it two equal sections verticaly the bottom quarter would be obscured. However if you make it two sections verticaly one of witch is 99% of the hight, with the other comprising the bottom 1%, the dark areas aren't large enough to see.

Any element of your model that tapers to infinity can (but won't always) create wierd shadow effects. For example a single edged sword or axe head that has a face at the spine, but tapers to a single set of vertices along the cutting edge. A workaround is to keep both sets of vertices and the face between then along you cutting edge, but scale it so small as to be invisible. So in cross section instead of V you have \_/.

If anyone else is playing around with this and having problems feel free to post a question or PM me, I'll be happy to share anything I've managed to figure out.

Cuchulainn.

 

Hey Leksey,

I know you're busy, but I saw your post that you are working on the viewer again, so I thought I'd post a couple of requests for you to consider.

You had said before that it might be possible to allow import/export of meshes with more than one bone as long as they don't contain animation. If it is feasable and you can find the time, that would be awesome! It would sure make working on armor a whole lot easier.

The SKA file you posted works awesome, but I was wondering if it would be possible for you to post another one without the idle animation. Or better yet with the slight movements when back and forth, but without the periodic calls to flip in a circle etc. When trying to add different weapons i'll try out the available strike animations untill I find one that works, but often the periodic flipping around of the weapon looks very out of place.

I certainly understand if you don't have time, what you've done already has been VERY helpful, just hoping as this would make it that much more usefull.

Of course if you need any beta testing/feedback on any works in progress just let me know, I'll be happy to help.

Cuchulainn.

 

@Cuchulainn: Right about time - unlucky university examination, problems on job.....

For now know all structures that .ska uses and how to read them, but still have a problems with their meanings. I added animation loading in Viewer - for simple objects such as Chests,Well and so on all worked fine. But for more complex such as monster their look terrible during aniation.... Don't know for now how to fix this...
On 3ds max import/exports : I will try to make bones export, but not sure import will work. I have not found any working example on bone import for not 3ds maxs formats.
Also as I said I still not understand all data related to bones/animations clearly, so may be a problems...
I think I will have some time at February to work on plugin. I really want to complete it.

Don't sure I undertand what you mean - to remove "idle" animation. It is present in all models and in most is just empty.

 

Yes.
But only by using HEX editor - for now. It will be impossible for human to mod it through it...
Will try to add this to 3ds max plugin in february...

 

Well, you have to start with something, don't you?
I think that it's great news. Today chests, tomorrow
VampiricPup's monsters!

 

Hey Leksey,

If the next version comes out sometime in Feb. I'll be thrilled. Certainly didn't mean to sound like I was rushing you.

Probably didn't explain it very well. When your PC is standing around idle whatever weapon he's holding moves back and forth slightly (which is great), but when he's been standing there for a while he flips the weapon around. That's the part I was trying to avoid, I couldn't find any reference in the text files to these idle animations, since the SKA file handles animation I was assuming it came from there. I may be totally wrong though.

I did notice when I cracked open the SKA you gave us it had a reference to "idle animation" I was hoping a SKA without that call (that didn't crash the game) might get around that problem.

Cuchulainn.

 

I think there is something like a flip animation Cuch
I saw this reference in one of the text files... Don't
remember in which though... :/

--------------------------------------------------------
Look for the word fiddle...That's all that I can remember.

 

Yeah, Ted was sure he'd seen it somewhere too. I've browsed through virtually every file in teh dats, and a search for any file in the dats containg the text string "fiddle" returns only dialogue and spell files. I'll keep looking. :shrug:

Cuchulainn.

 

Good idea. But I can't seem to actualy effect the animations. I've tried altering the weaponname.txt file that appears to call the anims 6 ways from Sunday, and it never has any effect in-game.

Hang on you said looking at Elmo's, maybe the Player's txt file overrides the weapons? I'll try it.

Thanks,

Cuchulainn.

 

As I found vampiricpuppy and Cuchulainn discussed one problem with exporting texture coordinates.
So I think problem can be in following(not actually in exporter but in poor skm format):
In ToEE skm format for each vertex should be only one texture coordinates part : u and v.
Max allow for one vertex have multiple texture coordinates - an array of pairs.
So when you assign more then one texture coordinate for one vertex exported will be only first.
All ToEE models have one texture coordinate pair for each vertex. It is common practice to make games work more fast, but more job for moddelers

 

Nice to have that confirmed. I had picked up on it but wasn't sure what was causing it. It does limit the modder to some of Max's more basic mapping options, but it's certainly still doable.

Once I'm more comfortable with it, I might throw up a tutorial on how to texture map in Max so it's SKM compatible.

Cuchulainn