How to create models in XSI and other 3D applications and make them work in Battlefront 1 & 2. Post models, tips for application usage and share anything XSI, 3DMax, SketchUp, etc.
1. Pumpkins, just after ZETools export.
2. Pumpkins, with my stock hex editor code. They look's a little transparent, because of alpha channel tga. The same view, they got after MshEx export.
3. Pumpkins, after my code paste, plus "04 00 00 00 00 04" (specular) part.
4. Pumpkins, with my stock code, but no specular parts. But this time tga has no alpha channel. They look's shiny anyway, but only in ZE.
Well, at least, I can se them, this way...
By the way, nice work, with new version. No red line happens this time. Still, after import, animation not works anyway, when I click > button, even, if timeline red markers show up...
Ah, I didn't test it with an alpha-channeled texture...
Which animation did you import?
BTW, you can do most of the stuff you do with hex-editing by using ZE Tools>.MSH Tools>Material Manager. Select a material, press ZEify, then Edit. Then you can change things like Specular, Transparency, Render Type etc. I don't know if it's possible to change the Diffuse Color of a material to more than 1.0 but you could try that, too. Then you don't have to do any hex-editing anymore.
I try tan4_prop_door.msh, tat3_prop_celldoor.msh, and even try tat3_bldg_rancor.msh. All of them, has only 2 keyframe timeline markings (0, and 1), and never move.
Funny: I try to import my own, working Nar Shaddaa door, and can't bring it to life again. It has no keyframe at all ...
I tested:
tan4_prop_door.msh with open.msh from SWBF2_ModTools\assets\Animations\Prop\tan_prop_door\ as animation.
tat3_prop_celldoor.msh with open.msh from BFBuilder\Assets\Shipped Add On\DataTAT3\Common\Animations\tat3_prop_celldoor as animation.
tat3_bldg_rancor.msh with grab.msh from BFBuilder\Assets\Shipped Add On\DataTAT3\Common\Animations\tat3_bldg_rancor as animation.
All of them worked like a charm.
Are you importing the right .msh files? The .msh files you find in for example DataTAT3\worlds\tat3\msh usually don't contain animation. They only contain geometry/objects and materials. To get the animations you have to import files from either SWBF2_ModTools\assets\Animations or BFBuilder\Assets\Shipped Common Animations. To see how animations work together with its geometry you can first import the geometry-msh(tat3_bldg_rancor.msh), then select the root (dummyroot) and import the animation with Apply animation to selected hierarchy checked.
BTW, don't import basepose.msh as the animation, that never has more than 2 frames.
Oh, that's how it works! Well, it's realy move now...
Another question: why I never see textures after import? I can see only XSI colored "noicon_pic" on each model. Well, textures show up after export, in BFViewer, but anyway, it's weird... (I have all needed tga's in Pictures folder).
Right now the importer searches for the .tgas in the same folder the .msh file is in. Maybe I'll add another path control to the UI where you can define the folder in which to search for .tgas...
Import: Added Weld Boundary Edges option to settings. Welds edges after import.
Import: Collision primitive type 3 imports as null. 3 is not a functional prim. Import: Material Flags.
Import: Added another path control to define the folder where the textures are. If the box is not checked the importer will search for the textures in the folder of the .msh file.
General: Added item to the General Tools submenu which opens the import log.
Export: Fixed collision primitive export.
Congratulations! This time, I am realy didn't get any errors. Well, actualy, I can testing for sure, only animated doors, and static prop. I do not know, if the more complicated, animated models works correct...
Still, some issues stay unsolved:
1. Props appear totaly invisible in ZE. Of'course, as I am already show you, in my pumpkin pic, I can easy hex edit them, but in this case, they become very shiny, and overlighted, in ZE. It is surely not a problem, if you, need just few props in your map, but just imagine, if you need to export entire city, like my Nar Shaddaa. In ZE, you will see nothing, or totaly overshiny props, and it will be very hard, to build something, becouse everything will looks the same.
I am also try to clicking on many parameters, in your ZEify>Edit options, but still got any effect, in ZE, or in the game...
2. About "buggy door" in ZE, you probably also know, but at least, I may just never mind on this bug.
3. This one is new: after export of door, all collision primitives, appear with decreased size, about in 2 or 1,5 smaller, then they was in begining. You can easy check it, if you export door, and try to import it back again. Well, I can easy fix it, by increase in twice size of all collision primitives, before export them, but anyway, it's weird...
I tested that invisible prop bug once and it worked for me. I didn't have an alpha channel though. Honda test again.
Are the prims only smaller after import or are they smaller ingame, too?
Hmm... In some reason,my testings give me, a little bit, different result. I copy totaly stock, from assets, end_prop_tree.tga, and create simple, unedited model:
Hidden/Spoiler:
1. XSI view.
2. SWBF2 ZE view, unselected.
3. SWBF2 ZE view, unselected, but under mouse cursor.
4. SWBF2 ZE view, selected.
5. SWBF2 in game view.
Ah, found it. The Mod Tool returns an alpha value of 0.0 for material colors while SI 2012 returns 1.0. I could set the alpha value to 1.0 automatically and override any user adjustment (which you can't do anyways, maybe with code but not directly).
Just tried this out for importing a model and it worked great, using Softimage 2013 w/student license, would try exporting but have no current project for this game ATM.
No errors, everything imported including lowrez, shadow volumes and HP's. Well done.
That's a transform problem, check the centers of the objects and make sure the operator stack has been frozen. Possible that the transforms were not correct upon import. Check to make sure that all meshes have a local transform of 0,0,0 then freeze the modeling operator stack in the explorer.
Also, I haven't imported that model but how is it set up in Softimage? Pandemic set up animated models 2 ways, 1 was to have the model as a single mesh using envelope weights to deform, any "soft skin" meshes use this. The other was each part that moved was it's own mesh and placed in the hierarchy under the bone that influenced it's movement. Many vehicles are done this way since they move in a rigid way and don't need to deform like a humans elbow or knee for example.
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