"Custom Settlement: modells and objects" - collection point

[MasterBigAb]

Hi to all fans

Dazo had a very good idea:

- And you made me think of something: perhaps create a thread for people wanting to submit a model (building, object or wathever) for custom settlements so KK won't have his PM box flooded if everyone goes berserk on milkshape . He can just take a look and ask for what he's interested in if anything.

So this thread is for everyone of our dear fans out there, who made a few buildings or other models that could be used as houses or decoration for future custom settlements. You can post everything you have done here (by posting you do already agree/suggest on including it to the main mod) that would have two big advantages:
First the advantage for KK, lesser work, more different resources, more time for other focus on the settlement, more detail may be even, and lesser boring (if you have to model 100 houses for example)
The advantage for you would be of course to may be see your work implented, and to give KK more time and even speed up progress on the development of patches.

So come on, start to show (with picture - best would be textured objects of course) what you got and made and want to share - you can also comment on the pictures, but pls without to much unneccessary comments/spam and to make it easier for KK to filter the stuff i could also collect all the stuff submitted to the first post once the list became hopefully longer

Let's start you skilled people out there - let's help KK realizing OUR dream !!!

EDIT:
An importnat technical note:

It's a great idea to collect models together for sharing...
Hopefully others may do that for other eras and subjects at some point.


I'd just like to point out that the main issue with getting models to work in game is sorting out the texturing...
TO WORK IN GAME!
It's quite easy to make a nice looking model in ms3d - but pretty useless if it won't translate into the game.

The issue is that milkshape allows faces (triangles) to be independently mapped to different bits of texture without duplicating the vertexes at the edges of those triangles. MT2W doesn't accept that, so if you have two faces that share a vertex and you try and map those faces to different points on the texture, whilst it looks fine in milkshape, what you end up with after putting it in game is a mangled mess where it tries to average the texture coordinate points.

To get split mapping of textures to work you have to force milkshape to duplicate the vertexes you don't want to be shared. That can either be done by using the 'regroup' function so the bits you want mapped independently are split off into separate group, or by selecting the relevant faces, duplicating to separate group and then deleting the original faces.

Getting all that to work properly takes a lot more time than making pretty looking structures in ms3d... In short I'd recommend not posting any building files unless you've checked they load and display OK as added structure via IWTE tool.

Is Milkshape the only program you can use for this or can also other modelling programs be used (Blender, gmax ... )?

Is it alright if I submit my contributions in .wings format, because I use Wing 3D software, or would I need to convert it? What I've done is nothing special but maybe KK could use it or adapt it or something.

You need to convert it to .obj or .ms3d.

I am not familiar at all with Wing 3d, but most software can convert to .obj, which can be opened in Milkshape and lots of other software, and also used in the game.

http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=299867 is about texturing cities

http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=143321 is a brandnew or updated texture tool

Work done so far

Raradir:

Golden Hall

Rohan Beacon

Dazo:

Dwarvesn statues

Elven models

Prah:

Osgiliath big model

WelshManDan:

Black Gate

Warkeeper:

Prancing Pony shield

reeke:

Ruins

Diglytron:

Osgiliath Building

Rohan building

[Soul Reapir]

Cool thread. Can't wait to see some work.

[Agamaran]

To avoid perhaps the question that will most likely be asked the most, perhaps provide some links as to how to get started on doing such things in the original post?

[MasterBigAb]

To avoid perhaps the question that will most likely be asked the most, perhaps provide some links as to how to get started on doing such things in the original post?

Milkshake ?!
There are a lot of tutorials out there, this thread is not for teaching people how to model, i myslef could not really create anything - this is about peoole who did something and want to show and contribute it.

So if you lek the idea and want to give it a try then take some days with lot of patience and time and take a close look at milkshake or other modding programes

[Agamaran]

Milkshake ?!
There are a lot of tutorials out there, this thread is not for teaching people how to model, i myslef could not really create anything - this is about peoole who did something and want to show and contribute it.

So if you lek the idea and want to give it a try then take some days with lot of patience and time and take a close look at milkshake or other modding programes

Oh no, I know that. I'm just saying the first thing fans will probably say is, "Cool so how i do dis lol." To avoid that I was just suggesting to throw up a link or something.

[lordcooper]

What formats can the models be in?

I'm somewhat experienced with Blender and could probably knock up some stuff if I can export them into a suitable format.

EDIT: And are models preferred with quad or tri faces?

[MasterBigAb]

Oh no, I know that. I'm just saying the first thing fans will probably say is, "Cool so how i do dis lol." To avoid that I was just suggesting to throw up a link or something.

ok will think about it.thx

What formats can the models be in?

I'm somewhat experienced with Blender and could probably knock up some stuff if I can export them into a suitable format.

EDIT: And are models preferred with quad or tri faces?

Will anwser you when i know that ^^

[maxi90]

actually, i think this migth be a damn good idea. here are my 2 cents

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Uploaded with ImageShack.us
pretty neat, huh? i am no all that satisfied with the skin, but i only made it in like five seconds. (i know, i´m awesome)

[Incan]

lol i really like maxis has a very rustic gondorian feel, almost 2nd age numenorian if you will

[Darth Ravenous]

Yes the red will go nice with the orc bloord, and if we could only get the elves in on our decorative arts.

[maxi90]

funny... i had originally concived it as a dwarven town hall

[Darth Ravenous]

Hmmmmm well it's kinda small for dwarfs.

[Dazo]

What formats can the models be in?

I'm somewhat experienced with Blender and could probably knock up some stuff if I can export them into a suitable format.

EDIT: And are models preferred with quad or tri faces?

- I suppose it'd be tri faces since you use three points to make a face in milkshape but better wait an official answer .

Thanks for the thread MBA ,

- Obviously I think it's a good thing (guess why ). Look at what did/is doing leo.civil.uefs for Carn Dum ! However, it's time consuming then not everybody can contribute a whole settlement. People with less time can still do smaller parts (something you liked in the movie or whatever). And never know some people other than KK can be interested in your work or just give you advices (not on this thread of course). Or a guy with a texture can meet a guy with a model and get married .
- An example of what I had in mind at the smallest level:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

- A milkshape file with dwarven/runic letters that can be modified as you want to fit/merge with more elaborated models. Of course, objects and buildings are the main thing .
- Second one, I begin with milkshape so it isn't perfect but fine as an example:

When I saw this pic (from the movie, Moria's western Gate, first hall background walls, around 01:39:25, Fellowship of the Ring Movie):

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

I asked myself how KK's pics would be with some khuzdul letters here and there so I tried it just to see (see over the door/gate):

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Don't know if a gate/wall texture file can be altered to include letters . Maybe I'll give it a try, should be easier than building a whole settlement .

Edit: Just thought I'm not sure it's allowed to modify KK's pic without asking, please delete the post if it's not ok, thanks.

Need some rework polishing but well :

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

+

[Incan]

good start dazo

[Louis Lux]

What formats can the models be in?

I'm somewhat experienced with Blender and could probably knock up some stuff if I can export them into a suitable format.

EDIT: And are models preferred with quad or tri faces?

I think a simple .obj would suffice. Models for Med2 normally use tris.

[Legolose]

Love it, cant wait to see some of the work

[Red_Devil]

yep i'm motivated i will post one of my recent "creations" just as a proposal this evening. since i'm pretty new to milkshape, I didn't do anything complicated but i'm starting to get it.
and i'm also ready to invest some free time in the IWTE but damn it's hard to understand how it works.

[Lemoniser]

Hmmmmm well it's kinda small for dwarfs.

Small for dwarfs? But they're dwarfs (or is it dwarves in the Tolkien universe? I dunno)

[lordcooper]

I think a simple .obj would suffice. Models for Med2 normally use tris.

Okay, that's all cool.

Any idea of what polycount we should be aiming for in the average building?
And do the meshes have to be manifold (closed) or does the M2TW engine accept open meshes?

[Louis Lux]

Okay, that's all cool.

Any idea of what polycount we should be aiming for in the average building?
And do the meshes have to be manifold (closed) or does the M2TW engine accept open meshes?

I'm not sure but Milkshape can't handle too many polys.

If by closed you mean welded vertex than no it doesn't have to be closed.