How to import self-made 3d models into Shogun 2

[Vikus van de Merwe]

I think the CA used the version of 2013, too, but used the version of 2010 so they don't have to make a new CS2 exporter. I opened the arms file in 2013 and saved it with save as and selected the same file but selected not .max but .max (2010). Then you can open it in 3ds max 2010 and you can export it there.

Regards,
Vikus

[wangrin]

Hi,
to the "bridge": I dindn't make any new base file for the model, I used the existing arm file provided by CA. There you have a T-pose skeleton. I copied the weights from the arm-model with skin-wrap to my model. Then I deleted all 4 lods of the original model so there is only my model. After that I weighted the other parts of the model, too and corrected some weights (all this in the arms-file!). I exported it then for the unit editor. There you can select in "arms" the model then and you have the full unit model you created (you can see it in the last picture I made).

Well done.

And now to the textures: Yes, I'm new in texture editing, especially in UV texture editing. I'll try it with Unwrap 3D, hope I can create textures with the right things on the right place then.

----------------------------------------------------------

Now a bigger problem (this textures I can still create after that...)

1. I have really no idea how to texture my equipment model, because the whole file uses one texture. (Maybe I can make it with Unwrap 3d, too, then the question is canceled...)

I don't know if I have already give the link to this thread : [Tutorial] Modeling & DB. Milkshape & UU3D. How wangrin and I use them
If you look at post #18, I've tried to explain how to create an UVmap using UU3D.

I've tried to do the same with 3ds max, but I'm not enough familiar with to create a tutorial.
The tool is named UVW Modifier.
At least, you can find some very good ones on the web, such as UVmapping Workflow in 3ds Max 2012

2. Now I created records in the db tables.
I added my unit in building_units_allowed, cdir_unit_qualities, uniforms, units, unit_stats_land and unit_to grouping... (I don't know whats the whole name now...).
For this I copied the boxes of the no-dachi samurai. I only changed the things which needed, because I only wanted to test, if the unit works ingame.
But now my problem: Ingame the unit doesn't shown up for selection in custom battles (in the window, where you can create your army).
What did I wrong? Please help.

Here, I'm helpless... If I'm familiar with ETW db tables, I never really have a look to S2TW ones.

[manolops3]

aaaahhh thank you Vikus !! now i saved it as max2010 file and can open it into 2010.
i think this was an important step.

[wangrin]

It was explained here : [Tutorial] Needed: Simple Tutorial for exporting and importing S2TW Equipment model Modifications



Some genius from didn't notice they have provided a converter working only for 3ds max 2009 and 2010 but .max models created with a later version (probably 3ds max 2012).
So, we have to install 2 versions of 3ds max, one to open CA's .max models (3ds max 2012 or higher), and one to use the CS2 converter (3ds max 2009 or 2010, two version hard to find now... at least legally).

[manolops3]

Vikus,

i recommend you to use the filter-function in the tables.click on the + ,and then type in Nodachi_Samurai .then it is a lot clearer.now you can simply set all the boxes like the one below of your current new unit you
working on.this works perfect for me.

Wangrin,yep i read this before,but i dont knew how to save it so Max-2010 was able to open it...now i know how to do that,thanks to you both !

[manolops3]

Hi ,

i used now CA´s campaign-max file as a base,and now it looks like before,as i used the equipment.max file as a base: bad deformations at the armpits,and very small deformations at the thigh armour-parts.until now,
for every model i made,i used for the weights in my Main-3D-Software ( Blender ) the Bone Weight Copy-function,and luckily,it works perfect for every model.now,unfortunately,i think i cannot spare me that in this case.this seems to be the last resort

so i have to use tutorials about vertex weights now...........Let´s Go !

[Vikus van de Merwe]

Hi,

I think I found the error in my pack file. I opened it with the PFM and looked over the directories... and there is now directory with the db tables! They weren't exported by BOB I think, they only were exported to xml file. So, is it possible to add the tables via PFM in the xml format? And when this doesn't work? What have I to do then? In BOB the error was: "... remained unused". I also searched in the working data folder and there are the folders for the db tables, but there's nothing in it... Hope anyone can help me!

Regards,
Vikus

[wangrin]

Taw has released a db to tsv converter.

DV to TSV readme

=== DB<->TSV converter === You can unpack either the whole tree or one file at a time: ./db_unpack db/ converted/ ./db_unpack db/foo_tables/foo converted/foo_tables/foo.tsv When converting directories, the entire subdirectory structure will be recreated in target directory as well, skipping only files which are impossible to convert. To convert back do likewise: ./db_pack tsvs/ db/ ./db_pack tsvs/foo_tables/foo.tsv db/foo_tables/foo If you have non-English locale which uses comma instead of period as decimal separator (3,14 vs 3.14), certain version of OpenOffice.org and possibly other programs might have troubles with such TSV. In such case you can either switch to English (US) locale, which is known to work, or pass --comma option to db_unpack/db_pack: ./db_unpack --comma db/ tsvs/ ./db_pack --comma tsvs/ db/ db_pack actually always accepts TSVs with either decimal format, so there's no way to make a mistake while converting back. It only takes --comma option for compatibility. === Statistics === From my collection of db files (various versions from main.pack, patch*.pack, mods, etc.) number converted is: ETW 533/ 540 NTW 479/ 482 S2TW demo 812/ 904 S2TW 9979/12414 all 11803/14340 == Issues == NTW unit_special_ability_types_tables seems to be corrupt via \r -> \n\r expansion (at least my version of it)

You can open .tsv using excel/calc.
Same for xml data.

But maybe is it possible to import db as .xml in DaVe ?
Never try it, sorry.

[manolops3]

Hi,

you said that in the working data folder there are no tables.
let us hope that the problem is just that DAve saved it into a another folder,so you could search with Windows-Search-function for the tables......
another idea i have is that you open TWEAK and DAve and open these tables again,and hit " Apply " again.........DAve MUST save it to somewhere.....
this empty table-folder is the first problem you have to solve i think....

[Vikus van de Merwe]

I solved my problem! I copied the whole modding folder to the desktop (thanks to ygge96!). Then I changed the game path in the txt document. After that BOB could export all files successfully! But nevertheless thanks to you!

[Ygge]

I solved my problem! I copied the whole modding folder to the desktop (thanks to ygge96!). Then I changed the game path in the txt document. After that BOB could export all files successfully! But nevertheless thanks to you!

Ygge95*

[Vikus van de Merwe]

Oh, sorry Ygge


To my issue:

Now I have the problem that my unit is pink and it uses not my defined parts. I checked the tables but there is all right I think... Also the game uses another officer animation with another equipment theme and not my officer I defined in the battle_personalities table. Have I to texture my models the right way so the units won't be pink after that? And what can I do to tell the game to use the no-dachi animation with my equipment theme I defined for the officer? I also added my unit parts and the unit_variants (officer and soldier) to models2.pack... Maybe this is helpful to find a solution, too.

Regards,
Vikus

[wangrin]

It look like you have two different issues.

The first one is about texture.
The pink color is probably tied to "clan's color".
When looking at texture files used in S2TW, we can find :

• texture_diffuse.dds
• texture_gloss_map.dds
• texture_normal.dds
• texture_colour_mask.dds

I suppose the last one control how clan's colour is applied on model.

The second issue is about models.
As far as I know, models used to create unit are defined in .unit_variant files (variantmodels\units).
I suppose these files are created using the unit editor.

Maybe could you have a look to the .unit_variant related to your model, opening it using a hexadecimal editor (notepad++ and Hex editor plugin).

[manolops3]

puuuh.....i never get so far with this weapon-thing,so this simply beats me !
all i can say is ,that in the battle_personalities table the Tab man_animations_table should be shogun_man_nodachi .this should tells the game that this officer use the Nodachi-animations.but have you really to edit
this table ? i thought by now,you just have to if you want that the Officer wields a another weapon then the soldiers.....

[weirdoascensor]

Vikus, your problem have nothing to do with models and its textures, It seems.

To me, it looks like you forgot the uniform tables - The Pink Samurai are caused by that.


You made your own officer? To assign your custom made battle personality, assign it via unit_stats_land...under officer.

[Vikus van de Merwe]

Hm, the thing is that I exported the uniforms table, too. And I assigned the officer in unit_stats_land...


Here you can see it. The game uses the pink units and not my unit parts and an officer with another weapon (I want to have an officer, because I can make the mask of the witchking for him then...)

Maybe the game uses only another officer, because it uses the pink units. So maybe the officer is the right one when I fixed the problem with the pink units...

[Vikus van de Merwe]

Hi, I solved the problem... I tested the whole time another unit which was not defined in the unit editor



But now the problem is: I had the one unit part, the equipment file and the officer and soldier variant model in the models2.pack. When I loaded the mod, too, the unit worked with my models. Now I integrated the original models2.pack and loaded only my mod. The unit had the sword, but it hadn't my unit model. So I integrated the things into the models2.pack a second time, but now my unit still has the normal campaign model from CA. What can I do?

Regards,
Vikus

[Vikus van de Merwe]

I think the problem is in my mod file. It seems that I don't need to add any files to the models2.pack. The error is in my variant models. They have the path to the metuske campaign unit part. I changed it and saved, started the game ... and there was still the metuske unit part. After that I checked my mod pack and there was the metuske unit part as a path. So nothing changed there. Why can't I correct the path? First of all I'll try to create new variant models and then I put them into the mod. Hope this will work...

Regards,
Vikus

[wangrin]

A good tool to compare units is UU3D.
Open a vanilla unit part and then merge your model in.

It's quite easy to merge a model :

1. go to FILE menu
2. select MERGE
3. choose your model
4. select OK

Sadly, importing animation don't work with S2TW.
Maybe Brad could agree to fix this problem ?

[manolops3]

Hi Vikus,

have you found a solution for your problems ?