How to bring an external model into Rome 2 Part 1: Set Up and Helmet.

[Ahiga]

I'll get to it. It's actually easier in many ways, but trickier in one. Most of the steps are the same except you don't have to rig it to anything! It can be attached to one of the weapons bones in TWeak. I would add it to the Max project file of the shield example, since that one doesn't have any bones in it. The one part where it's trickier is the position. I'm still trying to figure out how to do this efficiently myself. You have to make sure that the weapon model is in the right position in Max so when you see it in game it's in the soldier's hand. However there's a problem with this. Weapons are basically positioned at the feet in TWeak and such, so you have to mimic a position of an existing sword model so it comes out right. This isn't exactly hard, it just involves a lot of trial and error.

I still am not able to get weapon importing to work, although I have managed helmets, crests and shields.

Following your guidelines by importing the single M&B lod sword model into the shield 3dsmax file CA gave us (then deleting the shield model), stopping after adding the skin (but not any bones) prompts me when I try and export it saying "Problems were found in your max file. If problems were found with a weighted mesh, it is likely some verts have zero weights or have not been applied to a valid bone."

This is despite renaming the custom attributes rigid_material to 'default', the same as the boneless crests. The only way I can get the model to import is to rig it to weapon_bone 1 or 2 in 3dsmax, which seems to make it float arbitrarily outside of the grip of the soldier.

Without the skin, I am able to export the model, but when I try and run it in BoB:

Texture folder: variantmeshes/_variantmodels/man/weapons/tex

CAS Node Mapping...
<index>:<name> ( <cas parent>, <remapped parent> )
0:Scene Root ( -1,-1)
1:croc_weapon_sword_counterpoint_german_silver_lod1 ( 0,-1)

Sorted Node Mapping...

 Wrong skeleton type, bone name mismatch or missing bones in CS2 file!
Missing/misnamed bone: bn_jaw
Missing/misnamed bone: bn_left_up_eyelid
Missing/misnamed bone: bn_lefteye
Missing/misnamed bone: bn_right_up_eyelid
Missing/misnamed bone: bn_righteye
Missing/misnamed bone: bn_weapon_01
Missing/misnamed bone: bn_weapon_02
Missing/misnamed bone: bn_weapon_03
Missing/misnamed bone: bn_weapon_04
Missing/misnamed bone: bn_weapon_05
Missing/misnamed bone: bn_eyebrows
Missing/misnamed bone: bn_head
Missing/misnamed bone: bn_hips
Missing/misnamed bone: bn_leftarm
Missing/misnamed bone: bn_leftarmroll
Missing/misnamed bone: bn_leftfoot
Missing/misnamed bone: bn_leftforearm
Missing/misnamed bone: bn_leftforearmroll
Missing/misnamed bone: bn_lefthand
Missing/misnamed bone: bn_lefthandindex1
Missing/misnamed bone: bn_lefthandindex2
Missing/misnamed bone: bn_lefthandring1
Missing/misnamed bone: bn_lefthandring2
Missing/misnamed bone: bn_lefthandthumb1
Missing/misnamed bone: bn_lefthandthumb2
Missing/misnamed bone: bn_leftleg
Missing/misnamed bone: bn_leftshoulder
Missing/misnamed bone: bn_lefttoebase
Missing/misnamed bone: bn_leftupleg
Missing/misnamed bone: bn_neck
Missing/misnamed bone: bn_neck1
Missing/misnamed bone: bn_rightarm
Missing/misnamed bone: bn_rightarmroll
Missing/misnamed bone: bn_rightfoot
Missing/misnamed bone: bn_rightforearm
Missing/misnamed bone: bn_rightforearmroll
Missing/misnamed bone: bn_righthand
Missing/misnamed bone: bn_righthandindex1
Missing/misnamed bone: bn_righthandindex2
Missing/misnamed bone: bn_righthandring1
Missing/misnamed bone: bn_righthandring2
Missing/misnamed bone: bn_righthandthumb1
Missing/misnamed bone: bn_righthandthumb2
Missing/misnamed bone: bn_rightleg
Missing/misnamed bone: bn_rightshoulder
Missing/misnamed bone: bn_righttoebase
Missing/misnamed bone: bn_rightupleg
Missing/misnamed bone: bn_spine
Missing/misnamed bone: bn_spine1
Missing/misnamed bone: bn_spine2
Unable to locate bone in bone table
Failed.

=====================================
Duration: 44 msec(s)

There's no bones to speak of in the 3dsmax file (if I try and add bones, none show up).

Any ideas what could be going wrong? Seems as though I -have to export it with a bone to the weapon. One thought I have is maybe I accidentally exported the obj from 3dsmax, so I am going to try and 'start over' to see if that fixes it.

Edit: Fresh import gives the same issue.

[warman222]

Are the weapon bones still there? Because you can't have those either. Check the "select by" tab and choose by name. The weapon bones aren't classified as bones for some reason.

[Ahiga]

Yeah, the weapon bones don't show up. If I make it assigned to a bn_weapon, then it's all good to go. But then it's going to be a field day trying to place it.



My 3dsmax files are a mess, since I am trying various methods, but if you're interested I can compile it and send it your way to take a look. Right now the bulk of the swords are in a 3dsmax file with the bones, but I have been doing my experiments on separate ones (using the shield or crest as a base) and the results are the same.

[warman222]

That might be a good idea. Send it to me and I'll see what I can do.

[Ahiga]

Here ya go. I didn't change the positioning of the sword, since I did this on a fresh 3dsmax file based off the shield one. The tga textures will not be the right level/gloss/ect, I tend to just use placeholders and save my own versions in DDS files when I get the conversion working. Thanks for the help!

http://www.mediafire.com/download/u2...int_swords.rar

[warman222]

Just out of curiosity, and you might find this strange, what folder are you saving your cs2 to? I know that this will sound strange, but try saving it to the shield folder and see what happens. Yes, it matters. I took the same sword.cs2 file and placed it in the shield and armour folders. The shield one went through, the armor one didn't.

[Ahiga]

Sounds strange but not as strange as I would think - that reminds me I actually had the very same issue when I tried to put in a crest as a helmet (so I could position it properly). Didn't work in the crest folder, did in the helmet.

Annd that solved it. Converted perfectly. Only silliness is referring to the shield texture folder, but that's a small price to pay. Thanks so much Warman222!

[Ltd.]

To which bone do you have to assign the armour? to bn_hips or maybe bn_spine?
Thank you.

EDIT: assigning it to the bn_hips apparently won´t do the trick, since the armour appears on the unit, but they don´t "wear" it, but only "have" it on themselves, that means the sleeves don´t move with the unit´s arms, but are in a stiff position.
How can you rig the sleeves to the bn_arms and the leg-part of the armour to the thighs ?

EDIT 2: Never mind, solved.

[Jarvgrimr]

Has anyone actually worked out WHY the BOB exporter brain farts over bones when it comes to dealing with weapons? I have now had wildly different results from doing the same thing multiple times, and still not been able to get a single mesh into the game. I got as far as getting a sword into the VariantMeshEditor, in the right place, and saved to a unit. I also seemingly succeeded in turning that into a pack for the game; it worked but then the game itself wouldn't start with that pack selected, it would just lock up on the Rome 2 splashscreen.

I have now gone back and done the EXACT same thing with the same max file, using the same exact steps to export my sword from 3DS Max again, exported to the shield folder, as that worked last time, and BoB perpetually errors out saying the bone is missing... I mean... I have NO idea what has changed... how can I get such conflicting results from something that should be so basic and... binary. Grrr... this is getting ing frustrating... Warman, could I send you my max/tex files? I am starting to think my computer must be at fault... unsure HOW but... I am also unsure how this can continually up so much doing such a basic task.

[Ahiga]

Are you making sure to save the weapon stuff in a shield/helmet/whatever folder, rather than a weapons one? That's the issue I had earlier that Warman helped solve - I had to save the CS2 and compile it in the shield section (which does mean the weapon texture has to be in the shield texture folder) to avoid the bone issue.

[Lemonater47]

Does anyone know how to turn a psk file into an obj file?

edit: Derp just put it through 3ds max and export it as an obj file idiot.

[Flikitos]

What about new bows? I released a new "bow" and I changed the *.meta animation file replacing the old model of the "bending bow" to the new one (if you don't do that the new bow will be replaced by the former one when it will be shoting), but when I launch the game the new "bow" do the firing animation but it is not able to launch an arrow. Anyone would have any idea please?

[warman222]

Can you show a picture of what you mean? The arrow model doesn't leave the string you mean?

EDIT:

Have you made the same adjustments to the arrow like you did the bow(i.e. the meta thing?)

[Lemonater47]

Alright... What the hell does this mean? This is the error bob is throwing out now for the CS2. I got it to work before. I don't know what I did differently.

"Texture folder: variantmeshes/_variantmodels/man/helmets/tex ERROR: Weighted mesh 'agathaVanhelm_lod1 subobject 0' is trying to use a Rigid Mesh shader 'standard'.
Failed."

[Ltd.]

for anyone still having issues importing weapons: what I did is, I opened the roman_cavalry_helmet CA file and added the desired weapon to this , and not to the CA shield file. The reason is, that if added to the shield, in my case at least in tweak and in the game, when zoomed out, the shield would pop in in place of the weapon, so I had a shield in the units right hand where the weapon was supposed to be. This way nothing pops in when zoomed out. So no - skin modifier- , and no - bones- .
That may be already known to some, so if that is the case, just disregard this
Thx again to warman for his tutorials

[Flikitos]

My bad Warman, the problem doesn't come from the model but from the animation, still trying to solve that! Thanks anyway!

[Biggus Splenus]

Can we try get CA to give us an importer? So we can bring in some vanilla files, edit them, and export again? Or is this possible already?

[wangrin]

We can export rigid_model_v2 using UU3D but :

• UU3D isn't free
• UU3D doesn't allow to convert models back to rigid_model_v2
• Models are smaller than raw model, and CS2 exporter likely resize original model to game size

I've asked CA about file formats, but I've no answer yet.
And then, even if CA give us such information, we will still need programmer to create a converter.

[Ahiga]

I'm having an odd issue trying to import Fall of Rome's OSP Dracos. Thus far I've been able to do swords, helmets, shields, everything. But I think because of the draco's cloth sock, it shifts the center of pivot/gravity. Yet even if I switch the center of pivot/gravity in 3dsmax, it fails to translate over to the actual banner.

I can adjust the scale of the item, but I cannot move it from this 360 degree position around it. You can see it here - I cannot, even if I move the banner left right up or down, make it overlap on the Roman Eagle.



It's permanently positioned so that the middle of the sock tube is overlapping the eagle banner. And while I can change the 3dsmax pivot position, it never changes from that. Any ideas how to fix it? Each of those Dracos are different positions and movements on XYZ axis in 3dsmax, but they always fall within that same kind of spherical boundary around the Roman eagle - I can never get it closer.


Edit: Alright, it looks like UU3D doesn't properly display where the rigid_model version of the new draco is. When I check the TWeak visual editor, the results are much more on parity with the banners I was trying to place them on the level with. paradoxically, neither does TWeak's representation accurately present it. Suffice to say putting in a new standard IS ING AGONIZING AS HELL. At this point I think I'll upload the 3dsmax file that has it in the right spot to help anyone in the future putting in standards because this is all kinds of silly.

[spokie94]

how to put a model 3ds in cs2?