Getting unit parts from NtW into ETW for starters

[rohan97]

Requirements
1 you most have uu3d
2 you most have milkshape
Extract The ntw model wich can be found in the data and variantmodels.pack

lets say you wanna put a hat on a unit extract the hat And open it in uu3d export it to milkshape format Open it in milkshape
In order to prevent the extra vertex issue you should use direct x mesh tools i put a screenshot where you can find it Now you can merge it Onto any model if you do now know how it is explained here http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showt...and-I-use-them

Don't forget to decrease the size of the uv map in Uu3d after you have Imported the new model

[rohan97]

result

[TheScouseSicario]

I know this is an old tutorial, but I am wondering whether you would be able to take just the backpacks from napoleon for british units, with the royal logo on it and import it into Empire Total War. I hope to hear from you soon, thanks

[wangrin]

Reworking ETW equipment file is a bit more tricky than working on unit models.

First of all, contrary to NTW, ETW doesn't optimize equipment models, eg., ETW equipments models only use the equivalent of lod0 when NTW use an equivalent of lod0/lod1/lod3/lod4.

Process is similar to what I explained in "Importing ETW model to NTW"

STEP 1 : Exporting NTW equipments

To do this, you have two possibilities :

1. Using VPM (Variant Part Mesh) plugin for MilkShape
2. Using Ultimate Unwrap 3D with its ETW plugin

Exporting NTW equipment model using VPM for MilkShape :

• Importing NTW equipment file into MilkShape
• Exporting bagback from MilkShape as .ms3d or .obj
  As ETW and NTW don't use the same skeleton, you will have to reassign vertex weights and remove NTW skeleton when merging the exported bagback with ETW equipments.
  If you export bagback as .ms3d, you will keep NTW skeleton and vertex weights assignment.
  If you export bagback as .obj, you will loose NTW skeleton and vertex weights assignment, but it's not a big issue as skinning model is quite simple for equipments.

Exporting NTW equipment model using UU3D

• open NTW equipment file using UU3D
• export it to .ms3d, .obj or any file format you want

STEP 2 : Importing a new equipment in ETW equipment file

What you need to know about equipment files

• each equipment model is linked to only one bone (skin model / vertex weights)
• model naming convention :
  each model is names :
• Milkhape truncate model names longer then 32 characters (if I'm not mistaking)
  due to this issue (MilkShape is an old software now), you will have to correct name using UU3D, a process that can be quite boring

Process :

• export euro_equipment.variant_weighted_mesh file to .ms3d file format using UU3D
• open euro_equipment.ms3d in MilkShape
• import your NTW model (bagback, etc.) in MilkShape using "import" menu
• rework vertex weights assignment for your new model
• name your new model according to naming convention
• save your new equipment file
• open your new equipment file in UU3D
• manage its UVmap
• correct truncated model names
• export (save as) your new equipment file as .variant_weighted_mesh (equipment option)

I will add screenshot later.

[TheScouseSicario]

Thank you very much for the reply, I will have a little go, its nothing important just wanted to give it a try. Thanks again. You might be able to help me something that is really getting at me. I have changed the model of the British line infantry. I used a model from the imperial splendour mod. I have had to mod the patch_5 pack as when I make my own pack file the game crashed whilst its loading. Now the game has launched and the unit model has changed correctly but the texture, is a strange red cloudy colour all over the model. Do you know what is going wrong there.

Thank you again for your reply.

Kev

[TheScouseSicario]

Sorry Scrap that, there was a spelling mistake in one of the database files. Could I edit the model using the techniques you mentioned earlier?

[wangrin]

To edit euro_equipment file, you will need Ultimate Unwrap 3D and a modeling software (MilkShape, 3ds Max, etc.).

What is important is to follow some simple rules as mentionned above :

• Equipment model cannot be linked to more than one joint/bone
• Equipment name and naming convention
• Texture is assigned in the euro_equipment file
• It is possible to use more than one texture in euro_equipment

[Andromachos]

OK, so I have followed much of this... the reason I am posting a question here is that i am having the "extra vertex issue". I have gone through my euro_equipment and found no duplicate weights assigned to vertices. Right now i am at a loss.

Referring to the first post, the use of the Direct Mesh Tools in MS3D, I have no idea how to use this tool or what it can do to eliminate my issue I am having with multiple weights assigned to vertices... See image below.



I was able to get some of the unused equipment to show up in NTW... like pikes and spontoons for naval crews, but now I am trying to take that further and bring in my weapons from the NTW mesh that i have made. I have assigned bone weighting to them, assigned materials, etc... but if i try to save it I get the above error. I also tried to use an euro_equipment mesh from my modded ETW game, back from 2013... still same error. So I have been able to mess with the models in ETW and not have any problems. I am not sure what is causing this issue, as i went back through every model and made sure they were assigned to only one bone.

I will be going back and overhauling my ETW mod as soon as i am done with my NTW mod... this is going to cause issues if i cannot modify the euro-equipment mesh anymore.. or if i bungled a step along the way and forgot about it.

Any help is greatly appreciated.

[Andromachos]

So an update as to where I am at on my current quandary with the equipment models.

It appears that MilkShape 1.8.5 beta was causing problems. Also the equipment I was importing may have been causing issues too. I went back to 1.8.4 and just tried two basic tests. Importing vanilla euro_equipment.variant_weighted_mesh and I was able to manipulate the mesh and save from ms3d back to vwm. I tried opening my modded version of the equipment with the same results. So i am at least back to square one I can i manipulate the equipment mesh and save it in the proper format. This gets me halfway to my desired result, as i can take the empire mesh and import it in NTW to use for naval crews.

I have yet to add new equipment to this file, as I got more errors unlike the one before, and i am still perplexed as to what is causing them. This will require more testing. Below are images of the errors I receive in 1.8.4 when trying to import my NTW models (with no bones or weights) from the ETW skeleton (because in NTW, this is handled through the VPM exporter and the comments on each model).

Possible reference somewhere to an extra vertex weight embedded in my models somewhere, but their shouldn't be any weights on those... hmmmm


Still... somehow i am thinking that the NTW skeleton is getting into this, but I could be way off...


More ????


I get these three errors after I import my polearms... so if anyone knows right off why this occurs, please let me know. Otherwise, I either investigate some more, or settle for just manipulating what i already have. But getting this far is a major breakthrough so far.

BEWARE of using MilkShape 1.8.5 beta for ETW euro_equipment.

[Andromachos]

OK, Well it looks like i have solved my own problems.

Problem 1: DO NOT use 1.8.5 beta for ETW euro_equipment. This causes some double vertex weight issues, possibly.

Problem 2: I opened the euro_equipment in 1.8.4, and i got the errors listed above, I came to realize that somehow there were weights from NTW, ETW or some other skeleton on the weapons I had imported and merged. Even though no weights had been added by me. This may have something to do with importing, exporting etc, from different games. Through MilkShape 3D, I selected all the vertices of the new meshes and under the Joints tab, I selected "Clear" to clear out any problematic weights associated with the vertices. Then when i imported into the euro-equipment, I did not receive errors, assigned all the new mesh vertices to bone Weapon 1. The mesh then was saved as error free UU3D.

Below I have several images showing the new weapons for both the naval crews for NTW E as well as New weapons for units in ETW.

New Pikes in ETW


New Pikes and Hand Cannons for Naval Crews


Another view of Naval crew weapons.