Strat Map Models Reloaded

[SigniferOne]

Alletun, you don't really need Milkshape for this tutorial!

[Alletun]

Alletun, you don't really need Milkshape for this tutorial!

Your right SigniferOne. Another way to do step 1 is to load the .ms3d model with LithUnwrap and from there export it as .obj to be opened with 3dsmax.
I've added it as a note in case anybody wants to bypass milkshape.

If you know another way of not using milkshape please share! always eager to learn new stuff.

[Brancaleone daNorcia]

Great tutorial, Alletun! Finally I managed to change those useless generals into something more "historic". Great job indeed.

I followed your procedure and I got my new model, but I have an error: the "duplicate sword":

Can you help me understanding why? What should I do? :hmmm:


Thanks in advance for your help..

[Alletun]

I think it's because there are more than 1 sword group in the file. before exporting the 3ds file, check your groups stack in milkshape to see if there are more than 1 sword group.

[Brancaleone daNorcia]

Thank you, man! Ye were right! It works fine!

[Rorarii]

Wouldn't it be really, really great if we didn't need that expensive 3DSMax and could use gmax instead!!! HMMMMM!!!

The reason why people use Milkshape is because it's great ,easy to learn tool that doesn't cost the EARTH!!

Alletun, can we use gmax instead?

R

[KnightErrant]

You can now use Gmax for regular models (i.e. meshes) that are
converted to .ms3d format using GrumpyOldMan's converter. There
is an importer/exporter for these.

http://www.twcenter.net/forums/downl...o=file&id=1745

There would need to be a converter of the .cas model file format to
.ms3d format to use this on strat map models. That format is much
simpler than the mesh format so it shouldn't be too hard to do. Just
so I'm sure before I foolishly agree to something, you just want to
bring a strat map model over to Gmax without re-rigging it, i.e. the
19 bone RTW skeleton with cloak bones, work on it in Gmax and
send it back with the same rig?

[Rorarii]

You can now use Gmax for regular models (i.e. meshes) that are
converted to .ms3d format using GrumpyOldMan's converter. There
is an importer/exporter for these.

http://www.twcenter.net/forums/downl...o=file&id=1745

There would need to be a converter of the .cas model file format to
.ms3d format to use this on strat map models. That format is much
simpler than the mesh format so it shouldn't be too hard to do. Just
so I'm sure before I foolishly agree to something, you just want to
bring a strat map model over to Gmax without re-rigging it, i.e. the
19 bone RTW skeleton with cloak bones, work on it in Gmax and
send it back with the same rig?

What I would like is a CAS importer / exporter for Milkshape that accepts unit, strat, seige .. all models. Then there would be no need for gmax or other. But I suppose the best solution would be for M2TW to accept .MESH format models and new annimations for strat / siege models, then it's just a matter of editing out the "CAS" models and replacing them with MESH ... but I suspect that's hard coded.

I suppose it depends on what is simpliest .. allowing Milkshape to edit all CAS meshes would be EXCELLENT!!! then everyone could afford to model and create their own M2T mods.

Note : I suspect Kingdoms Total war will probably get rid of all CAS files to be replaced with MESH ... so waiting 2-3 years might solve my problem????? .. if I'm allowed access to the computer in the nursing home i'll be dumped!??

R

[SigniferOne]

KE thanks for the really awesome script!

Btw don't need the cas-ms3d convert for strat map, because strat map still operates on CAS files alone, so

[KnightErrant]

My mistake, thanks SigniferOne, wasn't following the thread
close enough. Seems this is a solved problem. Gmax rules
though, for the lower end consumer like myself.

[Rorarii]

My mistake, thanks SigniferOne, wasn't following the thread
close enough. Seems this is a solved problem. Gmax rules
though, for the lower end consumer like myself.

No! you misunderstand .. I want to load RTW strat characters but I also need to edit them.

RTW strat charcters are similar to what i want but they need to be slightly changed to reflect historic / cultural accuracy.

I should have been more clearer on that point, sorry.

R

[Averroës]

Color me really confused. Most of the instructions I see regarding .cas conversions and .dds to texture etc. seem to deal mostly with models which have skeletons, unit models and such.

What I need is information on what programs and plugins I would need so that I could modify the .cas files used in Kingdoms for the strat map resources and the .tga DDS files used for the textures for those same .cas files.

I'm obviously a clueless newbie when it comes to graphics. So be gentle with me.

[wilddog]

What I need is information on what programs and plugins I would need so that I could modify the .cas files used in Kingdoms for the strat map resources and the .tga DDS files used for the textures for those same .cas files.

You need 3dsmax to edit the CAS (pretty much as it says here for other strat models but the resource CAS files don't have skeletons). There's an Nvidia plug in to convert DDS file's to TGA's (I use Photoshop CS3 but there are other packages around although I don't know if the Nvidia plug in works with them).

[SigniferOne]

You can change them like in RTW, by importing using Verc's script, into 3dsmax. For non-RTW models or if converting M2TW models to strat-map, then KnightErrant and Alletun provided all the steps necessary in the opening post.

[Csatádi]

Thanks for the tut!

Everything was ok until this:

4.2: In your viewports select all vertices like so:

4.3: We now assign the weight for all vertices to be 1,0 and "rigid". this means that only one bone can be assigned per vertice (else the game crashes) and that the weight is 1 (full weighted). all of the vertices are now assigned to the torso bone.
[CENTER]

[LEFT]

How can I assign vertices? Vertex weight panel is not editable. In another tutorial I found the weight table menu but is filled and every vertex is assigned to every bone with the weight 0,05.
???

And is CaozSceneCustomAttribNode a bone or what?

[Alletun]

@Averroës & wilddog:
Glad to see there's other people around to lend a hand when im busy


@Csatádi
first you must make sure that you have do this:

4.1: Click the + (1) and then click Envelope (2). Then check "vertices" (3) and de-check envelopes and cross-sections.

or you cant assign the weighting.

and no, CaozSceneCustomAttribNode is not a bone. only take bones that start with bone_ (as in bone_torso)

[Csatádi]

@Csatádi
first you must make sure that you have do this:

4.1: Click the + (1) and then click Envelope (2). Then check "vertices" (3) and de-check envelopes and cross-sections.

or you cant assign the weighting.

and no, CaozSceneCustomAttribNode is not a bone. only take bones that start with bone_ (as in bone_torso)

Thanks.
I did these but I don't get how to assign.

[Alletun]

hmm thats strange.
Could i get you to take a screenshot of 3dsmax (both the figure and the toolbar)?

right now my guess is as good as yours

[Averroës]

Great tutorial, Alletun. Sadly, it's beyond my skills. I am graphically challenged. I purchased Photoshop CS3 yesterday and spent 4 aggravated hours trying to figure out why I couldn't paint single pixels. Then I finally figured out I was using a brush instead of a pencil.

I'm hopeless.

[Csatádi]

hmm thats strange.
Could i get you to take a screenshot of 3dsmax (both the figure and the toolbar)?

right now my guess is as good as yours

Actually my problem is not I did something wrong but I don't know how to assign.