SWAPPING WEAPONS ETC

[Big Bear]

Hi, have done a bit of skinning and downloaded 3D max 7.1 to try modeling. I was wanting to try start simple, just swapping weapons around. How can i extract an eliment a sheild, a sword etc and put it onto another model? Tried to get a sheild and spear onto the Amazon figure to make a Hoplite. managed to delete the bow and quiver but can't get the eliments from one model to the other. Any pointers from you chaps out there.

All the best
Big Bear

[Publius]

When I want to take elements from one model and add them to another, first I import the first model. Select and hide the elements that you want to add to your other model (for instance I might hide the shield). Once the shield is hidden, click and drag over the entire scene and delete the rest of the unit (including the bones!). Then import your other model, right click and press unhide all. Your shield geometry should now be there, you just need to make sure you attach it to the new model via the new schematic view option and then export your new cas file.

[Big Bear]

Thanks man, going potty trying to get this thing to work. New at it but will persevere. Can't even get the DDS plug in to work on PSP 9. However took me a while to get the skinning to work. Thanks for the help.

Big Bear

[Publius]

No worries, we've all been through it at one point or another. Stick with it, I've yet to meet somebody who has regretted learning this stuff

[Big Bear]

Hi, done the thing with importing the CAS and hiding the rest. That seemed to work fine. But i'm not sure how to attach the weapon and sheild. I assume i have to attach them to a bone. In this case the spear as primary weapon to the right hand bone and the sheild to the left. Also the thing when exported says somthing about it needing a skin in the first layer. Any pointers would be welcome.

Yours
A puzzled Big Bear

[Publius]

For objects that don't deform (things like a spear, a sword, a shield, a helmet, etc.) simply go into Graph Editors--> New Schematic View, and use the attach button at top left to attach the item to the appropriate bone.

Things like the body mesh require a skin modifier, which is a little bit more complicated, but from the sounds of it you don't need to worry about that. Just try attaching the spear to the right hand bone, and see if you can export it.

[Big Bear]

Hi, thanks Publius very much, you are a deeply cool human being. I now have units of pretty Amazons brandishing their spears and Hoplons. But there is a bit of a problem with the graphics. They (the spear and the sheild) seem to be picking up an area of the breast-plate. Any pointer on how to alter the graphics for this.
With thanks
Big Bear

-Threads merged-

[Halie Satanus]

This tutorial is the one you want.

http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=49570

You just need to move the weapon sections of the uv map so they correspond with the correct sections of the texture.

[Big Bear]

Hi, got my amazon working a little rough needing the graphics fine tuned but baisicaly working. Thanks to Publius and Halie Satanus for giving me the pointer. Swaping weapons and heads 90% of what i want to do. I'll maybe pop my Amazon up for download in a day or two. Any pointers in getting DDS to work in Max. I used screens-shots and resized them to the graphic sheet size to guide me, is there a beter way? Thanks for all the trouble taken anyway.

Yours
A Chuffed at last Big Bear

[oscarreeve]

i think if u download 3ds max 9.0 that has it all ready in it

[Big Bear]

I'll take that under advisement for future reference just now, took me a year to find Max 7. It's baisicaly working for me so i'll stick with that for the meoment. But a a good tip for future refeference.

Thanks again
Big Bear

[oscarreeve]

U can find a free trail of 3ds max 9.0 here

[Publius]

Any pointers in getting DDS to work in Max.

Are you asking for help assigning the texture to the model, or making the actual texture in photoshop? Both are covered in the tutorials section I think, I'd take a look there and if you still have questions pop back in

[oscarreeve]

Are you asking for help assigning the texture to the model, or making the actual texture in photoshop? Both are covered in the tutorials section I think, I'd take a look there and if you still have questions pop back in

Just to carry on from what Publis said. If u have photoshop, open up the texture with the dds plug-in found here , save the texture as Targa ( or any format u like ) and than in 3ds max asign that texture to your model

[Big Bear]

Hi, i downloaded a DDS plugin for PSP 9, tried to get it to work. but failed so far. I use the DXT thing to convert between DDS and PSP. I also downloaded plugins for 3D MAX 4 and 5, but nothing thier either. Thanks for the Max 9 site maybe download that when 7 expires, i've got a couple of computers so might be a while. Still fine tuning as they say, got the graphics i changed on the model looking not bad, but the sheild is still too far from the hand so i will go back and sort that out. Thanks again for all the tips and advice. I'm sure i'll have an Amazon to post up in a day or two, actually quite a fast learning curve because of the advice i got here. (It took me a month to get my first skin to work, and MAX is much more difficult.)

Cheers
Big Bear

Hi, I got the amazon to work. It's noting mutch really just the Amazon Charioter with a spear a sheild and a re-skin. But it looks OK. How do i post it to TWC for downloading?

Yours
Big Bear

Hi, just a note to say I got it posted in the skins section.

Big Bear

[gummybear00]

Hi,

I have a question regarding this topic. I downloaded a hoplite model and I wanted to change it so it has a sword and pilum instead. So I deleted the spear and loaded the pilum from the Roman legionnaire's model and linked it to the right hand with the schematic tool.

The thing is, I don't see any texture for the spear or the sword in the texture file. So where does the texture for the sword and spear come from? Is there any way to track them?

[Halie Satanus]

It is there but it may have been reduced down so it's not obvious..Open the uv map in Max with the weapons selected, you should be able to see them then.

[Publius]

Select the shield, select the modify tab on right hand panel, modifier list, Unwrap UVW, change location of shield UV's on texture (must be within the blue borders). For more detailed information I would recommend looking through the tutorials section (alternatively you can look through catalogue 3 of the Scriptorium).