[Modding] RTW: 3DSMax and Tool Tutorials

[Perikles]

Author: [user]Alin[/user]
Original Thread: 3DSMax and Tool Tutorials

3DSMax and Tool Tutorials

I will not go in to the advance part of the skin modifier just some basics wich you can use to link vertexes to the bones you wan't, the advanced parts are not needed for the models you need to implment in the game.First there must be known that game needs that every vertex must have one bone weight.

1-Asign the skin modifier to the model.


2-Press the add button, here you can add the bones that are needed for the model.


3-Select the bones you wan't and then press the selcet button.


4-Press the Edit Envelopes button and select the vertices, then deselect the Envelopes and Cross Sections since they aren't needed here and can be disturbing.


5-Select the vertexe's you wan't in the viewports.


6-After you have selceted the vertexe's scroll down and press the weight table button.


7-Here You can link the vertex's to the bones you wan't, down you can make the program show the vertex after 3 ways: all vertexs, selected vertexs and selected bone(the vertexes that are linked to the bone you selected).Select the selected vertexs to be shown.


8-Then select the all vertexs that are shown, just like you have selcted the bones before.


9-After that go to the bone you wan't them to be linked and drag the mouse on the bone you wan't from left to right until the vertexes have reached one bone weight. And you repeat this until every vertex has been linked to the bones.


Also sometimes when you have made some changes to the model and the skin modifier is aplied you can select riqid wich will aproximise the vertexes to have one bone weight. But sometimes this will not work and set the vertexes and in the game they will apear some wired effects in the animation because the vertexes are set to the wrong bones.





An tutorial for learning how to make new animations.
Use XIDX to extract the animations on wich you will need to work on.

1-First import and model on wich you wan't to create the animation, it doesn't matter what type of unit it is, but i suggest an model type wich is based on the same category of the animation.

2-After you have imported the model go to the script and open an animation wich you wan't to use for your new animation, i work this since it's easier than creating an new animation from scratch.


3-Now i will show some basics that are used for creating animations.
First you can set the frames of the animation, just click on the button.

To change the number of frames just change the values in the "frame count" panel. Here you can also set the speed of the animation seen in max when you wan't to play the animation in max, just go to speed to see the options.
When you select an bone you can delete the bone moves in what keys you wan't, just select the frames you wan't that the bone moves to be deleted and right click on them and then you can choose to delete what keys you wan't.

Note that the animations are simple .cas files,contain only the bones in it without parts of the model, altough max suports models animation just by moving parts of the model in the game this isn't possible and every unit animation is becuase of the bones.

4-Now press the "Auto key" button, this will se the keys on the frames automatic and you will not have to set them manualy when using the "set key" and clicking on the key when you have finshed the moves on the frame.Also don't forget to delete the keys on the bones wich you are going to use for making the animation.


5-Now select a bone you wan't to animate, and use the move and rotate button to move the bone in wich position you wan't to be in the frame.
After you have done the moves in the frame you wan't click on the buttons pointed in the image to go trough the frames and do you your moves, in every frame, until you have what you desired. It basicaly works on the same principle as cartoons, it's not difficult but it's a lot of work that is needed to be done.


6-After you have finshed the animation use the script to export the animation in a .cas file and use the animation packer or the link posted up.
See the tool tutorials to see how to implement the new animations.

I hope this helps, if someone has any questions feel free to ask them and if there are any mistakes point them to me. ~:cheers:

3DSMax and Tool Tutorials

Some of the current tools wich are avaible:
1-XIDX, wich will is used to extract or pack the animations, skeletons and sounds and has many more functions.
Download
2-Animation Packer, is used to update animations, create new skeletons but XIDX has them too, but the AnimPacker is more easy to use.
Download
3-XPAK, is used to extract data from the rome's pack files.
Download
4-.CAS Importer/exporter for 3ds max, the name says it all.
Download

How to use XIDX to scale unit skeletons
1-Start extract_skeletons.bat.
Note, if you wish to scale a vanila skeleton skip step 2 and 3.
2-Now copy a skeleton file wich you wish to scale, for example fs_archer and after you copy it let's name it fs_archer_big or what you wish just no spaces like fs archer big.

3-Open list.txt and add the new skeleton name there, at the bottom or where you wish but again with no spaces just like in the pic, after save.
4-Now open the xidxShell.bat and type "scale fs_archer_big x", x is the scale of the unit so type any digit number you wish, see the pic, but if you wish to see the skeletons scale just type "scale fs_archer_big".

5-Now go to descr_model_battle.txt and add scale 2 after the skeleton like in the quote:

Note, for small scales like 1.2, 1.3 you can skip this step, if you do this the units will look taller but it will be thicker, it's hands for example will have the same thicknes as 1 scale but they will be longer,so if you don't skip the unit will be taller but it will be "fater".
6-That's all, the last thing remaining is to pack the skeletons so run the pack_skeletons.bat,.
7-The result:

Some examples for step 6:





Using XIDX to create a new skeleton
1-Use extract_skeletons.bat and extract_animations.bat.
2-Copy a skeleton wich you wish to use to create a new one, for example i'll use fs_2handed and i'll name the new one fs_2handed_sword.
3-Now we must add fs_2handed_sword in the list.txt
4-After open xidxShell and now we must use the chpath comand, if you wish to see exactly how it is used type "help chpath" anyway now let's go to work,i will have to type "chpath copy fs_2handed_sword data/animations data/animations/fs_2hs" and after "chpath ALL fs_2handed_sword data/animations data/animations/fs_2hs", the ALL function will change the path of the skeleton animations and the copy will copy therm in the folder you wish.
5-After this is done we must type: fork echo chpath fs_2hs list all data/animations/ | xidx --shell >> list_anim_2hs.txt
Now copy all that is in the list_anim_2hs.txt into the anims_list.txt and you're done with adding the animations and skeletons to the game.
6 - After you're done with the new animations path and after you have changed what you wan't on them you must pack the skeletons and animations and don't forget to go to descr_model_battle.txt and make the units use the new made skeleton.



How to use XPAK
1-Open xpak.bat with notepad.
2-Delete or add the packs wich you wish or don't to extract data from.
For example if you wish to extract data only from patch_0.pak edit the xpak.bat like this:

3-Save the xpak.bat and run it.

Thanks goes to Vercingetorix for his great tools and for his help he gave me.