How to import self-made 3d models into Shogun 2

[Ygge]

If it greys out when you hover over it then it is definitely a units.loc issue. Can you upload the mod?

[wangrin]

1. Reducing polycount & UVmap

When you modify faces, it necessary modify the UVmap.
So, it is important to complete the 3d model before working on UVMap, particularly when you manually reduce polycount.

You can also use 3ds max tool : ProOptimizer (Modifiers > Mesh Editing > ProOptimizer).
First, you will have to select meshes you want to modify.
Then, you will have to carefully fix parameters :

• Protect Borders : to avoid that you model's border will be modified when polycount will be reduced
• Keep Texture and then Keep UV boundaries : to avoid tomodify UVmap. You can add a tolerance if you accept slight modifications.
• etc.
• Symmetry options are important too, but depend of your model.

1. 2. 3. 4.

1. TWS2 horse model - lod1
2. TWS2 horse model - lod1 - UVmap
3. TWS2 horse model - polycount reduce to 50% of initial one
4. TWS2 horse model - polycount reduce to 50% of initial one - UVmap

2. Description text

Could you post a screenshot ?
I cannot understand why modifying description text could have such effect.

3. Unit Card

Maybe is it tied to alpha channel (transparency) or mask.
I have no knowledge about how icon system work in TWS2, probably slightly different from ETW one.

[Vikus van de Merwe]

Hi, thank you for the fast answer, wangrin!

But do you know how to unwrap the whole equipment scene in one UV map? This is a big problem for me...

Regards,
Vikus

[manolops3]

Hi Vikus ,

i can help you at problem 2 .
the screen gets darker because the game cannot find the Unit Name.i had the same problem,but when the game " knows " the unit name,the screen will no more getting dark.
you have to edit your localisation.loc file.
it is in the local.pack ( what exactly the name is,depends on what language version of Shogun2 you play )
i use the german language,so in my case the name is " local_ge.pack "
here you can find the localisation.loc , and here you have to make your entrys ( Unit Name,Description texts etc. ).
you can export the localisation.loc file into a new pack.

[wangrin]

I don't understand your question about the UVmap.
What do you mean when writing "to unwrap the whole equipment scene in one UV map".

UVmap is the map for texture.
In previous ETW it was possible to use 2 different materials (and so, textures) in the equipment file.
Each material use its own UVmap.
This UVmap depend of mesh groups assigned to the material.

Example :
In euro_equip.variant_weighted_mesh (ETW), you can add a new model for drum.
Then, you can add a new material, call it equip_stack2_diffuse.
If you assign this material to your new drum, and only it, in the UVmap related to equip_stack2_diffuse you will see only your new drum UVmap.

On the other hand, if you assign all mesh group to the same material and delete all others, you should have only one material remaining and so, only one UVmap.


In NTW and S2TW, I'm not sure it's still possible. Te new system allow now to use several equipments files, so the "trick" is not necessary.

[manolops3]

Wangrin wrote it in Post 105 : " The new system allow now to use several equipments files "

so there is a mesh1.variant_part_mesh and a mesh2.variant_part_mesh,so maybe you can make a new equipment file,named " mesh3.variant_part_mesh " to add new weapons.and maybe it is the same with the texture1diffuse and texture2diffuse,so you have to make texture3diffuse ( this is the texture of your new weapons )

i recommend you to try this out,if it is correct,it will save a lot of time.

[Vikus van de Merwe]

My problem is that there is for example ONE diffuse texture where are ALL textures of ALL equipment models are in it. But in the equipment file I can't unwrap all models at the same time in one UV map to place the UVs well to have place for my sword UV, too. And you think, manolops3, that I can make a mesh3? Have there all models to be in it or can I delete them so there are only the bones and my weapon in it? (Maybe you think that I have to integrate this mesh file into the models2.pack, but I don't need it anymore... the mod works fine without manual integrating files...) I don't really understand what to do... Maybe it is possible only to add the sword model to the skeleton and then to export this file as mesh3 into the mod pack...

Regards,
Vikus

[Ygge]

Manolops, I do not think Vikus needs to edit units.loc if he uses the assembly kit. Any name he type in the units table should appear in units.loc. One must only edit that table and then export it and units.loc.

[wangrin]

If I understand your problem, you have one equipment file but you have no place to place your new sword's UVmap.

Then, you have two possibility :
1. you resize and reorganized the global UVmap of the equipment file
2. you create a new equipment file for your new equipment and all future one you will create

To reorganized the global UVmap, you will probably have to resize some equipment's uvmap.

If you want to create a new file, you will have to strictly respect equipment file structure as shown here : [Tutorial] Needed: Simple Tutorial for exporting and importing S2TW Equipment model Modifications - post #24
But creating a new file with only one equipment is possible.

[Vikus van de Merwe]

Yes, you understand me right,
so it's a good possibility to create a new file. That will be lots of easier for me to edit the UV's. And have I to name the meshes like manolops3 explained? Also I think that I haven't to change anything in the table, have I? It seems for me that this created files only complement the equipment file. Hope it works and thanks!

Regards,
Vikus

[manolops3]

@Ygge

i dont meant the units.loc file.i meant the localisation.loc file that is in the local.pack .

@Vikus

yeah try it !
i am very excited to hear whether it works or not.

[ScarletFrog]

2. Because of some reasons my description text and unit name doesn't shown up ingame.

The assembly kit's .loc files is out dated and don't contain the otomo unit entries, you have to use the vanilla game files in the local_*.pack as a base.

3. To the unit card: I made my own card and it works ingame. As a background I took white. Now it seems that the game cuts the white colour away so there is as a background a bright blue-white colour. But the game doesn't only cut the white background away, also it cuts some parts of my Witchking away. So my question: Can I use in the TARGA a transparent background? Or what can I do to tell the game not to cut away parts of the Witchking picture?

Editing the alpha channel, the game will replace all black areas in this channel to category background colour.

[Vikus van de Merwe]

Hi,

good news! The way to create a mesh3.variant_part_mesh works successfully! I created with the base file of spartan_warrior a file where is only the skeleton and weapon-bones plus the default layer in it. Then I integrated my sword and the file works fine! I textured it now with unwrap 3d, but theres something wrong with the textures:


.
I made all textur files (diffuse, level, gloss and normal) and let them look like the original textures. Maybe someone knows in which texture is the problem so the sword is so much shiny. And it's strange that there is no diffuse colour... I named the textures: texture3_ ... so maybe there is an error in the name, I don't know.

And thanks ScarletFrog, I'll try it when I'm ready with the textures...

Regards,
Vikus

[wangrin]

The "shiny" aspect is controlled by the gloss_map.dds texture.
This is explained here :

For example, the process I have used to create "Bombardiers de la Marine" texture for Nec Pluribus Impar" unit pack (ETW mod):

1. create UVmap using UU3D (but could be the very same using 3ds max's UVW modifier)
2. export UVmap as black and white pictures
   a. b.
   a. B&W filled UVmap
   b. B&W UVmap
3. use these 2 pictures as patron to create textures
   

To create a diffuse texture, I use several layers :

1. a base layer, using the B&W filled UVmap that I use to "paint" base colours ;
2. a layer to paint details such as buttons, laces, etc. ;
3. a layer to represent "shadows" on the uniforms (mostly creases and the "texture" of fabric) ;
4. a layer to represent "shadows" for small details ;
5. a layer based on B&W UVmap I use as a patron to place details and colours ;

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.


In ETW, the gloss map was composed of 4 channels :

1. red = specular sharpness, how spread out the highlight is, metal should have a narrow / low / dark value, plastic or shiny wood a higher value.
2. green = specular level, how shiny the highlight is, higher is brighter. Metal should have a high value, shiny plastic less, matte (bark, cotton) should be black on the green channel.
3. blue = cloth dirt mask, gets combined with info from the game about dirtiness for the specified model and the default dirty map (color and alpha), the higher, the dirtier it can get.
4. alpha = faction color strength, more alpha means the faction color gets more priority over the diffuse color.

1. 2. 3.

The Alpha channel is all black to avoid that the game apply the faction's color to the unit.


To create the bump map (called ..._normal.dds here), I use NVidia plugin for Photoshop.
But, instead to use the diffuse texture as a base, I only use "shadows" layers.

[Vikus van de Merwe]

Ok, I'll work on the gloss_map. But it was strange that there was no diffuse colour on the sword... was it too shiny? I named the diffuse map "texture3_Diffuse". I hope that there is diffuse colour when I changed the gloss map...

[Vikus van de Merwe]

Hm, the sword looks like before... It seems that there are no textures over the sword. What can I do? Are the names wrong?

[wangrin]

ETW equipment need to be tied to their texture in the model file itself.
But this system change since NTW I think.

Do you have attach texture in you .max model ?
Or maybe is it a problem with your texture name : texture3_diffuse.dds
I don't know if the game take care about case.

[manolops3]

Hi ,

what is the reason that from time to time textures looks in Shogun2 like on the images i have uploaded ?
i had this problem once before,as i tried to make a Re-Colouring of the Wig-Helmet .
as i tried to re-texture a another helmet,all was fine.

[Vikus van de Merwe]

Which images? In your tutorial?

To the textures: I think I have to make a material which I use for the sword, right? I did it but when I render it, it seems that the diffuse colour isn't there because the sword is only black and white. So maybe there is the problem. And I have to use the TARGA files, I made, right?

Regards,
Vikus

[manolops3]

@Vikus

so the new equipment file works . im really happy about this !
to the texture-problem maybe you could compare the preferences and structure of mesh1.variant_part_mesh and mesh2.variant_part_mesh as related to their textures in the max files ......