Problems doing minor changes to a model

[Rob13]

I want to do some minor changes to some units (merging, changing weapons, create dismounted versions)... but everytime I do so, when I load the battlemap, my new units look like this:



I have verified that all the attachmensets and textures are placed correctly according to their modeldb path... I think I must be doing something wrong when editting the units in MilkShape

[paleologos]

I believe that your model has unassigned vertices that is an occasional side effect of the use of more than one tools to convert a model back and forth between CA.mesh format and ms3d format.
This tutorial contains the information you need to fix this, though it was not intended to only fix just this.

I could -probably- fix this model for you as I have fixed several models for other people with similar problems (though I can't promise 100% success).
But if I do it you won't learn.
In any case I will need the model and the textures for figure and attachments.

Your choice.

[Rob13]

I think I could use some help... It is very frustrating, I have tried to mod 7 different units, all with the same result ... and I am no good with the unassigned vertices, maybe because I am frustated I cannot do the steps correctly as the tutorial says right now but anyways, here go the files you have requested:

models 1.rar
Models 2.rar

If there is anything missing in the folders please let me know here or by private message

Thanks in advance

[paleologos]

Do you really want me to fix all those models?

[Rob13]

As much as you can help me ... even if you can only fix one or two I will be very grateful, I will anyways try one more time following the tutorial, today I am a little bit more relaxed

[paleologos]

As much as you can help me ... even if you can only fix one or two I will be very grateful...

How grateful?
Here's one, try it in-game and let me know if the fix worked.
arnor_light_spear_1_lod0.7z

...I will anyways try one more time following the tutorial, today I am a little bit more relaxed

Did you make any progress yourself?

[Rob13]

How grateful?
Here's one, try it in-game and let me know if the fix worked.
arnor_light_spear_1_lod0.7z

Did you make any progress yourself?

HOW GRATEFUL? I can credit you when I post the mod and recommend your tutorials to anyone who needs help...

Now, regarding the model, it did not work, I only get floating heads and capes, but at least they do not look like walking triangles...

But by the other hand, I found an alternate solution, I got an older model from old files and I only changed the figure attachements in the model.db and I got it to work perfectly...

But for the rest I cannot do the same, most of them are new models, and it is frustrating since in the past I could just combine different models and I had not big problems at all to get them to work.

I was also wondering, which .mesh to .m3ds conversion program you recommend to use? It might be a software issue I think

[paleologos]

How embarrassing for me.
I missed some fix in the comments of one of the groups.
This should be working, also replace the textures.

arnor_light_spear_1.7z

[paleologos]

Try this too:
mbrdu_Spears-&-Swords.7z

[Rob13]

I'm at my job right now... but right now my boss is not around so I will check the area first

[Rob13]

How embarrassing for me.
I missed some fix in the comments of one of the groups.
This should be working, also replace the textures.

arnor_light_spear_1.7z

I'm afraid to tell you that now the unit is invisible... but I insist, there is a problem with my ms3d to mesh convertors... I have already tried with GOAT and with Mesh_2_Ms3d 1.8, there might be an incompatibility problem or something, maybe if you send me the converted mesh file might work.

I had the same results with the other two models

[Rob13]

UPDATE: After my 98483459345 attempt I was finally able to make it work!!!!!!




I only find kinda wierd this guy's face:



But it's just a minor detail, nothing to worry about... you did an amazing job!!!

Now I will see if I can make work the other 2 sword and spear units

[Rob13]

As for the Dunedain Spearmen and Swordmen I had no luck,

For the swordsmen this is what I get when I convert the ms3d file to mesh using GOAT:



And this is what I get after converting it with ms3d_2_mesh 1.8:

[Rob13]

As for the Dunedain Spearmen and Swordmen I had no luck,

For the swordsmen this is what I get when I convert the ms3d file to mesh using GOAT:



And this is what I get after converting it with ms3d_2_mesh 1.8:

I was able to fix the spearmen model by just changing the skeleton values in the model.db file of the original mounted version, but now the sword version I had not the same luck

[paleologos]

Let's fix the simple stuff first:
Your screenshots are grotesque.

To take screenshots like everyone else, first you need to open the default.cfg file, usually located in C:\Program Files\SEGA\Medieval II Total War\mods\TATW, or whatever your mod and mod folder is named/located.
Scroll down to the tag named [video] and add/tweak the lines:
tga_width = 1680
tga_aspect = 1.6

Then, when in combat, hit the PrtScn key.
The screenshot taken will be stored in C:\Program Files\SEGA\Medieval II Total War\tgas, and as you have guessed, in *.tga format.
Open an image, crop it (or don't) to the size that includes the details you want to show and optionally apply a low pass sharpen filter to it.
Convert it to *.jpg and it is ready to upload.





About the conversion program, I try to only use one of them with a model.

You see, CA mesh files for models don't include skeleton information but they do include rigging information (the bones to which each vertex is weighted).
Skeleton information is included in the skeletons.dat, located in the animations folder (C:\Program Files\SEGA\Medieval II Total War\data\animations).

Now, you cannot rig a model (assign bone weights to vertices) in milkshape -or any other 3D modelling suit- unless it has a skeleton (duh).
Since the mesh files don't have any of those, the skeletons have to be added by the conversion program.
What causes a major pain is that the skeleton added by GOAT is not identical to the skeleton added by ms3d_2_mesh 1.8.

The result of using both programs on the same model is that the rigging gets seriously screwed up.
For example, the numbers that correspond to the head bone in the skeleton added by GOAT may be the same numbers that correspond to the torso bone in the skeleton added by ms3d_2_mesh 1.8.
So you may end up with heads whose vertices are weighted in the torso bone.
And then you are going to have to do the rigging entirely from scratch, which is really tedious.

Seriously, one of the most attractive advantages of using the "Frankenstein" method to compose models instead of making them yourself is to avoid re-doing the rigging.
Alas, it seems that this is exactly what you are going to have to do in order to make these models work properly.

[Rob13]

I see... ok, I won't disturb you anymore with my "grotesque" screenshots, I have resolved the issue, but anyways thanks, if you did have not mentioned the "Frenkenstein" method I would not known were to search for the correct steps guide.

I can take it myself from here.

Farewell