How to import a custom model into 3k

[Havie]

Hey guys,
Its finally possible- heres a quick video. Hope it helps.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJ3O...ature=youtu.be


Just click the link above,
idk why the embedded youtube link wont work on here... @Admins

[Gerber]

This tutorial really is a god-sent. There are so many things that I never would have even thought of, so thank you so much for your work!
I do seem to be having some difficulty, Havie.

I'm using Xu Sheng's head from DW9 as a test. I've kept his hair on his body and just had the skin texture go over it, so that's why it looks weird at the moment. This is just a test, after all.

First, I tried using the AC provided example Cao Cao model's skeleton with export node intact, and the model came out completely black (with lighting effects) in the variant editor. This I can not recreate. Every subsequent time, regardless of what skeleton I use or what settings I use, the model is textured [somewhat] properly.
The model is backwards, however, but I'll get to that:
https://i.imgur.com/NyKZ8jo.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/11BHrS5.jpg
After these previous pictures, the textures never looked as good again. They started getting crusty like this:
https://i.imgur.com/RonWcT4.jpg
Don't know what is causing that crustiness. The weirdest part is that the textures are still basically black in the working data folder. This is what all of the textures normally look like:
https://i.imgur.com/KF8BBS9.jpg
Sometimes the textures are completely black with no dotted lines, but most of the time, they have the dotted lines. It doesn't seem to matter whether I have the export node present when exporting from Max or whether I use the default example Cao Cao skeleton or the one you provided in the video's description. It seems to be random, unless I'm missing something.
They have no alpha channel, no colors, and yet, the model still has a texture. I cant wrap my head around what is happening here. And, I checked that the model really was taking its texture from the working data folder:
https://i.imgur.com/2fJ9K9F.jpg
I even flipped the texture of the diffuse map upside down to make sure (also, naming the diffuse map "base_color" doesn't seem to make any difference).
https://i.imgur.com/bMnqqmU.jpg
Sure enough, it really is reading a viable texture from those black, dotted dds files. That seems impossible.

So, that is my first major question: what in the world is going on with the textures?

My second question is, I suppose obviously, why is the model backwards? Lol.
I tried seeing what would happen if I simply turned the skeleton and model 180 degrees, but it still isn't aligned, and even if that did align, it opens up a whole slew of potential problems with animations.
https://i.imgur.com/xRAOfmX.jpg

I don't know if this is relevant or not, but even though BoB pushes the model and textures through fine (or so it says), the text is red before I start the conversion:
https://i.imgur.com/mkEUgpj.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/MqKgq8x.jpg Everything seems in order, I guess.

I can put up my Max files and textures I've been working with if that would help.

[Gerber]

I figured out why the dds files were completely black. It was a problem with my dds plugin in Photoshop. They are normal, now. BoB wasn't at fault.

Still haven't figured out why the model is reversed.

[Havie]

@Gerber,
Im sorry for the late reply, my first guess would be something is not set right with your materials in 3ds max and the shader provided by CA.

Did you set this up ? should look something like this :
https://i.imgur.com/UCrXjRC.png