SC2Mapster

Probably the same problem I was having.
The exporter created a helper object, make sure that, when you use the skin modifier, you only select/are using the bones you need and not other objects like that helper one.

Worked for me.

Anyone made their own models and exported them?

Also does size matter ? Coz my model is turned to be huge, my bad :P, wasnt paying attention. Is there a way to re-size the model ? Its rigged already.

@tigerija: Go

Yes, I explained a little bit more on size in the previous page. As to re-sizing, use the scale tool?

Or you can change the model scale in the editor itself.

And yeah, I've used many models so far.

Can you record me some short video or write me step by step wat are you doing. Coz I dont know why my walk animation is screwed...

I mean about scale tool in 3dsmax. I cant use normal scaling for already animated model, It will screw up the bones. I think there is some tool to prevent that.

EDIT: Stupid editor is bugged... Man if they wont release some support for modders I wont buy this game, Wc3 has better editor for now. Well, better support at least.

Animation backswing is increasing(animation speed) as you scale down the model. In the editor. So animations are running faster than he is walking.

Wc3 editor had option in data editor where you can set animation backswing. Does SC2 has that ?

Coz I have to scale down model till 0.01 . I dont know how to scale in 3dsmax since its already animated. Its big, but not that big -.-' . Its in proportion with human, its a mech. But SC2 uses extra small models, and scaling down isnt an option for large model...

Can someone post me screenshot from 3dsmax so I can see size of model compared o grid ? turn perspective mode and turn grid on also.

@tigerija: Go

After messing around with Warcraft 3 models, which are absolutely huge compared to SC2 models, I found a good method for scaling down models without messing up the animations. This is a good method for affecting the whole model with transformations without messing up animations that might be in the root bone of the model (the bone that is the parent of all bones in the model besides attachment/object bones, your models should always have a root bone). Ah I don't know how to do this through the 3ds max interface but I can do it through the listener by typing commands.

The process is like this:
1) Create a new bone at pos [0,0,0]
2) Make the new bone the root bone of the model
3) Scale down the new bone and the whole model will scale down with it, animations won't get distorted
4) Make sure you add the new bone to your skin bones or else the exporter will crash. I'm working on updating the exporter to handle bones outside the skin better but at the moment it'll just crash.

In the listener (Press F11 to bring it up) you can achieve this by typing out the following commands:

newbone = bonesys.createbone [0,0,0] [0,0,0] [0,0,0.1] --Creates new bone at [0,0,0]
br = $bone_root --swap 'bone_root' with the name of the root bone of the model in your scene
br.parent = newbone --makes the newbone a parent of the bone root
br.scale *= 0.5 --scales the newbone and thus all bones by 0.5

Make sure you add the bone to the mesh skin!!! Complicated I know. If anyone knows how to do this through max without having to resort to the listener let me know.

That one spider model was pretty big too, I also animated it while it was big.

The only thing I did was select both, the mesh and the bones and scaled them together. Nothing weird happened, nothing broke.
I didn't realise one can't actually do that, but apparently I can :D

I managed to scale it down by myself without messing up the animations. I did what you wrote here. But only half of it. I had to use other technique the do the other half :D.

I am using strange rigg. Its complex, but this way it gives me lots of freedom to modify the geometry and the bones without screwing animations. This way I can use lots of different models on one rigg.

I think I am doing something wrong in Data editor...

You know what walk/run offset is ? In wc3 editor. Where you can set animation speed for model.

I scaled down the model, but now he walks too slow... well animation is running too slow. This is quite frustrating...

Oh, also, I dont need that bone. I use shapes and helpers for animating. I dont actually animate bones. After animating helpers I bake bones. From this I get animated bones that I can use for skinning. Removing all from the scene except bones and mesh. :)

I will record video in max tomorrow so you guyz ca tell em what am I doing wrong. Model works great in wc3...

Yeah, I'm currently on the works of making a graphics tutorial in which I'll include chapters on this .m3 plug in, mostly cause I know NiN wants to do tutorials but doesn't have the time and because people need to know how to use them too :P

If you guys want specific details on something, and if I can do it, let me know so I can include it as well.

$10 says im doing something really stupid but whatever

my textures seem to partially be dissapearing

even when i just take a blizz model, export it from sc2, put in max and export it back out it without touching it it happens

Tried some quick animations but they didn't work (just a quick 360 barrel roll for a spaceship), does this exporter only accept IK bone animations? or will it also take simple rotations/ scaling and such?

@Thebillsta: Go

Those are the decal textures. At the moment the exporter doesn't support decal textures properly (I'm looking in to how they're done), so you should clear them in the materials after you import them before you export. Otherwise the decal texture will try to cover the whole model and you'll get the result you see. So remove the decal textures for now and you'll be fine for exporting. Hopefully I can figure out decals and support them in future updates.

@crazyfingers619: Go

It only supports FK animations at the moment. Upon reading the Warcraft III Art Tools documentation, it appears you need to have rotations every 90 degrees or less of rotation. This could be the problem encountered by most models that don't animate properly. I believe BlinkBoy from THW has figured out a solution to this problem so you don't need rotations every 90 degrees (think it introduces more keyframes between rotations if it detects some keyframes are more than 90 degrees) but for now the exporter requires rotations every 90 degrees or less. As far as I know there are no problems with simple scalings/translations. Just remember the rotation rule. Hopefully in future updates I can use BlinkBoy's solution so those kind of rotation restrictions aren't mandatory, although I think it's good animating practice to include those extra rotation keyframes anyway.

@xcorbo: Go

hey xcorbo, I got a chance to look at your link model. One of the problems is that it doesn't seem to be skinned properly when I export it as an M3. Even with no animation exported, the bind pose/base pose is distorted at the leg/foot region. I'm not sure what's causing the skin to be distorted exactly, considering it looks fine in 3ds Max. I think if it was reskinned (something I might do just to test) and provided the rotation animation had rotations every 90 degrees or less, everything would be smooth. I'm sure if you checked the spider walk animations that you'd probably find it has rotation keyframes at every 90 degrees or less. This would explain why more complicated animations work better than simple ones.

Hey so I have no idea how to use max or your plug-in yet(waiting for max to finish installing) but is it possible to make custom attachment points? I want to be able to attach custom armor in-game when an armor item is equipped, and I don't want to have to make a new model for every combination of different units and multiple pieces of armor. Is any of this idea plausible?

Alright noob question: how do I find the SC2 files in order to import them?

Quote from NiNtoxicated01: Go

@crazyfingers619: Go

It only supports FK animations at the moment. Upon reading the Warcraft III Art Tools documentation, it appears you need to have rotations every 90 degrees or less of rotation. This could be the problem encountered by most models that don't animate properly. I believe BlinkBoy from THW has figured out a solution to this problem so you don't need rotations every 90 degrees (think it introduces more keyframes between rotations if it detects some keyframes are more than 90 degrees) but for now the exporter requires rotations every 90 degrees or less. As far as I know there are no problems with simple scalings/translations. Just remember the rotation rule. Hopefully in future updates I can use BlinkBoy's solution so those kind of rotation restrictions aren't mandatory, although I think it's good animating practice to include those extra rotation keyframes anyway.

wait a sec, if you refere to TCB rotations having troubles after 90º. That's not really the problem you think, the problem actually is if the z axi passes 90º or x and y axis pass 180º. This problem has nothing to do with gimbal-lock but with the smooth-quaternion-interpolation function (squad) used by the game. To fix the problem, you must add extra keys whenever you find it happening between 2 quaternions.

By the way, about importing TCB. I found a trick to restore a case

1º if the in and out tangents are near the same as the key, it means the continuity is about 0.0

with this you'll restore 90% of the keys with near exact accurity, since blizzard models only have modifications in continuity, very few have keys with bias and tension different than 25.0

by the way the function I sent you uses Non-Max TCB. You must convert MAX TCB into Normal TCB by resting 25.0 and dividing by 25 after. Example NormalTension = (MaxTension-25.0)/25.0

Okay so I exported my marine model file from the previewer and now I am trying to use the .m3 importer but when I do i get a window saying: The following textures were not found in your 3ds maps directories: Marine_Diffuse_Blood.dds Decal_Terran01_01.dds Marine_Specular_Blood.dds Marine_Normal_Blood.dds These textures will not be applied to the model. Continue?

EDIT: Nvm, I seem to have figured it all out on my own for now, we will see how it goes.

Does the exporter have the ability to export billboards, if not is it possible to include this feature?

Look.

There is some scaling problem. Actually animations isnt smooth also.

Here is map and 2010 max scene. Link Removed: http://www.mediafire.com/?nzwqvdjttm5

@tigerija: Go

Cool, a good reference model. I'm looking into the problem now. Thanks tigerija.

@BlinkHawk: Go

Thanks for the info BlinkHawk. When I use TCB Rotation controllers in my maxscript the rotations are not animating properly. M3's don't have in/out tangents for their rotations so I don't know if that's the problem. It seems the interpolation is wrong or something. It mainly affects the beginning of some animations. Not sure how to fix the problem. I'm not good with animation so it's most likely something I'm stuffing up. Animations in 3ds max confuse the crap out of me.

At the moment animation export is very beta. Blizzard animations seem to export correctly but custom animations are having alot of trouble. I'm looking into a fix.

I am using max 2010. Using Position XYZ and Euler Rotation.

Now, nin. Try to make new same model, with same animations. Export them, and see if there will be any problems. Compare. Then report. Maybe we use different controllers.

I would suggest you adding feature where you tool will ignore all hidden objects.