SC2Mapster

@DrSuperEvil: Go

No, we can use any camera from any unit (if its model has cameras). And all models with RTT channel X will show stuff from camera which was set to channel X. There is even a trigger to set RTT channel for dialog, so maybe we can show things via dialogs.

@toboesc: Go

Thanks for your positive feedback, it's nice to hear that there are actually people using it.

It seems like the export of composite materials was broken. It's fixed now. As you have propably figured out, composite materials are a way of making objects become transparent. You can even animate the transparency. For static transparency you might want to use the alpha material layer of the standard materials.

Some material layers are wrongly labeled, I haven't taken the time yet to figure them all out.

@DrSuperEvil: Go I haven't figoured out yet which property sets the RTT channel for a model. There is however only one unknown camera field. If it's a camera property it must be it. Zolden should know how to test this out via the m3 <-> xml scripts which are included in the m3addon.

By the way it might become an option to use the m3addon to convert HotS models to WoL models. It can already import some HotS models and reexports them as WoL. The import of HotS models is not that well tested and does not work with all HotS models yet. I hope that I can improve that over time, however some HotS model contain features that are not available in WoL, like ray particles.

@println: Go

Yeah that fixed the exporting problem, thanks! :D

That also let me quickly figure out the minimum to get transparency going:

1. In the material properties layer, switch the blend mode to "alpha blend"
2. In the "Evio Mask" material layer (that's what it's called as of feb 10th commit), check the box by "color" and then change the alpha value on that color (the alpha value does affect how transparent the material is, but from my testing the RGB values don't seem to do anything in this case)

That's it!

@toboesc: Go

I fixed the names of the material layers. Now the alpha layer is properly labeled as such.

@println: Go

Apart from the fact that Blender is completely horrible to use, I mean, how could one create such a horrible interface with barely able to find one damn thing, 3ds Max with much more options, a person can navigate himself quite well.. this program is n/c... Anyway, since I don't like using trials for 3Ds max yet alone installing GBs for conversion, I want to use it as a conversion tool from either Ms3d (Milkshape 3D) or War3 MDX. While, Milkshape 3D all the way for making meshes and simple animations (since I am into Buildings models, I would stick to good old Milkshape 3D), for conversion I would have to use Blender..

But the trouble alone:

I have a model and in the future will need for others as well - in MS3D format (Milkshape 3D). At first I couldn't import MS3D due to being later version plugin but when I got the right one, I imported MS3D. Then I want to export to M3 but what I get:

Is there some STEP-BY-STEP info because when I imported the Ms3d it didn't show with texture although I see in the Tree View of the model in the Top Right corner where you see materials and such, the DDS file that was used in Milkshape is present as info in Blender after the import.

And now idk what it wants to prepare for M3 export.

@Eimtr: Go

At the bottom of your screenshot it says "Mesh must have no modifiers exept single one for the armature".

Apparently the MS3D-Importer added modifiers to the mesh. Modifiers are non destructure transformations of the mesh whih can be toggled on and off. It's also possible to "apply" modifiers which results in the original mesh becoming permanently changed.

To solve your problem you need to select your mesh and then the Modifier Tab in the Properties Panel. Apply there all modifiers except for the "Armature" modifier which makes your mesh be deformed by the bones. See attachment. Can you make a screenshot of your modifier list as well? I would like to know what modifiers the MS3D-Importer added.

In order to export your model, you need to give all meshes a m3 material. How to do that is shown in this video tutorial. Basically you just have to set the diffuse image path to the path of the image in the map. (e.g. if you import it as hello.tga then you need to specify "hello.tga" as image path)

In addition to setting a material you might also want to add hit tests to your model. Tight hit tests allow the user to select the model via drag selection and fuzzy hit tests reduce the amounth of calculation Starcraft 2 has to do in order to determine if the model has been clicked. I just added part 5 of this tutorial in which I explain exactly that.

If your model can be attacked, you might also want to add attachment points/volumes in order to describe where the object can be hit.

Edit: Oh and Blender 2.66 release notes mention a new MS3D (MilkShape 3D) addon.

Hi PrintIn, I'm trying to make a portrait, it shows perfectly in the editor with the camera stats I used, but in game it's totally black, its not there at all. I believe this is the same problem with the Stank portrait from the Left 2 Die mod. I tried to import both the Stank and Ultralisk portraits and compare them, as one is a simple modification of the other, yet I couldn't find what could be the cause of this problem. Can you give it a try? If you manage to discover what is wrong I can try the same solution with my portrait.

@SoulFilcher: Go

The Stank protrait has the same issue? If yes then its propably only reproducable on your PC.

You could use the m3ToXml.py script to convert a working and not working portrait to xml. The xml text files are much easier to comare. Additionally you can then use then start copying over xml from the wroking version of the model to the non working version and convert it back to an m3 file with the xmlToM3.py script. By doing so you can figure out the difference which is causing the problems.

To use the m3ToXml.py and xmlToM3.py script you need first to install python 3. You can download it from http://www.python.org/

Then open a command line (Start -> Run -> "cmd")and go into the directory with the m3addon (enter "cd path\to\directory").

Enter "m3ToXml.py path\to\m3File" to convert the m3 file to xml and "xmlToM3.py path\to\m3XmlFile" to convert it back to an m3. As editor for editing the xml files I can highly recommend Notepad + + which you can download at http://notepad-plus-plus.org/.

@println: Go It seems that even blizzard decided it wasn't worth fixing the portrait. The Stank uses the Ultralisk portrait now because players reported this bug.

Amazing tutorial!

I've practice a little bit on blender. As they are no animation for earthquake in Starcraft 2, I've decided to do something about that and now I'm stuck with my animation (It doesn't works in the cutscene). Do you think you can explain me why?

@tatatatate: Go

Hi, you made the animations with shape keys. They can't be exported to m3, since there is no equivalent in the m3 file format. Only animations of pose bones and m3 data (e.g. amounth of emitted particles of m3 particle systems) can be exported currently.

It should be possible to archive the same effect with animated pose bones.

@println: Go

Hello, first thanks for this tool. I would like to create a custom character, with animations. But I have some problems, i haven't the button "+" in the "M3 Animation Sequences" panel and somes are missing too in the other panels. Have you an idea of the problem?

@Dhoude: Go

Hi, the newest version of the m3addon works only with Blender 2.66. Upgrading should fix the issue.

Edit tipp: You can copy the 2.63 folder in C:\Users\%username%\AppData\Roaming\Blender Foundation\Blender\ to 2.66 to keep your settings when switching to the newer Blender version.

@println: Go

It works, thank you. I'll try all that. Then if I can make a character I'll post.

Thanks man, continue your great work!

@println: Go There is no way I can fix my models by cheking the xml files, they are huge and I have no clue of what could be the cause of the problems with each one of them. There's got to be an easier way to do that.

@println: Go

I did a custom model with the marine animation and it works. I changed only the diffuse texture and i adjusted the bones in the edit mode to a new mesh. But i had problems too. I tried to import models but some don't appear : the dark templar m3 units mesh doesn't display when import, nothing appear for wow m3 models too. Only two weigh to a vertex for export work?, i wish make a custom animation but it s not easy in FK. Did some people try to animate with IK, and bake them? I've found this : http://www.harkyman.com/2010/11/26/recording-ik-movement-into-fk-bones/ , but it did not work, cause my knowledge is limited in Blender probably. And when i save in Blender, only the present animation is saved, the other animations don't work if i close blender and open the file later, is what I have to work only with the m3 I exported?

@Dhoude: Go

Previously I only used the "Auto IK" option for positioning bones. I never used IK constraints before in Blender. So I watched a nice tutorial ( ) about the topic and checked if and how IK-based animations can be exported.

One simple solution for now is to use the "Bake Action" operation which you can access as usualy via the spacebar search menu. In the "Bake Action" options you need to check "Clear Constrains" and select "Pose" as "Bake Data". Note that this will remove the constrains and give the bones animations that do the same.

I fixed the mesh import issue with the Dark Templar model. It came from a bone at a very large location. I noticed however that one leg of the dark templar is positioned wrongly, due to a missing -1 factor in the scale of a bone. Since the origin of those problems can be hard to find and since the problem can be fixed manually I don't feel much motivated currently to look deeper in that scale issue.

If you have issues, please check the Console Window, which you can show with "Window » Toggle System Console". You can copy text from a console window by clicking on the icon of the window and enabling edit mode.