Good to see you finally got this working Chuanhsing. Great work.
I am still looking at creating the interface between the render output and the exporter, which (I believe) will solve your "character models not working" issue. Though given a rather crazy work schedule, I'm not sure I can get to it soon enough :(
That being said, you just made doing just that a lot easier by getting the m3 exporter to work.
No doubt NiN will be happy that this is up and running, since it essentially allows people like me (i.e. those who do not want to have to go through 3ds Max to export a model without editing the model itself) to do so in a straightforward way.
Good job.
ps. By the way, when this is finished (i.e. character exports), this will be the definitive way for people to get WoW models into SC2. All that is left to do now is:
1. Attachments
2. Characters
3. Particle effects
Those are probably the critical work items. NiN has a lot of experience getting the attachments set up just right for SC2. I'm sure he will weigh in here as soon as he can, and lend a hand with that part.
Particle effects are a somewhat different story though.
It's much much faster and way less overhead and it can be done without 3ds Max at all. This means free conversion of WoW models to Starcraft 2 format fast. Importing into 3ds Max with all the anim files and such is messy and can take large amounts of time whereas exporting from WMV automatically handles all the extra files, exporting just the TGA's involved with the model and the .M3 needed for the model to work in the Starcraft 2 engine. It simplifies the process.
Chuanhsing and CuteVisor have done superb work on converting the format. It's always a hard task to convert from one file format to another, even with decent documentation of both. The TGA's that WMV exports now work properly in the Starcraft 2 engine. The code is for the moment being updated consistently and it has great room for improvement, this means that once M3 particles are decyphered we can have a straight conversion of the M2 particles to the M3 format. The UI options can potentially include a host of tweakable settings and once it's figured out, exporting the difficult character models with their specific submeshes will be super easy rather than the complex mess it is to import them into 3ds Max and delete the extra meshes.
Overall this is a great step forward for the mod community as I feel we're finally moving away from 3ds Max dependency and moving into the open source environment.
Aye I'm very pleased with the work :D I regret that I can't contribute moreso to the coding side of things. On my next holiday break I hope to devote some time to the blender plugins people have been asking for but we'll see how I go for time.
My screenshot it's in the main page, IM FAMOUS! xDDDDDDDDD Seriously, this is a good tool, BUT, to do what you see in the screenshot, you know, the thrall model with armor and weapons you need to use 3ds max to link the shoulders and weapons to the model, and to change de skin, but it's an impresive work! if you can update it to export characters automatic with weapons and armor it will be an epic tool.
By the way, im interested in a wmo compatibility...because to add those structures I found a little script in the end of the Internet ¬¬ and when I import the wmo i need to Detach every part that uses one texture xDDD it's a hard work, i will love the one that create a tool to simplify this xD
This is really promising. A ui like that NiN's importer has that allows manual selection of meshes and animations to use would be great. Perhaps something that lists the existing animations of the m2, and allows you to rename them on a per-animation basis and import those. For example, I'd want to use the FlyingGrab animation and then the typical flying melee animation of the NorthrendDragon for its melee attack, and the FlyingSpit or somesuch for its spell animation. While in other instances you'd want to the surface variants of those.
Another thing. Maybe I'm just stupid, but since it names every texture ChangeableTexture, would not importing multiple m3s converted through this method overwrite old textures?
This is awesome! Really like the work you guys have done, chuanhsing and NiNtoxicated01.
I got one question tho, I'm used to blank out the texture path when I exported from 3ds, and moved my imported files (the .m3 and .tga) to the root, which folders am I supposed to use to get this to work? I only get the blue texture thingy, which means I got the filepath's wrong.
-todds
EDIT1: Nvm, figured it out, thanks for the WMV support! :D
EDIT2: Move the imported files to:
{root}\texture.TGA
{root}\Folder\model.M3
I made a folder for the model to keep it as clean as possible, you can ofc move the model to {root} aswell tho :P
you sir... are... I have no words for what you are.
I never bothered with models, im a programmer...art.... not my thing. When I saw this on the front page, ill be honest, I skipt over it... thinking "models" not my thing, however I went ahead and read it...to find out that it was wow model viewer maken in x1000 easy.
Needless to say, 10 mins later, I know have a perfectly working lichking on my map, thank you very much.
ps: just wondering on the UMS rules atm, would maps using these models be taken down from bnet?
update: not all the animations are sent. Is there a reason for this?
How do I go about renaming the files? They seem to all need to be in the root folder in order to work if more often then not the files all like to use the same file name which links them together.
anybody else have the problem that the models are bigger than they appear to be? for example I imported Brutallus and even if i click like 2 cm next to the model i can select the unit
i also wonder if there is a reason why some animations are missing
but its really a great tool
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World of Warcraft Model (M2) Exporter for M3
1. download wmv, extract, load creature model (character model not work yet)
2. file -> export -> m3
3. open starcraft II editor, open importer, drag all *.tga into it, close startcraft II editor
4. open starcraft II editor, open importer, drag .m3 into it
Currently Exports:
- Geometry
- Materials
- Skin\Bones
- Animations
- Attachments
Todo:
- UI Options
- Replaceable textures
- Particle System
- Animate Texture
Install instructions
Download the latest version (DEV WORK) from
http://code.google.com/p/wowmodelviewer/downloads/list
Special Thanks
CuteVisor: Many helps on coding bones and animations
NiNtoxicated01: Many helps on explaining how M3 model works
Can you compare the features it has with Nin exporter?
just another way to export m3. everything is just like Nin expoter now.
@chuanhsing: Go
Good to see you finally got this working Chuanhsing. Great work.
I am still looking at creating the interface between the render output and the exporter, which (I believe) will solve your "character models not working" issue. Though given a rather crazy work schedule, I'm not sure I can get to it soon enough :(
That being said, you just made doing just that a lot easier by getting the m3 exporter to work.
No doubt NiN will be happy that this is up and running, since it essentially allows people like me (i.e. those who do not want to have to go through 3ds Max to export a model without editing the model itself) to do so in a straightforward way.
Good job.
ps. By the way, when this is finished (i.e. character exports), this will be the definitive way for people to get WoW models into SC2. All that is left to do now is:
1. Attachments
2. Characters
3. Particle effects
Those are probably the critical work items. NiN has a lot of experience getting the attachments set up just right for SC2. I'm sure he will weigh in here as soon as he can, and lend a hand with that part.
Particle effects are a somewhat different story though.
@vjeux: Go
It's much much faster and way less overhead and it can be done without 3ds Max at all. This means free conversion of WoW models to Starcraft 2 format fast. Importing into 3ds Max with all the anim files and such is messy and can take large amounts of time whereas exporting from WMV automatically handles all the extra files, exporting just the TGA's involved with the model and the .M3 needed for the model to work in the Starcraft 2 engine. It simplifies the process.
Chuanhsing and CuteVisor have done superb work on converting the format. It's always a hard task to convert from one file format to another, even with decent documentation of both. The TGA's that WMV exports now work properly in the Starcraft 2 engine. The code is for the moment being updated consistently and it has great room for improvement, this means that once M3 particles are decyphered we can have a straight conversion of the M2 particles to the M3 format. The UI options can potentially include a host of tweakable settings and once it's figured out, exporting the difficult character models with their specific submeshes will be super easy rather than the complex mess it is to import them into 3ds Max and delete the extra meshes.
Overall this is a great step forward for the mod community as I feel we're finally moving away from 3ds Max dependency and moving into the open source environment.
@zzPop: Go
Aye I'm very pleased with the work :D I regret that I can't contribute moreso to the coding side of things. On my next holiday break I hope to devote some time to the blender plugins people have been asking for but we'll see how I go for time.
My screenshot it's in the main page, IM FAMOUS! xDDDDDDDDD Seriously, this is a good tool, BUT, to do what you see in the screenshot, you know, the thrall model with armor and weapons you need to use 3ds max to link the shoulders and weapons to the model, and to change de skin, but it's an impresive work! if you can update it to export characters automatic with weapons and armor it will be an epic tool.
By the way, im interested in a wmo compatibility...because to add those structures I found a little script in the end of the Internet ¬¬ and when I import the wmo i need to Detach every part that uses one texture xDDD it's a hard work, i will love the one that create a tool to simplify this xD
@chuanhsing: Go
May be best to allow an option for people to add more textures in the slot.
So an example WoW Model would have Texture reference 1 2 & 3.
The export options you can have
Texture 1.blp ->
Texture 1 Diffuse.dds
Texture 1 Specular.dds
Texture 1 Normal.dds
Texture 1 Emissive.dds
Texture 2.blp ->
Texture 2 Diffuse.dds
Texture 2 Specular.dds
Texture 2 Normal.dds
Texture 2 Emissive.dds
Texture 3.blp ->
Texture 3 Diffuse.dds
Texture 3 Specular.dds
Texture 3 Normal.dds
Texture 3 Emissive.dds
And have each of those be checkable to allow those to be added.
You don't have to completely exit the editor, just close the document and reopen it. Might be a little less time consuming.
@Kanaru: Go
not work for me
This is really promising. A ui like that NiN's importer has that allows manual selection of meshes and animations to use would be great. Perhaps something that lists the existing animations of the m2, and allows you to rename them on a per-animation basis and import those. For example, I'd want to use the FlyingGrab animation and then the typical flying melee animation of the NorthrendDragon for its melee attack, and the FlyingSpit or somesuch for its spell animation. While in other instances you'd want to the surface variants of those.
Another thing. Maybe I'm just stupid, but since it names every texture ChangeableTexture, would not importing multiple m3s converted through this method overwrite old textures?
This is awesome! Really like the work you guys have done, chuanhsing and NiNtoxicated01.
I got one question tho, I'm used to blank out the texture path when I exported from 3ds, and moved my imported files (the .m3 and .tga) to the root, which folders am I supposed to use to get this to work? I only get the blue texture thingy, which means I got the filepath's wrong.
-todds
EDIT1: Nvm, figured it out, thanks for the WMV support! :D
EDIT2: Move the imported files to:
I made a folder for the model to keep it as clean as possible, you can ofc move the model to {root} aswell tho :P
@LemonKing: Go
Maybe another Starcraft Model Viewer ... but I don't have plan on that.
@zzPop: Go
If someone could fingure out the m3 structure more, it's not too hard on coding.
you sir... are... I have no words for what you are.
I never bothered with models, im a programmer...art.... not my thing. When I saw this on the front page, ill be honest, I skipt over it... thinking "models" not my thing, however I went ahead and read it...to find out that it was wow model viewer maken in x1000 easy.
Needless to say, 10 mins later, I know have a perfectly working lichking on my map, thank you very much.
ps: just wondering on the UMS rules atm, would maps using these models be taken down from bnet?
update: not all the animations are sent. Is there a reason for this?
Someone should so make Warcraft 3 and a Half with this. (wc3 in sc2 engine with wow gfx)
labmonkey you should see this http://www.sc2mapster.com/maps/beta-wc3-prologe-01/ !_!
How do I go about renaming the files? They seem to all need to be in the root folder in order to work if more often then not the files all like to use the same file name which links them together.
Version Match
Fatal Error: WoW Model Viewer does not support your version of WoW. Please update your World of Warcarft client!
Altough I have 3.3.5 I'm still getting this message.
I see the latest version attempts to fix the naming issue, but now models don't seem to load at all.
Looking good either way. Very excited for this addition!
anybody else have the problem that the models are bigger than they appear to be? for example I imported Brutallus and even if i click like 2 cm next to the model i can select the unit
i also wonder if there is a reason why some animations are missing
but its really a great tool