Some Helpful Hints in Modeling & Animating

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Some Helpful Hints in Modeling & Animating

Postby clyzm » Wed Jul 12, 06 5:11 pm

Here are some hints you may find useful when importing a model, such as a weapon.

Weapon Modelling:
  • Try not to excess the animation frames, ie 20 frames for one animation sequence. Keep to 1-5 frames per animation sequence.
  • For faster animation sequences (such as shooting), the RATE amount should be doubled the amount of frames and fast. For example, I normally import a shoot anim of 2 frames, but i put on FPS = 20.
  • When animating, keep at least 2 or 3 spaces between each animation sequence. For example, 3-5 is shooting, 8-10 is reloadbegin etc. When in animating, it is very helpful to start at the anim before the first frame, such as 7 for reloadbegin.
  • If you want hands, use Tack's Deus Ex Mesh Exporter or another tool such as WOTGreal and export the DX weapon meshes. For example, if you export a pistol, you can take off/remove the hand from it as it is a seperate group in Milkshape.
  • It is always helpful to have a real-scale view of the gun. For example, export a pistol mesh, say you are importing a deagle. Make sure your deagle aligns with the pistol to see how it looks.
  • Make sure if you want muzzle flashes, that they are BlackMaskTex, are the SECOND GROUP (note: when using meshmaps, they start at 0, so technically, it is the third group but it shows up as #2 in the uc file)
  • Make sure your weapon is not over 2500 polys, as this would cause extreme lag. I would recommend a limit, normally I use 500 but you can use 800 if you want. The max poly limit is 3000 for DX.
  • Make your guns centered for their situation; for example, pickup view should be flat on the grid in milkshape; 3rd person should be in the intereection of the XYZ axis, etc.
  • When animating, use more max frames than you want. I normally use 60.
  • Instead of righting down the anims or memorizing it, stick to one anim plan, that way, you can import a gun, then import another gun, copy its anim sequences etc.
  • If you want a DX style wep, use JC's hands by copying them.
  • The rate of fire depends on how quick you put your shoot anim FPS-wise. For example, if you put it like 5 (which would be good for a sniper rifle), it wouldn't fire automatically even if you made the shottime 0.1 and bautomatic=true.


Character Modelling
  • Char Modelling is hard, so make sure your char is on a grid for starters so they are on the floor.
  • You have to do a shitload of anims, so be prepared.
  • Chars have this little 1 polygon shape called a weapontriange, where the weapon rests (most have it on their hands). You can set this in UnrealFX.
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Postby Big Daddy » Wed Jul 12, 06 5:14 pm

You said you'd bring this out after you've done the weapons for MM...does that mean it's done? *starts shaking*
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Postby clyzm » Wed Jul 12, 06 5:15 pm

±Tantalus[AW]± wrote:You said you'd bring this out after you've done the weapons for MM...does that mean it's done? *starts shaking*


This isn't the tutorial, and no it's not done. Just some helpful hints is all.
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Postby Big Daddy » Wed Jul 12, 06 5:23 pm

Well, ty but I still don't understand what half of them mean lol. I have a basic understanding but the frames just confuse me.
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Postby clyzm » Wed Jul 12, 06 5:25 pm

±Tantalus[AW]± wrote:Well, ty but I still don't understand what half of them mean lol. I have a basic understanding but the frames just confuse me.


Dae's friend, Ded, had some trouble with animating and putting hands on them. So I added this :P
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Postby Big Daddy » Wed Jul 12, 06 5:27 pm

Ah, do you wanna help us with teh Military weapons?
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Postby clyzm » Wed Jul 12, 06 5:28 pm

±Tantalus[AW]± wrote:Ah, do you wanna help us with teh Military weapons?


After I'm done with MainMan wepping.
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Postby Big Daddy » Wed Jul 12, 06 5:28 pm

Of course.
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Postby ~SanguineRose~ » Thu Jul 13, 06 1:16 am

Very Informational :D
If only I wasn't lazy now to do such things.
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Postby Allan » Fri Jul 14, 06 9:27 am

I've got a question:

Howcomes, that whenever I try and export something out of MS3d to the Unreal, OR Deus Ex format (I convert the Unreal version using unr2de), that the mesh comes out totally screwed in DX? I'm putting a picture of this as an attachment =)
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Postby clyzm » Fri Jul 14, 06 10:19 am

Allan wrote:I've got a question:

Howcomes, that whenever I try and export something out of MS3d to the Unreal, OR Deus Ex format (I convert the Unreal version using unr2de), that the mesh comes out totally screwed in DX? I'm putting a picture of this as an attachment =)


Cus unr2de is a shitty ass exporter.

I use ms3d2de.
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Postby Allan » Fri Jul 14, 06 10:51 am

Oh, where do you get that from???
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Postby clyzm » Fri Jul 14, 06 11:26 am

Main-man-izzle.

it's a .dll that you put in your milkshape folder, then go to export >> deus ex .3d ;P
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Postby Allan » Fri Jul 14, 06 12:03 pm

Tried that. Still has the same effect...
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Postby clyzm » Fri Jul 14, 06 12:11 pm

Allan wrote:Tried that. Still has the same effect...


Not for me, you probably did something wrong with it lol :P
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Postby VodunLoas » Fri Jul 14, 06 10:30 pm

Allan wrote:I've got a question:

Howcomes, that whenever I try and export something out of MS3d to the Unreal, OR Deus Ex format (I convert the Unreal version using unr2de), that the mesh comes out totally screwed in DX? I'm putting a picture of this as an attachment =)


In the class make sure the script is:
#exec MESHMAP SCALE MESHMAP=Name X=1 Y=1 Z=1
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Postby clyzm » Fri Jul 14, 06 10:32 pm

VodunLoas wrote:
Allan wrote:I've got a question:

Howcomes, that whenever I try and export something out of MS3d to the Unreal, OR Deus Ex format (I convert the Unreal version using unr2de), that the mesh comes out totally screwed in DX? I'm putting a picture of this as an attachment =)


In the class make sure the script is:
#exec MESHMAP SCALE MESHMAP=Name X=1 Y=1 Z=1

Actually it differentiates depending on the scale of the model, most of mines are 0.2 ~ 0.4 in milkshape. :]
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Postby Wasted » Fri Jul 14, 06 10:34 pm

Allan wrote:I've got a question:

Howcomes, that whenever I try and export something out of MS3d to the Unreal, OR Deus Ex format (I convert the Unreal version using unr2de), that the mesh comes out totally screwed in DX? I'm putting a picture of this as an attachment =)


They botch suck :)
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Postby MainMan » Fri Jul 14, 06 10:38 pm

Wasted wrote:
Allan wrote:I've got a question:

Howcomes, that whenever I try and export something out of MS3d to the Unreal, OR Deus Ex format (I convert the Unreal version using unr2de), that the mesh comes out totally screwed in DX? I'm putting a picture of this as an attachment =)


They both suck :)

Especially the first one :wink:










Haha, nah I'm just kidding
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Postby Wasted » Fri Jul 14, 06 10:40 pm

No seriously, tell me thats a bad picture.
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Postby Allan » Sat Jul 15, 06 1:47 pm

chococataclyzm wrote:
Allan wrote:Tried that. Still has the same effect...


Not for me, you probably did something wrong with it lol :P
Ah well, tried what you said again, and it works a treat =D (Now I just need to sus out how to make the muzzle flash on the mesh translucent...
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Postby MainMan » Sat Jul 15, 06 1:58 pm

Allan wrote:
chococataclyzm wrote:
Allan wrote:Tried that. Still has the same effect...


Not for me, you probably did something wrong with it lol :P
Ah well, tried what you said again, and it works a treat =D (Now I just need to sus out how to make the muzzle flash on the mesh translucent...

Texture group 2, blackmasktex.

(I'm assuming you meant transparent... if you did mean transluscent, then i dunno lol)
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Postby Allan » Wed Jul 19, 06 12:21 am

Yea, it's the translucency I'm having issues with =(. Cataclyzm, any tips?

Edit: What is this? Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide, for modelers =S Lol
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Postby clyzm » Wed Jul 19, 06 12:24 am

Allan wrote:Yea, it's the translucency I'm having issues with =(. Cataclyzm, any tips?

Edit: What is this? Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide, for modelers =S Lol


Make sure that the muzzle flash is:

Group 2 (theres group 0, 1 etc muzzle flash should be group 2)
BlackMaskTex
FLAGS=2
UNREALFX'd*

*= Unreal FX is a program that makes special effects for modellers. Open up the attached zip, open the .exe, with it, open your _d model, find the group of faces that all have a "2" on them, and then select them all (the ones that have a 2 on them only), click edit, make it Transparent & 2Sided, for effects make it unlit.
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Postby MainMan » Wed Jul 19, 06 8:09 am

What's that fire paint thing, and how do I get it?
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Postby Allan » Wed Jul 19, 06 3:59 pm

Ok Cataclyzm, I'll give that a go =) Oh, I think the texture for Ambrosia and Nano-Virus liquids, among other things, are made with FirePaint. It's built into the UnrealEd that goes with DX v1.12fm. I've probably missed the makr on what you're after by a long shot, but I've tried =)
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Postby ICE » Wed Jul 19, 06 5:02 pm

ms3d2de Where can I get this from for my penguin npc im starting to make.
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Postby Snakey » Wed Jul 19, 06 5:13 pm

~MainMan~ wrote:What's that fire paint thing, and how do I get it?


The thing built into UnrealEd that lets you create effect textures when you click "New" on the texture list.
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Postby MainMan » Wed Jul 26, 06 11:51 am

Nomorem wrote:
~MainMan~ wrote:What's that fire paint thing, and how do I get it?


The thing built into UnrealEd that lets you create effect textures when you click "New" on the texture list.

How do I change the colour on firepaint?
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Postby Allan » Wed Jul 26, 06 11:57 am

Load Palletes.utx, then make a firepaint texture. In the window that comes up when you create the new texture, choose the Texture option, then look through Palletes.utx. Pick one you like, then in the firepaint's options, set the pallete option to whatever pallete you have currently selected. The firepaint should change colour immediately.
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