3DS Max 7 - Giving shield to a unit.

How do I make this unit -

http://img105.exs.cx/img105/6056/mirmillo5wl.th.jpg

have this unit's shield - ?

http://img107.exs.cx/img107/1585/velite1qk.th.jpg

If it's not too much to ask, screenshots would help me here TREMENDOUSLY! It is SOOOOOOOOOO much easier to know what to do when there's a picture and a bunch of arrows pointing you on what you should click/do next. Kinda like on this one -> http://www.stratcommandcenter.com/fo...showtopic=4406

Also, I remember reading somewhere that I have to link the shield to the model's bone or something like that? How do I do that? What do I click? Where is it located (remember, TOTAL NEWBIE)? What to do and NOT to do when linking stuff? Anything I should be careful about? How can I check if my linking-to-the-bone thing worked? That sort of stuff.

Thanks and good times!

There is a guide in the guides section in this thread:

https://forums.totalwar.org/vb/showthread.php?t=39733
(post #11)

hoggy...! you... you... WONDERFUL YOU! Thank you SO MUCH! I totally missed that post of yours!

One problem I encountered - I got stuck here:

"Go into schematic view and link the shield back to left hand (click 'link selection' button top left and drag the shield node onto the left hand node)."

Are you talking about this one - ?!?

http://img16.exs.cx/img16/5742/schematic4il.th.jpg

If not, then, where is that menu/button located?

One more thing - I keep getting this error message whenever I try to open the model I want the shield on -

http://img16.exs.cx/img16/3222/error7vy.th.jpg

Again, THANK YOU!

What does that error message mean and I'm guessing it's a bad thing?

Another thing (how do you edit posts here?) - how do I save my newly-edited unit? I don't want to overwrite the old unit so I chose "File->Save As" but I couldn't save it as a .CAS file. No other option in the drop down menu except as a .MAX file.

The 'link' button is on the top toolbar. Farthest left you have the 'undo' and 'redo' buttons. Next one in is the link button. Select the shield.... click on button, then you clink and drag ( you will see the cursor change ) and release the button on the arm bone. When you release the mouse button, the bone you have linked to should highlight briefly.

Then hit 'h' to look at the hierarchy. You should see your shield as a child object of the arm bone if all went right.

The error message occurs sometimes. It means just what it says. Sometimes you can ignore it and all will be fine. Other times, it will fail to import. Try it and see :)

Lastly...you can't 'save as' with a cas file. The import / export is all done through the script, so it's not like a full plugin.

Go back to the TOOLS tab where you imported the CAS file, and use the EXPORT RTW portion instead of import. This will allow you to export your CAS file. You can save it anywhere you want under any name....the export gives you a proper 'windows' type save box to specify. It won't over-write the stock model without a prompt either :D

edit: ;) Bottom right of your post on the forum you should see a 'quote' option and an 'edit' option. You can only edit your own posts!