How to Model New 3D Units

[Sundjata Keita]

This question comes up so often - How do I use 3ds max, can someone give me a tutorial. As Bwian said its not easy to learn 3ds max but someone has already written many tutorials, in fact they come with the program. Just go into the help menu and do the mesh editing tutorial (I think you model a hand, I haven't done it for quite some time now) and do the UV map tutorial (you texture some kind of spaceship). These tutorials really helped me learn and although you may sometimes get stuck just keep at it. It will only take a month at the most to learn how to edit the models enough to start on the cas files but if you want to learn every function (and you probably don't) it can take years.

If you want some breif tutorials see hoggy's tutorial and there is a really good one on strategic command center, I will edit the post and post a link if I find it again. Good luck!

[Hans Kloss]

another quick question that I'm sure Hoggy can easily answer.How does one create lower CAS files from CAS high ? Chivalry 0.1.6 hastings mod comes with single cas files of knight templar and gothic kinght but not lower models.

[hoggy]

I believe you have to do it by hand, building a reduced version for each level of detail and then re- exporting with a new name. There are basic poly reduction tools in max but they don't do a clean job which you need to export CAS. It's grunt work and as such most mods don't have the time but it'll mean that people with older pcs will struggle with alot of mods.

[GodsPetMonkey]

another quick question that I'm sure Hoggy can easily answer.How does one create lower CAS files from CAS high ? Chivalry 0.1.6 hastings mod comes with single cas files of knight templar and gothic kinght but not lower models.

Take inspiration from CA.

Good places to recover faces (triangles) from is the head, arms and legs.
In the high detail models, theres alot of exesive detail in the face, mainly the lips and nose, quick easy way to fix this is to vertex weld them together (you will need to do a quick re-mapping of the texture though, buts its pretty simple). Helmets often have 2 or more 'rows' of vertices between the brim and the tip, again, cheat by welding them together, or just delete the faces and recreate them so there is only one row.

The arms and legs are also pretty easy. Try to get both as close as you can to rectangular prism, with the hands/foot meeting at a sharp point. You can use vertex weld again (esp. for the hands/feet), but I find it much easier to delete the faces on one side at a time, and then create a new poly in its place using the respective tool (I normally just run the poly from the shoulder right down to the elbow, then another from the elbow to the point of the hand).

Weapons are another good place to grab some polys, just have 2 planes, facing opposite directions, and UV map them to the weapon in your texture. 4 triangles, you dont get much more minimal then that!

Of course, these tips are for the lowest of detail settings. If you want to work on the others, just find places of unneeded detail that can easily be trimmed down. For those with high end PCs, the loss in detail wont be noticed at range, and those with lesser machines, they will be thankful for being able to play your mod.

Oh yeah, and make your life easy, delete half of your model, do your LOD work, then mirror it, as you will need to reskin the bones anyway, this will nearly half your work!

[Hans Kloss]

Thx guys ..will give a try

[GodsPetMonkey]

Oh yes, I forgot to mention this!

Change the model to an editable poly (rather then mesh) so you take advantage of the 'safe delete' (highlight and press backspace). This will allow you to remove edges and vertices with out deleting the faces they are attatched to (it effectively automatically redraws it). Done in the right way, this can free up loads of faces with out screwing up your texture mapping. Sadly it can't be used everywhere, but it can save alot of time.

There are other useful features in poly mode that are worth checking out, but you can run into issues converting between poly and mesh, so be careful on the more powerful tools.

[dragases80]

Ok ...

thank to you all

I have just modified my first model... but there is a problem


how can i map this model ?

Is possible to make a little tutorial for basics uvmapping ???


Bye

[Alexanderofmacedon]

Thanks Hogg. I can't wait to get started!

[Dromikaites]

When trying to export to .CAS format I get the message:
"Problem occured while reading the weights for vertex 336 in mesh body. Make sure each each vertex has exactly 1 bone weight"

In the skin weight table that vertex is linked to only one bone, as it can be seen it the screenshot:

[img=https://img251.imageshack.us/img251/4519/3ds7ei.gif]

Any ideas?

Thank you very much!

[Dromikaites]

When trying to export to .CAS format I get the message:
"Problem occured while reading the weights for vertex 336 in mesh body. Make sure each each vertex has exactly 1 bone weight"

In the skin weight table that vertex is linked to only one bone, as it can be seen it the screenshot:

[url=]

Any ideas?

Thank you very much!

[hoggy]

hmm, not sure. try weighting that vertex again with 'rigid' checked.

[Dromikaites]

hmm, not sure. try weighting that vertex again with 'rigid' checked.

Naah, it doesn't seem to work. The vertex is weighted with 'rigid' option on but still no change.

Would you take a look at the .max file?