How do I get the photoshop to let me do textures for a model

[The_Ferret]

SO myrddraal and his WOT mod asked me to do them a favour, and they sent me the models to be skinned, now, what I need to know, is how do I open a model (not .cas format yet if its any help) to skin it in photoshop (and I dont have 3ds either)

[Sundjata Keita]

Well you need to know the UV map which the WOT team could probably give you if you asked them nicely. That's the easy solution, the other solution would be to download a program like gmax that could view the UV map and then you could copy that image, paste it over your canvass in photoshop and build up the texture over that. Hope I have been of some help

Sundjata Kieta

[The_Ferret]

any links to Gmax?

[Sundjata Keita]

http://www4.discreet.com/gmax/

It does not have all the features of 3dsMAX but it is good for viewing models

[Laridus Konivaich]

How do I view models in gmax? I don't get it. I just want to look at the model with the texture on it, for my skinning.

[The_Ferret]

Thanks a bunch Sunjata

[Sundjata Keita]

No problem Ferret

@Prince Laridus Konivaich

Well you will need Vercingetorix's plugin and g-max, that is the only way you can view models, unfortunately.

Sundjata Kieta

[Laridus Konivaich]

Ok, I already downloaded gmax from the link that you provided, and I got the .cas plugin

What I can't figure out is how to get the model to load after that.

[The_Ferret]

So the plugin works with g-max too? Great!!!

[Sundjata Keita]

I don't think you can export the models in g-max but I think it is possible to import them. If you need it exporting though, edit it in g-max and then send me the file in .max format, then I can export it and send it you back as a .cas (providing there are no errors with the model) To import models in g-max I think it is pretty much the same as in 3dsMAX, find the plugins/utilities tab and then load the plugin. Can someone with g-max confirm this please.

Sundjata Kieta

[The_Ferret]

One more question... any gmax tutorials?

ACTUALLY!!!

Another question... do I send them to you via your profile e-mail?

[Sundjata Keita]

Send them to jujunothing@hotmail.com

Gmax tutorials, try

http://couchspuds.homestead.com/Library4.html

scroll down a bit for all the gmax tutorials. I'm sure there are loads if you just search on google

Sundjata Kieta

[Laridus Konivaich]

Thanks, I got it imported, but now I have another issue:

The problem appears to be that gmax cannot recgnize the .dds file-type. I saved the texture as just a .tga, and then imported it the way that was described, through the materials menu, and it worked, but that does not help to make things easier.

The model with a .tga texture file:

This works, but it requires the extra steps of saving the texture as a .tga, and then going into the materials window, instead of having the script import it.

What do I need to do to be able to open .dds files in gmax?

Thanks for all your help so far.

[Sundjata Keita]

I don't think there is a gmax plugin for dds files yet. You could try using a 3dsmax plugin though, that might work (second from top on this page)

http://developer.nvidia.com/object/n...ure_tools.html

Other than that you have to do the extra step, sorry

Sundjata Keita

[The_Ferret]

How did you open that model in Gmax?

[The_Ferret]

Anyone? How do you open unit models in gmax?

[Laridus Konivaich]

The same way that you open them in 3dsmax, or so I gather.

1) get gmax
2) get vercingetorix's .cas script
3) put the script in the gmax scripts folder
4) run gmax, go to the utilities tab (far-right hand side, hammer icon)
5) click on maxscript
6) click run script
7) in lthe window that pops up, select the .cas script, and press 'open'
8) click on the arrow in the drop down box that says R:TW import/export
9) in the drop down list (that only contains R:TW import/export), click on R:TW import/export
10) at the bottom of the utilities menu, there are three new options: R:TW Import/Export; R:TW Import; R:TW Export
11) Click on the tab to expand R:TW IMport
12) click the 'Import .CAS' button
13) select the .CAS that you want, and hit open

//

Sundjata,

Thanks, I tried the 3dsmax plugin, but it won't work - it gives the error: 'Could not find 3dsmax in the directory you specified,' when I tried to run it. Too bad this is a fatal error.

[The_Ferret]

Thanks A Hell Of A Lot

[Laridus Konivaich]

Sundjata: How do I get the model to appear in a different position? - such as those seen in screens by guys with 3dsmax. Can you just give me a menu/button sequence for it?

Also, how do I get the background that you will see in the smae screenshots?

You know, so that they might look like this:
Picture 1 (arm positions changed - someone else's screenshot)

instead of this:
(where the arms are held horizontal - my screenshot)

Thank you very much!

[The_Ferret]

Last Question, how do you edit the weapons and armour of a unit in gmax?

[Sundjata Keita]

Ok, one at a time

Backgorund is done with a screen behind and a simple texture on screen for the render (if you want to create clever reflections and stuff). So just create a big "cube" or "plane" and then use the material editor to add a texture (if you need more detail just ask). Or change the environment (I believe the shortcut is 8) and put a picture as the backgorund

Different positions

1. Get the animation extractor (can be found at twcenter.net)
2. Follow instructions to extract animations
3. Go to the utilities tab and find the plugin for cas
4. Click on load animation and go to the place where the animations were extracted, load up an animation such as walk, then move the scrolling bar at the bottom of the screen to see different positions in that animation
5. Take a render (shortcut F9)

The_Ferret, to alter weapons and armor you need to go to the modifiers tab (curved blue line symbol) and then either add modifiers to the objects or edit the editable mesh by moving the vertices around. You can also use the move, scale and rotate buttons, which are found at the top of the screen. (just below the words graph editors) The modifiers are simple things like bending and tapering going on to complex things like UV maps and fun stuff like melting. To move the vertices first select the object you are going to edit, then click on the little plus box by the words editable mesh, now click on vertices. Go to one of your views and select one of the blue dots, move it around and stuff to edit. Have fun both of you

Sundjata Keita

[The_Ferret]

thanks

[Laridus Konivaich]

Is it the download titled "Animation Packer"?

This is the only one that seems to be related to animations, but I just wanted to check - since normally things that open stuff are called extracters or exporters or un""ers. You see what I mean?

[Sundjata Keita]

The animation packer is for adding new animations that you have made into the game. You need the extractor, should be there if you do a search.

[The_Ferret]

did you get the model I asked you to convert to .cas Sunjata?
OH and how do I view the UV mapping?

[Myrddraal]

Warning to the ferret, on some of the untextured WoT models, the UV maps are really screwed up. Most of them in fact.

[The_Ferret]

That's good...

[Myrddraal]

Sorry about this Ferret, I don't have access to 3ds max at the moment...

Is GMax free?

[Laridus Konivaich]

Yes, gmax is free.

The only downside is that the .cas EXPORTER does not work, imports are fine.

Also, it can't read .dds textures, so you have to convert them to .tga, or some other file type.

//

When I search downloads for extractor all that I get is this:
Pack Extractor by Vercingetorix
IDX extractor by Vercingetorix

'Animation gives three animation packs by SignifierOne and:
Animation Packer by Vercingetorix

I think that it must be one of the features of the animation packer.. I'll try that.

[Sundjata Keita]

Did you get the model I asked you to convert to .cas Sunjata?

No, did you send it to jujunothing@hotmail.com

How do I view the UV mapping?

You can view this by going to the modifiers panel (the one with curved lines remember) and picking the modifier called edit UVW maps. Then another set of boxes appear beneath and you click on edit UV map. If you want a good tutorial on UV mapping there are lots across the internet. I can post a link if you want to start doing your own UV maps.

I think that it must be one of the features of the animation packer.. I'll try that

Sorry for the confusion Prince Laridus Konivaich, it is the IDX extractor.

Good luck everyone

Sundjata Keita