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models for use in CS:S & HL2dm
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 Re: models for use in CS:S & HL2dm
Posted by smackintosh on Wed Feb 21st at 6:00pm 2007

I have several projects planned which will require alot of custom models.
I know maya a bit, I'm currently learning blender & milkshape 3D.

Anyone have experience making models specifically for Source games?
I would like to know which is the best to use in terms of ease of importing into
source and possibly UV texturing. I'm sure there's no 1 perfect program for all of this, but it doesn't hurt to ask I guess.


don't sweat the petty stuff,just pet the sweaty stuff.



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 Re: models for use in CS:S & HL2dm
Posted by fishy on Thu Feb 22nd at 12:13am 2007

it would depend on the type of models that you're making. if it's mainly simple props, then learning a prog with lots of bells and whistles attached (like maya) is overkill, and something simpler (like milkshape) would be good enough.




i eat paint



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 Re: models for use in CS:S & HL2dm
Posted by smackintosh on Thu Feb 22nd at 4:00pm 2007

ok cool. I've made a model or two with Maya and it was a serious pain to
export to source, that and I couldn't get the UV texturing right.

I just got Milkshape 3D. I noticed it works with Half-life, but I wasn't 100% sure it worked for source games too. I'm trying to make some wooden bridges, brake-able pots, merchandisers for a retail map, and some fancier detail work for an underground facility. Taking the "good enough" approach is what I'm looking for, whatever is simpler to use. Thanks.


don't sweat the petty stuff,just pet the sweaty stuff.



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 Re: models for use in CS:S & HL2dm
Posted by Naklajat on Thu Feb 22nd at 7:30pm 2007

HL2 SMD exporter for Maya 4-7 (works with 8 as well, with one extra step), though if you're using the free Personal Learning Edition of Maya you're SOL. Milkshape should work for any static or physics prop you need to make, but last time I checked it didn't support exporting models with animations for Source. Lemme know if you need any help with writing the QC and/or compiling.


=o



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 Re: models for use in CS:S & HL2dm
Posted by smackintosh on Fri Feb 23rd at 4:59am 2007

I was using the Prall exporter for Maya 5.0, I just installed Maya 8 (not PLE).
What's the extra step if you don't mind telling me? I was afraid it wouldn't work at all with 8.

The compiling I *think* I have down, its the UV texturing I can't seem to get a handle on, if you can recommend any tutorials to do that. I appreciate the offer to help I may ask for help if I get stuck.

I plan to make static models for now and eventually some simple physics models,
the last thing I want to do is beg people to make models for me, I want to learn
to make my own.


don't sweat the petty stuff,just pet the sweaty stuff.



Quote
 Re: models for use in CS:S & HL2dm
Posted by Naklajat on Fri Feb 23rd at 10:52am 2007

The SMD exporter looks for shape nodes in the reference, physics, break, etc. layers, as they are what contain the actual polygons, but Maya 8 only puts the parent node in a layer when you select an object and tell it 'Add Selected to Layer' or whatever.

To fix this and get the shape node in, right click on a layer (doesn't matter which one) and select 'Membership' near the bottom of the popup menu. The left pane of the membership editor is the layers, the right pane is the nodes or objects. I just so happen to have a handy image to explain the process of putting shape nodes into layers with the membership editor.

image

After doing that Prall's exporter should work fine. I haven't had any success with choosing "Export only" in Maya 8, though, it only works if I uncheck 'Compile' in the list of tasks and choose "Full Compile". Also the exporter might not work if you have spaces in the output path.


I think laying out UVs has somewhat of a steep learning curve no matter what program you use, I was thinking about making a video tutorial on the subject (for Maya)...


=o



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 Re: models for use in CS:S & HL2dm
Posted by smackintosh on Fri Feb 23rd at 4:41pm 2007

cool. I remember making the "physics" & "reference" layers.
So, you would use a "break" layer for brake-able objects I'm assuming?
That would be cool if it was that simple.

They seemed to have changed a few things for UV texturing in 8 also.
It automatically flattens out things which is bad if its a complex set of UV faces.

I learned the hard way that trying to UV texture polygons that have been modified with booleans doesn't work so well, unless there is a way to
erase the fact that it was a boolean, like delete history.

Thanks for the info, I will try this. I can tell I will get more confused. lol


don't sweat the petty stuff,just pet the sweaty stuff.



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 Re: models for use in CS:S & HL2dm
Posted by fishy on Fri Feb 23rd at 6:29pm 2007

for breakable props, you need to make all the seperate pieces as individual gib models. you make the bits in the model editor so that they are in the same position(relative to the root bone) as they would be in the unbroken model.

then, in the qc file, you set how much damage the model will take before being replaced by the broken bits, and whether the broken bits should fly off in any particular manner, whether they should fade after a set time, etc.
you can also sync various explosions and noises in the qc file, to whatever animation you give your models. the exploding barrel is a good example of that.

so breakable models aren't really breakable, they just get replaced by some gib models after they take some damage.




i eat paint



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 Re: models for use in CS:S & HL2dm
Posted by Naklajat on Fri Feb 23rd at 7:50pm 2007

? quote:
like delete history

Edit >> Delete by Type >> History
or Edit >> Delete All by Type >> History (to delete history for all objects in the scene)
<img src=" SRC="images/smiles/icon_wink.gif">

You should also do that before exporting, as well as
Modify >> Freeze Transformations
Modify >> Reset Transformations
Which basically just resets the object's pivot to (0,0,0) without moving the object.

For simpler non-organic meshes I usually do an automatic UV projection then use the Move & Sew tool to get the UV hulls I want. As long as you move hulls rather than individual UVs and only use uniform scaling you don't get much if any texture stretching.


=o



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 Re: models for use in CS:S & HL2dm
Posted by smackintosh on Fri Feb 23rd at 8:08pm 2007

I figured you would have to make all the broken pieces, so you would put them
in the "brake" layer then set up the options in the compile file, gotcha.
I think I'll wait until I get a handle on the UV texturing thing before testing it.

I didn't know if deleting the history would work for that, now I know, sweet! the modifying transformations command is new to me.
I''ll have to give it another test. you guys know lots, thanks.


don't sweat the petty stuff,just pet the sweaty stuff.



Quote
 Re: models for use in CS:S & HL2dm
Posted by smackintosh on Mon Mar 19th at 7:53pm 2007

One of my friends has assisted me in my quest to model for HL2dmCS:s.
He took one of my Maya models and UV textured it in Blender, very nicely I might add.

I exported it to .SMD files in Blender and compiled it...
The model shows up, but the textures do not (at least not on the model).
I've been hacking at it all morning trying to figure out what my mistake(s) was.
I hope it is as simple as a bad line in the .QC file or a misplaced or mis-pathed
directory.

I just want to get this right at least once so I know what not to do. The Maya exports that I attempted countless times failed, but the blender export didn't give me any compiling errors, go figure. i'm also giving the XSI mod tool a shot, I'm
gonna do this if its the last thing I do. lol


don't sweat the petty stuff,just pet the sweaty stuff.



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 Re: models for use in CS:S & HL2dm
Posted by smackintosh on Wed Mar 21st at 1:37am 2007

Success!

Special thanks to Baron Von Snickers for assistance in figuring out
my compiling issues. Apparently the reference .SMD file (exported from Blender)
did not name the UV texture. So when I compiled it, it would not see the
appropriate texture file. so, I replaced all the references to "material" with
the actual name of the file "merch3.tga". All hail teh Baron!

image


don't sweat the petty stuff,just pet the sweaty stuff.



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 Re: models for use in CS:S & HL2dm
Posted by smackintosh on Mon Mar 26th at 7:09am 2007

Some images in this post have been automatically down-sized, click on them to view the full sized versions:

I've always wanted to make a pool table for some reason...




don't sweat the petty stuff,just pet the sweaty stuff.



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 Re: models for use in CS:S & HL2dm
Posted by smackintosh on Tue Mar 27th at 11:17am 2007

As hard as it is for me to say, I may have to dump Maya for Blender
at least for Source Models. Blender's UV texturing methods are pretty much "on the fly", while it is a tricky method to bake multiple UV textures together, it beats
trying to figure the "unwrapped mess" out in Photoshop. You can also bake
an "ambient occlusion" version of the UV, which makes very nice shading effect on the whole model, I blend the normal texture with it to get the final result.

Thanks again for the help guys, what should I build now? lol


don't sweat the petty stuff,just pet the sweaty stuff.



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 Re: models for use in CS:S & HL2dm
Posted by reaper47 on Tue Mar 27th at 1:09pm 2007

Wow, a prop-modeler! Good job, we need more of you around. <img src=" SRC="images/smiles/icon_smile.gif">


Why snark works.



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 Re: models for use in CS:S & HL2dm
Posted by smackintosh on Tue Mar 27th at 1:35pm 2007

Thanks! I'll try my best-est not to suck at it.
I'm finally useful!


don't sweat the petty stuff,just pet the sweaty stuff.



Quote
 Re: models for use in CS:S & HL2dm
Posted by smackintosh on Tue Apr 3rd at 8:30am 2007

Ok, I have a question... if any of you can help.

I made this model and I want it to act like a sawblade.
Someone said you can just get the sawblade's QC file, but I can't find it.

image

also, some of my models only work in DM if I set them as prop_physics_override.

here's my compile file>

$modelname "smackpsychore.mdl"
$cdmaterials "modelssmack"
$scale 15.0
$surfaceprop "metal"
$staticprop
$body studio "psychore.smd"
$sequence idle "psychore_idle" fps 1

$collisionmodel "psychore_phys.smd"
{
$mass 150
$concave
}

$keyvalues
{
"prop_data

{
"base" "metal"
}


don't sweat the petty stuff,just pet the sweaty stuff.



Quote
 Re: models for use in CS:S & HL2dm
Posted by smackintosh on Tue Apr 3rd at 4:47pm 2007

hehe... nvm... cancel.

found the line I needed in another forum somewhere, someone
decompiled the sawblade>

I added it to my QC.

$keyvalues { prop_data { "base" "Metal.Small" } physgun_interactions { "onlaunch" "spin_zaxis" "onfirstimpact" "lose_energy" "onworldimpact" "stick" } }

sweet! my models hurts alot now.


don't sweat the petty stuff,just pet the sweaty stuff.



Quote
 Re: models for use in CS:S & HL2dm
Posted by smackintosh on Wed Apr 4th at 5:29am 2007

I would like to know what lines I need to add to the QC file and where to make
a prop explosive. If anyone can tell me, thanks.


don't sweat the petty stuff,just pet the sweaty stuff.



Quote
 Re: models for use in CS:S & HL2dm
Posted by FatStrings on Wed Apr 4th at 1:44pm 2007

awesome, i've been needing a pool table but never got around to asking anyone

edit:, some physics pool balls would be a nice addon




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