[tutorial-req] Convertion Tut

ArgOnatH · May 2003

<div class="IPBDescription">Need a Convertion TUT. im going mad</div> No honestly im going mad.
I realy need a convertion tutorial on how to convert HL player models from one mod to another mod.
Or just a Convertion TUT. (must be HL based, not Q2, Q3 or any other game JUST HL based)
And yes i have looked hard in Modeling 101, still nout found there, so could some one pls make my life happier! PLS

thanks

Maus · May 2003

In the Modelling 101 thread, there's a link to my <a href='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/index.php?act=ST&f=19&t=27213' target='_blank'>animation conversion</a> tutorial. Contained within there is this bit:

</span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> </td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'>I should add to this that it's often possible to use this method to convert models from other HL mods (at least, I know it's possible to convert between FA, CS, and NS quite often from my own experiences). All you need to do is copy the mesh from the model from the other mod and put it in among the NS animations, as above. Sometimes it takes a little tweaking if it gives you errors, but not all that much work.</td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'>

i.e. you rip out the reference smd from the model you want to convert, and slap on the NS animations. The logic behind this being that the majority of HL mods use the same basic skeleton.

It might not.work, but it's the simplest way of doing it. If it doesn't work you'll need to reassign the reference model to a NS skeleton.

Jamil · May 2003

I doubt there are any. For one thing it's really not that hard of a process. It takes like 5 minutes to convert a model. Here are the steps pretty much in Milkshape. You have a MDL with the hands you want to use(including animations), and another MDL with the gun you want to use. Both MDLs have a gun and hands that come with them. We'll call the MDL with the hands you want hands, and the MDL with the gun, gun or new gun.

1) Decompile the gun MDL you want to use.
2) Decompile the hands MDL you want to use.
3) Import the hands SMD
4) Import the gun SMD, when it pops up asking you what to import, deselect the skeleton.
5) Delete the gun's hands.
6) Don't delete the old gun that came with the hands, use it to line up the new gun with.
7) Once it's lined up, check all the joints and find the gun ones.
8) Assign the new gun's vertices as close as you can to the new gun. As in trigger joint on old gun = trigger joint on new gun.
9) Copy the gun's textures into the hands' directory.
10) Delete the old gun.
11) Export as a reference SMD, name it the same thing as the old hands reference SMD.
12) Compile with the hands qc.

ArgOnatH · May 2003

</span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (Souris @ May 3 2003, 04:36 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> In the Modelling 101 thread, there's a link to my <a href='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/index.php?act=ST&f=19&t=27213' target='_blank'>animation conversion</a> tutorial. Contained within there is this bit:

</span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> </td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'>I should add to this that it's often possible to use this method to convert models from other HL mods (at least, I know it's possible to convert between FA, CS, and NS quite often from my own experiences). All you need to do is copy the mesh from the model from the other mod and put it in among the NS animations, as above. Sometimes it takes a little tweaking if it gives you errors, but not all that much work.</td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'>

i.e. you rip out the reference smd from the model you want to convert, and slap on the NS animations. The logic behind this being that the majority of HL mods use the same basic skeleton.

It might not.work, but it's the simplest way of doing it. If it doesn't work you'll need to reassign the reference model to a NS skeleton.  </td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'> 
im been trying to do it for 6 hours! And it realy is driving me insane! i have got the model to compile and work in NS but it walk very strange etc.

And its just that process of assigning all those vertextes! argh soo much time it takes! and then finnaly when it does work it still dont look right!

/me cries in tears of maddness, men in white coats storm my house and bundel me into the back of a ford Van.

Maus · May 2003

Assigning vertices isn't <i>that</i> difficult, and besides it's a handy thing to learn to do.

ArgOnatH · May 2003

it takes so <i>long</i> tho :/

coil · May 2003

Nobody ever said modeling is easy. Assigning vertices to a skeleton blows, and takes forever. And there's no way around it, so whining is pointless.

Jamil · May 2003

It's a skill being able to see the wireframe as the 3D solid object. Easiest way of isolating parts is picking one vertex, then following the edges out of that vertex. Move the vertex around so you can clearly see where the edge leads, just make sure to undo when you're finished. <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/wink.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='wink.gif'>

Maus · May 2003

Another handy little tip: Hide vertices after you've assigned them.

Also, when you think you've got everything you want to assign to a joint assigned it's a good idea to move/rotate all the vertices you have selected to make sure you've got everyhting you need (and haven't selected anything you don't).

ArgOnatH · May 2003

well, after 8 hours now of trying it, im finaly getting the hang of it, thank god im doing this on a low poly model! lol.

thanks Souris i didnt think of that!

also what does this mean? " Found Vertex with invalid bone assignment! Model not exported! " <---- Does that mean there a Vertex(s) hanging around that aint assigned?! <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/confused.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='confused.gif'>

<b>EDIT</b>

ive just done what Souris told me to do. But still im getting that " Found Vertex with invalid bone assignment! Model not exported! " message, what does it mean?

Im using MS3D btw.... <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/confused.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='confused.gif'>

Maus · May 2003

I believe it's just that there are some unassigned vertices. MS3D has a handy "select unassigned" button thet'll show them right up.

Jamil · May 2003

Save changes before you compile? <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif'>

HiMaRu · May 2003

</span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> </td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'>it takes so long tho :/ </td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'>

Dude lol things take time =) <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif'>

[tutorial-req] Convertion Tut

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