2255 replies to this topic

[TheSkiDog]

Noted, and thanks. Moral support helps.

It has been a chore just making the switch from Max to blender.... still not as proficient as I was in Max, but getting there.

[Volt]

with the new patch coming out it looks like I'm going to have to extract all the 'Mechs all over again

[Heffay]

TheSkiDog, on 20 June 2016 - 01:40 PM, said:

Noted, and thanks. Moral support helps.

It has been a chore just making the switch from Max to blender.... still not as proficient as I was in Max, but getting there.

If I knew Max I could make a mech-importer script for it. I'm assuming there is robust scripting support for Max? If you have any scripting skills, it may be something you'll want to look into. The mech-importer.ps1 script has basically all the steps you need to do; you just need to find the Max equivalent of those commands.

In fact the Blender script is a bit dumb because it outputs a text file of python commands to run in Blender. I really should make a Blender add-on you can just point to the right directory and it'll handle everything within the program. That's the proper way of doing it.

If anyone wants to help me Blenderfy mech importer (and asset importer), let me know. We can go offline and discuss what needs to happen. Basic python scripting skills and a passing knowledge of Blender is required. If you're learning python through Udemy or code academy, that may be good enough as well.

[Volt]

TheSkiDog, on 20 June 2016 - 01:40 PM, said:

Noted, and thanks. Moral support helps.

It has been a chore just making the switch from Max to blender.... still not as proficient as I was in Max, but getting there.

You could export the mech from Blender as FBX and load it on Max, like what I do. Saves me the hassle of having to learn another program.

[Mcgral18]

So, has the rescale changed things for anyone else?

Using the CGF converter and the importer (with LoDs removed) causes the torso bit to be 90 degrees off (along with some other parts like the shoulder)

[Mcgral18]

Flipping the torso segments 270 degs fixes the orientation (as I've seen before), but they're still out of alignment slightly forward and high (you can fit them into the shoulders easily enough)


However, it seems every joint is strung out a bit


Evident at the Ankle and Knee (but also Elbow from the front)

[Heffay]

Hmm... I did the Commando and the Catapult yesterday without any issues. I'll try the Firestarter tonight to see if I get the same result.

[Iacov]

hey guys!

tried to import the mad dog to blender - at first glance no problems with the joints per se, but it still has the "upright" leg position

do you guys know how I get them into the exact position as in game?

edit 1:
does this look right to you: (upper legs: -25°, lower legs +30°, foot -5°)

edit 2:
prior picture deleted
I think i have found the correct angle: upper legs -15°, lower legs 25°, foot -10°
can anyone confirm?


(used the ortho shot from patch notes to verify, but would appreciate if anyone could "proof read" my findings)

Edited by Iacov, 22 June 2016 - 12:27 PM.

[Volt]

i am getting the same pre-patch stances from all the 'mechs i extracted. it looks like the new/updated stances are not hard-coded into CDF files. the skeleton also reflects the pre-patch stances. looks like we're going to have to do things manually.

can anyone check if the scales between 'mechs are updated, or if that's an in-game implementation like the stances?

in an unrelated question, does anyone have any problems opening the normal dds files (*mech*_*part*_ddn.dds)? I used to be able to open them in photoshop cc 2015 (with the relevant plugin) but I currently do not have access to that version (using CS3 at home) and this version would not open the normal maps.

Edited by Volt, 23 June 2016 - 12:31 AM.

[QuantumPolagnus]

Hey, guys. I've loaded 'mechs into Blender and I was able to outfit them, but I haven't been able to get Noesis to recognize the CHR files. Are there any plugins or specific versions of Noesis I should be using?

When I open Noesis and browse to the mech's body directory, Noesis sees the DDS and OBJ files as "Known Formats," but when I tell it to look for "all formats" to select the CHR file and then File>Export, I get the attached error.

[Mcgral18]

Turns out my issue may just have been Importer related (typo on my part somewhere?)
Replaced that, and the 90 degree torso stopped, and joints went in alright

Size comparisons also check out

[Heffay]

QuantumPolagnus, on 25 June 2016 - 02:07 PM, said:

Hey, guys. I've loaded 'mechs into Blender and I was able to outfit them, but I haven't been able to get Noesis to recognize the CHR files. Are there any plugins or specific versions of Noesis I should be using?

When I open Noesis and browse to the mech's body directory, Noesis sees the DDS and OBJ files as "Known Formats," but when I tell it to look for "all formats" to select the CHR file and then File>Export, I get the attached error.

Use my cgf-converter program instead. It works a lot better and creates better geometry. There is a link and some basic instructions in the original post.

[mad kat]

So if you scale the cockpit model to suit the mech (they don't actually match nor does the shape). Then scale a human to fit the cockpit you end up with something loosely like this.

These machines are huge if you go off the cockpit scale!

Edited by mad kat, 01 July 2016 - 03:00 AM.

[Volt]

mad kat, on 01 July 2016 - 02:59 AM, said:

So if you scale the cockpit model to suit the mech (they don't actually match nor does the shape). Then scale a human to fit the cockpit you end up with something loosely like this.

These machines are huge if you go off the cockpit scale!

I like what you did with the textures. is that a noise procedural map applied to the bump map channel?

[mad kat]

Volt, on 03 July 2016 - 11:53 PM, said:

I like what you did with the textures. is that a noise procedural map applied to the bump map channel?

Here's what i used (modified the MWO cammo v3 nodes from early in this thread).

[TheSkiDog]

I'm having problems getting mech importer to work on an older machine running XP...I get a not a valid window program error.
The machine is not on an I Gerber connection, some probably missing the libraries needed to run this.
Any ideas on what you darkest I might need??

[TheSkiDog]

Oh, I don't have power shell... crap, forget my previous post.

[TheSkiDog]

I'm not going to be able to do this on this XP machine, am I?

[Heffay]

TheSkiDog, on 11 July 2016 - 07:38 AM, said:

I'm not going to be able to do this on this XP machine, am I?

It's compiled for a 64 bit OS, and just requires Powershell 3 or newer.

[Taws]

Hi all,

Whew! Just finished reading all 98 pages of this thread...I think it was at 96 when I started.

First off...Wow, Heffay, just wow... You have been helping people out with this thread for almost 4 years. Your tutorial videos work great (as long as you don't try starting right away after the first one), and the mech-importer works like a charm as well.

I started messing around with Blender about a week before I found this thread, so I'm still kind of muddling through, but I've managed to get some mechs imported, rigged, and materials put on. I am using Andreas80's "MWO_Camo" (versions 2 and 3) and was curious if there is a simple method of adding things like decals without screwing up what I've already done. I'm going to do some experimenting, but I anticipate burning out my CTRL+Z keys before I figure it out on my own. Any advice from you artists out there would be greatly appreciated.

Oh, and honorable mention goes to Rawyn for dumbing the process down.
(If I got the poster for the node layout wrong, I apologize, and I do thank you for posting that)

Thanks.