MS3D-Import How to Question

[benpark]

How do you import another MS3D model into another that you are currently working on? I don't see an "import MS3D" under the import menu.

[spellir74]

ORIGINAL: benpark

How do you import another MS3D model into another that you are currently working on? I don't see an "import MS3D" under the import menu.

Yeah I know. And nobody told me. I tried almost every "import" type...

(And there is scant info on the net about this. (Took me a few days to get it.)

Anyway,

Along menu bar at top, under "Tools' /directX mesh/then save button menu".

IMPORTANT NOTE: MS3D doesn't import 'skeleton or joints'. Meaning all animations and fireing point 'bones' need to be redone for already done model.[&:]

Stridor's tutorial here gives an already done PzII _as a MS3D file type_. You can open that and screw with it --learning how to select (by vertixes or faces) and move and shape those triangle /faces etc.

Then save to File/ Export/ Directx (JT) (If you have MS3D registered version).

--
Here's a tutorial I've put together so far from scant info and trial and error....

============
Import Directx under Tools/DirectX mesh/Save button menu. _Doesn't import animations and skeletons._

~X,Y,Z (Hori vert depth); '+' or '-' is range

~Select under "model" tab
>"Vertixes" (ignore background)
-shft+left =select
-shft+right =deselect [touch Or lasso]

(Hide/unhide inner vertixes ctrl H/ctrl U)

(ctrl shft A deselects all)

>face('triangles') --check box 'by vertixes'.
>group (grabs all)

~Rotate = left drag vertical

~Scale (rounds shapes)
-left drag =hori
-right drag =verti

~~
Mirroring duplicates:
`select by face
`duplicate selection (under Edit)
`Mirror
`delete touching faces ("select" "face")
`snap
`weld
`regroup as one mesh

---
"Smoothing" =rounds off
"Sub divide" =adds internal faces

-Good PC handles 700 "faces"/"triangels"

~~
flip

Export-
-"DirectX(JT)"...
.right handed
.1.0 scale
.exclude options
.animat-time-factor [low] 100 (all frames)
.direct x format
.Skin Bones
.binary (smaller) S&B templates

-other directX must have 'dotX' manually written.

-------
Joint =right foot in PzC

MS3D unit =2.54m in PzC

=====================
=====================
SHORT-CUT KEYS

Ctrl + O------------goes to open file
Ctrl + S------------save file
Ctrl + Shift + S-----Save file as
Ctrl + Z------------Undo
Ctrl + R------------Redo
Ctrl + D------------duplicates selection
Delete-------------Deletes selection
Shift + Delete------Deletes all
Ctrl + A------------Selects all
Ctrl + Shift + A-----De-selects all
Ctrl + I-------------Inverts what is selected to unselected and unselected to selected
Ctrl + H------------Hides what is selected
Ctrl + Shift + H-----Unhides all
Ctrl + N------------Takes selected vertices and "snaps" them to same point
Ctrl + G------------Makes selected vertices align to grid lines
Ctrl + W------------Weilds selection
Ctrl + Shift + W-----Unwields selection
Shift + Q-----------Unwields selection in circle form
Ctrl + P-------------Divide edge
Ctrl + Shift + (X/Y/Z)-makes selection have no (X/Y/Z) depth
S------------------Sphereify
Ctrl + Shift + E-----Lets you change/adjust vertex info manually
Ctrl + Shift + F-----Inverts Vertex Order (makes selected face point other way)
Ctrl + 3/4----------Increases poly count 3/4 fold
Ctrl + E------------Turn edge
F------------------Create face
Ctrl + M-----------Smooth All
Ctrl + K-----------Set Keyframe (Animation)
Ctrl + Shift + K----Delete Key Frame (Animaion)
Ctrl + T-----------Texture Coordinate Editor
Spacebar----------Maximize/de-maximize current view

===============
===============
Short cut keys for tools:

F1 ------------- Select
F2 ------------- Move
F3 ------------- Rotate
F4 ------------- Scale
F5 ------------- Verticies
F6 ------------- Faces
F7 ------------- Extrude
F8 ------------- Joints

----------
Rotate manually 180 along the x axis, then flip the 'normals' for the part to be right side up. (Each progg assumes it's XYZ are correct.)

========================
========================
========================
The Pak36 on the 251 was built by...

.importing the the X file into MilkShape3D (tools/diretX mesh/save button menu)
.and then removing some parts, (select by lassoing vertixes, delete)
.tweak the gun a bit to line up with the 251, (select by group; move up [--then delete touching faces, snap and weld])
.assigning firing bones, (joints)
.then exporting it back out --renamed 'turret'. (export/directX(JT)[settings])

Note, when I import an X file it reverses the polygons. I had to do some manual flipping of the Z and reversing the polygons.

---
Taking an existing model from the game one should flip the z vectors going to the modelling software. Then flip them back going out to the game.

Using AutoDesk and Polytrans I have to flip z-vectors going from AD to .x too.

If you get it wrong and your output is reversed so the colors don't show up try mirroring the object in Milkshake then export. I'm making the Jagdpanzer IV model series right now and found that I had one object reversed and mirroring it fixed it.

(The funniest part about the unflipped black color on the /10 is that my graphic card didn't have a problem displaying it whilst other folks' ...yes.)

----
Also won't import skeleton and animation. Has to be redone, if needed. (skeleton-joint for this turret.)

The mesh importer with MS3D is kinda funky... Most of the mesh has to be assembled back together again to make it complete.

===========
MS3D texture
go into Materials, select the Body material then click the button which will then be marked "body.dds". Select where you have stored the body.dds file. Do the same thing for Treads as well. You can ignore the Tracks entry for now. MS3D makes textures temporarily transparent.


==========
As for DDS (like in "Paint-net")...

PzC:
.DxT1 (1 alpha ch) = 4bit
-512 = 171 Kb ['resize']
-1024 = 683 Kb ['resize']
.W/ MIPS

_______________
############

[benpark]

Thanks, Spellir. I was actually asking about importing another MS3D model into a current MS3D model that I am working on.

Good to have those shortcuts, though!

[spellir74]

Oh.

What about "merge"? It's under "File" I believe. Isn't that for combining models together?

Though I don't know what the particulars are.

(I've learned everything I know (about everything) through trial and error. This could work for others too.)

If some one knows this, please help or at least just point to tut.

(Remember a rule of techs: "if it's important, they'll ask again"...)

=========
And I see through board surfing that you already know MS3D beginner's stuff.

[Mraah]

ORIGINAL: benpark

How do you import another MS3D model into another that you are currently working on? I don't see an "import MS3D" under the import menu.

Ben,

Basically, you need to export your current model to ascii format, open another project, then import that ascii back in.

So ...

1) Open your MS3D project (or use your current project, whatever is open now)
2) Export your project to MilkShape 3D ASCII format ... and save it (should save as a txt file)
3) Open another MS3D project
4) Import your ascii txt file (MilkShape 3D ASCII) ... ascii format should save the bones and keyframes (animation)

Now, you'll have to reassign the textures again since the imported ascii was reassigned the same textures as the current project.

Rob

Edit Note : Screenshot shows EXPORT - MilkShape 3D ASCII .... IMPORT - MilkShape 3D ASCII.

[Mraah]

Ben,

When you import you can use the default options ... My screenshot below shows mine ...

[Mraah]

ORIGINAL: spellir74

Oh.

What about "merge"? It's under "File" I believe. Isn't that for combining models together?

Spellir74,

Yeah, MERGE works the same , merging one ms3d into another !!

I never used merge before ... I like doing it the hard way I suppose !!

Thanks Spellir74,
Rob

[benpark]

That did the trick (both ways are good to have). Thanks, gents!

[JMass]

I would like to learn 3D modelling and I am trying some demo apps. Nobody knows FragMOTION? It can import and export also Directx and MS3D files conserving the animations (but textures must be reassigned), somebody writes that it is better than Milkshape 3D (and however it could import .x files and export them with all the animations to MS3D).

[Stridor]

ORIGINAL: JMass

I would like to learn 3D modelling and I am trying some demo apps. Nobody knows FragMOTION? It can import and export also Directx and MS3D files conserving the animations (but textures must be reassigned), somebody writes that it is better than Milkshape 3D (and however it could import .x files and export them with all the animations to MS3D).

Nice find JMASS, will check it out. Looks good from the SS.

[benpark]

Hmmm...maybe that will allow some additional infantry models while retaining the animations we already have with the game?

[Dean J]

Hi guys,

I'm new to the forum and still feelin' pretty noobish.

JMass is correct, fragMotion is a nice piece of software - and at $25US, it's very reasonably priced.  It can import and export to many different formats and, unlike Milkshape, imports DirectX files like any other format (i.e. no dinking around with a seperate import tool).  Also, the importer will import DirectX bones and animation.  The only catch (there's always a catch) is that, like Milkshape, it flips the model on the z-axis.  That's easily fixed, however.  Simply go to Transform->Mirror All->Z-Axis.  Sometimes the bones displace incorrectly, but you can fix this using the same procedure.  The demo download is fully functional for 30 days (at least, it used to be) so there's no reason not to try it out.  I prefer it to Milkshape, but I'm definitely not a guru, so your mileage may vary.

-dj

[junk2drive]

Welcome to the forums and thanks for making your first post a helpful one.

[benpark]

This program is a great find. I just watched through all of the infantry animations, so it should be able to allow us some possibilities. This in conjunction with MS3D seems like it would be all that is needed to add/modify infantry units using the existing animations.

I like the file names that they have picked: .ugh and .arg !

I'm in a time crunch right now, but I'm going to see if I can do some experimenting this weekend. I'd like to get a fallschirmjager model I did a while back working.

[Mraah]

Jmass and Dean J,

Very nice program ... thank you much for the link.

I always wanted to add a real PanzerSchreck to that late model German ATR team ... I'll have to give it a try.

Thank you,

Rob

[JMass]

ORIGINAL: Dean J
The only catch (there's always a catch) is that, like Milkshape, it flips the model on the z-axis.

Do you known how work with the scale? In Milkshape you assume that 1 unit = 1 meter and then it is necessary set the the scaling to 0.3937 but I found no info on fragMOTION.

[Stridor]

ORIGINAL: JMass

ORIGINAL: Dean J
The only catch (there's always a catch) is that, like Milkshape, it flips the model on the z-axis.

Do you known how work with the scale? In Milkshape you assume that 1 unit = 1 meter and then it is necessary set the the scaling to 0.3937 but I found no info on fragMOTION.

JMass

There doesn't seem to be a scale option in the exporter module itself which is a pain.

So design in 1 unit = 1 meter and then do a global scale (via transform tools menu) by 0.3937 prior to DX export.

That will work

Regards

S.

[JMass]

ORIGINAL: Stridor

So design in 1 unit = 1 meter and then do a global scale (via transform tools menu) by 0.3937 prior to DX export.

Thanks, I'll try it! [:)]

[Dean J]

ORIGINAL: Stridor

ORIGINAL: JMass

ORIGINAL: Dean J
The only catch (there's always a catch) is that, like Milkshape, it flips the model on the z-axis.

Do you known how work with the scale? In Milkshape you assume that 1 unit = 1 meter and then it is necessary set the the scaling to 0.3937 but I found no info on fragMOTION.

JMass

There doesn't seem to be a scale option in the exporter module itself which is a pain.

So design in 1 unit = 1 meter and then do a global scale (via transform tools menu) by 0.3937 prior to DX export.

That will work

Regards

S.

JMass,

As Stridor has indicated, you go to Transform->Transform Options and choose the "Scale" checkbox. Then set the X, Y and Z values to 0.3937 as Stridor suggests.

-DJ

[Mraah]

I haven't tried FragMotion yet, but I have a concern ...

MS3D animation is 1 keyframe more than normal ... ie, 0-300 would require MS3D to read 1-301.

For those of you that have imported an X model with animation and then exported it to MS3D I'm wondering if the keyframe # is off ?

Thanks,
Rob