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Creating a Davvy Jones Model (WIP)

Alright folks,

It's the summer, and I'm back on task. And motivated like hell to get this cursed model in the game. Also - I *do* have internet connectivity for the summer after all, although it is not super stable, or reliable. After at least a month of not looking at it, it took me a little while to backtrack to where I left off, but I have a fresh batch of questions about importing a model into the game. (and yes, there is still problems with *I believe* the normals pointing the wrong way, but I'm going back to where I left off and making sure that what I've got will even load itself into the engine. I still think that I should be able to fix the problem if it is the normals. So my questions are as follows:

1) first off, I did follow your directions to a T for importing the model, but I did not have the option to choose Davy Jones from the beginning screen. Reasons why this could have gone wrong are:
a) I don't have an actual .tga.tx file for it, so I just renamed other ones for hte purpose of testing. need a unique one for the character? I can try that...

b) I don't have an actual portrait for the character either. I just chose a number for mr. Gibbs, I figured I can paint a portrait or whatever once everything is done and working nicely. kinda like the skin I did for AOP waaaay back in september. except better. and finally
c) My head is melded onto the mesh of the body. is this wrong? I just chose another character's head and stuck it on there - figuring that at worst it would look bizarre, but I just wanted to see how to get it into the game.

2) What is the deal with the heads? Does it have to be separate from teh body? I guess I can do that, and play with that.I'll just look at some other head files and see what I'm looking for. Is there anything else to do with that that I should know about though? just wanted to check. If the head is actually allowed to be separate, that is a very, very good thing to know, because it means I wasted a lot of time trying to get the mesh to flow down the neck into the other polys hahahaha. could save a lot of time next time.

Thanks again for everybody's help!


/edit/

upon further review, it may be something to do with maya. appariently there are two textures that are missing. I do not have a UV map defined within maya yet, and the only thing that would be there would be from when I imported model from in game for the sake of scaling Davy Jones. Could this be causing the problem? I tried taking another texture, converting it back to TGA, then again to .tga.tx with the name Davy.tga.tx, but this is where I ran into my texture problem. just more food for though. speaking of food I'm really hungry, and reallytired.

oh - also I checked out the head models. tHey are just from the shoulders up. I'm thinking that this is just for the portraits while you are talking to people? so hopefully what I have will do for the body? later folks.
 
Yes, the talking heads are separate meshes - if I'm not mistaken they have moving jaws and inside of their mouths included.

Also... literally yesterday we've gained the ability to rip models and textures from any DirectX 9 game... which includes <i>Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End</i>... which includes Davy Jones model.

<img src="http://kazeite.republika.pl/PotC/Davy.jpg" border="0" class="linked-image" />

This is kinda bad, since it gives us already finished and existing model to work with, but, on the other hand, if you have developed the method for importing characters into PotC, it gives us the set of ~100 characters, ready to be added <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile.gif" />
 
Wow - that's a nice one ... I wonder how it will look like in POTC if an import succeeds. If that's possible, some models could added or even be replaced by more detailed ones like this one. Why re-inventing the wheel ... or : why work, if you can steal <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/wink.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=";)" border="0" alt="wink.gif" /> we're pirates, aye?
 
I would be very cautios thou, alot of times game companies dont like models from their games being ripped to be used in others, some modding sites forbid this practice in modding, and me being involved in the build mod i am not too anxious to be pulled into a legal dispute if one should arise <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/rolleyes.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":rolleyes:" border="0" alt="rolleyes.gif" />
 
by the way why is that model so crappy anyway? the screenshots and ingame footage ive seen of AWE has much better graphic quality.
 
actually, the models are rather poor close-up. read any review to see that. also, not everything is ripped from the game, as you can see. some fragments always seem to be left out.
 
I can see a problem if a development team wants to keep their model in their game, but they're both Disney, so I would see no problem with an import. We're merely enhancing their game which makes their product look good. Its not like we're putting Davy Jones from Disney into "Sid Meier's Pirates!", its just going from one PotC game to another... and we'd be sure to include all the credit deserved in the build info and the like.
 
<!--quoteo(post=199422:date=Jun 4 2007, 01:11 PM:name=Merciless Mark)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Merciless Mark @ Jun 4 2007, 01:11 PM) [snapback]199422[/snapback]</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->by the way why is that model so crappy anyway? the screenshots and ingame footage ive seen of AWE has much better graphic quality.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
That's because you've probably seen XBox360/PS3 version. This Davy is from PC/Xbox/PS2/Wii version. It has 2709 faces (not counting additional polygons I've added to cover holes), which seems just about right for typical stock PotC character (and yeah, the hand <b>is</b> wrong <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile.gif" /> )

Nevertheless, we can always use it as a basis for our version of Davy <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile.gif" />
 
I'm sorry but thats just such a naive way of thinking, no offense intended. but ive been modding for quite some time, and i do know its not acceptable legally to just go porting things around however one wants.

In particular ive modded in star trek games, now porting stock models and stuff from a game like say Bridge Commander to Elite Force, or even Elite Force 2 content to Elite Force 1 is not permitted. Despite them both being Star Trek products and in a way the property of what was back then viacom, and also being all published by activision.

Personally i think as much effort as possible should be taken to create original content, its far more gratifying and rewarding.
 
while many parts of my body are shaking with a whelping cry of futility, this is a very, very good thing since the actual model is much more accurate than mine. As for how the model looks - a) I can increase the polycount - this really should not be incredibly hard if this is truly the problem (though I doubt that it is). and b) I think the problem of the model looking crappy from up close is more because of hte texture. We can retexture it pretty easily too, and have it look a lot nicer, and sharper from up close.

It makes absolutely no sense to me though why they would use lower quality models on the computer. I thought that computers were supposed to be the cream of the crop of everything awesome. Games would always be released on consoles, then ported to computer with higher resolution textures, and higher polycounts.

However despite all of these wonderful advancements - being able to actually put my own model into the game still would be a very, very good thing - both for me, and for anybody else in the future who wants to create a 3D character into the game. oh - and another question - if you can import their models - can you also import their skeletons, and/or animations? I still don't know how to animate though, so I guess I can't do a whole lot if you could, but that potential would be sweet.
 
Kazeite, you then could also rip some bonus swords from POTC 3, I would really like to have Jack's, Norrington's and Jones's sword.
 
<!--quoteo(post=199563:date=Jun 4 2007, 08:52 PM:name=Heretik)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Heretik @ Jun 4 2007, 08:52 PM) [snapback]199563[/snapback]</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->while many parts of my body are shaking with a whelping cry of futility,<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I feel your pain, mate...

<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->this is a very, very good thing since the actual model is much more accurate than mine. As for how the model looks - a) I can increase the polycount - this really should not be incredibly hard if this is truly the problem (though I doubt that it is). and b) I think the problem of the model looking crappy from up close is more because of hte texture. We can retexture it pretty easily too, and have it look a lot nicer, and sharper from up close.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
That is my general thought as well. I, for one, am not going to use <i>Flying Dutchman</i> model as it is (when I'll get around to actually making it) - I plan to use it as "more like a guideline" <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":D" border="0" alt="biggrin.gif" />

<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->It makes absolutely no sense to me though why they would use lower quality models on the computer.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
That's because it's PS2 port, and PS2 simply isn't good enough to support more detailed graphic. And since this game was made for six or seven different platforms at once, I can understand why they didn't want to spend more time with PC version than absolutely necessary - meaning, straight port, with no fancy hi-res stuff.

<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->However despite all of these wonderful advancements - being able to actually put my own model into the game still would be a very, very good thing - both for me, and for anybody else in the future who wants to create a 3D character into the game.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
My sentiments exactly. I long for "gentleman Jack" or "officer Jack" model with actual Jacks face <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile.gif" />

<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->oh - and another question - if you can import their models - can you also import their skeletons, and/or animations?<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Unfortunately, no.



<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Kazeite, you then could also rip some bonus swords from POTC 3, I would really like to have Jack's, Norrington's and Jones's sword.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
That thought has also crossed my mind <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/rolleyes.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":rolleyes:" border="0" alt="rolleyes.gif" />
 
But how are we ever going to get that model working? Especially without Inez Dias or High Sea Lass? They're the only ones who really knew about animations and modifying models.

What models are available that way anyway?

BTW: What about us putting AoP content into PotC?
 
okay

all discussion of importing other models from elsewhere aside- any ideas on how to fix my problem that I posted a bit earlier? I'm continuing to play around with the settings etc. and trying to get it to load into the engine, but if I just made a stupid mistake, could somebody let me know? Thanks guys!

*note* reformatting computer tonight crossing over to tommorow, I may not be around for a couple of days until everything is in order.
 
<!--quoteo(post=199633:date=Jun 5 2007, 05:19 AM:name=Pieter Boelen)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Pieter Boelen @ Jun 5 2007, 05:19 AM) [snapback]199633[/snapback]</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->What models are available that way anyway?<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Well... basically, everything that can be seen onscreen. This Davy Jones, I ripped him from the main menu, which also includes <i>Black Pearl</i> sailing through the sea with Jack at the wheel, and sure enough, ripped file included Davy, BP, Jack, and entire scene, waves, skies and everything.
 
<!--quoteo(post=199633:date=Jun 5 2007, 05:19 AM:name=Pieter Boelen)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Pieter Boelen @ Jun 5 2007, 05:19 AM) [snapback]199633[/snapback]</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->BTW: What about us putting AoP content into PotC?<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

I think thats very iffy, but Akella don't seem to have a problem with it, i think its a more lenient area since Akella developed both PoTC and AoP game, its still their content being used in one of their games.

But messing with a bigtime capitalist company like Disney is not advisable.
 
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