NEED HELP WITH MODEL FILES

[Thor the Bassist]

I have tried for a while now to get models made in 3ds max to work in the game. i know that its not my txt files (or C and H files or whatever) cos the game runs until it has to actually picture the ship. Any help on what you need to do to export from 3ds max 7 to a good format to use in any tools so it can get back to gm format? <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/modding.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="" border="0" alt="modding.gif" />

 

[Kazeite]

Export model to VRML97 format, and then use TOOL to import it and save it as gm.

 

[Thor the Bassist]

I do that at the moment but it still doesn't work. I haven't modded these files before (bit of a noob) and I usually use max scripts (eg Rome Total War). Could it be that i'm not doing something on max that needs to be done. At the moment I just make a mesh and export it. Also in the system txt file it logs an error that there is a "BAD MODEL" or "BAD SHIP MODEL". This is right before it crashes when it has to load the ship model into the game (I buy new ship and then go back to bridgetown port and it crashes). Maybe a guide to what to do in max would be helpful plz. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/dunno.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="" border="0" alt="dunno.gif" /> <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/modding.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="" border="0" alt="modding.gif" />

maybe ramming my head through the computer would help?

 

[Thomas the Terror]

Maybe there is something in the coding that isnt right, if you put the model and it texture on filefront or the ftp, i want to help to put the ship ingame.

What do you think?

 

[Thor the Bassist]

At the moment all i'm trying with is a small rubber dingy to get a model started but it could be texture mapping or something like that. The model isn't really important its just getting a max file to have the right info. What boxes do you check when you export as VRML 97

Plus I can't get on the comp with the files on atm. sos.

Also could be textures in max -not sure about that

 

[Thor the Bassist]

After looking at my files I believe that I'm doing something wrong in max as the system file is blaming the model. Also gm viewer doesn't seem to be able to load it when its been exported by tool as gm format.

heres the error from the system file:

Invalid model: resource\models\ships\Rubber Dingy1\Rubber Dingy1.gm
WARNING! Can`t model class pointer for ShipModel
WARNING!!! Missing INIT message to ROPE - bad ship model
Missing INIT message to FLAG: bad MODEL

anyone who knows what this means plz post <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/modding.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="" border="0" alt="modding.gif" /> <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/modding.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="" border="0" alt="modding.gif" /> <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/modding.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="" border="0" alt="modding.gif" /> <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/modding.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="" border="0" alt="modding.gif" /> <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/modding.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="" border="0" alt="modding.gif" /> <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/modding.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="" border="0" alt="modding.gif" /> <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/modding.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="" border="0" alt="modding.gif" />

 

[Thor the Bassist]

I've worked it out! <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/me.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="" border="0" alt="me.gif" />
If anyone is wishing to use 3dsmax to make their models you must uncheck all the boxes in the export dialog (except show progress bar which doesn't matter) and then the model will work once put through the TOOL application.

Now need help from anyone who knows how to apply the textures to the model coz i'm stumped. I either corrupt the file in hex editor but really need to know how to get max to read textures from somewhere else or a tool for getting textures to apply. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/modding.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="" border="0" alt="modding.gif" />

But apart from the textures I can now bez along in a rubber dingy with an outboard motor on the back. Much like this:
<img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/sailr.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="" border="0" alt="sailr.gif" />
any info gr8ly appreciated <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/bow.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="" border="0" alt="bow.gif" />

 

[Thor the Bassist]

I have one last problem before I can mod any part of a game model - the textures. The textures I map and create do not appear when I put it into gm viewer. Here are the steps I've been using to model and texture:

1. model a mesh in 3ds max 7
2. use "unwrap UV" tool to create a UV map (I get max to auto map and I use trial and error to make each part of the texture the right colour)
3. At this point the model appears with the textures all exactly right in 3ds max 7
4. I then export as VRML97 (WRL)
5. Then use "TOOL" application to import as VRML97 (WRL) and export as GM
6. Then I use gm viewer to view the model but it only appears with the colour of the pixel at coordinate (1,1) of the texture so the mapping must have been lost somewhere along the file route.

Anyone who has textured a model or retextured a gm file please reply. Is there possibly a tool that will map the textures to the gm file directly.