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So... i can't use Maya 7 to create models huh?

Heretik

Heretik

Privateer
Storm Modder
Hello

Right now I have access to Maya 7.0 on our school computers, AND I now know how to use it well... just to model so far - no rigging or animation yet. I of course got giddy with excitement, and dove onto the POTC, and AOP forums to see how to take a model from maya - attach it to the skeleton of the characters in game, and then actually use it in game.

But after reading for a bit - I see that only maya 4.5 will work. My question is why is this? What is so different in maya 7? Is it not possible to either convert your model over to something else first, or something to get it running? And then finally, if not POTC, would I be able to make models for AOP in maya 7?

Sorry, I always seem to come here with an endless supply of questions - but your help is very much appreciated! Thanks!

Will
 
I think you CAN make models with any program as long as you can save it in vrml or obj. BUT Maya 4.5 has plug-ins that are made for POTC, to make things more easy.
 
Oh This is Fantastic! Thanks again Thomas! I can't wait to get started on something. If it doesn't work - oh well - to practice modelling things never hurt.

I was wondering... do you think I'd be able to make new animations with it too?
 
Long-winded explanation:

To work correctly ingame, any model needs collision data, which is sort of bounding box - it tells game whenever object (ship in this case) collided with something (like, cannonballs fired from another ship). As of right now, the only way to create collision data from scratch is to use plugins for Maya 4.5. They only work with version 4.5, btw.

Currently there's no-one on this board with Maya 4.5, so we're forced to reuse collision data from other ships. We can do it with the help of the TOOL. The downside of this operation is that unless you base your hull on already existing shape, collision data won't exactly fit your custom ship, and thus it's not going to interact properly with other objects. It doesn't prevent ship from being used ingame, but it's annoying.

On top of that, every ship has something called ship's path. It's the invisible "deck" player can walk on in 1st person mode. It's completely separate from actual ship, made to conform to its deck shape, and yes, it does need its own of collision data. And so, all of problems with collision data for ship apply to ship's path as well. Bummer, huh?
 
yeah... really - I'm going to have to pull everything I can to try and find it. I wonder what year Maya 4.5 came out... my last roommate gave me a book on modelling in Maya 4.5... maybe he will have it... still... maybe not - but it's worth a try.

The good news is that if you're modding characters, and not ships, then you could probably use pre-existing collision detection without a hitch. Due to my extreme inexperience in anything other than texturing (lol I've pretty much made a hand, and a face in maya), that's the first thing I would try anyways.

Now if I was to make a model - anything in particular I should do in order to make sure that it fits the rigging/bone structure of the character? I'll ask my 3D teacher on monday too - I can't wait! Actually - I'm going to search the forums right now - it would be kind of reckless for me to ask the same question that has been written out a thousand times before.

Thanks again guys!
 
Well, as far as I know, characters ingame have no collision data - at least, TOOL doesn't prompt you to select one when importing.

Theoretically, TOOL is capable of importing custom models and giving them proper bone structure (the process is outlined in the help file). I write "theoretically", because personally I was unable to rig any model correctly. Even after exporting and importing unchanged stock model I still couldn't rig it properly - the resulting model was disfigured.

On the other hand, other people (which, unfortunately, no longer hang around) were able to import custom models). We even have models from <i>Age of Pirates</i>. But, alas, I have NO idea how did they do that <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/sad.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":(" border="0" alt="sad.gif" />
 
Those AOP models arent hard to import. They have their own animation, and you can let them use it by code. In initmodels, you have too put in the animation too. So that is how they got in POTC.
 
YESSS!!!!!

I found it! There is a plugin installed with Maya 7 that just isn't loaded automatically when you start the program. So I can now export to .WRL (VRML file) or to .OBJ . If anybody has any need - along the way I picked up a tool that converts between different 3D file types called 3DWin. For the reference of anybody else who uses maya the plugin can be found at:

window>setting/prefs>plugin manager

Then there is a whole slew of plugins that you can use there. I'm so excited! Now I'm going to animate a bit more (for school) but then later tonight I'm going to try to convert a mesh created by POTC and AOP to .wrl, and then try to reconnect their skeleton so that I have a better understanding of how to do it and then WHAMMO I will not rest until I can create a model from scratch! I just might work, eat, sleep, and take many breaks to play video games. What? that's still dedication, right?

ANd by the way HUGE thankyou yet again to both Thomas, and Kazeite for your in depth answers. I don't actually know a whole lot about this yet, but if you can use AOPs animations by code- then theoretically it should be possible to use other animations by code right? I'm talking before researching again though - sorry about that. oh man I'm dying with excitement!
 
It would be possible to use other animations by code, yes. However, the animation does need to be made. I don't think anybody ever made a new animation for the game, so there's nobody who could help you with that if you try.
BTW: A Davy Jones model would be appreciated. (hint hint! <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/icon_wink.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=";)" border="0" alt="icon_wink.gif" /> )
 
Thanks Pietr!

I think you're on to something there... Although it would be a gazillion times sweeter if I could animate his tentacles when you are idle + add swing to them with the run cycle. But I'm getting ahead of myself, because I don't know how to animate yet - that's coming later in class this semester. BUT That said - I'm going to give it a shot.

Oh -and this has absolutely nothing to do wit hthis topic at all either - but I have a classical animation that I'm 30 drawings away from finishing, so I'll have to post that later on this week when I'm done... I have a feeling you guys might like this one hehehe.

At the very least - if I can't rig a complete body and have it fit the skeleton, I should be able to model the head, and then attach it to the body of another model - that way I can pretty much guarantee that I will get it working. I'm going to start tonight!
 
I have a 2 requests for you, could you please cut off some hats of some models, and save them as gm? I would like to put them on the models in the Inez Diaz tool. There are 3 hat I would really like 1 a tricorner, a spanish helmet and a barbossa styled hat.

If it isnt too much trouble could you help me then?
 
you're going to give jack a hat, right? <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/icon_wink.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=";)" border="0" alt="icon_wink.gif" />
 
good! remember that you will need the hatless jack as well! well, maybe. if we want to put a thing like that in the main quest, the kraken eating it and all.
 
Thomas - Yeah sure- I'll get started on that as soon as I finish with the head part. I at least don't think it will take super-long... at least not as long as the Davy Jones thing.

To everyone: Holy crap! you guys are amazing! Implementing putting in the Kraken fight? WHOA I haven't played POTC since this summer, and clearly I have been missing a whole lot! BUT I mean... I had to play AOP right? I got it for my birthday in september, and it would have been a crime to just leave it on the shelf... I'm actually kinda hoping to get everything I do up and running for both. I'm clearly going to have to re-install POTC again, and try some of this build13 stuff. Cheers guys!

WAIT! Thomas: Which tricorner do you want? I can take a tricorner from AOP or from POTC... or at least I think I can. I'm assuming that the AOP ones are more detailed - haven't played either in a long while.
 
oops...that's not what i meant! <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/icon_mrgreen1.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":cheeky" border="0" alt="icon_mrgreen1.gif" /> well, it would of course be absolutely awsome. what i meant is that jack might loose his hat like he did in the movie. then you would need a hatless jack. through dialogue and quest book entries, the events that can't be made properly could still be brought in the game. making the kraken seems highly unlikely to me.
 
lol

even still - you guys have done a phenominal amount of work on this - I can't wait to try it again!
 
well, i only did an itsy-bitsy bit of work on it. two minor things, one of which not even directly.
 
Heretik, those tricorners, both please, so that I can see which one is better, thank you in advance mate! But what head are you making? The davy jones one?
 
I don't think we can add the Kraken into the game. The only way I could think of is to have a random change of ships just sinking with a lot of splashing. But showing the actual Kraken itself won't work, I think. Though I would be VERY pleased to be proven wrong on that. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/icon_mrgreen1.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":cheeky" border="0" alt="icon_mrgreen1.gif" />

BTW: If you are going to work on Davy Jones, I recommend you first do some tests to see if the conversion process works. Would be a shame to put a whole lot of effort into making an excellent character model, only to find out that you can't get it ingame. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/unsure.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":?" border="0" alt="unsure.gif" />
 
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