creating models

[Sohood]

Could someone point me in the right direction on where I could get useful information on teaching myself to make my own HL1 models. I want to create something simple, like a logo for our clan.

Thanks.

sohood

[Dr.G]

I think there is some software called MilkShape 3D or so. And i think that it can import 3DsMAX models and autocad models. Take a look at it yourself. Maybe i can help u with a 3D model from 3DsMax or autocad.

[Dr.G]

Ok i just tryed a bit. DL MilkShape here: http://www.download.com/MilkShape-3D/3000-2121_4-10050779.html and install.

Try and find some model that u would like to see how is working maybe the parachute. Put it in some folder that doesent have any other files in it. Open milkshape and go "tools -> half life -> decompile normal hl mdl file ..." Browse your the model that u just put in a seprate folder and say "open". After that is looks like nothing happend, but now go to the folder and look at what file u have now, u could have a *.bmp file and some other files. Now u can try and open one of the the *.smd files and u could see some animation paths and so. That could give u some kinda of start, hope it will help ya.

If u wanna make some logo or so make it in milkshape or import a object via "File -> import" After that got to "tools -> half life -> gererate CQ file" and after the save agin go "tools -> half life -> Compile CQ file..."

After spendning 5 - 10 min i belive thats how it works, try with some small stuff before spending too much time..

Cheers..

*Edit

Seems easy but note that when u wanna compile a cq file it also needs two smd files, a sequence.smd and a reference.smd. Go to "File -> export -> half life smd" and it give u the two options remember both... Do that and it works fine

[Zor]

If you just want a logo at someplace on a map, you just need to use spritedit and make a bmp into a spr. Then you can talk to tank about how to add sprites, cause I think he has done so. Easy as that. You add the sprite directly to the map voila. You could make you life easier by creating, or finding, a amxx plugin that will add that to every map on load. Check out stripper2 / stripper3 from Amxmodx.org

Good luck

[Sohood]

Dr. G

Thanks for the quick reply I'll give it a go.


Zor - Thanks I already have mastered that technique, I can even fix them and make wall decals without them rotating in game. Do you know how I can make 3d sprites with blue screen in photoshop?

[Zor]

No, Im a programmer, and they make the shittiest artists going! :)

[Tank]

I am kinda curious what you mean with 3d sprites?

As far as I know (I'm not a programmer and by far not a modeler) sprites are always 2d, the moment we are talking about 3d, we are talking about models.

What makes sprites so easy to make is that we don't have to create a bone structure (link to an example of a bone structure (http://www.real-time-3d.com/image/sourcebvh.jpg)) but just a flat image.

So sprites are 2d and are used so it always faces you, an example can be found on these forums (I did a search but didn't have that much time) showing an IVXX picture (my old clan) in the middle of spawn.

As for the blue screen, the only thing that came in mind was the "Blue Screen of Death"...since I saw that screen too many times in my life...I dont want to talk about it :D No seriously, I dont know what it means.

[Sohood]

Bluescreen.

Tank. Lets say you wanted to make "Tank" a sprite but you didn't want all the other stuff goes around a "sqaure sprite", you use bluescreen or greenscreen as your background and Tank as your text and when you go to make a that sprite, everything in the blue or green is gone making it 2d or 3d, you know what i mean?

Sprites are easy to make. Go and get yourself a spritefixer, open a sprite you made and check the box that titled "orientated" and that will fix your sprite from moving at all. Take the sprite, find your angles and apply it anywhere. I use a lot of sprites in maps for identification and directional purposes. They wont follow you this way.

[Dr.G]

Sohood wrote this to me in a PM:

"Hi there G,

I downloaded milkshape and used the text generator. All i really want is a texted model. When i saved it, it saved as a ms3d file not a smd. When i make a refernce and seq smd, when i save do i just name it reference.smd or do i save it as a reference smd. Anyways no luck, keeps crashing on me.

Would you be able to make me a quick clan tag say
-UF-? "

No I wont make u one, u can do it yourself :) And iam posting this here so others can use it later ;)

#1 Fire up milkshape

#2 Go to "Tools" and find the "Text Generator" and click and the generator will open, and u write what ever u want, finish by clicking ok.

Now your text could be generated and showing up in your window, if not start over.

#3 Go to "File -> Export" and in the fly out find Half Life SMD and click after that u give the file what ever name u want. Note the path it saves it to! And DO NOT check other things then "Reference" that come up.

#4 to the folder where u saved the file and make 2 copys of the file u just saved and call one of the copys "reference" and the other "sequence". Do not change the file type (*.smd)!

#5 Go back to milkshape and open "Tools -> Half-Life -> Generate QC file" And pick a name for it and "Save"

#6 Again go "Tools -> Half-Life -> Compile QC file" and pick the QC file u just saved and open.

Now u could have a model for your game. If not have a look at the command line in milkshape, maybe it says something like:
************ ERROR ************
"a file path"\/./reference.smd doesn't exist

And guess what that means ;)

Try it again m8 I think it will work for u, write me if not...

- G

[Sohood]

No I wont make u one, u can do it yourself

Ahh, your going to make me work for it. :) I was hoping to go out the ez way, that was my first approach. Now I will do it myself :)

Thanks Dr. G

[Sohood]

My error log:

grabbing \Documents and Settings\Owner.YOUR-DC3E0B8F38\Desktop\MILK\/./reference.smd
grabbing \Documents and Settings\Owner.YOUR-DC3E0B8F38\Desktop\MILK\/sequence.smd
unknown studio command : triangles
************ ERROR ************
\Documents and Settings\Owner.YOUR-DC3E0B8F38\Desktop\MILK\/default.bmp not found

What do you make of default.bmp, do i need to create a bmp 256x256?

[Sohood]

Nevermind G, I got it. I went ahead and made a blue back ground in photshop saved it as a bmp file and renamed it "default" compile and good to go. Im going to have some fun with this.

Thank you very much.

-sohood

[Tank]

Tank. Lets say you wanted to make "Tank" a sprite but you didn't want all the other stuff goes around a "sqaure sprite", you use bluescreen or greenscreen as your background and Tank as your text and when you go to make a that sprite, everything in the blue or green is gone making it 2d or 3d, you know what i mean?


Saying transparent would've cut it :D I know now what you mean though. Glad you succeeded

[Dr.G]

So it worked? Great! Not that hard huh? :D

[Sohood]

Nothing is not to hard when you have the right information. If you hadn't come along, seriously I would of committed suicide already lol. Do you have any tips on model skinning?

[=|[76AD]|= TatsuSaisei]

No, Im a programmer, and they make the shittiest artists going! :)

speak for yourself buddy... ;)

[=|[76AD]|= TatsuSaisei]

Sohood wrote this to me in a PM:

"Hi there G,

I downloaded milkshape and used the text generator. All i really want is a texted model. When i saved it, it saved as a ms3d file not a smd. When i make a refernce and seq smd, when i save do i just name it reference.smd or do i save it as a reference smd. Anyways no luck, keeps crashing on me.

Would you be able to make me a quick clan tag say
-UF-? "

No I wont make u one, u can do it yourself :) And iam posting this here so others can use it later ;)

#1 Fire up milkshape

#2 Go to "Tools" and find the "Text Generator" and click and the generator will open, and u write what ever u want, finish by clicking ok.

Now your text could be generated and showing up in your window, if not start over.

#3 Go to "File -> Export" and in the fly out find Half Life SMD and click after that u give the file what ever name u want. Note the path it saves it to! And DO NOT check other things then "Reference" that come up.

#4 to the folder where u saved the file and make 2 copys of the file u just saved and call one of the copys "reference" and the other "sequence". Do not change the file type (*.smd)!

#5 Go back to milkshape and open "Tools -> Half-Life -> Generate QC file" And pick a name for it and "Save"

#6 Again go "Tools -> Half-Life -> Compile QC file" and pick the QC file u just saved and open.

Now u could have a model for your game. If not have a look at the command line in milkshape, maybe it says something like:
************ ERROR ************
"a file path"\/./reference.smd doesn't exist

And guess what that means ;)

Try it again m8 I think it will work for u, write me if not...

- G

I have never trully tried to model ... but THIS I accomplished in like 5 minutes ... and it is WONDERFUL !!! I owe you a beer man !!!

but ya one little step was left out ... lol make a "default.bmp" image of 256x256 to give it some color ... now I am going to tinker with what I have and see about "animating" it somehow ...

[Dr.G]

hehehe great more then one could use it! :) My comp didnt say anything about a BMP pix, that odd but wtf.

Yea havent looked at the animation part yet but it would be great fun...

[Tank]

I don't know anything about modeling or animating something. But I've been in contact with Jed from wunderboy.org and he has always been willing to answer my questions when I modified weapon models.

So it might be a long shot but if you need some specific help he might be willing to help you out.

[anders]

Can i create my own models for example the knife?
If u know i would apperciate if someone told me how :)

[Tank]

My suggestion, google on MilkShape 3D. There are quite some tutorials out there. Much information can also be found on the unofficial Day of Defeat forums archieve placed on wunderboy.org