Civ4 Plugins for 3dsmax 6 and 7 now available for download

[Haarbal]

that are the thingys the game puts in when it can't find a correct file...
i tried to put in a skeleton unit once (took it from morrowind, which also uses .NIF but an older version) and i also got these blobs.

 

[Gibbon-of-Doom]

I found out that I had made a spelling mistake in one of the XML files, doh.

Now in-game I get a tiny tiny tiny green dot, and 3 shadows where the units should be.

I'm trying all sorts of export settings and changing things in the model viewer to get it to work. Hopefully I'll get something soon.

 

[Paasky]

[dumdum answer] Try adjusting the scale? [/dumdum answer]

 

[Haarbal]

@gibbon-of-doom
can you post a screenshot? I want to see the first model work

 

[Gibbon-of-Doom]

[dumdum answer] Try adjusting the scale? [/dumdum answer]

YOU SIR, ARE A GENIUS.

Sorry about the caps, but it had to be said.

I adjusted the scale in the xml file from 0.63 to 50 and this is what came out:



For some strange reason, for each unit on the sceen it darkens the terrain I will look into the materials settings, probably something to do with that. Aaand the green box, ill soon get rid of that.

Time to make something a bit more impressive methinks !

 

[Silica_Pathways]

W00t, teh first evil boxes from outer space are done

Hope next ones will be more complicated...

 

[Kael]

W00t, teh first evil boxes from outer space are done

Hope next ones will be more complicated...

Everything we need for a Qubert mod is ready!

Seriously thats awesome work Gibbon, its 10 times as hard to be the first one to do anything and we are all watching your progress eagerly!

 

[villo]

My real question is: how are the bones gonna work? I don't know if Civ4 uses the bones to move or what... If i could use character studio's biped for a human, that would be great, but i'm not sure if that will work. IF anyone has any info, please post.

thanks

 

[Haarbal]

well, it is quite hard to create complex units (well, i think so ) using 3dsmax. so i think we'll have to wait some time for that

 

[villo]

ya, 3ds isn't the best for complex units. however, using savarn's unit adding guide, i added the default "teapot" into the game. I added a simple texture, but i am still not sure about the ".kfm" file. There is no exporter available (correct me if im wrong) right now, but if someone knows of one, please tell me.

There are some many possibilities, lol.

Edit: I just added animation, but I can't get it to loop. It just bounces up and down for 250 frames then stops...

 

[Kael]

ya, 3ds isn't the best for complex units. however, using savarn's unit adding guide, i added the default "teapot" into the game. I added a simple texture, but i am still not sure about the ".kfm" file. There is no exporter available (correct me if im wrong) right now, but if someone knows of one, please tell me.

There are some many possibilities, lol.

Edit: I just added animation, but I can't get it to loop. It just bounces up and down for 250 frames then stops...

Can you link a picture of the Giant Teapot of Doom?

 

[villo]

ok, ive mapped a world texture roughly on it, but here it is...

 

[Haarbal]

how do you change it to a .nif file? i know that you'll have to export it, but then i get an error about the animation

 

[Gibbon-of-Doom]

OK I've been playing with it for a while now... and am very puzzled indeed.

Bones are easy to use, so complex models and animations are very easily accessable.

The animation all comes down to the .kfm file . . . if you open one of them with notepad a lot of it is gibberish, but you can make out the various actions (idle etc),

When using the "Multiple KF Export with NIF" i get the message:

There are no animation sequences defined in the scene. In order to successfully extract KF or KFM files, you must define at least one animation sequence. No KF or KFM files will be created until you do so.

Somehow we have to create a tag or something that tells the exported what the various animations are in the file. Then im guessing it will export with the KFM and related KF files.

Its definatly something to do with Max tho, and I'ts been puzzling my brain for ages now. I will continue with experimentation after tea. . .

 

[villo]

I get the same thing gibbon, and im not sure why either.

However, take a look at the edit button to the right of the box. I haven't played with it much, but this might help.

I'm looking to see if some other stuff might help. Keep me posted if you figure it out.

 

[Gibbon-of-Doom]

I'm unsure how they 'name' thier animations. I don't think there is a way of doing it, but the only thing I can think of is Note Keys in the Dope Sheet.

Warcraft 3 Models use Note Keys to seperate thier animations,

If they do use note keys, there will be specific text needed to be used with them (i think),

 

[Haarbal]

well, there is an option to put multiple tracks in it, maybe this is the answer

 

[Gibbon-of-Doom]

Right then,

I've manged to get rid of the error message upon exporting, and it now exports .KFM and the relevant .KF files !!!!!

I was correct, It does use Note Keys to seperate animations, you just have to name them correctly.

By looking at the Swordsman .kf files, I notice that there was "start eventcode=1000" so i smacked that in a note key and then added an "end" one at the end of the animation. The error message dissapeared and I was joyus.

Unfortunatly, the animation for idle still does not work in-game.... must be missing something else !

Hmmmmm!

Going to go and get some dinner now! - be back later to try some more.

 

[Magma]

I cant download the trial

It says:

403 Forbidden
You must supply a local referer to get URL '/software/MULTIMEDIA/GRAPHIC/3dsmax7.exe' from this server.
Server: thttpd/2.21b-p44stat1 27jun2005

 

[Gyathaar]

I cant download the trial

It says:

403 Forbidden
You must supply a local referer to get URL '/software/MULTIMEDIA/GRAPHIC/3dsmax7.exe' from this server.
Server: thttpd/2.21b-p44stat1 27jun2005

I was getting the same when using firefox, but it worked in IE