How To: Import Civ5 Meshes to Blender to Create Civ5 Units

[Nutty]

I imagine you don't need the rocket artillery unit for your mod; couldn't you just add the 2 dds files into VFS with the original names?

If you want to use new filenames and preserve the existing unit, then there's no need to convert to fbx. You just need to resave the gr2 with a different name after changing the textures to the new files (in which case, yes, it's required). Similarly with the .fxsxml.

 

[Pazyryk]

I imagine you don't need the rocket artillery unit for your mod; couldn't you just add the 2 dds files into VFS with the original names?

Well, yes. That's exactly what I want to do. (I was trying that before I got going in the wrong direction...) For some reason, I can't get the unit graphic to change in game. I'm absolutely sure I set VFS=true (after checking a dozen times). In fact, now that I got the Viewer working, I checked the unit graphic there and ... it works! I can see my changes. But not in game.

Is there something wrong with my dds file (even though it works in the viewer)? I saved it in Gimp using BC3/DXT5 compression and "use existing mip maps". Attached below. (This one is tinted red. Just wanted something I could see.) I'm really stumped.

Edit: And yes, I have Reload Unit System checked.

 

[Nutty]

[Sorry for the delay; I've been out of town.]

It appears that the technique I suggested involving only the new .dds file(s) doesn't work, however I was able to successfully create a new copy of the unit using Nexus Buddy and your dds file.

I've attached the simple mod I created. Let me know if you have any questions.

 

[Pazyryk]

Thanks Nutty!

I can at least affect the skin color now. Unfortunately, I really wanted to make the unit transparent (I only want the firing missiles graphics without the unit). I can make the skin transparent in the diff.dds, but then the unit just shows up black. I'm sure any 3D artist could tell me I'm an idiot for thinking I could do that. Oh well...

 

[Nutty]

Hm. What happens if you don't have a material assigned to the model?

EDIT: Let me test that...
EDIT #2: It seemed to work--i.e., I had an invisible unit... which can't be that hard to do, since I've often made them by accident!--but on attacking, there were no missiles visible, and it crashed the game.
EDIT #3: Oops, I forgot to set VFS=true on the new .gr2. It doesn't crash, but there are no missiles visible regardless.

 

[Pazyryk]

I tried mucking around with bones and such in the fxsxml (hoping to break the unit but not the missiles). No luck.

 

[Nutty]

Well, it's certainly do-able. I found an old invisible unit [that I'd been working on], and the missiles were visible, though the missiles came up out of the water from the center of the map, rather than the position of the unit. Maybe it's not a bug, but a feature? (It'd be even better to be able to call them down from the heavens.)

 

[Ekmek]

Well, it's certainly do-able. I found an old invisible unit, and the missiles were visible, though the missiles came up out of the water from the center of the map, rather than the position of the unit. Maybe it's not a bug, but a feature? (It'd be even better to be able to call them down from the heavens.)

that would be worth using.

I wonder if you edit it in blender but use the same bones as the arty but remove most of the mesh (or just leave a single missile there? not sure what unit this si suppose dto be)

 

[Jabberwockxeno]

Does anybody have the programs and tools needed to do this that are listed in the OP?

Many of the links are broken.

EDIT: I just need that version of blender with all the addons needed, and the granny viewer

For blender and such, I need the rar version so the installer doesn't overwrite my current version of blender.

 

[Ekmek]

check the downloads with civ5 utilities danrell posted six parts that use everything

 

[Jabberwockxeno]

check the downloads with civ5 utilities danrell posted six parts that use everything

Could you link to it? I'll check myself, too.

 

[Ekmek]

check here:

http://forums.civfanatics.com/downloads.php?do=cat&id=141

 

[DocBuchanan]

Will the stock animations work with a bone structure for a custom model? Or will you have to create custom animations for new units? Even if only certain things were changed, like the swords being curved instead of straight, or what not.

 

[Ekmek]

you can use a civ4 skeleton and convert civ4 animations.

i'm using templates made by danrell that are using the civ5 skeletons so they will use civ5 animations. I replaced a whole mesh of the yf23 to use the jetfighter animations. I know things don't line up but had no issues. so reshapind swords and stuff should have no impact.