I feel like a real noob here, but I have the export script installed and pretty sure it's running, but I'm not sure how to actually begin the export process.. I don't see ".M3" listed as a filetype under "export" - I'm a total max noob but followed everything so far, merging to one editible mesh, using only one sc2 material...
I just can't find the export option for M3 o_o
You have to run the script. On the right side you have tabs like primitives, modifiers, hierarchy, motion, and i believe utilities. The button looks like a hammer go there. Then go to maxscript, and run script.
I do this sequence in the shot below, MAXScript, Run Script, I select the export script and hit "Open," and nothing happens. Nothing at all. No error, no message in the debugging window, nothing.
That's where you should find the utilities once you run the scripts. Instructions on how to get them running are present on the assets page where you download it and in the readme files that come with the files also. I might put pictures up on the assets page but I didn't think the instructions would be complicated to follow :S.
Thank you, I knew I was missing something really simple but couldn't figure it out after pouring over the instructions.
Thanks for everything NiN!
Got pretty much everything working, however I can't figure out team colors at all, I've tried adjusting the alpha channel on my TGA and also tried using the alpha map material, and also I've messed with the "Alpha" settings on the SC2 Material's individual bitmaps as well, but all of these give me transparency and not team color.
1. You should be using the Starcraft 2 Materials and Starcraft 2 Bitmap
2. For any textures you want TC you will need to flag them as Team Color for the alpha information to work. Do this by going into the Starcraft 2 Bitmap you want TC'd (Lets say Diffuse for example) and at the bottom, there is an option that says 'Use Team Color'. Check this if you want the map to be TC. You can do this for emissive as well if you want TC glows.
New update is up, exporter now supports bone exporting and attachments aswell but NOT animation support yet, however animation support won't be far off now that the bone infrastructure is there. I also fixed a major bottleneck in performance so the script should be executing much much faster now. Alpha mask support was added too.
For the bones I must explain how M3's do their bind pose and base pose, it's much like the MD5 format. You have your bind pose which is the mesh configuration where the bones and the mesh line up properly. There's a second pose which I've arbitrarily called a base pose. This pose is NOT the bind pose but can assigned the same pose if you'd like. It's the pose of the model that animations are kind of based off, the 'standard' pose of the model that it will assume if no animation data is present for particular bones. Kind of hard to explain. It's the base animation pose basically, so the model knows what to do when parts of it are not animated. I'll put up a tutorial at some stage when I get time so the exporter is more accessible to newbies :).
So far I've seen no evidence of opacity maps used in the game at all. Most transparency is done through 'Add' blend modes? Not sure really...the blend modes confuse me. Alpha maps should work now but it's only for black and white alpha maps, so it's either visible or not visible. I'll be looking more into how the dark templar cape works, as it has a degree of transparency. It's definitely the blend modes that cause it to happen...so it's possible to do through the exporter if you know how it works.
i'm using the standard .dds exported from the .mpq and threw it into a sc2 bitmap slot...
i havent tried exporting yet, as i am heavily working on something else at the moment, just followed this thread and was a little confused about if it work or not...
(like it was in wc3... just erase a part on the .tga and then export it, voila u have something alphaed out or if we NEED to have an opacity map)
i'm sry, might be a dumb question, what u mean exactly with "add blend mode"?
haha, u definatly know how to make people feel bad if they not frequent this site ;)
thx very much indeed!
okay, this didnt work, exactly the same problem as with the grass i tried...it shows the transparency in the viewport, but not when i try to render (either scanline or mental ray)
That's what confused me...
So it'll show up correctly ingame nonetheless?
Whats different from these exported maps from those i would make by myself? (those's alphas show up in renders just fine)...
i'm not sure they would show up correctly in a render (i don't render too often). I just know that when you import a model, it has the correct settings for ingame. i use that to base my new models off off.
@NiN
Is there a poly limit on this exporter or is exporting big models fairly slow? Tried to export my 80k tri Mel Dreadnaught but max just sat there for a while and I gave up.
The original one, I was using code based off the MD5 exporter to gather tri's into submeshes which was really slow for 3ds max to do. I found a much more efficient way to do it. As an example, exporting the Zealot mesh would take 25 seconds in the old version, now it takes approximately 5 seconds. I don't know how quickly it'll do 80k tri's, but it won't take forever that's for sure. I'll respond to your PM soon, I'm still pretty busy with things.
You have to run the script. On the right side you have tabs like primitives, modifiers, hierarchy, motion, and i believe utilities. The button looks like a hammer go there. Then go to maxscript, and run script.
When I run it nothing distinct happens. Will I find the M3 dropped in a folder somewhere?
I'm on max 2010
u need to first click on "run script" and then u have to choose it from the drop down menu which is located a little underneath the "run" button
I do this sequence in the shot below, MAXScript, Run Script, I select the export script and hit "Open," and nothing happens. Nothing at all. No error, no message in the debugging window, nothing.
@kozm0naut: Go
That's where you should find the utilities once you run the scripts. Instructions on how to get them running are present on the assets page where you download it and in the readme files that come with the files also. I might put pictures up on the assets page but I didn't think the instructions would be complicated to follow :S.
Thank you, I knew I was missing something really simple but couldn't figure it out after pouring over the instructions.
Thanks for everything NiN!
Got pretty much everything working, however I can't figure out team colors at all, I've tried adjusting the alpha channel on my TGA and also tried using the alpha map material, and also I've messed with the "Alpha" settings on the SC2 Material's individual bitmaps as well, but all of these give me transparency and not team color.
<<reply 89323>
1. You should be using the Starcraft 2 Materials and Starcraft 2 Bitmap 2. For any textures you want TC you will need to flag them as Team Color for the alpha information to work. Do this by going into the Starcraft 2 Bitmap you want TC'd (Lets say Diffuse for example) and at the bottom, there is an option that says 'Use Team Color'. Check this if you want the map to be TC. You can do this for emissive as well if you want TC glows.
New update is up, exporter now supports bone exporting and attachments aswell but NOT animation support yet, however animation support won't be far off now that the bone infrastructure is there. I also fixed a major bottleneck in performance so the script should be executing much much faster now. Alpha mask support was added too.
For the bones I must explain how M3's do their bind pose and base pose, it's much like the MD5 format. You have your bind pose which is the mesh configuration where the bones and the mesh line up properly. There's a second pose which I've arbitrarily called a base pose. This pose is NOT the bind pose but can assigned the same pose if you'd like. It's the pose of the model that animations are kind of based off, the 'standard' pose of the model that it will assume if no animation data is present for particular bones. Kind of hard to explain. It's the base animation pose basically, so the model knows what to do when parts of it are not animated. I'll put up a tutorial at some stage when I get time so the exporter is more accessible to newbies :).
@xXm0RpH3usXx: Go
So far I've seen no evidence of opacity maps used in the game at all. Most transparency is done through 'Add' blend modes? Not sure really...the blend modes confuse me. Alpha maps should work now but it's only for black and white alpha maps, so it's either visible or not visible. I'll be looking more into how the dark templar cape works, as it has a degree of transparency. It's definitely the blend modes that cause it to happen...so it's possible to do through the exporter if you know how it works.
there IS a fence doodad... it should be using the transparency... i'll check it out..
also downloading the new exporter now!
(no download yet)..
i looked at the fence straight doodad and it exports correctly. are you using an alpha map, sc2 bitmap, with use alpha only checked?
i'm using the standard .dds exported from the .mpq and threw it into a sc2 bitmap slot... i havent tried exporting yet, as i am heavily working on something else at the moment, just followed this thread and was a little confused about if it work or not... (like it was in wc3... just erase a part on the .tga and then export it, voila u have something alphaed out or if we NEED to have an opacity map)
i'm sry, might be a dumb question, what u mean exactly with "add blend mode"?
@xXm0RpH3usXx: Go
import one of the "ChainLinkFenceStraight" doodads. take a look at it's material. it should tell you how it's done ;)
thx for the hint, i will! (well, i will get me someone to export it for me :P)
@xXm0RpH3usXx: Go
http://filesmelt.com/dl/ChainLinkFenceStraight_00.m3 -model
http://filesmelt.com/dl/chainlinkfence_specular.zip - textures
like that? :D
haha, u definatly know how to make people feel bad if they not frequent this site ;) thx very much indeed!
okay, this didnt work, exactly the same problem as with the grass i tried...it shows the transparency in the viewport, but not when i try to render (either scanline or mental ray) That's what confused me... So it'll show up correctly ingame nonetheless?
Whats different from these exported maps from those i would make by myself? (those's alphas show up in renders just fine)...
i'm not sure they would show up correctly in a render (i don't render too often). I just know that when you import a model, it has the correct settings for ingame. i use that to base my new models off off.
yeah sure, thats intelligent and all, but if i do "highres" models with all that maps like bump normal whatever i wanna do renders, too :P
but yeah, firstly i can wait, secondly its not THA important and third nintoxicates is already working hard enough i guess ;) thx for the help!
@NiN Is there a poly limit on this exporter or is exporting big models fairly slow? Tried to export my 80k tri Mel Dreadnaught but max just sat there for a while and I gave up.
Also I dunno if you saw my second PM or not. :)
@IskatuMesk: Go
Try the updated exporter: M3 Plugins v1.1
The original one, I was using code based off the MD5 exporter to gather tri's into submeshes which was really slow for 3ds max to do. I found a much more efficient way to do it. As an example, exporting the Zealot mesh would take 25 seconds in the old version, now it takes approximately 5 seconds. I don't know how quickly it'll do 80k tri's, but it won't take forever that's for sure. I'll respond to your PM soon, I'm still pretty busy with things.
Wow nice performance increase :) Any link that explains the new technique?
Did blizz confirm modding tools ? Model import export tools for example ?