SC2Mapster

@Stormahawk: Go

I believe if you got to the weapon and check the 'Options' field, you can just make sure the flag 'Hidden' is unchecked.

@tdhsst: Go

why not just use a hidden behavior that fires every .5 second. it runs an effect to remove energy (or add a behavior to decrease energy regen). the effect is tired to the validator ! Is Stationary

Small bug report for the M3 importer:

The import script typically warns you if you don't have a map for the model in the 3DS/maps directory - but this warning does not happen for particle emitters missing maps.

More in-depth info on the bug: http://www.forum.sc2mapster.com/forums/development/artist-tavern/42886-instructions-for-importing-exporting-particle-emitters/

Thanks for putting so much into these scripts guys - they are AWESOME!!!

@Leruster

Yeah I didn't like Blender UI, and when I read some of the developer's reactions they were pretty hostile to the criticisms. At least Autodesk pretends to care :)

Leruster, quick bug report for the M3 importer (I'll place this in your thread as well): The import script typically warns you if you don't have a map for the model in the 3DS/maps directory - but this does not happen for particle emitters on the model. I re-imported the Viking Assault after I extracted the BulletShell01.dds I was missing from Starcraft MPQ. The bitmap shows up fine in the materials now. When I import the Viking Assault without the BulletShell01.dds in the maps directory, the scripts still import correctly, just doesn't add the map to the material (without warning).

@println Nice tutorial! Stuff like that is the kind of thing that could lure someone back into Blender ;)

Thanks for all the help everyone, you folks make this forum so great!!!

@Leruster
Lol, I've messed around a bit with Blender and I just can't bring myself to work with the interface. I thought 3ds UI was bad, Blender is 10x worse =) The M3 scripts are sweet though!

@kinkycactus
Kinky, those instructions were really good - thank you!!! My experience was slightly different though - I couldn't find the BulletShell1.dds as a map in my scene. So I created a new scene and did a fresh import of the viking asault and still didn't have the map (I did have sparks though, so I used that map as a test). The test worked great (I think) as the firing animation showed black circles instead of black squares.

I guess now I'll just need to extract the BulletShell.dds from the MPQ, and import into 3DS?

@maverck
Ha ha, everything associated with map editing feels like a huge pain right now. I love what we can do, but there is a steep learning curve. Especially trying to learning modeling concepts and tools at the same time as learning SCedit. Using launch actors is a good idea, but I want the shell casings to spit out, and there are no launch models that are simply shell casings to my knowledge. That is a good backup plan though in case I can't get this to work - thanks!

Here are the step-by-step procedures I took (I don't know how to make the images small and then expand, sorry): http://i.imgur.com/0llt7.png http://i.imgur.com/sZ3gQ.png

Hi all, I am new to 3d modeling have been cobbling together some models using a student version of 3ds max and the awesome M3 importer/exporter scripts.

However, I've had some troubles with particle emitters - namely when I import the models back into Starcraft, the particles show as completely black squares. I saw on another post that it is something to do with changing a setting in the material editor - does anyone have some n00b-friendly instructions?

Specifically, I am trying to get the particle emitter for the Viking's machine guns to render properly for this turret:

@Antimatterthunder: Go

I don't know anything about components files, but I've experienced several bugs and general inefficiencies with the importer. Maybe some of these you have experienced too:

- After importing models, they are not available for use until I have clicked 'Save' on the import screen.

- If I import a model with a problem (such as conflicting materials), it will cause conflicts with further imports until I open / close the importer.

- If I import a model and then remove it and then try to re-import a model with the same name, the importer acts wonky. At this point I have to close / re-open the importer.

Those are some of the quirks I've noticed.

@Kueken531:

Kueken, that worked like a champ - thanks!

Looks like I found it - the Yamato charge up doesn't have a birth animation. By default, the ModelAnimationStyleContinuous I was using for the animation used the BSD AnimBracketState to play a birth animation on actor creation.

I changed the event to a Play animation: Stand and now it always appears! Gah, that was way too frustrating....

EDIT: It wasn't the animation, but actually the model type the ModelAnimationStyleContinuous Actor was referencing. Originally, I had created a model LaunchFX. After I switched the model type to a PersistentSpellFX, it worked everytime. The animation had NOTHING to do with it. I thought the model types just changed the preset values for the fields, so I don't know what field on the Model was the problem...

Now I just need to get it to Destroy when its host model is Destroyed...

Kueken,

I tried that, but same result - the yamato animation only appears after the 3rd cycle.  I may have messed though, so I'll go back and try that again.

DrSuperEvil, the only trigger I have that manipulates actors is that very short function, just those lines I pasted in.  Maybe I'll try creating the main arm model and attaching it separately, instead of using "Actor - Attach Actor to Unit" to do it all in one go.

Thanks for the suggestions peeps!

Thanks for peeking in!! I use triggers and actor messages to create and attach the actors.

When the next button is clicked, the arm actors are cycled from a trigger using "Actor - Attach Actor to Unit"

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Actor - Send message "Destroy Immediate" to actor Players[l_PLayer].Hardpoint[l_PLayer_Selected_HardPoint].CurrentActorModel

Actor - Attach MechaItems[l_PLayer_Race][l_PLayer_Viewing_Item].Item_Actor_LEFT to Players[l_PLayer].Hardpoint[l_PLayer_Selected_HardPoint].AttachmentPoint on l_PLayer_Mecha

Variable - Set Players[l_PLayer].Hardpoint[l_PLayer_Selected_HardPoint].CurrentActorModel = (Last created actor)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
.
.
.
.
That bit creates the main arm piece - called OmegaCannon (L).  The Yamato animation (called OmegaCannonPretty) that I want created inside the cannon is created with actor events:
.
.
.
.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Actor Name                             Actor Type          Parent
OmegaCannon (L)                    Model                    CActorModel
                    Event:   
                              Event 4 +    ActorCreation:Create MechaOmegaCannonPretty

Actor Name                Actor Type                Parent
OmegaCannonPretty            Model                    ModelAnimationStyleContinuous    (None)
          Hosting:
                    Host +    OmegaCannon_L:Implicit:Implicit:(None):Disabled
                    Host Site Operations +    SOpAttachWeapon01:Disabled:Disabled
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The OmegaCannonPretty actor will eventually be created after cycling the arms - for some reason it just takes 2 or 3 cycles of previous/next.  And then it won't die...

I must be doing something wrong, because I have a similar problem with attaching launch models for a different weapon.  On the other weapon, the launch models won't appear until the weapon has fired two or three times, but then they work great!

Hello everyone,

I'm somewhat new to the data side of the editor, so please forgive me if this seems a stupid question. I am creating a Mech style map with selectable arm weapons. I have run into a problem while creating one of the weapons and attaching it to the Mech unit.

When the player selects the 'Next' button to see the OmegaCannon weapon, the main OmegaCannon model is created and attaches just fine, but there is a second ModelAnimationStyleContinuous (Yamato charge-up) that is supposed to spawn inside the Omega Cannon model.

This model fails to show, until the player has clicked back and forth several times (consequently destroying and recreating the OmegaCannon actor). After the 2 or 3 repetitions, the Yamato animation finally shows up and is attached perfectly inside the OmegaCannon model.

Finally, continuing to toggle back and forth between Mech weapons will now properly spawn the Yamato animation, but will not destroy previous Yamato animations.

Here is a YouTube video as an example of what is happening (in the video, the OmegaCannon is the Vulcan Cannon):

Does anyone have any suggestions or ideas about possible causes? Thanks!!!!