Player models question.


Mortar
11-02-2003, 01:16 PM
As you all know (and who am i to tell you :P) the player models are "ziped" up into 1 file for every nation\Para nation.

I see tons of great great single player models like a sergent / unt / sniper and i think that if i only had them i would use the model but the other ones i just don't like and then when i sum it all up i stay with my current models.

My question is:
Is there a way to play with it like Lego and make a model file with all kinds of goddies from diffrent kinds of works ?

(im talking about the whole deal not just helmets or hats).

P.S i don't care if it will take 100MB for each model.

Thanks in advance.
Mort.

Devin Kryss
11-02-2003, 03:13 PM
Certainly is. With a little knowledge, you can do it all with just a text editor and studiomdl. Or, you might have an easier time with ms3d, if you know what you're doing. There is a limit to the size of both .mdl files, something around 5 megs. So, no 100 mb player model for you.

MaRzY
11-02-2003, 03:16 PM
Just wait for 1.1 because i've read there going back to individual models for each class, rather then sub models method which are used with dod 1.0.

Mortar
11-02-2003, 03:32 PM
Originally posted by Devin Kryss
Certainly is. With a little knowledge, you can do it all with just a text editor and studiomdl. Or, you might have an easier time with ms3d, if you know what you're doing. There is a limit to the size of both .mdl files, something around 5 megs. So, no 100 mb player model for you.

So now for the 2nd fun part of the thread - hit me with that "little knowledge" :-P


Marzy, im starting to believe 1.1 will be cancaled for good or will be seen in the end of days to come.

Trigger
11-02-2003, 06:29 PM
Originally posted by MaRzY
Just wait for 1.1 because i've read there going back to individual models for each class, rather then sub models method which are used with dod 1.0.
I haven't heard that, but it certainly makes me hopeful, when did you hear this?

MaRzY
11-02-2003, 07:37 PM
I'm sure i read it on the forums, not inless it was a dream....lol....although i'm 99% sure it was no dream.

Mortar
11-03-2003, 07:37 AM
Back to the topic... how do i do it ?

Mortar
11-04-2003, 01:33 PM
damdidubidiBump.

Devin Kryss
11-04-2003, 08:31 PM
I geuss it depends on what you already know, and whether or not you have an understanding of how the .mdls work.

I geuss ill give this a go, im waiting in line for my ****ing TOD Demo.

So, you need to get that wonderful little program that decompiles a player model. Theres links somewhere in that FAQ thread, and you'll have to figure out how to use it, cause im not writing 3 tutorials in one.

So, i like keeping this kinda stuff organized, cause im a freak like that, I'd creat a folder and call it something like "New Model". Then, I'd find all the models that have nice looking parts I wanna combine, and by what I've read, all you're looking to do is combine classes from one set of models with another. Example im gonna use is the Sniper from Russ Conscripts Waffen SS set and, um, that nifty mp-40 guy with a Fez from Triggers SS Handschar set. Cause fez's are badass, capiche?
So, i'd make two folders in my "New Model" Folder and name one, Waffen SS, and the Other Hanschar. Put the Waffen SS Mdl and TMdl in the Waffen FOlder, and you ncan geuss where to put Trig's Handschar mdls. Now, decompile them both.

Now, put your current player models in "New Model" and decompile it. (Your going to be adding the Sniper from Russ's set and Triggers mp40 guy to your current model set) Now, you'll see a lot of files when you decompile, a lot of .smd's. these are mostly animations sequences, and a few of the smds are the 3d referecne files, tells HL where to render polygons and what skin as applied where. You can open em in ms3d, and it notepad. Im assuming you dont have ms3d, so we'll use old school notepad to get the job done. Open the qc file. its the only file that ends in .qc, and you can open it in notepad. scroll down a bit and you'll see a list of the reference smds, they have all sorts of obvious names like something-sniper.smd. go look through your smds till you find the sniper. Open it. you'll see some stuff about bones, and then the rest is all polygons and bmp names. You can see what bmps the sniper uses. And lets say you want your sniper, to have Russ's camo.

Go look in the Waffen SS folder, and find the snipers smd, and find the name of its camo's bmp. (Im going to pretend it uses a bmp called body1.bmp, cause im doing this entire tut from memory, and I dont actually wanna go and do this.) Make a copy of body1.bmp, and rename it to body1_russ.bmp. Cut and paste this bmp to your "New Model" folder. Then open the sniper smd in "New Model" and replace every instance of Body1.bmp with Body1_russ.bmp, theres a replace feature in notepad that will really help you. Save the smd. Now, recompile the .qc file. If you figure out recompiling, your new sniper will be wearing Russ's camo.

In its very essence, this stuff is really just common sense, the qc files is the little piece that wraps up everything into a .mdl. Its a list of every part that is going to go into a .mdl, and therefore it you ahve to have everything on the list. If you delete sniper.smd from your folder, and try top compile, that qc is searching for a file that is no longer ther,e and poop, your mdl wont compile. If you rename sniper.smd, you need to rename it in the qc. And thwe qc isnt very smart, everything it needs has to be placed in the same folder the qc is in. The smds function similarly. If the sniper.smd needs a body1.bmp, and you dont have one, it isnt going to compile.

So, if having Russ's textures just wasnt enough for you, and you need his sniper's body too, then make a backup of your sniper.smd, and copy Russ's sniper's smd into your "New Model" folder. Make sure its got the same name that the qc has listed. And make sure you copyed every bmp that sniper.smd needs from Waffen SS to New Model. Now, if it asks you to overwrite a bmp, you'd be better off hitting no. Just remember the names of the bmps it wanted to overwrite. Then, go compare Russ's and yours. if you overwriting the face bmp with a face bmp that is the exact same don't worry about it. But if its a texture that only Russ's sniper needs to wear, you need to go and change the name of the bmp, and the name of the bmp in Russ's smd. You dont want the other troops to share Russ's textures, so make sure you give Russ's smd its own renamed bmp. once you ahve it so you can not overwrite any of your precious bmps, and the smd has everything named correctly, you can compile, and your sniper should look wonderful.

If you ahve problem with headgear tell me, and Ill type the rest, using Trigger's fez as an example. I hope this helps, im feeling kinda tired, so its definatly not clear as a bell, and probably rife with typos. and if you dont have any idea what im talking about, then you need to seek someone who does, and someone who can help you. This old hoss is tired. Good luck

And now its time to see what TOD is all about.

Mortar
11-05-2003, 10:21 AM
Hmm... yep, i have the knowledge to do stuff like that, i already done many "Lego" works for me, i have the tools, i know how models work, and your explanition was just what i needed.

Thanks a lot :-)

Devin Kryss
11-05-2003, 12:47 PM
No problemo. Show us a screenie of whatever you ahck together, i'd be interested to know what your combining.

Mortar
11-07-2003, 04:01 PM
Devin Kryss, thanks a lot for the help, i finaly had the time to sit on it for some time and i was kinda going good but my problem was with the original dod models, i was trying to replace the Unt with your employee new skins pack unt.

the normal models have hair and hat smd files and the one from "your employee" got it all in 1 file and when i compile they mix and it just look bad :E

i would like it if you will try to get the untofficer from YE pack that was released a day ago and move into the normal model file and please write what you do step after step so i can learn it perfectly :-) (atleast the important ones)

thanks.

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