Improving upon ESF models: Self Project/MS3D Help

[J-Dude]

I have a feeling this will be a request for help that you don't hear very often...

I've decided with my free time that I'd try using Milkshape and 3DS Max to try and implement a cel-shading element to one of the models.

To do this, I would give all the materials full self-illumination, duplicate the mesh, reverse normals, use a push-modifier value of .-05 and turn that piece of mesh black.

This seems difficult to do in Max, since upon importing to Max, Max seems to mis-read the values of the rigging, and upon exporting to SMD, when opened in Milkshape, Milkshape "disowns" Max's rig.

Therefore, I would only be importing the original reference .smd, duplicating the character mesh, deleting all else but the cel-shade reverse-normal mesh and exporting that mesh to be imported and saved into the reference .smd.

Afterward, in Milkshape, I can easily set the self illumination and get a very nice faux cel-shade result.

So basically the advice I'm seeking is, when I import this secondary mesh, must I add it to the original mesh? Is a character reference model only allowed 1 unseperated mesh? Can I copy the values of the rigging and add it to the new mesh?

Finally, when all is said and done, how do I recompile all the .smds back into a .mdl?

Thanks in advance! If this works well, it will prove quite the wonderful experiment!



PS: How do you select objects in MS3D?

 

[Neon]

I can't help you with the other thing, but I can tell you how to make it a mdl file again. Using milkshape, you go to Tools>Half-Life>Compile QC File and you choose the QC file that you decompiled from the original model earlier. It should grab all the smd and convert it into a mdl. I hope that wasn't confusing. I'm not too good at explaining lol.

 

[J-Dude]

No no, that was very clear Thank you on that one!

 

[Nuttzy]

wont work, the illumination you see in max STAYS in max.
it does not export with the model.


all you would be accomplishing would be placing a black outline around the model. and that has been done before,.... many many times, and it looks like crap in motion.

 

[J-Dude]

I can add the illumination to the materials in Milkshape as well. And I'm not just adding a crappy render effect, its a geometric trick which looks great even within the Milkshape viewport, exactly as it would ingame.

Don't badger me about it thank you. I didn't ask YOU to make it, so don't jump down my throat. I just wanted to try something for myself, so if it proved easy and effective, I could make my own personal model-pack (can't claim for self, since models aren't my own) which I could use in place of the originals.

I'm just asking, since the cell shade is mainly geometry, if you can take the rigging values of one object in Milkshape, and apply it to another, in the same way you would copy or instance copy a skin/physique modifier in Max and paste it to a clones object with similar values.

Or, better yet, tell me if I can simply copy the model in Milkshape, tell me how to invert the normals, and if there is a function similar to the "push" modifier in Max. It'd be easy afterward to make the material pure black. I know my method doubles polycount, but my computer can more than handle it.

 

[Nuttzy]

i know exactly what you are trying to do, and ill tell you exactly what to do so you can see for yourself that I proved you wrong =P.

[pwnage]

select the geometry of the model you have open in ms3d, press ctrl+D to duplicate it. this also duplicates the rigging, so you dont have to re-assign the duplicate model. (which would be a real pain in the ass)

deselect everything, and go into the groups tab, and select your new duplicate. (it should have automatically celected it when you duplicated it, but i like to be careful)

now go to tools/fatboy, and find a number that works for you. .2 is what i usually used IIRC, its been years since ive bothered trying. this works identical to max's push modifier (again deselect and reselect the duplicate)

now go to face>reverse vertex order. this will flip the normals

now just reselect that group and apply your material and your done.



and for the record, im not jumping down your throat, im telling you you are wasting your time, im telling you that what you are doing will not work how you think it will. IM TRYING TO HELP YOU.


if you choose to ignore what I have told you, just remember this simple phrase.

when your looking at your model in half life, or HLMV and you notice that the immumination didnt carry over like you hoped it would. just remember this......

Nuttzy told you so

[/pwnage]

 

[J-Dude]

Thank you. But like I said, I didn't carry the illumination from Max, I did it in Milkshape. I don't see why it wouldn't work, unless the .smds' don't accept it. That, of course, wouldn't make much sense, since kiblobs and other objects in HL have used self illumination. Then again, I don't see why in which case, that the modders didn't add self-illumination to the auras, which would have massively augmented their visual prowess in 1.2.3.

Even if so, I wouldn't mind too much. Thank you for the concern, but work or not, I'd at least like to see the final product having given it a shot. That's just me, I love to experiment with stuff, and trying to add my own little boost to a game gets me a bit psyched.