Soul Reaver Extractor:

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http://www.thelostworlds.net/SR1-ModelEx.HTML

I rememembered some guy from here (I think it was an admin/moderator) once made a Raziel model use with a Star Wars game, so I thought the people here might also be interested in a device I've built that to export the Soul Reaver 1 models as .x files. It does get the texture mapping data and allows some other options but there's a lot of things I'm still learning such as keyframes and animations. Still, I thought I might see what people here thought of what what I've done or new features I could add etc. And maybe someone would know a bit about creating frame heirarchys as opposed to just loading them. The version on tlw is 0.4 beta, but I'm upto version 0.7 which does some more stuff and has a lot less bugs. That should show up as soon as Ben who's site it is gets change to update it.

BTW, you need some of Ben's devices to get the files that ModelEx interprets and you need to load the texture file seperatly, although ModelEx will let you know which one you need assuming version 0.4 had the function that does that. Version 0.7 will request the texture file though when he puts that up for download.
 
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i gues you mean Mad_Axman a.k.a. Almighty Gir

thought such a Extractor is nice but i dont think that everybody can use the .x files .

Thought thanks, i always like those extractors.
 
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i dont believe it was gir. i am almost certain that its CortoCG, girs mentor and a very good friend of mine.
 
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it was both of us :p

corto and i have been working on some LoK projects together on and off for a looong time, we work together, then the spark of interest flickers out, and when it returns, we continue. its a good arrangement.

nice work on the extractor, its not something either of us are interested in, because we feel its good to add our own spin, and hard work to their art. but thanks anyway =]
 
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I guess they might be of use as reference if anyone wanted to do a higher detailed version like you did or anything like that and of course people would be able to use them in fan made games. I do want to produce my own original game at some point (including it's engine), but I don't have much time to learn Blender as well as the DirectX I'm doing in my own time and resiting my exams. Some friends of mine are trying to start with modeling and they already have a game designed. They're still learning Blender, though so I won't have any models to load until then.
 
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well if your interested in doing some programming work, contact me on msn sometime.
 
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Will do. I might have a bit more time once I get the internet at home next week. Even something like loading a character to walk around inside a giant cube would be a great start. I've used simple meshes before to create ModelEx, but I'm still trying to learn skinned meshes. I had a breif look at the tutorial in the DirectX SDK, and I can probably load them when I have a go at making a game, but I'd also like to create skinned meshes in ModelEx to save as .x files. I havn't seen any tutorials on that, so I don't suppose you'd have any idea on that.

Someone mentioned that not many people can use .x files, but I'm using the functions built into DirectX to create them and I don't know much about converting to other formats. It'll probably just be .x files it uses for now, but I think it would be easier to convert the extracted models into x files then convert those to other formats, since there's probably already stuff that can do that. I want to learn as much as I can, but it'll have to be one thing as a time for now. So I could try to find some open source code to include in my program for exporting to other types model file.
 
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i would take a look into the autodesk formats, among others. as 3dsmax works heavily in both DX and OpenGL formats.
 
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Nice to see someone who wants to code an own game.
If you want to get a partner i might will have someone for you who´s also interested in this stuff and is able to do work with engines and got knowledge in coding with this stuff.

Good options are DirectX because Opengl will get fuxed up because of Windows.
anway it would be better if you could create your own exporter and try to convert (like Axman says) *.3ds , *.x , *.obj files into an own file.

It looks like it could be interesting here for a while, nway if you feel you can contact me.
 
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Well for the project that I mentioned, there's at least of us three of us (Andrew (me), Johnny (the company founder) and Ricky) so far hoping to eventually create something we can sell to a publisher. The most we have so far is a bit of the concept art for a project called Scratch which you can find at http://www.technislave.com/ I have just about enough knowledge of DirectX and using models to have built ModelEx. Johnny knows some DirectX stuff I don't and a bit about particles, but I'm ahead of him with models and lighting. Ricky doesn't know much about DirectX or modeling, but he's helping Johnny with the design and trying to learn Blender.
Those guys have one or two projects partly thought out, but I'll need to ask them about letting some other people join in. Scratch is the blue cat with the sword here: http://technislave.com/technislave/projects.html Maybe someone would like to have a go at modeling him.
I might also have a go at creating a game on my own, but allowing technislave to use the engine for Scratch and others. However I'm a bit stuck for ideas for this. One idea is to bring to like an april fools joke that was going around on the legacy of kain forums a while ago was vehiclum furtis maximo. A sort of gothic version of grand theft auto. I think I'd be able to get permission from the guys who started that joke and some basic design ideas or I could try to make something completely new. Perhaps if any of you had some models you don't know what to do with, we could create a game based on them.

Yeah, Tryforce. I'd be interested in working with the person you were talking about.
 
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Well, then just add me on Msn: [email protected]

Also here alot of Modlers who got loads of models wich are not usefull.
But the main problem is that the models where not well done (talking about my own models too) and not mostly finished.
Anyway wait for you on msn.
 
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Tryforce said:
Good options are DirectX because Opengl will get fuxed up because of Windows.
anway it would be better if you could create your own exporter and try to convert (like Axman says) *.3ds , *.x , *.obj files into an own file.
I wasn't too sure what a game engine exactly is, but I think it's functions/classes/structures that handle the animation, effects, collision dectection and AI and stuff. If it's also code to handle a new file format I create, then isn't that the same as importing from my format to a .x file if I'm using DirectX? Or is it more like creating stuff to replace the ID3DXMesh interface (DirectX's mesh structure) and using calls DrawPrimative instead of ID3DXMesh->DrawSubset? I don't mind whether it includes a file format because it makes a lot of stuff easier, but creating something to get other file formats into my own file format would be a bit of a challenge. (Do-able, but time consuming.) Also, I'm not used to skinned meshes and stuff yet. I've only really practiced with inanimate single frame models so far.

EDIT: I added Mad_AxMan and Triforce to my msn contacts. Just in case you guys are wondering who that was.

EDIT 2: I was wanting to start by just loading a skinned mesh in .x format to a plain cube shaped room, then gradually let that grow into an engine over time as I add new functions. But if you recommend a different way, I'll look into those as well.
 
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K thanks, ill check you up a soon as i get on Msn.

anyway by the sentence:"Good options are DirectX because Opengl will get fuxed up because of Windows."
I wanted to point out that using the DirextX language for making games i better because Windows wont support opengl anymore.
Thats what i get from my Coder.

Anyway you can use your own files for you game, you just have to teach the Engine read your files and what to do with it. Its almost like basic just changing the way to act like.
Also Making another file means that I could save my model in *.x and you get the Animations/skins/mesh and just convert all those *.x into a *.rar file with just doesnt has the "rar" eniding.

maybe it sounds complicated but after you handle everything you might be able to do everything easily yourself ;)

Adding a skin to a mesh ist that copmlicated also, i will have an example for you wich uses a mesh with *.x format also so you might see how to add a texture by getting into the *.exe file.

The most complicated Stuff in coding an engine is the Physics,Shaders and Rendering.
 
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So does anyone want to have a go at helping us with the models for our game? I'm mostly a coder (in C++ and DirectX) and I don't have much time to learn about moding for now. And like I said before, the others are still finding and learning tools to model with. I'm particularly interested in animated models with bone influences and stuff. I either want some models I can practice loading up into my DirectX program and animating or some help with creating frame heirarchies programatically without loading them from a file. The game will obviously load existing models in .x files or a custom format and the creating frame heirarchies to be saved would be for my extractor.
 
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do you want skinned/physiqued meshes with complex skeletal or biped systems? or do you just want a model?

the varying levels of rig that you want will take varying levels of time, plus animations of course. but then each type of rig is different, bipeds work quite differently to skeletal rigs.
 
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he wants an animated/biped model, axman.

i talked with him about that.
 
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Sorry I hadn't responded. I've had a lot to do lately and I'm waiting to hear from the other guys working on the project as well.
 

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