GMAX Modelling problems

[Eggman2002]

I suppose i'd better start at the beginning. I'm making a campaign, and basically I want to be able to make some models of my own to go in it. So I downloaded GMAX and a host of other equally overwhelming programs to do this with. And I thought skinning was complicated at first...

Just a few questions-
1) How do I import Warcraft 3 models into the program? Well, I have a program that's supposed to convert models, but I can't find where they are. Where are the Warcraft 3 model files kept so I know where to import them from?

2) Say I wanted to make adjustments to a Marine by, for example, replacing the gun with a sword and giving him a set of wings (feathered, not leathered). How can I do this, considering the only shapes I seem to be able to use are cones, cylinders, spheres and boxes?

3) To make models move I have to use a bone chain. This part I understand. Let's use a leg for example. Can this leg be one solid shape/will the bone chain move the solid shape, or does it have to be separate parts?

4) Finally, once i've placed the bone chains down, how do I make them move for the different animations such as walking, a few standing variations, a few attacking variations, and a spellcasting animation?

I know this is a lot, but your help is appreciated.

 

[guitarplay]

first, before i say anything i would like to say, i dsont not know a lot about the gmax program, and there is a tutorial on this sight that might help if u havent allready seen it

1.)sounds like u have everything u need, so what you do is you go into world edit, and export the model to somewhere, convert it and edit it

2.)there is something called an attachment point, where you could add wings-sword, but if u wanted to, just make a sword and wings seperate, then attack them to the body in gmax

3.)good to know bout bone chains, they are nice, but they are like actual human bones!!!, they will not (should not) bend once in place, and can only rotate on a pivital point, once attached to the skin. therfore if you would like to recreate the simulation of the knee bending which i think is waht you are asking, you would need one fore the lowler leg and one for the upper leg, that would move seperately.

4.) to use the bone chain, you must first assign what you would like the bone to effect. each bone is then assigned to a different part of the skin until you have the desired bones attached to the desired section of skin. now (this is what you do in blender i assume its similar), there should be maby an animation editor and different frames. first frame is the models starting postions. if you advance a few frames, and lift the leg bones, and bend the lower leg back, and uper leg forward to make the model look like it is taking a stride, you then assign this postion to this frame, and when you play the animation, when the frame is reached, the model will be in the postion you put it in



i hoped this hellped at all, because i know gmax is not to differently set up than blender, and this is the general (generic way) to do it i belive.

 

[Spoony]

The Gmax modeling tutorial on this site is really helpfull for starting, if you haven't looked at it already.

 

[BlizzScripts]

but , eggman i think u wont be able to make models in gmax beacuse when i try to export my model from gmax the exporter wont let. those export are kinda bugged no animations are saved , dunno now i will use 3dsm 5

 

[NsaneWallaby]

I haven't used GMax for Warcraft 3 before, but I have for Dungeon Siege. So, I can help you a bit.

First, you have to use the basic 3-D shapes to create anything. There are an infinite amount of shapes out there, so there won't be anything such as a "sword" shape or a "spider" shape. So, sorry, you have to start with something like a box and make it into your sword. You can do this by using various functions of the editor.

For creating chunks of the model, it all depends on how the game is programmed. Games such as Dungeon Siege required a basic full model for the armor, and then just the bones and feet for boots and such. Other games such as Morrowind have each piece of the mesh separate to where you alter only one part of a unit mesh at a time. Since Warcraft III is relatively simple in graphics, I would likely say that the game requires just one full model. The bones do the moving; the skin just conforms to bones through rigging.

For working the legs, you must attach (rig) all of the skin to the bones. This is probably one of the hardest parts if you ask me, especially in more detailed models, because each part of the skin has to move a certain way to avoid horrid warping during animation. Something as simple as one lousy vertex moving differently than the rest of the model can destroy your attempts at animating. If and when you manage to rig up the mesh, then you can finally start doing the animation.

It's a long process. For static models, it can take a few hours. For highly detailed and dynamic models, it can take days. Overall, graphics can take awhile. So, if you're just learning GMax, don't be surprised if your first models take ages to create. It doesn't help that GMax in itself is complicated (compared to most other programs people have used), as well, so take some time to figure it out.

And one last note: SAVE FREQUENTLY. Newbie mistakes such as the ones I often made when learning how to create meshes can often crash the program. It's no fun creating something, only to have GMax crash on you and kill your work.

 

[guitarplay]

for making a sword, check out the tutorial, it teaches you how to mold things with vertivies

what u do basicaly is this, start with a box
look at the top veiw of the model, and stretch out two opposite coners, till u get the desired sword-profile look.
now go to the front veiw, and EXTRUED, not .strech, but edxtrued the sword a few times to get the right length
you dont want a flat tipped swprd, so take the top, and size down the top to a point, and merge vertivies.
now, do that to the layer below the tip so it has a nice angle to teh tip
fore the hilt of a sword, id say use a recrtangle for a guard, a cylinder for the handel, and a oval for the bottom
play around until u get teh desired look

fyi- when u want to modify the verticies, go to the dropdown abote the object selevetor, fgo do modify mesh thing, and thin click on verticies
to move the verticies click on them and use the moove toole.

 

[Eggman2002]

Thanks all for the help!