Help - 3D Studio Max 9 and Modeling - Help

[Fishyx]

Hi,

I neeed help with 3DS Max 9 and the Warcraft III models!
I can develop 3D models of anything perfectly find with animation
Please help! Much thanks in advance.



The problem:

1) I can't find the location of where the Warcraft III models, pics, icons are located.

2) How do I load the models into 3DS Max 9, so I could modify the unit? (modify animation, add special effect, remove parts, etc.)

3) If I created a model in 3DS how could I convert it into Warcraft III format? The programs I found only worked for cheap software like Gmax, Milkshake, or 3DS 4 and 5.



Other misc. complications:
1) Is there a way to have the camera follow a particular unit around? (nonstop and won't lag the game) If so how?
2) How am I supposed to form the terrain with only 8 tilesets? (or 10.. i forgot) Is there a way to use ALL the tilesets at once?

3) I need a way to have each player (on the same team) with shared building control but NOT shared unit control. (I want Player 1 to be able to use Player 2's barracks and have Player 1's units trained at Player'2 barracks. Same goes for Player 2. Yet I don't want Player 1 and 2 to be able to control each other's units.)

Questions:
1) Would adding custom unit models from 3DS Max lag the game if overused?


-Fishyx

 

[Marduke]

First of all, this is in the wrong forum. But I'll see if I can help you out any.

1) The files are located in MPQ files in the Warcraft directory. You'll need a program to extract them. Heres one of the more popular ones.
http://www.wc3sear.ch/index.php?p=Tools&ID=1&sid=

2) I would assume you could just load them in, but I I have never done any modeling. Once you extract the models you can try to open them in your modelling program. If it won't load them I'd Google for a file converter.

3) As I said above, if it can't save models as .mdl, then you'd have to search for a converter.

Here is a converter for .mdx and .mdl files:
http://www.wc3sear.ch/index.php?p=Tools&ID=3&sid=

1) Use trigger to lock the camera on the unit.

Camera - Lock camera target for Player # (Color) to (Unit), offset by (0.00, 0.00) using Default rotation

2) As far as I know, no. But you can make custom tilesets formed by tiles from any set.

3) Can't be done as easily as you'd like. Would probably have to give control to the other player temporarily - or just do it a different way.

1) Probably wouldn't make the game lag a whole bunch (unless they're ridiculously huge) - but it will lead to increased download times if DLing over B.net.

Hope that helps some.

 

[Korolen]

To export/import models in 3DSMax, you can export/import them to/from .obj and use the tools outlined on this page to go to/from .mdx and .obj.

I'm not sure about this alternate possibility as it only works for 3DSMax, which I don't have, but you can use the Blizzard Art Tools, which is what the original Blizzard employees used to make the models (they did it in 3DSMax).

EDIT: You may also want to use War3Viewer to extract the files from the MPQ; it's a lot better for that kind of thing.

 

[Evote]

lol u buy it? cause i did the war3viewer doesn't work with 3dsmax 8 i not sure bout 9

 

[Fishyx]

Yay! Thanks mates you guys helped alot.
Yea I bought it somewhere (I forgot) for about $3,000. Just found it stuffed in my closet and decided to put it to good use. =D

 

[DuckieKing]

To give shared building control, give buildings a Select Unit which targets allies with a big radius and no art.

 

[guitarplay]

actualy, you should be able to find import/ export code for .mdl into .max. Im preety sure running it through a .obj would loose you some of the data (uv maps / animations) ive had that problem with .obj from blender to gmax.

google 3dsmax import script for .mdl and you may get lucky. Otherwise, look around.

 

[elmstfreddie]

Just for your information, only 3DS Max 4 and 5 files can be used for Warcraft models.