extracting models

Time 2 Die · Post by **Time 2 Die** » Sat Nov 13, 2004 8:23 am

i've mastered how to change the colour schemes and that on warthogs but am now keen to start changing the warthog itself. I tried using a tutorial on how to make maps but that was proving difficult so i decided to start with a model from the game and change that. I've chosen the warthog barrel (by going through HEK) but cant load it in 3DS Max 6. I've tried using one called Milkshape3D but it also won't load. Do i need some sort of plugin that allows me to open the files.

TallgeeseIIII · Post by **TallgeeseIIII** » Mon Nov 15, 2004 2:42 pm

this is exactly what i need as well, i would like to extract the warthog and scorpion tank for a gta vice city car mod i'm doing. if anyone can help us i'd greatly appreciate it.

xnodunitx · Post by **xnodunitx** » Mon Nov 15, 2004 3:53 pm

Yeh same here,but I think you guys are wasting your time,not many people get help in this sort of thing,I have seen about 2 or 3 topics on this page about this and nobody has helped.

TallgeeseIIII · Post by **TallgeeseIIII** » Mon Nov 15, 2004 4:05 pm

augh, well, not much choice, this is the best resource i could find for this sort of thing. it SEEMS like a nice community so i was hoping somebody would be generous enough to help.

SSDC · Post by **SSDC** » Tue Nov 16, 2004 8:47 am

If you want to extract the original models, get them from HMT, although you may have to do a lot of flipping and they won't be UV mapped. If you want to make a new vehicle, you can start from scratch, you don't have to use the old models.

D

Sonictag · Post by **Sonictag** » Tue Nov 16, 2004 10:27 am

You would have to re UVW map them. And that would be illigal. And wait for San Andreas before you start modding, it will be cool, but you have to model and skin them all yourself, although you might be able to get away with taking areas of the halo skin.

Time 2 Die · Post by **Time 2 Die** » Tue Nov 16, 2004 11:09 am

so basically your saying that it is pretty much impossible (not to mention illegal) to take some fo the models from halo, edit them in 3DS Max and then return them to the game.

Sonictag · Post by **Sonictag** » Tue Nov 16, 2004 12:53 pm

Not illigal to return them back into halo, it is illigal however to put them into another game (some guy mentioned putting them into Vice City)

TallgeeseIIII · Post by **TallgeeseIIII** » Tue Nov 16, 2004 1:01 pm

that's basically what i'm going to do, although it is technically illegal, this sort of thing is done all the time and 99.9% of companies don't care unless the person is making a profit off of it. it isn't worth it to them to follow up due to, court costs etc. the case would most likely be thrown out because money isn't involved anyway. i have done this before right under companies noses and they never care. a few were even glad to see someone was admiring there work outside of their set environment. odd but true. so i'm not very worried about what bungie or microsoft have to say about it, i probably won't even make it available for download. besides that, i've already achieved getting non-uvw'ed models using the gbx model import script. although it doens't work for the warthog for some reason... it sort of worked for the scorpion tank (treads are missing) and it fully worked for master chief.

Dark Cloud · Post by **Dark Cloud** » Wed Nov 17, 2004 3:01 am

I'll unlock this, but not more discussion of putting the models into other games, etc.

Now, for the main problem here... No one has gotten the Warthog to import into 3DS properly yet. We're stuck.

TallgeeseIIII · Post by **TallgeeseIIII** » Wed Nov 17, 2004 4:48 am

putting it into other games? i don't know what you're talking about...

anyway, so far i have gotten a correct scorpion tank, master chief and warthog, i'm still fixing the warthog but it does work through obj exporting in hmt 3.5. all you have to do in 3ds max is go to mesh edit. click element select (the red cube icon) then scroll down the menu to flip normals mode. then just go through the model and click every open space that shoudln't be open, chances are there's an inverted face there. and if there isn't then click undo and move on, eventually you'll get the whole model. also you have to export the wheels and import them seperately from the chasis.

Tools needed:
-3ds max 5-7 (i have 5 and 7 so i assume 6 will work)
-hmt v3.5 fixed
-halo pc
-free time to flip all the inverted faces

Time 2 Die · Post by **Time 2 Die** » Wed Nov 17, 2004 8:09 am

ok, but like Dark Cloud said, we havent answered the point of the topic. How do i even get the models into 3DS Max. So far, all i've done is find them in HMT and save them in a different location ready for editin. When i go to open it it comes up with an error so is there some sort of plugin i need.

TallgeeseIIII · Post by **TallgeeseIIII** » Wed Nov 17, 2004 10:43 am

max 7 has the .obj import and export function built in, i *think* 5 and 6 do too, i can't remember whether i downloaded it for 5 or not. find out what the error says then i can try to help you more, and what version of max you have.

Time 2 Die · Post by **Time 2 Die** » Wed Nov 17, 2004 10:53 am

Firstly it says 'There are no actors to export' and all you can click is ok, then once ok is clicked another one comes up and says 'Export Module Failure' and again all u can click is ok. I'm running on 3DS Max 6.

SSDC · Post by **SSDC** » Wed Nov 17, 2004 1:18 pm

That means you havent linked the goemetry to a frame.

Time 2 Die · Post by **Time 2 Die** » Wed Nov 17, 2004 3:23 pm

ok, understood. What is a frame and how can i link it then.

SSDC · Post by **SSDC** » Thu Nov 18, 2004 7:43 am

For, say a gun, you first make a box of any size and call it 'frame gun'. Then select the model, then click 'select and link', then 'chose by name', then select the frame gun and click ok. Your model is now linked and you should be able to export it.

__Blaz0__ · Post by **__Blaz0__** » Thu Nov 18, 2004 8:35 am

First of all, there are a number of ways to get a Warthog into 3dsMax.

1.) Use James' gbx model importer to bring it in.
2.) Open up a map in HMT and export the model that has the higest vert count. That's the one with the most detail. It willl save it as a *.obj file. Once you have done that, you will have to find the plugin obj2max. Google it and you wont have any probs, maybe its even in file section. Once you have the plugin you have to open up 3ds and select import from file options. After you bring in the model you will have to rescale it. I suggest using a MC from the tutorial level of the HEK for resizing. After you resize , you will have to flip all of the normals so they display correctly. After you have done that, you will have to grab the textures from HMT and get to uvw mapping. Have fun with that as that will be the biggest pain. After you do all that, you should have a nice warthog in model form. I'm not sure what is required after to get it wherever you want, but this will get the model for you.

__Blaz0__

Time 2 Die · Post by **Time 2 Die** » Thu Nov 18, 2004 9:11 am

Firstly, thanks to SSDC for his reply. That now works. Moving on from that subject then, i've been using spark edit recently and getting to grips with that but all i've managed to do is swap the objects around and mve them around the map. 2 things then, 1)how do i put my ramp into sparkedit and 2)how do i then save it, when i try it says there is no unamed map to save as.

Secondly, moving onto Blaz0's point, i've got that obj2max file off the web, found the warthog file but when i import it nothing appears, not even something that i can select. Just after i click import i get a window that says 'mental shaders import' and i can select shaders and phenomena. Any ideas?

SSDC · Post by **SSDC** » Thu Nov 18, 2004 10:34 am

OK, well if your looking to use your models for a CE map you dont use Spark Edit, you use Sapien, part of the HEK - PM me if you want any more help. If its for a PC map, I dont really know.

D.

BTW lose the quote tag in your sig for the image to show up.