Model/Texture compiling

Howser

Okay so i've been learning what I can about spark. The editor is lovely as it is buggy. Alot better than hammer anyhow! The material system seems nice, logical and quite easy to use! First texture in game!
<img src="http://i.imgur.com/Iy3s9.jpg" border="0" class="linked-image" />

Unfortunately I've not been so lucky with the Model compiling process. After following the gorgeoggles turorial I get this message:
Building...

1> C:\Users\howard\Desktop\Howser\floorpan1.model
1> Error: Couldn't load 'C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\natural selection 2\compilemodel'
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Build complete (0 seconds)
0 succeeded, 1 failed, 9 up-to-date, 2 skipped

I used the open Colloda off the interwebs. On 3dmax 2010 64 BIT. I'm running builder as admin and cant see any issues with the file setup. Any advice, suggestions on what it could be or links would be much appreciated. Google hasn't turned up anything of any use for me. Here's how i set my files up:

<img src="http://i.imgur.com/ANc6u.jpg" border="0" class="linked-image" />

Thanks

[R8]DJBourgeoisie

I believe you need 3dsMax 2k9 and UWE's collada plugin, does not work currently with any other version of max.

Howser

Trying to load uwe colladamax.dle in 3d max 2009 32 bit don't work. I'm getting:

DLL <C:\programfiles (x86)\3ds max 9\stdplugs\ColladaMax.dle> failed to initialize. error code: 127 - The specified procedure could not be found.

Same message I've got in other builds of 3d max there seems to be some conflict with the plugin. I've tried re downloading it, moving it into other directories, and Google isn't helping much.
What specific version of 3d max 2009 have people got it to work with? I saw Brian Cummings was using design 2009. Is it that finicky?
AH this is so frustrating! I'd rather get on with actually making stuff than sorting out this issue, ANY advice or recommendations would be much appreciated.

[Deleted User]

when testing I used the open collada plugin with max2012 64bit and that allowed me to get meshes in-game.

Edit: forgot to say, Brian is working on this atm to make it easier to get custom meshes into spark, so maybe just hold out a bit and see how that goes.

DarkBlueArt

Hi there,

anything making this easier is very much appreciated, although I am still far away from making own props.
I wanted to use Blender for this. Though I can export into the Collada format, I still don't tested, if this will work.

Hopefully you don't get too frustrated about that bug... as I can't really help. :(

so long

Howser

Well thanks for the help. So the long and short of it is, I can get open collada plugin working NP, but then builder freaks out. and I can't use the UW's plugin as my computer/max doesn't like it.
I installed 3d max 9 on my laptop.. same problem. Cant enable the plugin. Both systems have windows 7 64 bit and more recent builds of 3d max. So I guess its either the version of 3d max 9 im using or the windows 7 64bit though i cant see that being the problem.
People who have got this working, whats your os, and 3d max version?
I guess I'm gonna have to wait till they sort the problem out. I really like to get my stuff in game so I can see what works and what doesn't! I'll go back onto doing some concept art untill then.
Thanks anyway guys.

Howser

It's breaking me! SERIOUSLY! I have taken a break from trying to get models in game hoping that issues would be fixed down the line. It's been 4 months and I cant avoid it any longer! so I deiced to go back and try again, now using open collada on 2013 builder just skips my dea files. Not sure why, tried everything, it just don't wanna compile them.
Okay... must be something to do with 3d max 2013.
Tried 3d max 2009 again, the plugin still don't work for that same bs message as before. Not a problem....
I've heard of a milk shape 3d work around. After some troublesome importing and exporting.... oh yeah it just skips me .dae files again!
here's the message:
Rebuilding...
1> C:\Users\howard\Desktop\Howser\mrbox.dds
1> C:\Users\howard\Desktop\Howser\mrbox_em.dds
1> C:\Users\howard\Desktop\Howser\mrbox_normal.dds
1> C:\Users\howard\Desktop\Howser\mrbox_spec.dds

---

Build complete (2 seconds)
4 succeeded, 0 failed, 0 up-to-date, 1 skipped

skipped! well now I DON'T get errors it doesn't even bother trying. What am I missing?
I've been too much time on this now must be going on 20 hours which i could of spent actually making something fun. I understand UWE's been busy but so very few people seem to be able to get models in-game its stopping any decent modding/mapping on the engine. Now I appreciate the tutorials Brian has made, but there's no real troubleshooting and since the vast majority of people are either not bothering or having trouble I think this needs some smoothing out.
I made a simple model, with some simple textures... to eliminate any issues that might be coming up from the mesh but still no love.
Can someone please try and compile it and get it ingame? Mrbox and I would be so very grateful to know that its just my computer and not my workflow.
Mrbox and his skins are attached in standard .obj format along with my dae and psd files.
Next step is spitting my dummy out and taking a hammer to the PC... save my tears please :,(
Thanks

Howser

whoops attached files sorry bout that

JimWest

If you got 3dsmax 2009 or 2010, use the open collada plugin.
And, I think you've loaded the false xml for the builder, load the builder_setup.xml, not the builder_setup_development.xml.

And if you save it, save it as OpenCollada ant NOT as AutoDeskCollada.

Btw., you have no model_compbile file?

JimWest

Sorry cant attach a file to the last post so I have to do a double post,
heres the file as dea + model_compile, my builder is compiling it so you can test yours with:

Insane

I was able to get it built from 3DS Max 2010 using the OpenCollada plugin.



I loaded your .max file up and exported it myself. It was necessary to create the .model_compile file and the .material file for the asset but other than that it worked just fine. At this point it looks like the plugin you are using isn't working, or, like JimWest said, you are using AutoDeskCollada instead of OpenCollada.

You should know that the problem you had in your first post had nothing to do with the version of 3DSMax or the Collada plugin; it looks like your CompileModel.exe was missing for whatever reason.

alibi

I spent ages trouble shooting similar problems.
You need to be sure your NS2 Launchpad is set up as a custom mod where you specify your /modelsrc directory and /model output.
THEN, in builder, don't use the builder_setup_development.xml, use builder_setup.xml instead. As long as lauchpad is set up correctly, builder will auto fill the greyed out settings.

Howser

wow thanks guys, these issues were really getting me frustrated! I've just got back from work and its bed time now, but those are all things I haven't tried and sound very promising. I'm not the most technically minded person. I'm slightly embarrassed at my rage post, sorry if i came across as a little brat.
I'll get on the case first thing tomorrow and post the results!
Once again, I'm Really chuffed you have taken the time to check the files, thanks.

Howser

Okay... well It's reverted to the older issue now of not running Compile model. in my haste/rage I'd just deleted the old .model_files and that's why It was skipping. whoops.
1> C:\Users\howard\Desktop\Howser\box.model
1> Error: Couldn't load 'C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\natural selection 2\compilemodel'
Now I'm using Jimwests .DAE file and his .model_compile file, so its no related to the format which kind of narrows it down....
I'm gonna try building on my tablet, and see if its isolated to this PC.

Insane

Do you still have your "Game Directory" field set to [...]steamapps\common\natural selection 2? I just double checked my setup and I have it set to the \ns2 folder inside that one.

Howser

Compiling works on my tablet! however the faces are invisible. I did see a thread with someone having the same problem, I'll track that down when I get back from work. The tangents are visible in the viewer... im sure that'll just be a typo in the material file or whatever. It's progress anyhow! ALMOST THERE!
I was using the game builder_setup.xml and that doesn't request a game directory in the settings. Which one are you using? and can you give me an example of you directories.
Off to work no rest....

Howser

Insane wrote: »

Do you still have your "Game Directory" field set to [...]steamapps\common\natural selection 2? I just double checked my setup and I have it set to the \ns2 folder inside that one.

Okay so yeah using the development XML and putting the game directory to \ns2 allowed me to compile the models on my main computer. but as with the tablet, textures just don't show. Here's a image of everything I could think of that might help. First one to tell me where I'm going wrong gets a free copy of ns2!!!


Edit: that was a joke! But i'll be your best friend... no joke

JimWest

You can activate the output of the viewer to see whats missing.
I think its cause you still got no material file.

Insane

Yeah turning the output window on will help us diagnose it. I thought it would help you to screenshot my OpenCOLLADA export settings since they can affect missing materials:

Stardog

Your Builder settings look wrong. If I go to Builder > File > Settings I get 3 options.

Source Directory: C:\Users\_Username_\Desktop\Editing\NS2\TestMod (TestMod contains mapsrc/modelsrc/etc)
Output Directory: C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\natural selection 2\ns2
Temporary: C:\Users\_Username_\AppData\Local\Temp

Use the builder_setup.xml in the "steamapps\common\natural selection 2" folder.

---

I see you got a model imported, but the faces aren't invisible, there's just no texture.

In Max, do File > Export > OpenCOLLADA. Export to to TestMod/modelsrc/MY_MODEL.dae

Open MY_MODEL.dae in Notepad. Search "<library_images>". If you textured it properly with a Bitmap (or in Multi-sub material with bitmaps) they should be listed here.

You need to change it to relative paths, so from <init_from>///User/Program Files/blah/blah/MY_TEXTURE.psd</init_from> to <init_from>MY_TEXTURE.psd</init_from>

Now put MY_TEXTURE.psd in the modelsrc folder.

modelsrc/MY_MODEL.DAE
modelsrc/MY_MODEL.model_compile

modelsrc/MY_TEXTURE.psd
modelsrc/MY_TEXTURE.material

And remember to make the .model_compile file, which contains geometry "MY_MODEL.dae"

The texture needs it's own material file.

shader = "shaders/Model.surface_shader"
albedoMap = "models/MY_TEXTURE.dds"
normalMap = "materials/dev/dev_normal.dds"

You will end up with this after building:

C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\natural selection 2\ns2\models\MY_MODEL.model
C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\natural selection 2\ns2\models\MY_TEXTURE.dds
C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\natural selection 2\ns2\models\MY_TEXTURE.material

---

Ideally you would have your own subfolder, instead of putting it into the root ns2\models directory.

You can do that with YourMod\modelsrc\HowsersStuff, then the .material file will change to: albedoMap = "models/HowsersStuff/MY_TEXTURE.dds"

Then they will export to C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\natural selection 2\ns2\models\HowsersStuff\MY_MODEL.model

alibi

As we said before, don't use _development.xml and make sure everything INCLUDING the max file you are exporting from all inside /modelsrc and linked to .psds from your /modelsrc. Everything in /modelsrc.
You can export a mesh with only a .dae and .model_compile and no texture and it will still show in viewer.

Stardog

If the above doesn't work, try renaming materialsrc folder to materials instead. I had an issue where the builder created ns2\materialsrc instead of moving them into ns2\materials.

Howser

You guys are great... but stardog is the greatest! I thought getting models into source engine was hard work. Seriously its given me trouble at every step, but in the end we got there! I'm a very happy man.
For me It only works with the Game_setup_development.xml and the settings in the screenshot.
One problem though. its using the the material and dds files from my output folder (see top left of screencap) I modified the .dea correctly, the models loaded from inside ns/models and the last line of my .model file looks like this:
models/howser/mrbox.material / default
its one of two things: the output directory of the active mod in launch pad or the output directory in builder itself.
I'll do some research and post my findings.
my next step developing a comprehensive understanding of the system, then standardizing the process and documenting the method so hopefully other people will find it easier. But for now here's what worked for me in an image:

Insane

Howser wrote: »

One problem though. its using the the material and dds files from my output folder (see top left of screencap) I modified the .dea correctly, the models loaded from inside

It's supposed to use the material files in your output folder. That's the idea, that it builds the files and then copies everything needed into the correct place inside your mod's directory structure.

I agree it can be a little finicky to set up at first, but the huge advantage of our pipeline is once you have it all set up, everything is automated so you don't have to worry about it. You can even preview your work in realtime since it detects changes to the files in the source directory and auto-rebuilds them.

Howser

ah its clever stuff, no denying...and I noticed the real-time updates when playing around, that's super sweet. I just had a few issues at the start mainly with the plugin and finding the resources/documentation
Brian's videos were very informative, but I personally find it very hard to follow videos for technical stuff. Until you guys wrote it down I was struggling tbh. I'm super chuffed anyhow, now its time to just get some decent stuff ingame! Thanks

Insane

Cool story about the pipeline: a little while after I joined the team, some time in late 2009, I was working on ns2_junction when I noticed a problem with one of the props, so I mentioned it to one of the artists. About 5 minutes later, the prop updated to a fixed version right in front of me. Thanks to a combination of our art hotloading and the fact that we use Dropbox to push out internal builds, we could fix the issue without interrupting my workflow in any way. Doubtless this will become less impressive as time moves on but 3 years ago, I was completely blown away.