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Map-Craft: Tutorials |
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 More information | Converting .ase to .md3 using 3DSMax |
 Tutorial published by: Szico_VII, on 2006-06-17
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| Converting .ase to .md3 using 3DSMax | Converting .ase to .md3 using 3DSMax
Weebull
MAP-CRAFT
- Title: Converting .ase to .md3 using 3DSMax
- Subject: How to convert .ase models into .md3 format
- Written by: Weebull
- Tutorial written for: 3DS Max
- Similar concept work like in: N/A
- Difficulty level: 6/10
- Expected time to complete for first attempt: 30mins
- Prerequisites: An ase to convert and basic 3DS Max skills.
This tutorial will tell you how to convert a .asc file to a .md3 file using 3DSMax. I use version 7 but I think it also works with version 6 and 8, maybe also with earlier versions.
First you need a .ase importer, It seems that there isn't any .ase importer for Max available, but there is a .asc importer, this also works, the only thing you have to do is rename .ase to .asc and it can be imported using the .asc importer you can download it here
To import: File -> Import and choose Filetype .asc.
Next, you need a .md3 exporter. I searched for you and I found this one and this one
I am using the first one. They are both for Max 6 but I know they also work for Max 7 and 8.
When you want to export it, just go to File -> Export, choose .MD3 as filetype and give it a name. Click save and a window
pops up. In the box that says 'The following frames', type "0" (zero)(without the quotes). Then click 'export now'.
That was easy, wasn't it?
Now on to the harder bit, if you have never used Max before this might be complicated, but don't worry I'll tell you step by step.
When you imported the .asc file into Max you will most likely notice that there aren't any textures, you will probably see some plane coloured objects. Well, you don't want this, do you? We are going to give this baby some textures so it will look nice in game.
First we have to make a new folder where the model and the textures will be placed into. Since I am an Enemy Territory mapper I tell you where this folder has to be in my point of view, it should be in etmain/models/mapobjects. If your model is called 'chair' then it's advisable that you also call the folder 'chair', so your model will be in etmain/models/mapobjects/chair, the textures will also be placed here.
I assume you have all the textures you want to use and that you have put them into the folder you just made.
Import your model in Max, you will see that it exists out of multiple objects. You can very easily put the textures on the objects but what if there is an object on which you want two or more textures. Normally you would do this by simply selecting the faces you want to have a certain texture and then select the other faces and give them another texture. This will work in Max but it won't work in game, the entire object will just have one of the textures on it instead of both, so you have to make the faces, you want to have another texture, an object of its own. It's very easy to do this.
First you select the object that you want to have multiple textures on, you do this with the 'select objects' tool (the white arrow on the toolbar). Once selected, click on the modify tab on the right side of the screen (the one with the blue curved thingy on it). Look down a bit to find the words 'Editable Mesh', click on the plus next to it and click on Face. Now select all the faces of the object you want to have a specific texture (click on the faces with ctrl pressed to select multiple faces). After you selected them, on the right side of the screen, scroll down a bit untill you see 'Edit Geometry', look a little bit lower and click on the 'Detach' button, this will detach the currently selected faces from the model and they will become an object of their own. A window will pop up, you can give a name to the object that will be created, but most likely you will just click OK. Do this with every face that you want to have another texture then the others in the object.
We will now add those textures to the objects.
Open the material editor by pressing M. Make sure the topleft square with a ball in it is selected. Look at the 'Blinn Basic Parameters' and click on the little square to the right of 'Diffuse', not the big dark grey square, but the one next to that. The 'Material/Map Browser' will appear. Double click on 'Bitmap' and navigate to the texture you want (it should be in models/mapobjects/. For example I take wood.jpg as my texture and it is in the 'chair' folder. In the material editor, look for a
black arrow pointing up, when you hover your mouse over it, it says 'Go To Parent', click it. You will see that a M has appeared in the square next to 'Diffuse'. To make it work in game you have to do one more thing; change the name of the material. The name should be the path to the texture, in my example it would be: models\mapobjects\chair\wood.jpg, make sure you use backslashes, I'm not sure if it works with forward slashes too. Here is a picture.
If you look a bit to the left of that black arrow button, you see a button with a blue and white cube on it, if you click it you will see the texture on the object if you put it on, if you don't you will just see a white colour instead of the texture.
Do the same with the rest of your textures, click on another (unused) square with a ball in it and repeat the above steps to add another texture.
We are now going to put the textures on the objects, this is very easy. With the material editor open, click and drag one of the squares with a ball in it (the one with the texture you want to put on an object of course) to the 3D viewport and let go of your mousebutton when you are on top of the object you want to give this texture. The colour the object had will hopefully change to your texture. Do this with all your objects, drag and drop the right texture on the right object.
It could be that the texture doesn't show up right, you have to 'UVW Map' it.
Select the object on which the texture doesn't show up properly, click on the modify tab. You will see a box with 'Modifier List' in it, click on the arrow next to it and scroll down to find 'UVW Map'. Hopefully you see the results immediatly. Depending on the shape of the object, you can click one of the dots in the parameters. If the object is a sphere you can click the dot that says 'Spherical' for example. You might also want to change the axis under 'Alignment' and click the 'Fit' button for better results, just look around and change some settings, eventually it will show up as you want.
That's about it, I hope you understand all of it, even if it's the first time for you to use Max.
Good Luck. |
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