BZII loads X file, but where's my texture?

[mrtwosheds]

You will certainly have to edit the frame names back to what they are supposed to be.
I don't know about the materials.
mine all come out unnamed like this.
            SI_Material {
               0.7;0.7;0.7;1;;
               0;
               0.5;0.5;0.5;;
               0;0;0;;
               2;
               0;0;0;;

               SI_Texture2D  {
                  "dalekt00.dxtbz2";

The 3DEX 1.5 X version sucks.Like Threed it truncates the numerical entries in the file conversion from the TS 7.6 X version

As far as threed is concerned we now believe this is caused by having a material on the root frame. paste a

Frame dummy {
   FrameTransformMatrix {
1.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,
0.000000,1.000000,0.000000,0.000000,
0.000000,0.000000,1.000000,0.000000,
0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,1.000000;;
}
above the top frame. (I did not need to do this when I converted your model!)

I still think your best solution is to make your animated .x process it to .xsi and then cutnpaste the animation from the original .x to the .xsi, modifying it as required.

[BNG Da BZ Fool]

What I really need is to locate a sample BZII compatible X file to study it's structure in detail; that would go a long way to see what needs to be changed. The TS 7.6 and GSL X version come real close, but no cigar just yet. You guys do me a small favor and let me know if you come across such a file, and I'll use it to figure out how to get animated X models in to BZII, and post that information for other modelers to use as well.

[BNG Da BZ Fool]

Awesome, tanks DX, I guess there the ones in the BZII demo right?

[BNG Da BZ Fool]

DX, what demo assets? I DL'ed the BZII demo, but it had no models and the data.pak file is inaccessible for some strange reason. BNNG.

[bigbadbogie]

Use this with that PAK file: http://www.bzscrap.com/downloads/Utilities/unpakbzd.zip

[BNG Da BZ Fool]

Tanks, BBB I got it and checked out the read me file. Looks like it needs to be unzipped to its own directory. Really appreciate your assit. BNG.

[BNG Da BZ Fool]

Wow! The X files in the BZII demo datapak do use a template header; unlike the X version exported by both GSL and TS 7.6. I created a new folder under addon/BNG Assets/New Folder and extracted the contents of the datapak there. Now comes the fun task of deciding what next to do to try to replicate the BZII X file samples into something doable.

I may have to start using the XNA X exporter that TS 7.6 uses as apposed to  the TS 6 X exporter that I was using which basically read the geometry, but not the Texture entries. Very cool guys! Tanks again, BNG. Hi Ho Hi Ho it's off to work I go...Na...NA...Na...NA....

[BNG Da BZ Fool]

The template header in the BZII X version was a real eyeopener, but didn't really yield any better results with showing the texture on the model. To get the model to load into the game required me to manually cut and paste the header } 1;0;1; section below the template header entries; otherwise the map editor would crash and not generate a MSH file. Once moved though the file loaded just fine minus any texture on the cube model I made using a single texture and cube object.

The template header was generated by 3DEX 1.5 and surprising enough precisely matches that of the one used in the BZII Demo X files I found after extracting it's datapak into the directory I created for it in my Battlezone II root directory. Word of caution: Don't ever extract the contents to the addon folder as this will cause an out memory AV when you run the map editor or the game itself; found this one out the hard way, and moved the folder outside the addon folder afterwords.

Oh, for you peeps that want to use GMAX to try the same thing then get the MDL/Commander exporter used by Microsoft Flight Simulator 2002 as it simultaneously exports an X file along with the MDL version from GMAX. I won't get into the details about it as quite a few steps/modifications are required to use the X file thingy, and in my opinion is basically a waste of time.

Anyways, here's a screen shot of a GMAX created X file converted using 3DEX 1.5 to add the template header. Still need to figure out why there's still no texture and as you can see from a view generated by the site camera the cube is half buried in the surrounding terrain; I wonder why it's doing this as the cube was set correctly in both TS 7.6 and GMAX? Again, any feedback from other modelers would very much be appreciated. BNG.

[BNG Da BZ Fool]

Why is it that BZII can display a material color on each of my model objects, but not a texture? For example, I removed the camo texture from my cube object and replaced it with a plain white material from the material editor. Then I created a second smaller cube, glued it under the larger cube and applied a plain black material to the smaller cube and saved the model as X and saved it. When I place the model in the map editor both the white and black materials appear just fine.

So I guess my question would be why will a non-texture material appear, but not an applied texture? I guess until I figure it all out I'll try using colors from the material editor to paint my X models, and attempt to use different color and reflectance shaders in the mean time. I'll prepare such an X model and post a screeny to see what you all think. BNG.

[Nielk1]

I say again your texture/UV coordinates aren't being read by BZ2.

[BNG Da BZ Fool]

I sort of finished an X model using just material colors on each of the model object: 2 red stars, 2 green sevens, light blue body, dark blue engines, 2 red engine intakes, black cockpit, and a dark Grey sun diffuser in front of the cockpit. It looks pretty clean in the map editor though. Still need to tweak the flame_1 and 2 as they point sideways; probably need to rotate these 2 objects to point backward to get the orientation right. Oh, I had to flip all the faces on the model and  export using the right hand coordinate system to get the model to fly forward as otherwise it flies backward.

I'm wondering now if I can apply some other material editor effects to like maybe apply some different shader reflectance effects. Don't really know yet whats possible, but hey I'm really surprised that I even got this far...now if I can only grasp the concepts behind making a animated X model like the dreaded ISDF Walker. Here's a screeny of the model with only material colors but no actual textures.


Yes, I know N1. I've tried every trick I can think of to get the textures to appear. What else can I try? I don't have clue only questions. Even the BZII demo X file models load without textures, so I'm at a loss if even BZII can't read it's own version of X. BNG

[Nielk1]

The demo's assets are outdated, but that is peculiar.

[BNG Da BZ Fool]

The conclusions that I've drawn so far are these:

1. Truespace 7.6, supports an X version that BZII likes as far as the (model) geometry portion, but can't read the texture section at all. It can, however, read the material color information making it usable with BZII in terms of basic coloring of models for use in the game itself.

2. Notepad, a simple text editor can be used to edit the text based X files created by TS 7.6 to edit down the file in terms of the making the hp_, cockpit, flame_, tread_, tractor_, points usable for the BZII engine to read them correctly.

3. The model faces need to be flipped prior to exporting the model from TS 7.6 when saving models in the X format. Otherwise, the model faces will appear inside out and look quite odd.

4. The default exporter settings need to be changed to the right hand coordinate system to get the model geometry oriented correctly for the BZII engine. Otherwise, the model spawns backward in the game when it's loaded.

5. Animated (as yet untested) models theoretically are possible to anyone able to figure out how they must be put together and key framed properly.

6. As briefly mentioned above only untextured material colors are supported by this X format. However, a multitude of colors are possible using only materials. Each object is limited to a single material color per object, although multiple colors may be supported as TS 7.6 supports adding multiple layers using the material editor as well as a vast array shaders like bump mapping, and reflectance shaders.

7. Novice modelers should use TS 7.6 as the only other tool required to easily make BZII models is MS Notepad. I have used it for several years now, and my level of modeling knowledge with 3d applications prior to BZII was did-a-lee-squat. It's simple to learn and gets the job done.

8. The primary reason I wanted an alternate to the existing BZII XSI format is that this particular format is no longer supported by Softimage, and the free XSI modeling tools currently available are really pretty suckish to say the least. Animation, is not supported and modelers have found it necessary to use alternative methods. Just a little food for thought. BNG.

[mrtwosheds]

So see if you can animate a .x model and get it working in bz2.
If that works, then go back to the original .x and convert it to an xsi, now the textures will work.
Then cutnpaste the animations from the animated version to the texture version and you should have a fully textured and animated .xsi model.

[BNG Da BZ Fool]

That's one of my goals MTS. Unfortunately, other then getting basic movements to work I haven't really grasp the whole animation thingy in TS 7.6, or animation in general for that matter. I'm still grappling with the texture thingy. My focus will eventually turn to animation stuff now that I can get X models into BZII.

I want to get totally away from using Threed other then maybe for use as an XSI viewer; same deal with 3DEX. You're notepad cut and paste method really intrigues me  as a relatively simple way to make animated XSI models.

I still plan to pursue the mythical BZII compatible X format as a viable alternative to simplifying the modeling process. It appears that I'm the only BZII modeler using the X approach, so the going is going to be slow, and laborious.

Hopefully enough other modelers will assist in this little project to figure out a better alternative then the current outdated half-ass methods being pushed by the BZII modeling community. Nothing personal, but there just has to be a better way to model for BZII. BNG