Getting model into game

[BNG Da BZ Fool]

Not to change the original topic, but this appears to be a good tread to list other related FAQ issues about other peeps having problems getting models into the game.


Problem: My model appears white with no texture. Why?

One Answer: Make sure to copy your texture file into the addon folder along with the XSI and ODF file.


Problem: My model appears wrongly oriented in the game from my original model as referenced from within my 3d modeling program. How can I correct this?

One Answer: The X Y Z pivot points need to be reset to 0 0 0 in your modeling program. Each 3d modeler has it's own method, but generally this is done by normalizing the axes rotation of the objects that make up the parts of your model. An example of this would be something like adding an object and then rotating it somehow. The original rotation was 0 0 0. After you rotated the object the rotation would be different due to the object rotation you performed, and then need to be reset via your 3d modelers editing tools. In Truespace products this is done by selecting the object, using the move object axes to the center of the object tool and then the normalize rotation tool.


Problem: My model appears kind of small in the game. How can I make it bigger?

One Answer: Open your models ODF file in a text editor like notepad, and add
geometryScale = 1.5 under the first group of text in the ODF file and save it.


Problem: After making changes to my model and restarting the game or map editor I don't see the changes I made to my model. How come?

One Answer: Open the binData folder in the BZII directory and delete the files in the folder, and restart the game/map editor. This will force BZII to recreate your model as a new .msh file and your revised model will appear with the changes you made.

These are just a few of the problems I encountered when I started modeling for BZII. I'm sure there are other problems I encountered as well, but can't remember at the moment. I guess if it's cool with the rest of the BZII gang I'll update this post again to help add to it's usefulness...BNG
 


   

[Avatar]

Very nice, and the start of a Modding FAQ for sure...

-Av-

[BNG Da BZ Fool]

Problem: I converted an x file to xsi using x2xsi, but the resulting xsi shows no animation why?

One solution: Open the file in notepad and find the animation section (it's at the end of the file) in the x2xsi xsi file, and add SI_ to all of the AnimationKey entries, and then save the file again. For some reason x2xsi does not add this entry that the bz2 engine must need to see present in the file.

Example: change AnimationKey to SI_AnimationKey. If there are several entries then change them all.

[BNG Da BZ Fool]

Problem: I converted an x file to xsi using bz2me (threed), but there's no animation present why?

One solution: Use x2xsi to convert the same x file to xsi.

Note: Rename the bz2me xsi file to avoid overwriting the xs2xsi xsi.

Now open both files in winmerge. Then in the x2xsi xsi change all of the AnimationKey entries to SI_AnimationKey.

Now copy and paste this section to the end of the bz2me xsi file and save it. For some reason bz2me does not add this section to the xsi file it creates.

[BNG Da BZ Fool]

Problem: I converted an x file to xsi using x2xsi, but the texture of my model does not appear why?

One solution: I'm working on is to create 2 xsi files from the original x file one using x2xsi and the other with bz2me for the file conversions. I plan to try copying the texture section from the bz2me xsi to the proper section of the x2xsi xsi using winmerge to do the cut and paste operation. It's still a work in progress, but if it can be done with the animation section then it should be doable with the texture section as well.

For some reason x2xsi appears to write out the texture information incorrectly to the resulting xsi file. Bz2me, on the other hand, appears to correctly write out the texture information as seen in the bz2 map editor.

[Slaor]

Problem: My XSI's won't save from BZ2ME properly, resulting in 0kb XSI files that don't work.

Solution: BZ2ME stumbles on textures sometimes, especially larger ones, rename texture file so it doesn't show in BZ2ME and its much more reliable. Just remember to rename it back after you are done.

Also for those interested, my tute on transplanting XSI's to compatible dummyroots using Threed is on Wiki now. Look up Slaor.

[bigbadbogie]

The problem with saving in BZ2ME is that the dummyroot can't have a texture.

And it doesn't like .bmps saved with photoshop.

[Nielk1]

Why one earth would anyone texture that?

Also, what wiki?

[GreenHeart]

Also for those interested, my tute on transplanting XSI's to compatible dummyroots using Threed is on Wiki now. Look up Slaor.

Umm,  which wiki are you refering to?

The only wiki i know of is the one Nielk1 has running on www.bzcomplex.com however alot of old & afew newer tutorials are being hosted by www.bzcommand.com.

[mrtwosheds]

Why one earth would anyone texture that?

Quite a few of the stock xsi, don't have dummy roots. Main_body is the first frame, save it with threed and everything past the texture goes away.
Its easy to wind up with a texture on the first frame with threed, you don't need to do it deliberately.

[BNG Da BZ Fool]

Problem: My assault tank treads won't work right when I load my model into the game why?

Solution: Check to  make sure there are 2 underscore characters in like tractor_whatever__and h. I made the mistake of naming tractor_l__h as tractor_l_h and nothing with the track texture rotation would work right in the map editor afterwards.

Update: Refers to BZII version 1.2 as posted by BNG. Omitting the __h in 1.2 appears to crash the game if it's not present in the XSI model file. Note: Threed won't allow you to add this to the file, so use a text editor like notepad to add the __h to both tractor_l and tractor_ r. Tanks for the heads up on changes to 1.3 guys. I guess part of the confusion is that some people assume that 1.2 is dead or something and have a tedency to invalid otherwise valid information.

Comment: It would seem that in 1.2 if you exclude the __h in the tractor_l/r entry then the side effect appears to be that the track texture does not rotate, but becomes a non animated fixed texture. I noticed this when I made a service truck with standard tracks minus the __h thingy and when the unit moved no track motion was present at all.

Update: I made tracked model without __h in the tractor_l/_r part and 1.2 did not crash, so it would appear the extra entries are not really needed afterall.

Question: Doesn't 1.3 also use 1.2 assets with the __h entry? If this is the case then why do 1.2 assets make the __h invisible thingy visible in 1.3?

[mrtwosheds]

I was under the impression that tracks now as of 1.3 do not need __h, they will by invisible when building the unit if you do.

The game looks for frames with certain names like tractor_l.
A single _ is part of a name.
A double __ indicates the use of an effect and so is not a part of the name as such.
So tractor_l_h would not work as a track.
Just call them tractor_l (in 1.3 and above)

[Nielk1]

In 1.3 they show wrong in the interface windows if they have it set to __h too.

[General BlackDragon]

notepad > bz2ME

[BNG Da BZ Fool]

Problem: The pivot on my Y turret doesn't rotate on the center of the main_body object. What can I do to correct this?

Solution: Try moving hp_com_1 to the center of turret Y. and resave your model.

I found this necessary on my GT type assault tank as it pivoted off center and looked like it was hovering over the front side of the main_body part. After I moved the hp_com_1 object to the center of turret_y, resaved the X file again and prepped it in Threed overwriting the XSI file it used the centered hp_com_1 to pivot correctly...BNG.