Getting model into game

[General BlackDragon]

musta been something in the higherarchy

[BNG Da BZ Fool]

Problem: The texture I applied to my model looks really dark in both Threed and the game then the texture looked like when I applied in the 3d modeling application. What can I do to make the texture more visible?

Solution: Try adjusting the luminance level in your 3d apps material editor, reapply the texture again to your model, and re save the model.

This was always a problem I encountered when viewing the X model in Threed. Most of the time I could hardly see the texture in the 3d window of Threed; usually I had to select wire frame to actual see much of anything. Then one day while playing around with the material editor of my 3d modeler I stumbled across the luminance control and increased the level to brighten up the texture quite a bit. Apparently, the default level while looking good in the modeler didn't usually look good at all in Threed and the game as well.

PS: I also noticed that when the default luminance is increased the result is a greater range of material colors overall. In Truespace for example; the default lum. level is always at the lowest setting, but increasing the level turns the default Grey material to a very bright White.

[mrtwosheds]

Strange, I always have the opposite problem, my models are glaringly white, unless I reduce the shineyness to something very low, like 0.

its the 3rd line that does the ugly reflection glint thing.

SI_Material {
            0.700000;0.700000;0.700000;1.000000;;
            0.000000; ---------------always comes out set to 200 for some reason.

[BNG Da BZ Fool]

I also just noticed that while in Threed while in the structure window you can click on the material edit thingy to change the default ambient color of black (a truly horrible default setting) and change it to white or some other brighter color and your model appears beautifully displayed as well. Unfortunately, there's no way to save the settings so you have to reset them every time you restart Threed. I guess you could just leave it open for as long as you need it with the changes in a effect. PS: The shininess setting in the material editor can also be adjusted too to make the material more flat/matte looking.

[General BlackDragon]

Threed = Crap.

SI_Material {
            0.700000;0.700000;0.700000;1.000000;; << Ambient Color + Transparancy. R G B A values here. valid values are 1.0 - 0.0
            0.000000; << Shineyness ...mm shiny...

[BNG Da BZ Fool]

Everybody realizes that Threed sucks, but what alternative utility is available? Would it be possible for someone with programming knowledge to tweak Threed a bit? I'm not talking about rewriting it from scratch, but rather changing a few parameters so that it can at least save an X file as it attempts to do already, but never does? I can understand not enabling the save as MSH thingy for obvious reasons too. Also, if Threed is such a piece of crap then people really should refrain from recommending it to new modelers as it seems to create more problems then solutions, but that's just my 2 cents for what it's worth. Besides that, perhaps a decent text editor would be a better recommendation to new modelers for editing XSI model files.

[TheJamsh]

i THINK iyou can rename stuff in 3dex, cant remember though...

short of that, use notepad. what i tend to do is make changes in threed, save it as a different file (such as ivrecy_threeded.xsi) and open the original file in notepad, then copy in parts from the threeded file.

[OvermindDL1]

With how many parsers I have written the past year, I could make a parser (in C++, although I guess I could export it by dll to other languages...) to parse an XSI file correctly and fully with full error support if someone wanted to create another program for it.  I do not have time for a full program, but making the parser would be exceedingly useful for anyone who does (good god I love my parsing tools).
Generated by OvermindDL1's Signature Auto-Add Script via GreaseMonkey

[BNG Da BZ Fool]

Is the code for Threed available pubicly? I know someone at work with some programming skills.

[BNG Da BZ Fool]

Problem: Threed absolut-a-too-da-lee refuses to load my X model file. What can I do to get it to load?

Solution: Check to see if any of your models objects are named, frame. Apparently, Threed seems to hate this object name; try changing the name of the object to something like, body or main_body prior to saving the model to the X format. I found this out recently (and sometime back) on another model; although I was clueless at that time. After I renamed the object name and re saved it again Threed happily loaded the model file for conversion to XSI. BNG. 

[mrtwosheds]

Is the code for Threed available pubicly? I know someone at work with some programming skills.

A friend? keep it that way, don't ask him to do the impossible like making threed do things it was never intended to do, its a hack and bodge up, its not a moddeling program, it was never intended to be one. Its sole purpose is sticking bits of .xsi's together and its not very good at that. Program ended unexpectedly...

[TheJamsh]

lmao. final sentence just made that.

[BNG Da BZ Fool]

Sadly, Threed is still pushed heavily up a steep hill by many users of this modding community. As a result many posts have originated listing workarounds due to the lack of any really decent XSI based alternative modeling tools. What's a bit ironic is that of the dozen or so 3d modeling packages I have on my system none even export XSI models at all. The few that do (XSI Mod Tool) export version 3.5 and above.

Let's face it BZII XSI is all but dead short of the handful of modders that frequent the dark and  musky halls of this modding forum. Still, we post articles in the hopes that some newbie modelers might benefit from these little jewels of knowledge. OBTW, the alternative name of the afore mentioned piece of crap is called, Battle Zone 2 Model Editor. To be honest with you guys I think someone monkeyed around with the original BZ2ME to disable X and MSH file saving, and that's truly why Threed is such a piece of crap. Then again I really don't have a clue Mr Magoo...BNG.

[BNG Da BZ Fool]

Problem: When I make a model with tracks or wheels I always seem to have a great big gap between the main body and lower suspension section. What can I do to avoid this really big gap?

Solution: BZII, apparently adds this gap by default to separate the body from the suspension portion of the wheels or tracks, so you have to compensate when you construct your 3d model. To minimize the gap you can lower the main body part of your model in your 3d modeling program to sit either even or below the track wheel objects; it'll look a bit odd in the 3d modeler, but will have less of a gap when you load it into the map editor for testing. Just experiment back and forth until you get the gap that looks the best ingame. I noticed this recently when I compared one of my models with that of the ISDF Rock Tank. The main body actually sat within the track section object.

PS: You can also add hubcap objects to wheels by separating a portion from the outer wheel part, and gluing them under the tread l/r assemblies as an extra visual enhancement.

[mrtwosheds]

Normally you parent like mainbody/tractor/tread, the tractor part is the suspension and the mainbody will rise above it slightly, so it needs to be set into the body a little bit.