MTL information??
 

Hi guys,

I've been loving working with your tools Windcatcher.. absolutely incredible! I've tried researching this on my own and PM'ing people who might know, but getting no response.

I'm trying to export models/world geometry with textures for either use in OpenZone or 3DS. I've been able to open the geometry for the world itself without difficulty by exporting as an OBJ from zoneConverter. However, without a MTL file to point to where all the textures go I just get a big old single color block of geometry. While I could probably go in an break it up and texture things individually it would be hugely time consuming (if I've got to do it that way I've got to then.. )

I'm trying to figure out a way to export the model data from a zone with it's textures intact. I've read of a guy Kaiyoto or something like that having created a script for exactly this, but PMing people who knew him has yielded nothing as by these days everyone who knew him are EQEMU staff and unlikely to respond to my measly PM :).

My overall EQEMU goal is my own, but other purposes include, using the EQ models or zones in other game editors to mod elements of other games. Any help in the right direction would be fantastic, thanks in advance. I apologize if I'm overlooking simple details, bare in mind I am almost completely new to this end of the scene and just working with what skills I have.

Kindest Regards,

One step closer..
 

Ok, first a huge thanks to GeorgeS.. Even though I went to his page to view the tools I didn't think to look at the bottom group of 'additional files' on his page. It wasn't until I need drivers for another program of his that I noticed Kaiyodo's converter tool. Well I'm absolutely sorry GeorgeS (no sarcasm) that I wasted a PM and post asking about his tool when it was right on your darn page!! My sincerest.. Now, lets take a look.

That's a render I got AFTER seperating the primary objects converted over to the .MS from Kaiyodos tool. Now, obviously this is exactly what I needed, texture data stored with the geometry. I can go in and break everything apart and re-align it properly. While this wouldn't take so long with these basic models, things like the actual zones themselves which are collapsed in on themselves would be like putting together hyper-legos with no instructions.

I'm wondering if anyone has a workaround for this issue so that the parts of the polys aren't centralized into each other. Am I missing something simple in his .ms exporting?? Perhaps there's an input option?? I can't begin to express how excited I am over this leap of progress (admitedly over and upon the shoulders of greater men..) in my desire to utilize the EQ models and zones elsewhere or for a particular purpose related to EQEmu.

Any help is profoundly appreciated.. I'll continue troubleshooting myself.

Kindest Regards,~~~

You can use the EQZoneConvert tool... look around, you'll find it. It converts it into POV-Ray scripts, which then you can import the POV-Ray script into 3DS Max. A little crafty work, and you can get the object files by themselves.

I think, using this theory, you can make maps for other games from EQ zones.

Hey Secrets :)
 

Greetings Secrets!

Well indeed I've used a similar tool to extract the geometry and texture data into a MaxScript. I have the tool mentioned and I'm absolutely dying to try it out!!! I've been busy the last half of this week but I'll have time tomorrow to get down to business.. Exciting times!!

I'll post whatever work I can manage by tomorrow. Thanks so much for responding to my akward thread, it's much appreciated!!

Kindest Regards~~~

Progress...
 

Alright, well~ Got a big step in the right direction as far as having the assembled models. However there's complications.. I'm just going to throw out everything I've learned from the various programs I've been using and if someone sees something I could change or try let me know.. but right now it's about 3AM and I've been working on solutions since I got home from work at 4:30 :)

• • EQZoneConverter
  • I found it easily enough (the old HackersQuest release) however it doesn't work. Importing a .wld file doesn't yield anything. It just goes back to the beginning screen so I'm not sure what you were referring to Secrets as far as using that to export to POV-ray. However...

• • EQModelViewer
  • Another tool bundled with the EQZC, this is a fantastically laid out program, I can browse all the .s3d's, (freportn.s3d) select the appropriate .wld file within it (<zone> or _chr.wld (from freportn_chr.s3d)) and it shows the same list I was using to generate my renders from the above update.
    
    
    I noted that with some finangaling as you mentioned secrets I could get the objects by themselves which was as easy as selecting only a single sprite from the list and exporting that. I found out later however that EQMV only shows the static model components .. not the fused animated models the game actually uses, these are just references.
    
    I also noted that these static models are actually crushed in on each other by nature, ex: torsos are filled with legs and arms / hands etc in one big crunch box. It's native to the static model itself, so it's not an issue with exporting, if anything it's an issue with reading the base .wld file which I'm not even remotely capable of altering (not to mention EQMV is closed source)
    
    THIS PROGRAM offers exporting to .pov, however they don't compile right in pov-ray, and despite hours of searching I can find NO import scripts for getting .pov into 3DS, just export scripts. If you have a reference for an import script let me know!

• • DZoneConverter
  • An absolutely brilliant tool created by WindCatcher.... Now that I'm more familiar with it, I'm able to load up a given .wld file, browse the static models export them individually, JUST like EQMV, the only exception is that exporting to .OBJ from DZC doesn't import with textures into 3ds even if I select a material library path for rendering AND even when I hand made a proprietary .mat file from the extracted .bmps from the .s3d.
    
    The beautiful feature here is that WC is able to show us actor definitions, not just static models, so we can see animations and even export (sadly only the first frame of each animation sequence) to individual .obj files and open them up. Once again, this feature is incredible because it gives me a fused whole model to add a skeleton to or animate or do whatever with, it's just lacking the skin -__-
    
    I'm not sure what to do, I'm starting to read up on OpenGL to figure out what's going on, from what I've learned already about the content of a .OBJ file it stores the texture locations and their path (in addition of course to things like geometric points etc..).. I checked the outputs from WC's program and it IS showing the right paths for the textures.. however the import script doesn't recognize or use them (even though they're in the freaking file) it just imports geometry.
    
    The only tool capable of assigning textures is Kaiyodo's .ms export that's a part of the EQMV program. If there were someway to plug this .ms export option into WC's program that would be a HUGE step in the right direction.

I know these tools are unsupported but if WindCatcher or anyone with the knowledge passes by this, let me know if it's possible to export the full animations (not just the first frame) from DZC. Also how to also import textures WITH the .OBJ file .. traditionally this data is stored in a .MTL file that accompanies the .OBJ file.

It's frustrating because of my ignorance of OpenGL or 3d Modelling in general I can't answer more of this myself. But I see the darn texture references in the .obj file yet nothing's utilizing them.

I'm going to start devouring the source for that DZC program as I learn about OpenGL because if it comes down to it, I'll just have to known what there is to know and solve the blasted needs myself. The pieces to the puzzle ARE there, I'm just incapable of putting them together (for the moment). If I have to design my own solution to this problem then so be it, I'll see you all in a year lol!! However, if I don't have to reinvent the wheel, please don't make me :)

Any help from this point out is appreciated..

Kindest Regards~~

http://www.atomsofjustice.com/KaiyodoUK/PovImport2.zip

^ script to import POV-Ray Scripts generated from EQZoneConverter into 3DS Max.

Run EQZoneConverter on an S3D file, *NOT* the actual wld, otherwise there will be no textures.

Hey Secrets!
 

Greetings Secrets!

First of all, a big thanks again for that. Under your recommendation I was able after a few hours of digging to find the original ZoneConverter (not the one bundled with ModelViewer on GeorgeS's site).

Indeed it was as easy as pie after all the ordeals prior to this point. I've not tested it again on individual character based .wld files that come out of the _chr.s3d's but I will later (my computers dying now).

I was able to do some background reading by following Kaiyodo's post trails and find out that the reason for that 'implosion' is because he couldn't find out where bone structures and the like were stored in the distributed .s3d's so he couldn't render or export full scenes just individual static models.

I have also found out that a certain .s3d file contains all the complete models for characters and NPC's up to Kunark (which is good enough for me) and am in the process of getting into a file that might have this .s3d to test it on.

This next question is for WindCatcher himself. I don't know how frequently he views this thread, I might also post this as it's own topic after a week or two if I can get any assistance.

Question:
Your DZoneConverter is able to show completed models, it also shows animations contained within the newest .s3d files. You've found out where the bone and animation information is stored as well as how to preview it. Would it be a big ordeal to combine the export to .POV as the original ZoneConverter makes use of, as well as the export to .MS features of Kaiyodo's model viewer into your DZoneConverter?

I am beginning to look into how I can do this myself with your program (that is.. extending it's features) since both it, the original ZoneConverter AND Kaiyodo's Model Viewer are all open source. Depending on your answer or willingness to extend your program with those features (I know it's unsupported) at the very least could you point me to topic of study that would prime me for this task. I've got basic programming logic down alright, and experience with C/C++ (though scant). It looks like a big chunk of learning will have to go to OpenGL and even just understanding 3D modelling in general! Any help would be fantastic.

I'm still on my quest to export everything from EQ :). With everyones help I've got significantly closer to that goal. Most items and armor, now zones (looking into spells as well). The last great frontier is getting the full (unimploaded) models for the PC's/NPC's along with their basic animations.

With great respect,
and as always,

Kindest Regards~~