Guide: Exporting Zones + Textures

[toddfx]

Yes that's right i've brought it back from the dead!

I'm currently having fun playing with EQ zones in 3D Studio Max, and using VRay to render them up with some nice lighting and atmospheric effects. Check out some of my renders over at Project1999 forums if you like: http://www.project1999.org/forums/sh...ad.php?t=18950

HOWEVER up until this point I have been capturing my data in-game using the utility 3D Ripper DX. It only allows me to capture small sections at a time, so I'm hoping to use this Model Viewer to import ENTIRE zones at once which will allow me to do 3D camera flythroughs!

Anyway, the problem I am having here is that the Model Viewer seems to display zones not as a whole, but as individual zone meshes stacked together at 0,0 coordinates like so: http://toddkumpf.com/images/renders/...na-example.jpg

This obviously is a problem. Am I missing something, or is this just how it is?

Also, when I import the .POV file, it doesn't appear that any textures are applied to the models. Sure they are UV'd and sure you can export the BMPs/DDSs separately from Model Viewer, but is the only option to manually apply them back onto the model in Max?

Thanks so much, guys! This will be a real life-saver once I get it hammered out!

[Akkadius]

Originally Posted by toddfx

Yes that's right i've brought it back from the dead!

I'm currently having fun playing with EQ zones in 3D Studio Max, and using VRay to render them up with some nice lighting and atmospheric effects. Check out some of my renders over at Project1999 forums if you like: http://www.project1999.org/forums/sh...ad.php?t=18950

HOWEVER up until this point I have been capturing my data in-game using the utility 3D Ripper DX. It only allows me to capture small sections at a time, so I'm hoping to use this Model Viewer to import ENTIRE zones at once which will allow me to do 3D camera flythroughs!

Anyway, the problem I am having here is that the Model Viewer seems to display zones not as a whole, but as individual zone meshes stacked together at 0,0 coordinates like so: http://toddkumpf.com/images/renders/...na-example.jpg

This obviously is a problem. Am I missing something, or is this just how it is?

Also, when I import the .POV file, it doesn't appear that any textures are applied to the models. Sure they are UV'd and sure you can export the BMPs/DDSs separately from Model Viewer, but is the only option to manually apply them back onto the model in Max?

Thanks so much, guys! This will be a real life-saver once I get it hammered out!

I just wanted to say, those looked amazing. I'd be surprised to see if you can get them actually working as direct replacements.

EDIT: I think it was Sakraateri or something to that extent that would be a good person to talk to. They use Open Zone to import/export alot of that stuff, maybe even a user by the name of Packet. Maybe even Windcatcher, but these are all users that are not here very often at all.

[Shadows91]

Strip AZone2 (the source code is included in eqemu's svn package) for zone file parsing.

As an example, I wrote a small zone viewer. you can find the source code: HERE

To build the zone viewer, open the 'EQNavigation' solution file (it's located in the 'EQNavigation' folder) using Visual Studio, then build and run the project (press 'F5').

You'll be prompted for an output folder (it asks about something not so kosher). Just ignore that bit, since you don't really care about navmesh generation.

Once the GUI is up, Click the 'Choose Zone...' button to open the zone list and select a zone from the zone list to load the geometry. Your zone will then load and render (sorry, it doesn't render textures -- yet!..anyways, it'd be nice if you added such a feature and shared your source code).

Hold right mouse button to pan the camera and W,A,S,D keys to move around. To increase the speed of the camera, hold shift and\or alt.