Creating a new unit using 3ds max

This tutorial explains how to import a model into 3ds max from another program such as Blender or Maya, Rig it, add materials and get it into the game.


Import an .obj file from maya or fbx file from blender. Import as editable poly. Your units should be in meters (if you are creating the unit in 3ds, your units should also be in meters).

If there are multiple objects, use the attach command to combine each element into the same object.



If you need to rotate and scale the model, be sure to Reset your transform and scale to zero.


ADD COLORING

All of the basic coloring in the 3ds model, then this coloring can later be baked and used to start the texture.

Add a "Multi/Sub-object" Material to your object. Create a sub material for each color that you want to use and color each polygon of the object. This will give you a head start on the texture. I use the following colors.

Dark grey= 464646, Light Grey = 9C9999, Team Color (Red)=FF0000, 2nd Team Color(Green)=00FF00



UNWRAP

Select all of the polygons in the object.
Add the "Unwrap UVW" modifier, then change your UV selection from vertex to polygon.
Open the UV editor, under the Mapping menu, select "Flatten Mapping"



I used a Polygon Angle of 20 Degrees, but you can change it to get an unwrap that you like.



BAKING TEXTURE

Under the rendering menu, select Render to Texture.



Rendered Frame Window, Padding =0, For Mapping Coordinate you want to "Use Existing Channel". Under the Output tab, select "Add", "Diffuse Map". Under "Target Map Slot" select "Diffuse Color". Set your map size to what you want your texture size to be. Also be sure to select "Render to Files Only". Then click Render.



The rendering window actually shows the complete map with lighting and reflectivity. However 3ds will save the proper diffuse map in the ...\sceneassets\images location in your 3ds Max directory. This is what I start with my the texture. At some point in the future, this tutorial will be updated with how to make the diffuse, mask, and material texture files from this image.





RIGGING AND SKINNING

Add a bone at 0,0,0 and name it "bone_root". Be sure that the rotation is set to 0,0,0. Add any additional bones as required. Link the bones together with "bone_root" being the parent.





Add the "Skin" Modifier. Then add all of your bones to the skin.



Select "Edit Envelope"



Click on the "Select vertices" checkbox.



Select all vertices in the model. Open up the Weight tool and select "bone_root". Click on "1" to assign all vertices to "bone_root"

Select any vertices that you want assigned an any bones other than "bone_root"(turrets for example), and use the weight tool to assign those vertices a weight of 1.





save your file, then do a save as(save it as a different file name (for example tesla no material).
Replace all your materials with the standard material. If you import the model with all of the coloring, the game will change the team color of the unit when you zoom out(at least it used to). To solve this you can just give the unit the standard material that it started with.

You run this script to export your model per the 3ds mini tutorial. Make sure the model is selected before running the script. Output.fbx can now be sent through papatran.exe

https://forums.uberent.com/threads/reference-papadump-exe-papatran-exe.48386/
Script File
FbxExporterSetParam "Animation" false
FbxExporterSetParam "BakeAnimation" false
FbxExporterSetParam "SmoothingGroups" true
FbxExporterSetParam "TangentSpaceExport" true
FbxExporterSetParam "UpAxis" "Z"
exportFile ("Output.fbx") #noPrompt selectedOnly:true using:FBXEXP

holy crap man this is going to be so useful!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

ok so i keep getting this dumb error when exporting a model with animated bones:



I've already tried collapsing (this removed the mesh animation though ) the modifier list and pinning it. Kinda confused.

Don't know if this will help at all, but here is the fbx export script I use.
https://mega.co.nz/#!g5QjWChC!O5JMmkljBQepMPEsnzUg9qOhMtRkmCRwz0RfJrzYjZc

If I remember correctly, you need to export the animation as a separate file. Then, you would export the model without the animation for your unitname.papa file. Did you check this video? https://forums.uberent.com/threads/tutorial-export-animated-models.65754/

Yeah i tried exporting them as separate files but there's an error for each time i try to export the mesh or animation. And that video doesn't help, sorry zx0.

Attached file link, I'll flip my desk if I spend any more time with this right now. As you can see the animation is fine but it just won't export.
https://mega.co.nz/#!J9UQjDxJ!q5DORN_ya71VeMyeBHQ0XwpJ17uM3iZAK68_sCrak14

Well, for starters you have skin modifier appliyed to bones, so there's a error on fbx eport. Then skin of meshes seems messed up. I also don't know if PA actually supports multiple meshes, I always exported one (+ _nav for factories).

Actually i don't even know how to combine multiple meshes, i thought the attach command did that.

Also, why does the skin mesh seem messed up?

ok actually I think I got it to work... kinda. It exported correctly but importing has errors, although the errors don't seem to do anything because the model and animation are working now when exported. The issue is that the model gets really messed up when converted to a .papa, it's rotated and scaled weird and no longer looks like the original model.

There is lik "attach" command that creates hierarchy and there is attach command in editable mesh/poly/whateve that merges objects. You can see list of objects in scene by pressing H, or opening scene explorer if you are using newer version of 3ds max.

Skin on meshes actually is ok, I just assumed animation wrong.

Model may get messed up if you have scale not at 100% or rotation or position other then (0,0,0). Same thing applies to root_bone and scale thing applies to all bones. Sometime a weird case happens when everithing is set up fine but model is still messed up, then you can fix it with this (put in /[3ds max installaton]/Scripts folder).
edit: basically should link html page instead http://metlab.cse.msu.edu/xna3ds.html

ok so, this one has no animations and i'm trying to reduce all of the variables so i can just get a simple mesh with a skin modifier to export. This model will export with no errors, but the export is really weird looking and the different bones are moved around oddly. I've already tried to reset the scale and location but that makes the model huge and also does not fix the weird bone placement upon export (pretty sure all vertices are assigned to a bone).

Another file this time, just a new dox model. (and haha you get to see a sneak peek of the faction mod.)
https://mega.co.nz/#!R8FXWDqK!1eok_GrWh_T9Mpsli6Vu75QfgNL-yqclG5jibN-CZuo
pls

Are you using 3dsmax 2016? Can you save it as a 3dsmax 2015 version file? It says I can not open it because the file is made with a newer version. I am running 2015.

Yep sorry, I thought it would have been backwards compatible. I can do that when I get home.

2014
https://mega.co.nz/#!YwkHRT5B!-PuZrRdbVzdARLkAaAjusEMKJWmh3pnwl9rDyFxUsAY

You want change your unit scale to meters, then there is a lot of extra stuff from that import that you need to delete. keep the mesh (polySurface58) and the bones (everything under bone_root) and delete everything else. I also changed the name of the mesh from polySurface58 to the unit name. Also the rotation of your bone_root is not (0,0,0). Use the Reset transform function to reset bone_root to (0,0,0). After that it is a matter of getting the rotations of the other bones correct, which can involve some trial and error.



https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B-S4qGQ89ZzoUkF3eVUta0ozQzA/view?usp=sharing

edit: Also reset your scale to 100 percent.

well the reason why i have weird bone rotations is because I can use the existing dox animation to save time. I'm assuming this is alright?

It's weird that you have those bone rotataions, if you import dox model into blender, you should have different. Note thought, that blender bones will also have wrong rotations, in 3ds max select them all, in hierarchy tab (third tab on the right panel) select "Affect pivot only" and rotate them by -90 on X axis, then make sure root_bone has (0,0,0) rotation.

oh right actually the left leg bones are rotated incorrectly, that was a mistake but nevermind that

and i'll have to take a look at this later because this is going to make me rage, there's something really odd about these reset buttons and the model that i can't fix... Thanks though !

@zx0
Is it possible to to import skeletons direct from the games papa files to 3ds? Or do you still have to go through blender.

Kiwi, you might be better off re-importing the skeleton from the doc in the game, and reskinning it in 3ds to your new model.