epic noob question

[takakenji]

so, i always here that models "use only ingame textures" but, when i merge models, they use the default single textures the unit they're merged onto has, how do i change this or what do i do?

 

[twotonedbeat]

If you want to change the texture a model part uses uses, all you have to do is:

(This uses War 3 Model Editor)
(Only follow the first set of steps if the texture you want to use is not in your Texture Manager yet)

-If you want to use a custom texture, follow these steps:
-In the WC3Editor is click the "Texture Manager" option under "Windows".
-Right click on that window and click "Import"
-Find the texture in the explorer you want to use and click it.
-It should appear in the Texture Manager window.
(Note: The texture file should be in the same folder as your model file)

-If you want to use an in-game texture, follow these steps:
-Under the "Windows" menu click "MPQ Browser"
-Click the File tab and select the MPQ archive that contains the in-game texture you want to use. (If you can't select an MPQ file, make sure your War 3 Model Editor is in your Warcraft III folder)
-Find the Texture you want to use, right click it and then click "Use as Texture"
-You can check the Texture Manager option under the Windows tab to check if your texture imported from the MPQ file properly.

Once you have the texture you want in the texture manager:

-Close the Texture Manager Window.
-Click under the "Material Manager" menu the "Windows" option.
-Click through all the combinations of numbers and letters until you find the material layer you want to change, click it. (This is mostly trial and error)
-Find the the "Texture ID" box after you've clicked the material layer you want to modify.
-There should be a drop down form inside this box, select the texture file in your texture manager you want to use from the drop down manu for that material layer.
-The editor should automatically refresh and if you did everything right your model will appear with the texture you selected on the part of the material layer you modified.


The texture manager handles importing and managing all of your texture files.

The material manager handles applying those textures to specific parts of your model.


Now just save your model and you should be good to go, if you changed the material properly, the Model Editor will automatically display it on your model.

 

[takakenji]

yeah, but how do i make it only change the texture of the parts i want?

 

[twotonedbeat]

yeah, but how do i make it only change the texture of the parts i want?

You mean you have multiple parts of the same Material Layer you want to change the texture of?

In that case you could go into Mdlvis, cut the veritices you wanted to change the texture of, and paste them. This would put them into a new geoset, allowing you to UV map them independently of the other geoset.

So basically in whatever you're using you need to remove the parts you want with the in-game texture, and move them to a new geoset where they can use whatever texture you want, separate from the original geoset (which only wants to use 1 texture, AFAIK)

AFAIK you can't use 2 different textures for the same geoset (other than an alpha/teamcolor channel)...but I could be completely wrong on that.

"The parts you want" is rather...vague.

I usually only need the Material Manager to modify the parts (Material Layers) I want.

Sorry I'm also new but in your case, that's what I've done and its worked out okay. But not everyone has Mdlvis.

 

[takakenji]

okay, if i add a texture to one, it becomes everything. I don't want everything to be this texture, i just want one certain part, but ill try what you said

 

[twotonedbeat]

okay, if i add a texture to one, it becomes everything. I don't want everything to be this texture, i just want one certain part, but ill try what you said

In that case you need to move the parts you want with a different texture to a new geoset, and do a UV map for that geoset independently using the new texture.

Its just a matter of telling the editor to differentiate between which parts (geosets) to stick your texture on, that's all.

 

[takakenji]

you don't understand, HOW do i get the geoset SEPERATE FROM THE OTHERS?

 

[twotonedbeat]

you don't understand, HOW do i get the geoset SEPERATE FROM THE OTHERS?

Well that's not what you asked, at all.

Not to mention what you said makes no sense... it isn't a geoset yet...its a bunch of triangles that are part of a geoset.

You're making a new geoset, and putting those parts into it.

I assumed you knew how to remove a geoset and put it into a new geoset layer, because you didn't ask how to until now..

How to separate it: (You must have Mdlvis.... search the forums if you can't find it)

-Open the model you're working with.
-Check the Vertices Box
-Select the geoset from which you want to make a new geoset.
-Select the Vertices you want to separate. (using the select tool)
-Click the "Detach as a new geoset" icon...it looks like a green circle broken in half.

This will create a new geoset you can play with and attach a UV map to.

Looks like this:

 

[takakenji]

yeah, i know that, but then how do i add a texture to it in magos? it wont come up as its own geoset in material manager so i can give it its own texture, i'll give a simple example.

i want to give barney a orange arm, but his only thing in material manager will change his whole body. i want to know how to be able to only change his arm.

we arn't communicating right :/

 

[twotonedbeat]

yeah, i know that, but then how do i add a texture to it in magos? it wont come up as its own geoset in material manager so i can give it its own texture, i'll give a simple example.

i want to give barney a orange arm, but his only thing in material manager will change his whole body. i want to know how to be able to only change his arm.

we arn't communicating right :/

Magos won't do that..

You need to copy and convert your .blp texture to a .jpg and make a UV map for the geoset using Oinkerwinkle's Vertex editor.
Oh and to edit it in OVE you need to convert it to MDL format.

would be nice if someone added a plugin to mdlvis to assign textures to new geosets....using 3 programs to do it is a pain in the ass.

 

[takakenji]

Magos won't do that..

You need to copy and convert your .blp texture to a .jpg and make a UV map for the geoset using Oinkerwinkle's Vertex editor.
Oh and to edit it in OVE you need to convert it to MDL format.

would be nice if someone added a plugin to mdlvis to assign textures to new geosets....using 3 programs to do it is a pain in the ass.

wat.

 

[twotonedbeat]

Eh the way I thought you could do it isn't working for me... I'll try to get this working and get back to you.

Having trouble assigning a new material layer to a geoset >:|

Edit: I figured it out:

Using Magos:

First import your texture into the texture manager.
Make a new material layer in magos, the new material layer should use the new texture.
Go to the geoset manager, find the geoset ID which corresponds to the one you want the texture on, in the menu for that geoset you should be able to select the new material layer.

I'm not sure how the Geoset IDs correspond to the Geoset numbers....that's a bit hit and miss.

I should go write a tut on this... wonder if there's anything similar...


Oh and thank you blinkboy for making the conquistador model and allowing me to edit it.

 

[takakenji]

kinda confusing but ill try it out

 

[slashdraw]

please help me: i type to enter mdl editor but it says :unable to open splatdata.txt!!!

 

[takakenji]

why the hell are you asking that in my own topic that is a question for me?

edit: btw i got it to work, thanks alot dude!

 

[twotonedbeat]

Yay! Good for you

Glad you could get it to work, thanks for the question, I needed an excuse to get it working