model art

[Gogetakao]

were can i find art-model-protrat can anyone give me screenshot since i am new i need complete info on basics because i cant find as shown in tuts

 

[Nichilus]

If you mean a unit's portrait, which is shown ingame in UI, then you either look for model or an animation.

a) Model
You have 2 models
- one is called *name*.mdx - this is the model which you see in game, which you can give orders to, etc.
- the other is called *name*_Portrait.mdx - the _Portrait suffix tells the game that this is the "portrait" part of the *name*.mdx model.

For example if you find Footman in your Object Editor, and change "Art - Model File" from "units\human\Footman\Footman" to "units\human\Footman\Footman_Portrait.mdl", you will see the "portrait" file of the footman in game (these models, however, are not set up to be shown in game, but only in the game's UI - so the actual model may be moved a bit off its center, etc.)

- These models are usually in the same folder, so things don't get messed up. Look at the Footman example I posted above - both models are in folders "units -> human -> Footman"


b) Animation
Some models do not consist of 2 models (the main model and its portrait model). They have only the main model and this main model has an animation called "Portrait".
An example of such unit is the Satyr unit.

This, however, has one disadvantage - you see, when you have the *name*.mdx and *name*_Portrait.mdx, the _Portrait file has a more detailed model (which usually consists only of the part which is visible in game in the UI, so those units mostly don't have legs, etc.) and these detailed models also have their own "talking" animations (== so it looks like they are really talking when you click/order them).

The B) method however uses the low-quality model (low quality compared to the _Portrait file quality) and it lacks any of those "talking" animations. Again - if you look in game at the Satyr unit and click it, he actually doesn't move his mouth or anything.

 

[PurgeandFire]

@Nichilus:

For the "animation" method, you can have talking. The animation just needs to be named "Portrait Talk". After all, that is how the wc3 determines which animation to use for talking with the portrait model too.

@Gogetako:

Are you asking how to make a portrait model?

 

[Gogetakao]

i am asking how to insert potrat model i cannot find art-model-portrait can anyone give me screen shot were it is

 

[Nichilus]

i am asking how to insert potrat model i cannot find art-model-portrait can anyone give me screen shot were it is

You don't insert it anywhere in the Object editor, if that's what you're asking - as I wrote, as long as that portrait model has the _Portrait suffix and shares the same name as the main model, the game should automatically use it.

e.g. If you import a model, let's call this model "demon", then the import path is:
- demon.mdx (nothing else - no Textures\demon.mdx, that is just a big no no)
- demon_Portrait.mdx (again, no path).

now you for example take Footman unit and change it's Art - Model from Footman to "demon.mdx", nothing else.
Now when you select this new unit in game it should have correct portrait (demon_Portrait.mdx).

To conclude:
1) You have 2 models, one is the _Portrait file of the other model.
2) Import both
3) Change Art - Model to the main model
4) In game, if you did everything correct, the _Portrait file should be shown automatically when you select unit with the changed model.

@Nichilus:

For the "animation" method, you can have talking. The animation just needs to be named "Portrait Talk". After all, that is how the wc3 determines which animation to use for talking with the portrait model too.

Yeah, I know something like that is possible, though I always thought it wastes resources, if you make the main model also talk (or make a more detailed head, etc.)
I thought that the reason for the "Portrait" animation in the main model was for doodads (or anything else which does not talk), while the _Portrait file was for units - not that it would be limited like that, but I thought it's simply better memory-wise.