Modeling Resource: Customized Vertex Editor

[Retera]

So after numerous years of working on a homebrew Warcraft mod project of mine, I finally got tired of making models halfway in Notepad++ and halfway in Oinkerwinkle's tools, so I started on a monster programming project designed to replace Oinkerwinkle's Vertex Modifier. However, in so doing, I realized that there was a lot more to the Vertex Modifier than I ever bothered to use, so I've been slower in finishing than I might have hoped.

That said, I've built a work in progress Java version of the Vertex Modifier and almost tried to upload it as a Modeling Resource until I read through the rules and realized that the Hive doesn't want work-in-progress-type projects. That being the case, I'm hoping this is the right sort of place to post the project and hopefully I'll get some feedback as to how to make it even better. It still lacks some of Oinkerwinkle's Vertex Modifier's features, but its Import function could effectively serve as an advanced replacement for Oinkerwinkle's GeosetMerger and AnimTransfer if I polish it a little bit.

Here was the program description that I originally wrote for use in my tool submission:

This tool is essentially a customized version of Oinkerwinkle's Vertex Modifier rewritten in Java to allow for some additional features:
- fullscreen support
- Multi-tabbed editing, meaning that you can open many models at the same time
- white, not black, background on Windows 7
- Editing multiple geosets at a time with ease
- Editing PivotPoints
- Advanced Import feature, which functions similar to Oinkerwinkle's GeosetMerger but a lot more complex, including animation importing, bone importing, some limited particle emitter importing, etc
- Saving automatically rewrites the model's GeosetAnimIds so that no part of the geometry will ever do the stretch-to-nearby-model glitch

The tool is a working simple Vertex Editor and Importer, and I intend to add more features as time goes on. However, I still consider it to be in very early stages of development and you may experience errors -- please back up your models, and report any errors that you find.

The Import tool is really quite handy. As an example, one might create Grunt riding a Dragon by simply importing the Grunt model onto the Dragon and telling it to attach the grunt's legs to the Dragon's chest-type bones rather than importing the Grunt's leg bones. However, due to the complex nature of this sort of importing and the early stage of the tool, you may experience program errors and I hope that you report them for me.

Written in the newest version of Java, so it should work cross-platform but you may need to update Java:
http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/java/javase/downloads/jre7u7-downloads-1836441.html
If that link doesn't work, go here and push "JRE" download button:
http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/java/javase/downloads/index.html

Credits:
- Thanks to Oracle/Sun for the Java language
- Thanks to Terai Atsuhiro and Jay Warrick for the Drag and Drop Tabbed Pane java class code, which was provided in online Java help forums (http://java-swing-tips.blogspot.com/2008/04/drag-and-drop-tabs-in-jtabbedpane.html)
- Thanks to the Javadocs for documenting Java in an understandable way for users

Edit: The program now has the "ImageBin" folder embedded in itself, so in order to run it you will need only the "MatrixEaterV0.08" jar file and Java.

Latest Version:
http://www.hiveworkshop.com/forums/...vertex-editor-matrixeater3dv0.16C_windows.zip

List of Known Issues:
http://www.hiveworkshop.com/forums/2333774-post60.html

Significantly Newer Sourcecode (v0.11c thereabouts):
http://www.hiveworkshop.com/forums/2337282-post66.html

 

[PROXY]

Wait, so with this tool it is possible, to import the bones of one model WITH the animations onto another, letting both play? :O That would be ultimate, though I think it won't be possible and I simply missunderstood it, as it isn't clarified enough.

 

[Retera]

Here's an example model, the first made with the Import feature, although the tool is so much a WIP that I was tailoring the program to fit my needs as I was making this.

Note that you have to know or be able to interpret bone names and the like in the complex import options menu.

Edit: As a sidenote, this model was a 2-way import. I imported the Grunt into the Dragon along with its attack animation, then when it was finished imported the Dragon's stand animation into the Grunt-Dragon hybrid overlapping the Grunt's attack that was imported into the hybrid, so that the dragon flapped its wings during the Grunt animations in the hybrid model.

Also added another example attachment, which was an import test between two former extrusion-test models. The "CHIMAERAFIEND" model is obviously useless, but it was a late-night proof of concept a while ago when I was working on the program. Essentially, although I was in such a hurry that I didn't name new animations "alternate," it is a chimaera with alternate anims for being a crypt fiend.

 

[JesusHipster]

^badass function:0
What else interesting can do this tool?

 

[Retera]

A word of caution, I've been going from vacation to vacation and have not worked on the program in a few weeks -- so there was another issue with it that I forgot to mention.
If you do not view the Matrices options for each individual Geoset, then when you import a model it will delete Matrix data from your model and corrupt it so that it will not convert back to MDX correctly (program edits MDLs).

There are still a few issues like that which I will look in to resolving in the future, but for now if you use the program please just work around them. Also, if you find any others feel free to post them here and make sure that I give them attention!

(So if you're working on a model in this program and all of your VertexGroups become 0 and the model has one Matrix -- with a value of -1 -- then you'll just need to rerun the import from your backups and be sure to view all Geosets in the Matrices import tab)

I intend to fix this soon!

Edit: As for other interesting functions, I have several ideas planned but the Importing is the best of them for the time being. The program loads all portions of the model into Java variables, so if you have any logical sequences of edits that you wish to have automated feel free to post them and see if I can make them happen. Invent and suggest a feature, and I'll see if I can do it!
I've been thinking of adding WarShape like animation editing as well as the ability to edit and insert objects like particle emitters, as my goal is to roll all of the best free editing software tool ideas into one program that I can use for my MDL editing. That said, that's an ambitious goal and the program doesn't do that stuff yet.

(I recognize that some tools such as Magos's are in their ways better than my own, but because I never taught myself to use Magos's for much I'm half in this to better my programming skills -- I took my first class in Computer Programming this past year -- while also bettering the tools that I have been using. In addition, I found myself performing the Import function of this program manually time and time again, so it was something that I really wanted to see done.)

 

[PROXY]

That function with the animations is simply badass, that's what I was looking for for a long time!

Truely a revolution in modelling, as no other program was able to do that before.

Still, the head bones are messed up, so they strech ugly as well as the wings (in the Chimera Fiend model)

Other than that, I love you man.

 

[Retera]

The cause for the wing/neck issue was me playing with the Extrude feature to make sure it worked like Oinkerwinkles -- (and the Chimaera's neck had holes in it because my extrustion feature needed more work).

To better illustrate the same import feature, I decided to run a test to create a MalFurion that has alternate animations to be the standard Grizzly Bear creep. Using the program, going through the import options took only 4 -5 minutes, although when I was finished I repeated the process using another 4 - 5 minutes and changed the options I selected so that the Bear would retain MalFurion's hero glow.

In theory, the program also has the power to import the Druid of the Claw's morphing animations into this model along with the green spell glow and everything, although when I began that process it choked up in reading the DotC's ParticleEmitter data because of an error in my MDL reading code (for an AlphaKey DoC flag, it saw "Alpha" and thought that it was a line of Alpha information). I now have it updated so that the error should be fixed (only accepts "Alpha<space>" on those type flags).
The other large barrier between the idea of this last function and success is the fact that that sort of import will work if and only if the human spends the time to pick out bone names from such options as "Mesh07" and "Mesh11ArchDruid" and properly associate head bones with head bones, leg bones with leg bones, etc.
The program auto-associated the Druid of the Claw bear with the Grizzly Bear, because I have name-associating going automatically, but I didn't go through with the import because it seemed to me that it would be a very tedious process to go through the bone names and pick out in the menu which goes with which for the DoC Night Elf and Malfurion.
I've been thinking that I should add a better method for viewing bones in the program, and I think doing so would greatly ease up the amount of work a human would have to do for an import between dissimilar models.

Anyhow, attached is the MalFuriBear -- the second one with Bear hero glow -- as a better example of the alternate-animation-type importing.

Edit: I realize that the portrait model wouldn't work right because it has two identically named cameras and the game won't know how to pick which is the alternate camera, etc, but I imagine it would not be too big of a challenge to have a human tweak that. For the purpose of the test, you can see that the result model has both cameras.

 

[PROXY]

Nice, and the problem with the bone names isn't a big problem, can be done quickly and is not a big deal.

Though, one problem exists which can't be solved I guess. What is, if the two models you want to merge, have animations with the same keyframes used, they will be played in the same time.

 

[Retera]

Hmm, I'm not quite sure what you mean about the KeyFrames comment -- the program has a built in version of Oinkerwinkle's "RedistributeKeys" that runs behind the scenes, it ought to put newly imported animations in the right place always.

On a sidenote, I decided to see how close to importing the morph animation my program could reasonably come without stupid amounts of work, so I gave it a shot.
I spent about 15 - 17 minutes optimizing the settings in the import menu for what I wanted (making sure that I got all of the morph spell effect bones, etc) and when I finished I had forgotten to click the Matrices tab, and so as I mentioned earlier in this thread the program deleted all of the model's animation.
Another 17ish minutes later I had redone it all, and when test-viewing the morph in which Furion was completely motionless I realized that I could import Furion's "Spell" animation into the "Morph" (and "Morph Alternate") -- so that he looked like he was doing something. It looks a bit silly because the program sped up the animation to make it fit, but overall I rather like the way it worked out. I'll attach the morphing furion test model.

As a note, the program can limitlessly import junk into other junk. It is my belief that I could give this furion model "Alternate Second" animations into the Beastmaster's Thunder Hawks, etc., and "Alternate Third" into a Treant.
The only foreseeable issue is how the game would use multiple base "Morph" animations -- I think it wouldn't use them properly.

Edit: I looked at it a little bit more, and I see that the green spell effect glow from the Druid of the Claw did not fully import onto Furion correctly. Although the bones, ribbons, and particles are all there, the error appears to be with how the program imports Global Sequences, I'll look into that.
My guess is that the program deleted the Global Sequence's keys because they fell in time with Druid of the Claw animations that it was deleting.
I also noted some fairly major Bear visibility issues that I didn't see when looking at the model from the front. I'll look into that too.

- Visibility was program user error
- GlobalSequence animation keyframe deleting was fixed
- Attached is a fixed version of morphing malfurion

 

[PROXY]

Ah I guess, with that Oinkerwinkle Key Redistributor, the problem is cleared

Well, keep going, I really like how many functions this program has!

 

[Retera]

I just edited my last post with a fixed up morphing Furion.

I suppose one of the next things that I'll need to figure out with the program is how to optimize it so that the most number of people can use it. At least on my computer, I have to use command prompt to get the .jar file to start for some reason.

Also, the Import function of the program is great but the rest is a little lacking, and it would be nice if I could make the program do similar operations to what it does as a part of Import outside of the Import menu -- For example, I remade that entire morphing Furion model just to fix whether the Bear had hero glow, because the rest of the program doesn't provide good editing for that stuff yet.

 

[HappyTauren]

This has now set a milestone in wc3 modeling, it's too bad it's sort of late. But nevertheless, this is amazing!

 

[Retera]

I'm glad to hear you like it!

I did some more work on it, and I believe the "program deleted all of your Matrices while importing" glitch should be entirely fixed. I also made the Clone button work, getting things one step closer to a full replacement for the Vertex Modifier. However, Clone does not yet have an undo function assigned to it so use it at your own risk.

I've been using the program for some things so I've probably touched it up in a couple of other ways that I forget as well. However, the version I've got to attach wasn't optimized for file size, but it should still work just fine.

 

[infrenus]

If this artifact of power come like a month ago... but still, when I see how to use it properly (and its done) Im so going to be crazily animation blending... Going to test the thing now. ^^

 

[eubz]

Aw, this is great, but I still find mdlvis and magos model editor superior when it comes to modeling for warcraft 3. (No offense. Just my opinion, and anyone has his opinion.) I guess this (Customized Vertex Editor) is also good for everyone and I find its usefulness at the time this WIP is done.

 

[HappyTauren]

I don't think this tool is really competing with anything. Retera, we have enough of all kinds of tools, you should make this one focus on what others can't do! I think everyone will agree with me on this one. Focus it on animation blending/other features that no other wc3 tools can do.

 

[infrenus]

I don't think this tool is really competing with anything. Retera, we have enough of all kinds of tools, you should make this one focus on what others can't do! I think everyone will agree with me on this one. Focus it on animation blending/other features that no other wc3 tools can do.

That.

 

[Retera]

I'd totally agree, currently the one feature that makes this program any more worth using than others is the Import. That said, I haven't seen anything else that works quite like its import and I find the import incredibly handy in some cases (I'm about to attempt to try to plunk a PotM on an owl and make the owl-rider type hero that was supposedly in the beta/alpha of the original game.)

In the meantime, I just updated a program malfunction which would cause it to break when it saved models that had no geoset animations in some cases.

 

[eubz]

How about create a program that can export model for both SC2 and WC3? That would be very powerful and would be much better than mdlvis and magos. Also, it is much better that the program will not only support good import capabilities but can also create mesh from scratch inside the program, and you can do rigging, creating bones, animating, using materials for the model so it can compete to modeling programs that we know. Or even much better than z modeler.

 

[HappyTauren]

Creating a program that can do "everything" for wc3 and/or scII will take too much time, that's why it hasn't really been done yet. Focusing it on things other wc3 tools can't do is way, way better.

 

[Kyrbi0]

Umm... Wow?

If this tool can do as described... That's one of the single-most frustrating voids in the Oinkerwinkle tools that you have just filled. I can't tell you how annoying it was to be unable to combine 2 units and keep their animations ('mounting'), and the other uses I haven't even begun to discover.

Granted, it's been so long since I MDL/MDX-edited that this'll be unusable for me, but still!... Brilliant work. Thanks.

~EDIT~
By the way, if you're bored & would like to test your awexome WIP tool out on things that will actually be used, please feel free to try some of these...

...

1) Troll 'raptor rider' (Marauder): Berserker + Raptor, or
2) Troll 'mounted caster' (Hexxer): Troll Totemic + black Spider creep

It'll go towards a good cause...

 

[SABREWULF]

Do your program can also add bones to unboned model and transwer moves from wow models? I have manny models that need just that to add moves but they dont have bones and i dont know how i can add them

 

[PROXY]

You seem to have missunderstood it. It does only copy a model WITH it's animation into ANOTHER model. It doesn't give the bones and animatons of ONE model to the OTHER.

 

[SABREWULF]

Well on example file(teddy and druid) teddy have swim animation i tought that it was added from some other model too. Well maybe in futher program will add bones...
Anone know a program that can bones and mesh transplant or something like that?

 

[PROXY]

The bear has got a swim animation by default.
If you want to do that, you must do it manually with Mdlvis or Milkshape. You need to create bones and animate them or give them ingame animations.

 

[Retera]

Sorry, I've been away and busy and stuff and haven't worked on my tool in a while, but been using it.

Seeing things people have said, I figured I could clarify a couple of things about how the import function works:

add bones to unboned model and transwer moves from wow models?

The tool could almost do this in its current state, but not quite. You CAN import bones (but that does not necessarily include bone references) from one model into another, but the features for using them are not yet entirely effective. For example, say you wanted to import the Footman animations onto a World of Warcraft human with footman-type skin etc (whatever mesh you got yourself) but that the WoW model had NO animation and NO bones.

My program could import the Footman bones, with all of their animation, into your model. It could also apply, say, the Archer's animation to those bones in additional, imported animations (like an additional attack motioning as though holding a bow). However, because the program can not add or properly modify Matrices -- it can exchange, but not add -- (Link from geometry to bones) as of yet, the model would still appear entirely animationless despite having 'bones' in it.

That said, I was thinking that a new feature I ought to add would be right-click Matrix adding functionality. That is to say that, for any part of geoset(s), you could right-click selected verteces and pick from some menus which bones the selected verteces were attached to. If I did that, then YES, you would be able to add animation to your WoW models.

It does only copy a model WITH it's animation into ANOTHER model. It doesn't give the bones and animatons of ONE model to the OTHER.

The import feature has 6 parts: Geosets, Animation, Bones, Matrices, Objects and Visibility. You do not have to import all of these things if you do not want. For example, you can select "do not import" for all geosets, import all animations, and import all bones from a model. Then in the "matrices" tab you could edit the original geosets from the model (which are on the list along with the to-be-imported) and redo what bones the parts of the model are attached to (again, you can only swap existing associations for newly built ones currently -- you cannot divide up grouped verteces into new, smaller groups), so that they're attached to the new imported ones. Then, in Objects you could select nothing and in Visibility pick what you want visible when, and you could import the bones and animations of one model into another.
While the end result would be hardly different from transfering the imported bones' motion onto the original bones of the starting model, the difference is that the bones themselves would be imported. Then, for example, if you wanted to add the archer's cape to the footman, you could easily make it animate in the result model because the archer bones would be there. (To be clear, with the tool as it exists currently you absolutely can just transfer in the bones' motion -- there is an option for doing so in the Bones tab, if that's what you want to do instead)

But, as a note, when importing new bones the starting model's bones would be there also -- achieving nothing -- and wasting space. For people who don't know how to delete them, there isn't much of a good function to do so yet. (I guess you could try the "Clear existing bones and helpers" choice, but I haven't tried it much myself and I forget if I programmed it well enough to work. If it works, it would delete absolutely every bone/helper in the starting model.)
Right now the program deletes all unreferenced Materials and Textures when saving, I've considered just doing the same for bones. It would fix that problem.

 

[Matarael]

I can't wait...!

 

[Deolrin]

Oh man. This is amazing! I think that, first of all, you should focus on filling in all of the stuff from Vertex Modifier that you didn't add yet(like the UV Wrap Editor and such, I guess, though I didn't download the program yet: Is it already in?), because you've already got much of it down. Then, you could work on polishing those functions. One frustrating thing with Vertex Modifier is how easily it crashes: If you 'Undo' one too many times, it crashes. If you modified a model in another Vertex Modifier window, it crashes. If you do some other stuff, it crashes. Also, the interface for some thing(marticles and such) is pretty bad. Seeing improvements on that would be wonderful. ^^

 

[HappyTauren]

There's no need to make another vertex modifier, since MDLVis can do all this better than the old VM. However, polishing those functions is what I advocate.

 

[Deolrin]

I personally find MDLVis extremely difficult to use. I didn't find any support for multiple viewports, half of it is badly-translated Russian(I would use the Russian version, but I don't really know Russian terms for modeling stuff, and I prefer English overall), and overall it's just confusing and un-intuitive. Additionally, models exported with MDLVis tend to be un-openable in Magos' Model Editor, or at least tend to display screwed up animations. I personally prefer Oinkerwinkle's tools + WarForger, because they're more intuitive, and they work wonders together with Milkshape, Notepad and Magos' Model Editor.

 

[PROXY]

I never had problems with MDLVis my whole live. It actually made modelling 100x times easier then it was with the Oinkerwinkle tools. Things like screwed up animations or stuff have never encontered me so far. There is an english version too which is totally easy to understand.

 

[SABREWULF]

For example, say you wanted to import the Footman animations onto a World of Warcraft human with footman-type skin etc.

No its not like that
I need animations _from_ W0W to my model that has no bones and no animations (sequences) and this model is not from Warcraft 3 or W0W. If u can upgrade your program to can easly coppy that things i will be rilly greatfull. Also i agree with Deolrin that is rilly hard to use MDL Vis and i never seen any torturial to it for even simple thing like repairing the textures so how i can do there thing what i need i mean transport moves from one model to another if i dont know how to use the program.

 

[infrenus]

No its not like that
I need animations _from_ W0W to my model that has no bones and no animations (sequences) and this model is not from Warcraft 3 or W0W. If u can upgrade your program to can easly coppy that things i will be rilly greatfull. Also i agree with Deolrin that is rilly hard to use MDL Vis and i never seen any torturial to it for even simple thing like repairing the textures so how i can do there thing what i need i mean transport moves from one model to another if i dont know how to use the program.

._.

Dont give the guy motives to stop making the tool

Also for MDLvis

I can use it better than the other mentioned, as forge seens to froe on my computer when I try to move any bone.

 

[PROXY]

And I already told you SABREWULF, it's not possible. The only way to do this is bone your model yourself and then transfer animations to it >.>

 

[HappyTauren]

No its not like that
I need animations _from_ W0W to my model that has no bones and no animations (sequences) and this model is not from Warcraft 3 or W0W. If u can upgrade your program to can easly coppy that things i will be rilly greatfull. Also i agree with Deolrin that is rilly hard to use MDL Vis and i never seen any torturial to it for even simple thing like repairing the textures so how i can do there thing what i need i mean transport moves from one model to another if i dont know how to use the program.

Please, learn to do stuff using already available tools, before requesting additional tools to be made.

What really bothers me is that we have tons of tools available that can do all sorts of great things, and it is mostly people who can't use those to save their life that request features. A huge to this. Learn the stuff that is available first.

I can't blame MDLVis on screwing my animations because I haven't learned to use the tool properly. I have seen people make awesome animations with it, and I can't, because I haven't figured it out. It is still not the tool's fault.

That is why I strongly encourage the author to drop all needless features in favor of those that none of the already existing tools have.

 

[PROXY]

^

This.

 

[SABREWULF]

All aginst me how nice
Its so typical

i just want to make motive to the autor not to stop only to make the program like no one else that can do thing much more EASIER than other programs do especialy transfer animations and bones thats all. In other case i just need tat transfer badly and i rilly care to autor just add a funkcjon to the program to all can easy transfer moves from model to model.

Proxy u sed tranfer of bones and moves is no possible.. Well i say u dont know much i telling u it is posible i saw it and i can make it using Mdl Vis but its to hard for me to do it good and my model dont move like it should but person who show me that can do it with no problem. Unfortunatly i dont have contact with him and as i writed before way in Mdl Vis is too hard for me.

 

[infrenus]

All aginst me how nice
Its so typical

i just want to make motive to the autor not to stop only to make the program like no one else that can do thing much more EASIER than other programs do especialy transfer animations and bones thats all. In other case i just need tat transfer badly and i rilly care to autor just add a funkcjon to the program to all can easy transfer moves from model to model.

Proxy u sed tranfer of bones and moves is no possible.. Well i say u dont know much i telling u it is posible i saw it and i can make it using Mdl Vis but its to hard for me to do it good and my model dont move like it should but person who show me that can do it with no problem. Unfortunatly i dont have contact with him and as i writed before way in Mdl Vis is too hard for me.

Possible? I cant say it isnt. Easy to script? He will do a big code from scratch to only make this work, something that almost all of us do manually. Guy, you can always see the name and place of the bones and create new ones with the same parameters even in model editor! (trust me, I've done that one time, and then transfered the animations from a model to another after rigging the model to the bones.)

What he is trying to do is a new feature that is kinda practical, and if he deviats from tat concept to a completely new program that is heavy, hard to script and will take a titanical time bug fixing, you think will even come a program from it?

Also another thing I forgot. even if you eport bones from one another, you still will need to rerig then, because one model har different vertice numbers and form than another, else the thing will be really wonky. (like a cape going with the arm or simply stuck on place because no bone have atached to it.)

 

[Deolrin]

The problem is that Vertex Modifier is an old, outdated tool. An improved version of it with more functions such as this one is a great boon to have, at least in my opinion.

 

[HappyTauren]

The problem is that you do not need to work on a 2D interface since you have a working 3D interface.

 

[Deolrin]

And not everyone likes\prefers that. ><
If MDLVis had support for both 3D 'live' modeling, and multiple viewport modeling, then it would truly be superior. But it does not. And it's also in half-assedly translated Russian. So no thanks, I prefer Vertex Modifier(and, hopefully soon enough, Retera's program).

 

[takakenji]

this is cool i definently like the importing feature

 

[PROXY]

The 3d interface works just like a 2d one, only you can look at it from every perspective, not only from a few fix ones (which you can do in MdlVis too, only not with multiple viewports). I'd say first focus on New features and then you can imolent the ones from Vertex Modfiier if you feel like it/have time.

 

[SABREWULF]

Did i read right u say its a second version of MdlVis? i mean MdlVis2?

 

[infrenus]

Did i read right u say its a second version of MdlVis? i mean MdlVis2?

He sayed mlvis too, the 2 stands for "too"

 

[Deolrin]

Holy hell...
My model had the "parts sticking to other models" bug, and I was completely halpless. I feared that I might have to start over again. Then I remembered you mentioning something that might fix this problem in your first problem. I came back to this thread, downloaded the latest version of the program, and opened my model. At first, I panicked, because it said something about being unable to parse some lines, but the model ended up loading. I saved, imported, and... Whoa. It actually worked. So, I just wanted to say; Thank you! This is a great project. This tool is absolutely amazing. I would LOVE to see more progress!

 

[Retera]

The "unable to parse lines" bug is the result of the program assuming that the model has tab characters for indentation, rather than spaces -- and because I was not thinking of this issue while I wrote it, it loses track of its understanding of lines that contain spaces instead of tabs.
Ultimately, that's a really silly issue that I'll aim to fix at some point when I have the time. (I also should upload the latest version, because every so often when I use the program something somewhere tends to break, and so I've been slowly fixing stuff).
How to fix most "unable to parse" errors: convert to MDX using YobGul's converter, then back to MDL. YobGul's automatically formats (tabs/spaces) into the format I assumed would be used when I was writing the program.

On a side note, I recently fixed the fact that the program was deleting and damaging texture/material data for things with animated textures (i.e. naga buildings, water).
Also, import mechanisms were improved to the point that I could import a peon's gold bag and the animations of only its arm onto a Draenei (Laborer).

I'm going to be busy today, but soon (this weekend, hopefully) I'll compile and upload another update because it's been quite a while.


If you're curious, "parts sticking to other models" is (based upon my assumptions/research) caused by the fact that when Blizzard wrote their 3DSMax exporter for MDLs/MDXs they had it auto-calculate some data (GeosetId/GeosetAnimId of "Bones") that it's very easy to screw up with any MDL editing. However, by understanding the problem you can have a program like mine re-auto-calculate that data -- which it does automatically with about 95% accuracy, and when it differs from the Blizzard calculator it does not damage the model, only creates a very small capacity for increased in-game lag.

 

[Deolrin]

Also, import mechanisms were improved to the point that I could import a peon's gold bag and the animations of only its arm onto a Draenei (Laborer).

Oh my god, that sounds absolutely amazing. I simply must use this to make something awesome!

If you're curious, "parts sticking to other models" is (based upon my assumptions/research) caused by the fact that when Blizzard wrote their 3DSMax exporter for MDLs/MDXs they had it auto-calculate some data (GeosetId/GeosetAnimId of "Bones") that it's very easy to screw up with any MDL editing. However, by understanding the problem you can have a program like mine re-auto-calculate that data -- which it does automatically with about 95% accuracy, and when it differs from the Blizzard calculator it does not damage the model, only creates a very small capacity for increased in-game lag.

Actually, I don't even use 3DS Max. My model screwed up while using either Magos or Vertex Modifier(or both!). D:

 

[JokeMaster]

Oh my god! That tool is godlike! All model editors were looking practicaly for that one tool!
Sir you are a genious!

 

[Retera]

Actually, I don't even use 3DS Max. My model screwed up while using either Magos or Vertex Modifier(or both!). D:

I said it in a way that was a bit confusing, but what I meant was that only 3DSMax handles them right. So, they were correct in all original wc3 models (made by Blizzard in 3DSMax), but often break when using other software.

I haven't had time to add all of the features I would've liked, but I'm going to make an update here. The biggest changes, aside from aforementioned general improvements of importing so that the program wouldn't crash or have errors, is that now you don't need the ImageBin folder to run the program. It will run completely on its own using embedded images.

As such, from now on the only thing that you need to run the program is the attached, updated .jar file and a Java Runtime Environment version 7 installed on your computer.

Alternative download link:
https://dl.dropbox.com/u/92572084/MatrixEaterV0.08.jar