Study StarCraft 3D Models in 3D Studio MAX

[Taylor Mouse]

I guys, I know it is not supported to rip models from the game, that's why this script should only provide you with an idea on how start to model a custom model in 3D Studio Max.

There is no export function and the animation is better left for what it is, cause it is not fully supported yet.

If you extract all the textures from the game and reference it in 3DSMax, you don't need to figure out which texture goes where.

It is a great way to study on how Blizzard did it

Have fun with it.

All credits go to NiNtoxicated ([email protected])

T.

 

[Taylor Mouse]

Sorry, new version can be downloaded here :

M3 import version 0.18

T.

 

[MGCǂSpectre]

It would be great if someone created a milkshape exporter when the game is released and ppl start doing models. Even if it is going to be a worse program for sc2 animation.

 

[bboy-tiger-]

It would be great if someone created a milkshape exporter when the game is released and ppl start doing models. Even if it is going to be a worse program for sc2 animation.

lol...

 

[Avator]

Terran, you do realise you just said 'Milkshape' in a post about making models for SC2, right?

(Just say it's a typo! You won't survive if you say you were serious)

 

[bboy-tiger-]

If you dont say its type there will be blood xD .

Anyway, I wont be using GE until there's some kind of exporter for SC2 models...

You could post all data about models if you have time for that.
Information list about SC2 models.

 

[Modhell]

Can you please post some poly counts, animation lists and texture sizes for those of us without the beta?

 

[Avator]

An example model:

Zealot model info

• Animation Sequences
  • Attack
  • Death
  • Stand
  • Death Silentkill
  • Stand 01
  • Fidget
  • Stand 03
  • Fidget 02
  • Walk
  • Walk Spell
  • Attack 01
  • Attack 02
  • Stand Left
  • Stand Right
  • Stand Victory
  • Stand Victory 02
  • Stand Victory 03
  • Stand Dance
  • Stand Dance 01
  • Stand Dance 02
• Geometry
  • Bone Count: 43
  • Skinned Bone Count: 25
  • Vertex Count: 2647
  • Divisions: 1
• Attachment Points
  • Ref_Origin
  • Ref_Center
  • Ref_Hardpoint
  • Ref_Head
  • Ref_Overhead
  • Ref_Shield
  • Ref_Target
  • Ref_Weapon Left
  • Ref_Weapon Right
• No Animation Sets
• No Lights
• No Cameras
• Effects
  • 2 Particle Systems
  • 4 Ribbons

 

[JakeCake]

An example model:

Zealot model info

• Animation Sequences
  • Attack
  • Death
  • Stand
  • Death Silentkill
  • Stand 01
  • Fidget
  • Stand 03
  • Fidget 02
  • Walk
  • Walk Spell
  • Attack 01
  • Attack 02
  • Stand Left
  • Stand Right
  • Stand Victory
  • Stand Victory 02
  • Stand Victory 03
  • Stand Dance
  • Stand Dance 01
  • Stand Dance 02
• Geometry
  • Bone Count: 43
  • Skinned Bone Count: 25
  • Vertex Count: 2647
  • Divisions: 1
• Attachment Points
  • Ref_Origin
  • Ref_Center
  • Ref_Hardpoint
  • Ref_Head
  • Ref_Overhead
  • Ref_Shield
  • Ref_Target
  • Ref_Weapon Left
  • Ref_Weapon Right
• No Animation Sets
• No Lights
• No Cameras
• Effects
  • 2 Particle Systems
  • 4 Ribbons

Only Blizzard got the extra resources to add two different dance animations to their models xD

 

[Modhell]

Woah, thx.

The zealot was a nice choice, because I read on that one in a blizzcon article and at that time the poly count was 1000 less then what you got there... so now its basically 4-5 times the detail of a war 3 unit, definitely allows for us to create some kick-ass high detail 'hero' units

Also, having walk and walk spell animations should make it easy to create strafing attack animations.... as the beta editor maps I have seen with this look slightly off because the units legs are stationary whilst it is still moving during an attack, because the default attack anims don't include movement for the standard game. Same thing with multiple death animations, I always hated how every unit died the same in war 3 so it'll be cool to create some variations.

With 25 skinned bones, what is the purpose of the other bones? Because it has limited ref points so they can't be all for effect attachments can they...

...What about morphing units? can you have multiple alternates for a single model or not? It mite of just been me but when I tried to create a warcraft model with multiple alternate forms (basically so I could use the same model to carry diff weapon types) it didnt particularly work as planned.

Oh, and ofcourse... do u have the texture resolutions for these models?

Thanks for your quick info, appreciate it

 

[HappyCockroach]

How do you extract the textures?

 

[Avator]

Believe it or not Happy, but I've been wrestling with that just a minute ago, and the answer is: Do NOT use the "Export File..." option LOL

1) Check the name of the texture you want to export
2) Go to Data Editor
3) At the Data Type drop-down menu (the one above all others) you select Textures under Art And Sound
4) Select any blue colored texture int he upper-left window and dubble-click the File property (the only blue property) in the right window
5) Click Browse button (to the right of the file location) and look for your texture file
6) Right-click it and instead of Export File... you choose View File (hotkey Space)
7) Right-click the image and choose the only option: Export Image...

You'll be exporting it in TGA extension

 

[bboy-tiger-]

Nice info, i WONDER... will the attachment points work the same...

 

[Taylor Mouse]

Well, first of all, you don't need to be in the Béta to get the installation of SC2, if you get what I mean

Secondly, after installing the game, you have some data files with the extension of .sc2assets

if you rename it to .mpq, you can just open it with any mpq reader

then in the mpq file, there is a folder with the name "textures", in there you have ALL the textures, and these are .dds extensions

that means, no figuring out what the format is !!

some of them are up to 2048x2048 big I think.
and each model has about, at least 3 textures

one for normal mapping, one for the diffuse color and one for the specular color, and some even have one for highlights


About polys, I think the THOR model is about 8K polys in game!


and the smallest is about 1.5k polys


T.

 

[AKAIMAX]

But there is a photoshop plugin that allows you to open dds files, don't we already know everything about dds from that?

 

[MGCǂSpectre]

You can open the assests with MPQ editor without even renaming them.

 

[Taylor Mouse]

But there is a photoshop plugin that allows you to open dds files, don't we already know everything about dds from that?

Sure, just knowledge sharing

T.

 

[Avator]

Taylor, I just explained how to get a decent texture format exported. I'm not going to tell everybody they have to use the Export File function, download 1 program or plugin that supports DDS files, 1 to edit them and 1 to convert everything back to it's original state to import. You don't export like that, you just View the image and export the image as our well known friend: TGA.

Also, I haven't checked all of them, but there is 0.0% chance that there's ANY texture the size of 2048x2048, because there's no screen supported with that height, leave alone they would crumble it around a tiny model that'll be no taller then 3cm on your screen...

 

[HappyCockroach]

Avatar, what you said worked, I exported the textures in tga =P

But I should learn how to deal with emissive, specular and normal maps before starting SC2 modelling... :/

 

[Taylor Mouse]

Taylor, I just explained how to get a decent texture format exported. I'm not going to tell everybody they have to use the Export File function, download 1 program or plugin that supports DDS files, 1 to edit them and 1 to convert everything back to it's original state to import. You don't export like that, you just View the image and export the image as our well known friend: TGA.

Also, I haven't checked all of them, but there is 0.0% chance that there's ANY texture the size of 2048x2048, because there's no screen supported with that height, leave alone they would crumble it around a tiny model that'll be no taller then 3cm on your screen...

Ok, ...

first of, exporting the dds is easy, and secondly Photoshop supports opening dds and saving dds with the nVidia plugin, so no custom exporter or convertor to tga is needed, and tga does not support mipmaps.

0.0%... check again, examples:

aiurtemplebuilding_diffuse.dds
banelingcocoonportrait_diffuse.dds
marsara_cliff1_diffuse.dds
zergconsole-metal_diffuse.dds
..
a quick look gave me at least 43 textures that are 2048x2048 and most units have a 512x512 texture

and I just opened the .sc2assets files with the old MPQEditor.exe !

peace

T.

 

[Avator]

Alright, first of all: Exporting DDS is VERY easy indeed. The problem is handling such an extension. It's only supported by a handful of programs and plugins.

Second of all: Indeed, Photoshop has a plugin that supports DDS. Photoshop SC5 that is! And I don't think everybody has that.

Third of all: Why on earth would you want to export as DDS to convert to TGA if you can export directly as TGA without any third party tools?

Fourth of all: 3/4 of those files are 1024x1024, not 2024x2024. As for the 4th 1: You're right. I can't believe Blizzard put a 2024x2024 texture in there! I mean, they have done a LOT of stupid thing (and then I mean a LOT LOT), but this is simply a new record for stupidity

 

[xXm0RpH3usXx]

there are dds plugins for other photoshop versions, too!
and 3dsmax supports them, too, i just checked asi happen to have it open...

why should anyone want to export it as .tga if u can just directly im and export as .dds?
(btw,m could someone just slap a few .max or .3ds files in here? i'm really busy, but would love to take a look at some units)

 

[Taylor Mouse]

Hey Morph
long time
sure about the models, is it ok if it is MAX2009 and which once did you have in mind ?

T.

 

[xXm0RpH3usXx]

like humans mostly, something that is organic...
i *might* get around to do some scripting in max i am thinking of *maybe* doing a little script for making units with a few clicks.
like adjusting parameters using morph targets and so on...
using procedural maps and baking out the textures
so yeah, something equivalent to the "villager male" maybe...

though i am really not confident with scripting at all, my humble tries last time really wherent good for anything^^

(though i do not have time really until next month to really start anything new as i am applying to a university for studying game design and am really budy with that, u know)

i'm using 2010, so there shouldnt be any issues!

 

[Taylor Mouse]

alright I see if I have the time later tonight

T.

 

[BlinkBoy]

Anyways for those who want to export models:
http://www.sc2mapster.com/assets/m3-export-plugin-3ds-max/

 

[Fingolfin]

Avator, i don't think you really understand.
I can see many situations in SC2 where it would be appropriate to use 2024x2024 textures (although i'd rather believe they are 2048x2048 to keep it binary), one being the ground textures.
As a matter of fact, the ground textures are so big, you never see the size of one instance of it on the screen at once!

Also, some models will have LOTS of details, where you might want to have a bigger texture to fit them all without loss in resolution, and sometimes, you would even use one texture on several doodad variations.

 

[Avator]

That's way too much detail if you need that size. They can easily reduce its size and nobody would ever notice it's been reduced. Same quality, lower specifications.

 

[Fingolfin]

Well, the terrain tiles remain the same. though i agree that 512x512 should be the standard texture size for regular models.

 

[HappyCockroach]

Anyways for those who want to export models:
http://www.sc2mapster.com/assets/m3-export-plugin-3ds-max/

This is awesome! Soon we'll have a full working exporter to m3, then? I can't wait!

 

[Taylor Mouse]

This is awesome! Soon we'll have a full working exporter to m3, then? I can't wait!

Yeah, Blinkboy is that not something for you, you can max script no ?

T.

 

[Zerox]

Ah very cool to see this progress. Though maybe Blizzard will give us some tools?

 

[Taylor Mouse]

Yeah probably, but for now ...

T.

 

[Zerox]

Yeah for now those of us who have the knowledge can help us start making models for SC2. I'm excited and scared at the same time. It's quite a deal more advanced than wc3.

 

[xXm0RpH3usXx]

you'll all get used to it!

though i'm wondering wether people will start learning zbrush and mudbox or use some cheap trick like a diffuse to normal map converter for ease of things...

because zbrush and mudbox are (for my taste) really hard to learn programs.

does anyone know?
i have seen that there is a light emitting texture used by some models and u can tint the color...
will it be possible to tint one mesh in several colors at the same time?

 

[BlinkBoy]

Yeah, Blinkboy is that not something for you, you can max script no ?

T.

i can, but i'm not familiar with the format, plus why would i code one if some1 is already doing that?

 

[Taylor Mouse]

No, no, you got me wrong, I meant an exporter not an importer, sorry, my bad

T.

 

[BlinkBoy]

No, no, you got me wrong, I meant an exporter not an importer, sorry, my bad

T.

well he has done also an eporter, so why writting one? The best I could do is send him some of my code.

 

[HappyCockroach]

you'll all get used to it!

though i'm wondering wether people will start learning zbrush and mudbox or use some cheap trick like a diffuse to normal map converter for ease of things...

because zbrush and mudbox are (for my taste) really hard to learn programs.

does anyone know?
i have seen that there is a light emitting texture used by some models and u can tint the color...
will it be possible to tint one mesh in several colors at the same time?

Normal maps, Specular maps, Emissive maps, I hope everything can be exported from ZBrush. Then I'm gonna focus on learning it. Cos right now, only with 3dsmax I can't figure em out.

 

[xXm0RpH3usXx]

well. u definatly can export normal maps from zbrush...though i missed the specular mapping in zbrush, because there u apply specularity via a material u directly paint onto the surface and i havent found out how to bace that actually...
though i found a workaround with a lot of alphamaps blending different specular maps onto one diffuse map, is that the actually normal workflow?

the emissive maps are blizz intern as far as i know, u can make max material emit light, though i dont know if the exporter will convert that then, we'll see

 

[Zwiebelchen]

The exporter script doesnt work for me ... always gives a compile error when trying to export:
"Type error: Call needs function or class; got undefined" in the line "tag.dataID = toUpper tagID".

Anyone has an idea how to fix that?

 

[xXm0RpH3usXx]

there is something not properly saved in a variable, apparently some ids...
do u need to maybe select the mesh? or convert it to editable mesh / poly?

 

[Zwiebelchen]

there is something not properly saved in a variable, apparently some ids...
do u need to maybe select the mesh? or convert it to editable mesh / poly?

No; it seems to be a problem with the maxscript itself, as this error also occurs when I try to export a blank .max file.

 

[xXm0RpH3usXx]

well, thats because it can definatly not export nothing..
there cant be ids saved in a variable when there are none!

the thing is that there is a function which reads some variable and as there is nothing saved in it it can't work on, thus leading to an error.

(thats as far as i know, i dwelved into macscript on my own a little, but its like freezing water, your happy when your out of it )

soo... i dont know what to tell youto do though now...
do you have materials in your scene?
are those the correct materials (e.g. there where Warcraft3Materials vor Max 5 which came with the ArtTools PLugin and you had to use those instead of the normal Standard material) and did you apply them to the meshes correctly? do the material channels correspond?
(are u actually still having that prob??)

 

[Zerox]

What version of Max is necessary for the script.

 

[xXm0RpH3usXx]

max9 and up will probably work well i guess, since the scripting language didnt change much since then... might work with a few of the older versions, but not before 6 for sure!

 

[Zwiebelchen]

I use MAX 9 and the error occurs. So basicly is should only work with 2010.

(are u actually still having that prob??)

Yes I do ... and it definitely is a compile error of the script. The error is always the same, even when I try to export a blank max scene or a simple mesh without materials.

 

[HappyCockroach]

I use MAX 9 and the error occurs. So basicly is should only work with 2010.


Yes I do ... and it definitely is a compile error of the script. The error is always the same, even when I try to export a blank max scene or a simple mesh without materials.

both import and export dont work with max9.

 

[Zwiebelchen]

both import and export dont work with max9.

Import does work. At least older versions of the import script on SC2 mapster (Read my tutorial in the 3d section to get the link) work for max9.
The newer one doesn't, though.

 

[Zerox]

I just got a 13 month license for 2011 and I'm installing soon. Will 2011 work or will only 2010?