Warcraft Modelers: A must have!

[Deleted member 126647]

3D Modeling Tools: A must have!

Art Tools

This is the plug in for 3DsMax 5, Warcraft III Art Tools.

This is a MUST have if you plan to make models for Warcraft III.

Download it here.

Warcraft III Viewer

This is a useful tool to export in game skins, or to view the model you have made.

Download it here.

Oinkerwinkles MDL Editing Tools

These are for the less privileged few who can not get their hands on 3DsMax 5. A basic, but effective modeling program.

Download it here.

MDX Pather

This is useful for changing texture paths quickly and easily.

Download it here.

Magos's Model Editor

Very handy tool, with lots of helpful gizmos, also better viewing capabilities than that of the Viewer. Shows particles well too.

Download it here.
Version 1.07

Milkshape

A good modeling program for those less privileged to have access to 3DsMax.

Download it here.

The Vertex Animation Exporter and the IK Animation Exporter

If you know anything about animation in max, these are very useful tools for you.

Download it here.
Download it here.

MDLX Converter

This program converts between Warcraft III MDX and MDL files. Unlike Yobguls' converter, it will not crash constantly. Also, it will give somewhat niceerror messages instead of just yelling at you. However, because it does not used the game DLLs, it can not be entirely trusted too. If you find a bug, please do tell. Usage: - Click "Convert" and choose one or more files to convert. - Click "Repeat" to do the last batch over again. This is useful if you had an error in your MDL and just went back to fix it. - You can also click and drag files onto the program from Explorer or open MDL/X files with it. This makes converting a file as easy as going into the right click menu in Explorer. Change log 1.03 Bug fix on ParticleEmitter2s Bug fix for single-dimension Bezier animations. 1.02 Handles ParticleEmitters File dialog remembers the type 1.01 Public release Download mdlxConv.exe here!

Now go out there and start modeling!

Chriz. - Your friendly Animation Moderator.

 

[The Last Istari]

You can get Blender here.

http://projects.blender.org/projects/warblender/ And here's the plug-in I think.

 

[Illidan(Evil)X]

Discreet GMax

Discreet’s gmax is a free 3D modeling and animation tool based on their award-winning 3ds max.

Download it here.
Magos' GMax tutorial.

Dex' Exporter Script (.60/.186)

A script that converts scenes from gmax/3ds max into warcraft models (*.mdl)

Download it here.

 

[Deleted member 126647]

Warshape & Warforger - Good free animation tools! Guide and download here! [Nasrudin]

Warshape

This animation program was made by Oinkerwinkle. Since its development was eventually discontinued, many features are missing\not working, however it's still good enough to make something fully usable by warcraft, like this model...

Find the guide and download here:

Warshape - dowload+guide - Wc3campaigns

Guide by Nasrudin, tool by Oinkerwinkle.

-Chriz.

 

[HappyTauren]

Many people are asking for Guessts MDLX Converter. I really think you should attach it to 1st post.

 

[Rao Dao Zao]

http://www.oinkerwinkle.com

 

[Mechanical Man]

Pros and cons of some modelling programs

Here I wrote an article to guide a newcomer to chose the best program for his purposes. I sorted them from the weakest to strongest. Notice that for the tools from gmax and below you will need some time to get familiar with it.

Text editor (MDL)
+ theoretically can change every aspect of the model
+ the most reliable way to transfer animations (although tedious)
+ can fix some stuff, where magos fails
- require extensive knowledge of MDL format
- must be very careful to not cause errors
- tedious management with object id, node count, ...
- basically useless in geometry, animations, etc. due to its text format

Use it for: fixing stuff where magos fails, animation transfer

Magos' model editor
+ user friendly
+ good as viewer
+ quite easy adding new nodes, like particles, events, .... which makes it a indispensable tool with some better modelling programs which do not support those nodes (milkshape, gmax, oinkerwinkle)
+ mpq browser inside
- some tasks it cannot perform or perform correctly, like texture animation, bone animations (RDZ: it consumes rotations), sometimes particles are buggy, no setting texture path, often these tasks should be perform in plain MDL
- very limited geometry modifying and no chances to UWV modfying
- basically no animation modifying possible

Use it for: making minor changes to the model, like adding/removing simple nodes and change geoset visibility and other stuff if you cannot add it in other programs. Models modified only with this program should not be accepted in model section.

Oinkerwinkle tools
+ easy to learn
+ no import and export issues
+ wide range of tools allowing to change also UWV, transfer animations, ...
- bad interface
- need to be based on existing models (although there are some primitives included so you can also model from 'scratch')
- very limited animation support

Use it for: editing existing warcraft models, because you will not have problems with importing/exporting the model in/from the program. You can also try with beginning with primitives, but it is quite difficult with oinkerwinkle to do something good and it won't have animations. Actually, use this if you have no desire of custom animations, you can always transfer animation from other models (your model will have your base model's animation). If you are planning only to edit models, use this.

Gmax
+ free 3D professional program
+ good interface
+ it can be useful also for other games
+ it can be used in conjunction with other tools (look tutorials)
- not able to create wc3 particles, events, attachments, ...
- buggy exporter, which often does not export the animations correctly
- not good importer (although it appears that it at least rigs the model correctly)
- rigging (skinning) the model is horrible

Use it for: Creating models with no complex animations or no animations at all, like spaceships and doodads. You can model from scratch or use the importer to edit existing model or with some tricks you can export your geometry to another (animated) models. But do not even try to animate a humanoid model for warcraft! Note that the animations are not even imported correctly. Use this for simple models.

3ds max 6+
It shares many characteristics with gmax (uses the same scripts) when it comes to warcraft with some differences:
+ has more options
- very expensive

Use it for: I think that is not much different than gmax.

Milkshape 3D
+ good interface
+ it can be useful also for other games
+ fairly good exporter
+ animating is much better that in gmax
- not free (however 25$ is not much)
- no decent importer
- pretty simple program (it has however everything you need for making game models)

Use it for: Its usage is somewhat similar to gmax's, but with the difference that trying to animate is no longer a waste of time. As I heard, there are no good importers which do not screw animations. So, basically a model in milkshape should be reanimated from scratch. So a good tool for a scratch modeler.

3ds max 4,5 with art tools
+++ perfect tool for making the models for warcraft!
- very expensive
- hard to get (the newest version is currently 9)

Use it for: everything warcraft modelling related. All importers/exporters work correctly, this is actually the only program which let you edit animations and also you are not forced to make every animation since ProFet's script imports the model correctly (except visibility) and you can leave other animations intact. The only bad side is that the textures have no path when the model is exported so this is to make manually. Anyway, this program beats all of others at everything (war3 ofc), if you manage to get your hands on it.

Oinkerwinkle tools
- bad interface

It's not a bad interface. It has everything that you would need. I'd call it "simple", not "bad."

Gmax
- rigging (skinning) the model is horrible

It's not horrible. Have you actually tried it? Sure, it has its bad points, but it gets the job done.

Milkshape 3D
- pretty simple program (it has however everything you need for making game models)

I wouldn't call it simple. Sure, it's simpler than 3ds max, but it's more complex than oinkerwinkle's.

 

[Firestorm1]

ok, i seriously have to know if there are any lightwave importers. i can't find any.

 

[Rao Dao Zao]

There are none I've ever heard of.

Your best bet is to export to something that Milkshape or Max can handle, and pass it on to somebody with one of these tools.

 

[HappyTauren]

ms3d has lightwave (*.LWO) importer, so use it.

 

[Duke]

Will the plugin work for 3DS max 9 too?

 

[brad.dude03]

No, sadly it is only compatible with the now-ancient 3DS Max 5.

 

[BudSmoke]

3ds max 4,5 with art tools
+++ perfect tool for making the models for warcraft!
- very expensive
- hard to get (the newest version is currently 9)

Use it for: everything warcraft modelling related. All importers/exporters work correctly, this is actually the only program which let you edit animations and also you are not forced to make every animation since ProFet's script imports the model correctly (except visibility) and you can leave other animations intact. The only bad side is that the textures have no path when the model is exported so this is to make manually. Anyway, this program beats all of others at everything (war3 ofc), if you manage to get your hands on it.

Where can I get ProFet's script?

 

[NO_exe]

Where can I get ProFet's script?

here of course!!! http://hilton.vs.oiccam.com/showthread.php?t=92856

 

[AirHead]

I use GMax it's a hassle but very usefull you can animate wc3 models on it but its annoying to export the animations properly still possible but annoying i would go with GMax although ive never used Milkshape i do know 3DS is way better then GMax so (if you can) get it. and model like crazy for the GMaxers who have to use crappy dex exporter.

 

[HappyTauren]

Hard? Modeling for warcraft is the easiest form of modeling EVER.

 

[kc102]

Anyone know of an import & export script for max 9, for .mdx or .mdl files?

 

[skrab]

Anyone know of an import & export script for max 9, for .mdx or .mdl files?

here is just exporter 'DeX

 

[gohan43]

what shaping options?? ive only used 3dsmax once and i didnt get a chance to play with everything so from what ive seen it's similar except for all the added shit that makes it beautiful (and about $2975 more than ms3d)

 

[HappyTauren]

err dude.
There are things like chamfer, cut, and bevel. They are simply crucial to shaping. In max you work with POLYGONS and in ms3d you work with FACES. Polygons are much easyer to work in it. In ms3d you can only improvise, while in max you can actually make a scratch mesh hell of easily. I have used both, and once you try max, you will never return to milkshape.

 

[GluKoBug]

You can get Blender here.

http://projects.blender.org/projects/warblender/ And here's the plug-in I think.

I can't download it. Plz an another working link.

 

[ike_ike]

Here ya go. Good luck making it work, I still haven't worked that out. I think that you have to download Python to run it though.

 

[Dark Hunter1357]

If i make animation whit 3ds max 5 and i'm animating only vertex points, will the animation export whit the art tools?

 

[HappyTauren]

no . You need to read a tutorial on how to split mesh, you can find it in art tools.

 

[mokkil123]

sucks that i use 3ds max 8, means i cant use warcraft art plug

 

[BlinkBoy]

sucks that i use 3ds max 8, means i cant use warcraft art plug

Dex's as good if you know how to use it correctly.

 

[The_Elite]

No. 'Dex takes so much longer, requires you to copy massive amounts of code (for bigger models) and i dont think it exports animations well (or so i've been told).

 

[Pyritie]

If you use it on 3ds max 8, for example, you just Ctrl+A to select and and Ctrl+C to copy. Once you paste it you have to trim a bit off the top and bottom but the rest is fine.

But yeah, for animations, dex's script isn't very good at exporting them.

 

[Gtcool]

I just got Autodesk 3ds max 9 and I am a complete noob at it lol! Anyone have a good tutorial or tool to help me out?

 

[HappyTauren]

You are contradicting yourself in a question! How awesome!
Well, the answer is NO, though you can export .3ds which is importable in many programs.

 

[BlinkBoy]

If you use it on 3ds max 8, for example, you just Ctrl+A to select and and Ctrl+C to copy. Once you paste it you have to trim a bit off the top and bottom but the rest is fine.

But yeah, for animations, dex's script isn't very good at exporting them.

3dsmax users can use the export feuture of dex, no need to copy/paste anything.

the animations are well exported, though you need to apply the Skin correctly.

 

[TDR]

yeah, skinning is the nasty thing...such low poly models are pretty hard to skin so they deform correctly; the system blizzard made, with chopped parts that the engine automatically welds, is quite brilliant for this purpose.

 

[BlinkBoy]

Ever tried using the Weight Table? It turns easier than sepparating the meshes, if you know how to do it, no need of envolopes, just select the vertexes, go to weight table click 1 and done, go for the next vertixes.

 

[BlinkBoy]

Warforger

An alternative to Warshape, is Warforger. Warforger is capable to make very good animations and is easier to navegate, as it usesc direct X directly. Yet, unlike 3dsmax, it's can turn into a big pain if you don't know how to animate correctly.

A program - Page 3 - Wc3campaigns

 

[HappyTauren]

Talking to Raziel_br is like talking to a brick wall.

 

[Erkowich]

i guess this post will be removed but if you need 3ds max5, just send a pm and i tell you all ways to get it. (one way to get it is to buy it)

 

[Thorneon]

any modeling programs for mac

 

[Pyritie]

any modeling programs for mac

Let me google that for you

 

[Thorneon]

thanks! ima use hexagon D)

 

[ManDraKer]

Anyone know trueSpace?

 

[Uncle Fester]

lol 4 details, tutorials or even ready models on gmax and 3ds programs u could check www.turbosquid.com . this great site provides an all-aroun hlp, models, tutorials, etc. 4 gmax and 3ds. !IMPORTANT!: most of the models on that side r not free available (u have 2 pay 4 them).

 

[Danny1994]

How to get 3ds Max5 ?
Can't find it in google =/

 

[SpectreD]

How much does 3DsMax cost?

 

[Adiktuz]

ever tried Google?

BTW, does the Art tools plug-in work on 3dsMax 9??

 

[Deolrin]

Pretty sure 3DS Max is about $2000 or so, you would be better off with Milkshape or with a Student's Version of Max or something.

 

[Thyrael]

ever tried Google?

BTW, does the Art tools plug-in work on 3dsMax 9??

Nope, only on 3ds Max 4 and 5.x .

 

[kellym0]

why when ever i try to open any models in gmax dos it not work? i know it cant just open mdx models so u do what exactly?

when ever i open the ''DeX 0.185m'' with Gmax the DeX 0.185m exporter it just errors and says its un open-able it dosent even say why, any help on this? i just want to rescale a simple model that for some reason gets all fucked up if you rescale it with the wc3 model editor, oinkerwinkels site to that tools gone ''this web site is suspended'' so thats not an option, milkshape down load links are all broken (opps! this site no longer exists), idk how to get the blender thing working so im getting kinda irritated now uhg

whats the initial procedure of opening models in gmax, the tutorial linked erlyer to:

''http://world-editor-tutorials.thehelper.net/magos.php#model1''

dosent say how to open current models which is super anoying

eny helps appreceiated

 

[Peyton]

Do I need to download all of these in order to create models?

 

[GhostWolf]

You should get 3ds Max or Gmax and use NeoDex.

 

[Cefiro]

Do I need to download all of these in order to create models?

Nope, you don't really need to use all of them and i highly suggest you to start editing models before start creating them, so you can get familiar with the work.

I personally* use Mdlvis Magos's Model Editor and Milkshape. I've used 3ds Max, and ofc is a really proffesional tool but let's be honest, warcraft models are not that complex. I really think that if you are going to use 3ds Max you should use it for high quality models, let's call them "WoW alike".

*- I used another tools in the past, and I still have them in my pc but I was away of the "modelling world" for 2 good years, i just recently started again with this because a good friend of mine made this Call to Arms for the "ol times sake" so i decided to come back for some time.

I apologyze for some mistakes but I think you all can understand what I'm trying to say.