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[killermonkey]

that using the SDK it like making a cheesecake with a JCB.

WTF? (sorry for off-topic, but HUH?)

[wallworm]

Did you see that Valve are in the process of redoing their tools? Finally theyve realised that using the SDK it like making a cheesecake with a JCB.

Yes I heard mention of something along these lines. Exactly what they are going to do to improve it all is as mysterious to me as... well... JCB!

[Kinky]

Not really got the finesse for making desserts agreed?

Odd turn of phrase, ignore me, ill go sit in the corner now...

[wallworm]

Not really got the finesse for making desserts agreed?

Well... if you think about it... this kind of falls in lines of HAMMER... just a little more extreme...

[Jonathon [SSL]]

Well, there are tons of crazy people in the mapping community who build everything including props inside Hammer out of func_details.

[Kinky]

Well, there are tons of crazy people in the mapping community who build everything including props inside Hammer out of func_details.

LOL are you serious?

[wallworm]

Well, there are tons of crazy people in the mapping community who build everything including props inside Hammer out of func_details.

I probably would have become one of them years ago had I not got obsessed with 3ds Max ... back in R3. But I could never figure out how to get anything into HL1/CS. So I spent many years making maps with NO models at all!!! Luckily I finally dived head first into 3D again a couple years ago and figured it out. From as much of a headache it is to make models for Source... you might say that the legit Source modelers are actually the crazy ones--those who take the time to go through the whole hassle!! Hell... that craziness was my encouragement to learn how to build my own tools for 3ds!

PS. I'm now working on a 3ds Sky VTF exporter to make it trivial to send sky renders straight into Source.

[Jonathon [SSL]]

Hey, making my first Source prop in 3DS Max and I've got the model and collision mesh exporting fine, but when I try to use the "Export VTF" option, the command line window tells me it couldn't resolve the path, even though the path exists.

Code: [Select]

Adding .vmt parameter: "$model" "1"
input file: C:/Program Files (x86)/Steam/steamapps/SourceMods/gesource_svn/mater
ials/models/props/library/pedestal
WARN: Problem figuring out outputdir for C:/Program Files (x86)/Steam/steamapps/
SourceMods/gesource_svn/materials/models/props/library/pedestal

The texture I'm trying to export is called pedestal.tga to the folder /models/props/library/, and no matter what i do with the paths it gives me the same error.

[wallworm]

Hey, making my first Source prop in 3DS Max and I've got the model and collision mesh exporting fine, but when I try to use the "Export VTF" option, the command like window tells me it couldn't resolve the path, even though the path exists.

Code: [Select]

Adding .vmt parameter: "$model" "1"
input file: C:/Program Files (x86)/Steam/steamapps/SourceMods/gesource_svn/mater
ials/models/props/library/pedestal
WARN: Problem figuring out outputdir for C:/Program Files (x86)/Steam/steamapps/
SourceMods/gesource_svn/materials/models/props/library/pedestal

The texture I'm trying to export is called pedestal.tga to the folder /models/props/library/, and no matter what i do with the paths it gives me the same error.

Before you try anything else... try restarting Steam, run Goldeneye once... then open SDK and make sure the right engine/game are selected in the SDK window. If that doesn't solve it... here are some more tips:

EDIT: Also see if your Material Path has a trailing slash (/models/props/library/) and see if removing the slash fixes it.... if so... let me know. END EDIT.

I think your problem is that Vtex.exe (the material/texture compiler) expects the raw TGAs to be in SDK/mod/materialsrc instead of the final output directory. See if the Material Root is set to the correct SDK material src.

If that is not the problem, you may have to set the Game Info Path in settings to the gesource folder.

For reference, here are some other links that may shed light:

• Set Material Root
• Setting Game Info Path (override system game setting)
• Clearing up settings
• Random Compile Problems
• Texture Exporting

[Jonathon [SSL]]

Well now it won't even give me the export window, for some reason now whenever I try to hit the texture export buttons it just gives me this:

<image deleted>

[wallworm]

That error may be happening if there is no materials applied to an element in the model. I may need to address the code to catch that error... though I may have fixed it in the latest version (which is 1.0 and I see you are using 0.999). So download the latest version first.

If the model has materials but the hull doesn't, then the Hull needs a material. It doesn't matter what material. If you click the process hull, it will add dummy materials to the hull.

In any event, I'll look at the code this week and trap that error if I haven't already in 1.0.

[wallworm]

I've updated the tool this morning to Version 1.01 which should address the problem you were having Jonathon. It appears that the texture exporter would have a MAXScript error if the material applied to a model had a bitmap that wasn't a TGA (like a PSD or PNG, etc). Anyway, there are also a couple other minor changes:

http://wallworm.com/projects/utilities/docs/resources/changelog.html

[wallworm]

Another update this week:

Version 1.1 released 04-05-2011

• Fixed the Use Local Origin as Origin function.
• Moved Use Local Origin as Origin and Alt Origin checkboxes from Lighting & Miscellaneous rollout to Model & Basic QC rollout.
• Fixed the output of $illumposition to accurate position. Previous versions only worked if model's pivot point (local origin) was located at the world origin [0,0,0].
• Fixed $masscenter to output to correct position. Previous versions only worked if model's pivot point (local origin) was located at the world origin [0,0,0].
• Fixed MAXScript error that happened when you deleted a $illumposition helper and then tried to export the model and/or add another $illumposition helper.
• Fixed MAXScript error that happened when you deleted a $masscenter helper and then tried to export the model and/or add another $masscenter helper.
• Changed name of "Sky" scale button to "1/16" and added another one for "1/32" for L4D.

[Jonathon [SSL]]

Sorry to bug you again, I updated to 1.21 and still having the same path issues with vtex. I moved everything over to my materialsrc and modelsrc folders, verified the paths, and have just one TGA in the diffuse slot on a standard material. The models export fine but I'm still having texture issues...

[wallworm]

You may also need to create the same material path in your target game folders. So that if your materials inside materialsrc are "subpath1/supath2" then you will also need to make a "subpath1/subpath2" inside the mateials folder of Goldeneye also... the VTEX will not auto generate the path, unfortunately. But once the path is made, it will work.

Just remember that for each new material directory you make/use.

PS. Wunderboy's 1.6 SMD exporter is now out (for Max 9-2011... no 2012 just yet)... and it adds some functionality that is used in WWMT. Also, for reference for anyone who has trouble setting up WWMT, I've made a new video detailing the setup of the tool at http://wallworm.com/projects/utilities/docs/getting_started/running.html