Most recent edit on 2008-04-05 08:19:33 by Reacher
Additions:
DirectX is also required.
Most problems with being unable to open msh files can be solved by re-installing the latest version of DirectX
Deletions:
Direct X is also required.
Edited on 2007-07-20 09:07:30 by Reacher [Updated link to XNA Framework download]
Additions:
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=A7DA4763-6807-4BD5-8D18-18C60C437F93&displaylang=en∞
Deletions:
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=2E136A1F-F187-478C-9DA5-AAEB0904782B&displaylang=en∞
Edited on 2007-05-19 09:04:47 by Reacher
Additions:
Direct X is also required.
Edited on 2007-03-21 13:58:25 by Reacher
Additions:
UPDATE!!: BusStopWilly figured out the key to combining transparency with moving textures!!
In addition to the "Has Alpha" check box, you must also check the "Unk Alpha Mode" box - maybe it is not entirely 'Unk' now ;)
Deletions:
NOTE2: Sadly Transparent and moving textures seem to be mutually exclusive, they can both be set, but the transparency also makes the rest of the scene and actors transparent (at least for rotating ones), so you end up seeing the base land and the blue patterned backdrop of the game. If anyone comes up with settings that allow this to work, please let me know.
Edited on 2007-03-09 10:40:30 by Reacher
Additions:
NOTE: If you want something to scroll in the opposite direction, flip the UV map in Blender.
NOTE2: Sadly Transparent and moving textures seem to be mutually exclusive, they can both be set, but the transparency also makes the rest of the scene and actors transparent (at least for rotating ones), so you end up seeing the base land and the blue patterned backdrop of the game. If anyone comes up with settings that allow this to work, please let me know.
Check the 'hasMorphAnim' and the 'hasNames2' boxes (2nd and last)
Note: You will also need to update the ...\data\props\{category}.ini file (where {category} is the usable prop type) to add your new prop. There can be multiple files, depending on the category. The guns category has guns.ini, guns_automatic.ini, guns_flag.ini, guns_rifle.ini, guns_scifi.ini, guns_scifi_auto.ini - pick the one or ones that contain the prop(s) you want to be able to replace in the game.
Please report bugs/issues through this forum thread:
http://www.dcmodding.com/main/index.php?option=com_smf&Itemid=79&topic=165.0∞
put any new feature requests here:
http://www.dcmodding.com/main/index.php?option=com_smf&Itemid=79&topic=164.0∞
or send any feedback to Reacher through the Message Center∞ of this site.
Deletions:
Check the 'hasNames' and the 'hasNames2' boxes (2nd and last)
Please send any feedback to Reacher through the Message Center∞ of this site.
Edited on 2007-02-28 16:53:20 by Reacher [Added XNA Framework dependency and download loc.]
Additions:
Currently also the XNA Framework is also required, get that from:
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=2E136A1F-F187-478C-9DA5-AAEB0904782B&displaylang=en∞
Oldest known version of this page was edited on 2007-02-28 11:33:26 by Reacher [Initial Version]
Page view:
Reacher's Mesh Manipulator (AKA
MeshManip) is a standalone program for editing the '.msh' files used in
The Movies 3D models. It offers the ability to make direct edits to msh files, including the following capabilities:
Easily re-texture a set or prop
Control Scrolling and Rotating Textures, Transparent Materials
Adding/Changing Group Names (for usable props)
Setting Anchor Names (for allowing special effects)
Creating bone/weight information (for making costumes/accessories)
Disclaimer: This program is a work in progress, never save over your only copy of your work.
No guarantee is made that the edited msh file will work with "The Movies", and certain edits can cause the game to crash.
While this program gives you the power to access features not otherwise currently available, it also gives you the power to edit combinations of settings that The Movies can not handle.
Installation
Download from (TBD)
Extract
MeshManip.exe from the archive, create a shortcut to it or run it directly. Check the readme file for help and usage information.
Note: Microsoft .Net Framework 2.0 is required to run this application, get it from:
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=0856EACB-4362-4B0D-8EDD-AAB15C5E04F5&displaylang=en∞
After you install .Net Framework –
patch your system.
There are two patches related to .Net on XP,
Security Update for Microsoft .NET Framework, Version 2.0 (KB917283)
Security Update for Microsoft .NET Framework, Version 2.0 (KB922770)
Quick Usage Guide
Double click the
MeshManip.exe icon to start the program.
Opening/Closing files
Use <Ctrl>-O or File ->
Open to open .msh files. You can have up to 50 open at any given time. Open files are displayed in a tree format which can be expanded to view and provide edit capabilities to various portions of the file.
To close a file, select it in the tree view and use <Ctrl>-L or File -> C
lose
Note: Many Lionhead msh files, when imported into Blender then exported will be somewhat mangled, particularly if they contained bone/weight information. The opening process will attempt to correct these issues, and issue a warning.
Saving Your Changes
Use <Ctrl>-S or File ->
Save to save the selected mesh as a .msh format file.
Warning: THIS PROGRAM IS A WORK IN PROGRESS, no guarantee is made that the saved msh will work in "The Movies", you should never save an edited msh over your only copy of your work!
Editing
Items in the tree view that are displayed in blue text can be modified, using <Ctrl>-M or File ->
Modify. The File -> Modify option is also only enabled when modifiable selections are highlighted. Many edit pages have selectors to choose what specific item you wish to update, for example: when updating Images, first you pick which Image Index you wish to update, then you change the Image file name. Only one sub item may be changed per 'Update' click, if you change which Image Index you are working with before clicking on the Update button, any changes to that Image Name will be lost.
Re-texture a set or prop
Open a .msh (Ctrl-O)
Select Images in the tree
Edit -> Modify (Ctrl-M)
Select the Index of the texture you wish to replace, enter the new name, click Update
Repeat as needed
Save the msh as a new name (Ctrl-S)
Scrolling and Rotating Textures, Transparent Materials
Open a .msh (Ctrl-O)
Select Materials in the tree
Edit -> Modify (Ctrl-M)
Select the Index of the Material you wish to modify:
Check the 'Alpha' box to make the material respect the transparency of its Diffuse texture.
Set the scrolling or rotate speeds in the Movement section – See Hex if you don't know what the notation (Hex byte) means!
You can also change the texture applied to a material, and/or set the environment/lightmap/specular textures here.
Click Update
Save the msh as a new name (Ctrl-S)
Adding Group Names (for usable props)
Open a .msh (Ctrl-O)
Select the msh filename
Edit -> Modify (Ctrl-M)
Check the 'hasNames' and the 'hasNames2' boxes (2nd and last)
Click Update
Select Groups in the tree
Edit -> Modify (Ctrl-M)
Select the Index of the Group you wish to name/rename, enter the new name
Click Update
Repeat as needed
Save the msh as a new name (Ctrl-S)
Setting Anchor Names
Open a .msh (Ctrl-O)
If the msh doesn't have any anchors:
Select the msh filename
Edit -> Modify (Ctrl-M)
Set the Anchor Count
Click Update
Open a Lionhead msh in the same class as your msh
Select the anchor in the Lionhead msh you wish to replicate in your msh
Copy it (<Ctrl>-C)
Select the anchor in your msh
Paste the Anchor (<Ctrl>-P)
Select the Anchors line and edit (<Ctrl>-M)
Adjust the last line of three values to be the X, Y, Z coords in
your model where the anchor should be located.
You can find locations in Blender by turning on the Transform Properties in Edit Mode (n)
Click Update
Save the msh as a new name (Ctrl-S)
Adding Bones/Weights
Blender edited msh files that contained bones will be exported with the bone flags set, but no bone data. 87% of the Lionhead msh files that contain bones have
exactly the same bone data. This is the data used as a default when bone data is added to a msh in
MeshManip.
Open a .msh (Ctrl-O)
Select the msh filename
Edit -> Modify (Ctrl-M)
Check "has Bones ?"
Click Update
Expand your msh, you will now see Bones (30), these are the default bones. Eventually these will probably be directly editable, but for now if you really need a different set, copy and paste them from one of the Lionhead msh files.
Expand the Groups entry, and the specific group where you will be adding weights
Expand the Meshes entry, select the Mesh entry where you will be adding weights
Modify it (<Ctrl>-M)
Check "has Weights?" - the "Auto Assign Bone Weights" box will be enabled.
Select a strategy for assigning weights, some strategies open additional parameter entry:
No Automatic Bone Assignment
If you choose this, you will need to edit the vertices for this mesh and add each bone/weight information individually
Assign Vertex to Nearest Bone
Finds the single bone closest to each vertex and assigns it a weight of 1.0; this option would be good for a brand new model that needs a simple default bone assignment.
Assign all Verticies to the same Bone(s) settings
Lets you set up to 4 bones with variable weights (the total of the weights should add up to 1.0), and makes the same assignment to each vertex. This is very useful for accessory type meshes.
Assign to closest vertex in another msh
Pick another msh file, the group and mesh to use, and the weights for the vertex closest to your vertex will be used. This is very useful for getting complex bone assignments on costume edits, or new costumes that are similar to existing ones.
Calculate Weights
This is an experimental formula based assignment for 'weighting' the weights of multiple bones based on their nearness to the vertex. Let me know any settings you find useful.
Max Bones to use: (2-4) set the maximum number of bones that will be used in the weighting process.
Drop off ratio (
DoR): (0 - ?) Rate at which distance affects the weight.
Max Distance Multiplier (MDM) (0 - ?) Ratio of closest distance bone to any other considered bones.
If dC = distance to closest bone and MDM = 1.0, then bones up to dC + (MDM * dC) will be considered for weighting (the max bones closest).
Allow symmetrical crossing – if nearest bone is a left or right instance, allow a bone from the other side to also weight the verticies.
The weight formula:
given dB is the distance between the nth closest bone and the vertex.
Relative Bone Weight: RWB = 1 / (dB + (dB – dC) *
DoR)
Click Update
Save your msh as a new file (<Ctrl>-S)
Optionally you can enter all weights, or fine tune them, per vertex:
Expand a specific Mesh entry, if the Mesh has Weights enabled, the Vertex Count entry will be modifiable, select it and Modify (<Ctrl>-M)
You may select which vertex to edit by index using the top box, or you can find the vertex closest to given coordinates (use the Transform Normals Box in Blender Edit Mode (n) to find a vertex's coordinates)
For each vertex:
Set a bone or bones and their weight - sum of all weights should add up to 1.0
Click Update
Save your msh as a new file (<Ctrl>-S)
Feedback
Please send any feedback to Reacher through the
Message Center∞ of this site.
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