3DSM 5 Modifying Vertices of a War3 model

BTW, I hate this, but my 3dsmax is in spanish, I will try translating what says on any image I show you though.

Tools or programs you need:

* 3dsmax (best if 5)
* Yobgul's file converter: http://www.wc3campaigns.net/showthread.php?t=78916
* Phil Laing's(aka KMK) MDX Importer/Exporter: http://kmkdesign.8m.com/downloads/
And also here:impexpmdx.zip
* War3 Image Viewer: http://www.wc3campaigns.net/showthread.php?t=82558
* You don't need this one but it will be useful if you need paths for textures, it also exports .blp(the format of Blizzard Textures): http://www.wc3campaigns.net/showthread.php?t=83092

Starting:

First thing you need is to export a .mdx file from War3 Image Viewer (How? Just load a .mpq file from your Wc3 directory and search for your model) For this tut I'm gonna use the sheep. It is on "war3.mpq" no quotes. The path is: "Units\Critters\Sheep\Sheep.mdx" There you can also find the portrait model (most of models have a different portrait file for freeing polys I guess( polys are the faces of each Wc3 model, with much polys Wc3 could crash, keep the polysize of your models the lower as possible) and in "Current File" options select "Extract MDX" select where woy want to export it.

Importing the model in 3dsmax

Open 3dsmax. Go to the utilites tab:



Press MaxScript button. Then select the "MDX Importer/Exporter" tool. then you should see this:



Check static and uncheck bone rotation. And then hit "Import MDX" button.


Search for your sheep.mdx. open it. You should see something like this:



you're done with importing!

Moving Vertices

This part is the main and the simplest! ^^. Ok right click our sheep. In the options go to Convert to---> Convert to Editable Mesh. In the Selection paramater choose the option of the three dots:


the sheep should look like this:



Now you can select vertices as you want, move them, scale them, rotate them, do what you will with our sheep.

Exporting the modified model

When you finish your modifications you should export the model in MDX, the tool just imports one geoset a time, so go to the utilities tab and to the import/export utility we used before. And select the Export selected as MDX tool.

Select anywhere.

Changing the MDX in text

Even if you hate texts you will have to make this if you want it to work. First ope Yobgul's File Converter. Load each mdx file(the original and the one you modified) and convert them to mdl. (MDL is a non-optimized form of the MDX so it is easier ot edit)

Open both files with notepad. In "Sheep1.mdl" goto the geoset. Only copy the vertices stuff, you should not copy the Vertex groups. Replace them in the Sheep.mdl first geoset (If the name of the modified geoset is Sheep2.mdl for example it should be the second geoset) And done. Now open again the File Converter and convert again the mdl into mdx.

Importing to WE

Open your world editor and go to the import manager. Import the mdx. Save the map. In the Object Editor change the model of any of the units. There you should see it if you did it well and enjoy i!

I'll get an artist to review this, but it looks good to me :)

As mentioned on MSN, approved.

Sorry if this seems like a simple question, but I can't get the "MDX Importer/Exporter" tool to come up when i click the scripts button. I've copy and pasted it into "UI/macroscripts" just like it instructed but it still is giving me trouble... Thanks for the help!

you should copy the script in the ".../3dsmax5/scripts/" directory

Thanx Mc! +rep

Were can I get 3ds Studio Max?

Write 3dsmax N version, it can be done with any version of 3dsmax; I used this technik before the existance Vertex Modifier.