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Creating a Davvy Jones Model (WIP)

Morgan: Hahahaha - I can't even remember. I did the drawing a while ago, and only started actually modelling the body last night. In any case - it's probably a good thing that it is the pistol hand right? I think that was what we had decided. As for teh crab leg. eeeh... you see, I was under the imprpession that it was a peg leg.... so err... that was how I modelled it last night. I'll post a pic after class and then you guys can tell me if it's alright. They all looked distinctly peg-legish in the reference pics that I could find on the internet - but what you are saying makes a lot of sense - especially given the limp that he has going.

Thomas/Morgan: That is a good idea about the sheath - but I'm praying that I'll be able to attach the already existing rigging to the character in maya for this guy. It may not work - but my overconfidence comes from the fact that all of this was put together with programmers, and then various 3D + texture artists etc. and that's pretty much what we have here. I have a stubborness that tells me we have to be able to do it. Anyways - I'd happily make a model for a sheath, but depending on my success - Thomas - you seem to be the pro at getting things to actually work with the rigging in game.

Commodore: cool idea about Becket - I'm sure that eventually somebody will get to it. I really want to finish this first though.
 
the problem would probably be that you would somehow have to give the character the sheath AND the sword. that makes it impossible to make it an item you would be able to equip. (or maybe not? i don't know) it isn't really that much of a priority in my opinion. here's a clip where you can see the leg:

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IYYM8voy8Xo" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IYYM8voy8Xo</a>

it's right at the beginning. here you'll also see that your claw is on the wrong side. but if it works, i don't really think that it would matter.

EDIT: hehe...ok i'll eat my words, it's on the CORRECT side.
 
Heretik- I understand that, please do finish Davy Jones... its an astounding model, if I may say so, Sir! <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/doff.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":doff" border="0" alt="doff.gif" />: I just found nowhere else suitable to put out my idea. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile.gif" />
For Beckett, I'd reskin a stock game redcoat- they've got the tricorn (not exactly the right type... the redcoat models are wearing a sort of English cut whereas Beckett wore the French cut tricorn, which is weird, because if you look at history, civilians fanced the English cut and the military adopted the French cut as their official headgear... sorta flip-flopped in game here with these models, but that's OK.) and the hair is perfect. The coat would look good and I'm sure we can (if not then oh well) delete the tongues on the shoes and turn those buckles and hose into riding boots. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile.gif" />
 
<b>Morgan:</b> Hahahaha - It's all good there Morgan. Adapting the Peg Leg to a crab leg won't be hard at all from a modelling standpoint - in fact, I'd hardly change it at all - maybe add another couple edge rings around where the thick part of the peg was, and thin the bottom a bit - most of that comes from the texture anyways. By the way - thanks a lot for tossing in the youtube video - that REALLy helps a lot.

<b>Commodore:</b> Sorry - I didn't mean to come off as harshly as I think I did with that comment. I've just really been freaking out and trying to get as much of this done as I can while I still have a 3D teacher (another 2 weeks). By the way - Wow - you seem to know waaaay more about the age of sail than I could shake a stick at. That's completely awesome - and even if I'm just ignorant of history - I would be glad to get your feedback in the future if I toss some kind of concept or something for historical accuracy. heck even for references - I bought a DK book on pirates, and an awesome little manual - but neither of them give a really good feel for the fashion in those times, and I would looove it if you could point me to some kind of reference where I could learn more about this. lol - assuming I ever do manage to pull this project off.
<b>
All:</b> Unfortunately, my eternal optimism seems like it may be wasted. My teacher said that he'd be willing to look at the .gm files to see if the skeleton is kept within them, but in the end - it looks like the rigging won't work without Maya 4.5. lol - Pieter, and Kazeite have been warning me all along - and it definately has not been time wasted - I have learned a lot. I still haven't given up though. My explanation is as follows:

in order to transfer the files into maya, I have to convert to VRML 2.0, and then convert those to .OBJ. Exporting from the .gm viewer directly to .obj does not work, because it changes the y value of the model, and I cannot import it again into the game without it being off of the model. Also - I have learned that contrary to my original belief - .OBJ files ARE NOT capable of having a skeleton. However- if I export them properly, I do not change the orientation in any way, then bring ORIGINAL meshes from the game into the TOOL.exe, They do connect to the rigging properly - and animate 100% correctly.

So it's time for another one of my bogus theories that I get excited about for no reason, and is probably wrong - but if I didn't brainstorm we'd have nothing. Plus - if I can in fact successfully import a model - even if only limited - oh boy - I'm telling you that Davy Jones will not be the last brigand to cast off from my computer.

<u>*IF* indeed there is no skeleton in the .obj format then I would be led to believe that the skeleton has everything to do with the positioning of the model. That means - that if I were to import a model that has already been created that has a similar build to our Davey-boyo over here, I *THEORETICALLY* should be able to tweak his model so that all of his joints are located exactly where the game model's are. This may cause some distortion, BUT I would then delete the original model, and import the resized, tweaked Davy Jones model, and we should all just be fine and dandy 'cause it would work all pretty and nice.</u>

If anybody actually does read these, and has any ideas for solutions - I don't care how little you know about modelling - please post away. I got close enough to finishing the model last night that I had dreams of staring at Davy's prosterior as he mercilessly murdered innocent villagers after agreeing to be their bodyguard for hte night.
 
hehehe....evil person you. i do have some more clips for you, such as summoning the kraken if you want it.
 
If you have any questions, my friend, please do not hesitate to PM me or put up a topic, post, anything. I should be able to answer it, and if not, I'll know where to look and find the answer.
For some styles of dress (mostly military uniforms after 1750.) go and check out:

<a href="http://cdrejohnpauljones.deviantart.com/" target="_blank">My Art Gallery</a>

Hope it helps! <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":D" border="0" alt="biggrin.gif" />
 
HARHARHARHAR!!!!

It's gonna flippin' work!!!!!! I did the experiment that I said I was going to do, and I was able to import the VRML file into TOOL.exe, and some straggles with not having a UV map, and normals pointing the wrong way, it worked successfully with the animations!!!!! WE'RE GONNA HAVE A DAVY JONES FOLKS!!!!!!

Commodore: thank you very, very much- I will definately take advantage of it. I went to your art gallery, and checked it out as soon as I got the message ( I just didn't have anything to add to Davy, so I figured I'd at least try to stop hogging the boards).

Morgan: hehehehe one step at a time, my friend (darn- no devil smiling emoticon...). however after reading the replies that Pieter made in one of the other threads, I now understand slightly better the limitations of the engine. Once this is done , I've gotta finish that instuction manual thing too - that will be a fun project, 'cause every time I get distracted, or bored, I can just draw, and stick it all in there.

<img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/william.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":will" border="0" alt="william.gif" /> <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/william.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":will" border="0" alt="william.gif" /> <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/william.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":will" border="0" alt="william.gif" />
 
Indeed you must, Sir! Do pardon my French, but it is going to be one hell of a game pretty soon, more than anyone at Disney or Akella could have dreamed of!
 
Not that I discourage you from going from AOP to POTC again - holy crap I made the change back over and it is incredible. BUT I still do have AOP, and from what I understand, getting a model in the game for AOP is basically exactly the same as in POTC. I'd just be happy for people to use it - when I'm done I'll post it in the AOP boards too if you like.

err... am I allowed swearing in here? maybe I should stop that. sorry.
 
<b>Pretty Please help! With Rum on top?</b>

Okay - so I've almost finished the model - ignoring the problems in the model when importing it into TOOL.exe, I can connect it to the skeleton, and it animates fine. I now have a question that hopefully somebody that has more experience importing models into the game might be able to answer for me. When loaded into tool.exe (I'm assuming this is a emulation of the game engine?) there are holes in the mesh from certain angles. First off, is this normal? I checked the normals - and they were all pointing in the right direction... I'm not sure what it is. I included a picture of this problem below


Second of all: I was wondering how exactly to test the model in the game. When I try to use the test in game thing within tool.exe I can't get it to work - even after making the suggested changes to the text file it made reference to. How do you guys test things?

Thanks you very much!

<img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v226/new_age_heretik/Skin%20Previews/ProblemSolving.jpg" border="0" class="linked-image" />

*note* I'm also posting this on polycount forums, my blog, and I'll ask my teacher on monday to see if I can figure out what the problem could be. At the very least, oddly from the back view the model seems to work fine... hmph... Also - many areas that show holes show them as being filled from different angles. bizarrrre.
 
Weird, I had the same effect with the spanish helmet you send me. Some parts ARE there, but they seem holes at some parts.
 
lol don't worry about the wrap around finger - it'll be there. I just want to solve all of the problems before I make any particular area too complicated. I suppose there are no problems with holes in that area - I might be able to do that. I still need help finding out how to bring the mesh from GM into the actual game. I need to see how it looks when he holds a sword/gun before I start texturing it just in case I need to start tweaking Vertexes. Maybe I should make a separate thread for this....

One person suggested based on previous experience that the Game Engine might be Reversing some of the normals once it's been imported. Theoretically- I should be able to make those normals point the wrong direction in the modelling program, and hopefully, it will make them point in the right direction once they are in teh game Engine. I'm not sure if I should start texturing it before doing this... I could see reversing the normals making it really weird to texture. BUT if the normals thing doesn't work, I'm not 100% sure what to do.

I'm sitting here eager as a kid on christmas praying that Pieter, or Kazeite might see this with a potential suggestion....

Thomas: DAmn! Did the rest of the hats work okay? There must be some problem with the exporting process or something.
 
Good to hear Thomas - I swear the others are coming. I'm such a lazy arse!

Okay - a very nice person on the Polycount forums told me what he/she thought the problem was, and how he/she recommended that I solve it. Appariently in the conversion process to .obj some of the normals get flipped. This person uses 3DS max, but he/she recommended that I reset Xform, and all of the normals should end up the right way. I'm not sure what that means, or if that setting is in Maya - but I'll research it, and I *think that one of my friends may have Max. Oh darn - I forgot - one of my friends brought me back Max from ... I dunno - somewhere overseas - I never really bothered to try it, I was more excited to get photoshop, which he also gave me. If I've got enough room on my hard drive - maybe I'll give that a run-through. It'll be a really, really old version though - I'm not sure if it will have the feature...
 
X-forms? I remember those from my Virtual Sailor modeling days. If I didn't reset them, sometimes my ship would end up really distorted. If you can find such a setting, try to use it and see if that does any good. Otherwise perhaps you can press the "flip normals" checkbox in the "tool"? Also: You aren't using two-sided faces, are you? The game doesn't support two-sided faces. They must be one-sided and two-sided ones will be changed into one-sided ones as well.

What do you mean when you say your model doesn't work in the game? What do you try and what is the result? Please note that the game might have trouble showing your model, because it doesn't have the required locators and textures. Try to add the required locators (gun, blade, etc) and add some sort of texture to the model. It doesn't need to be the right texture, as long as there is A texture.
 
It's not that the model doesn't work to put it into the game - I just can't figure out how to actually put the model in the game. What do I do with it to test it in the game once I have converted it to a .gm file? I know that there is a function in tool that is supposed to let you bring the model into the game to test it - but I can't figure out how to use it. I just want to see what happens when I import the model into the actual game. instead of inside tool.exe.

And thank you very much for helping me out! you guys are awesome!
 
Once you made the GM file, test the model as such:
Put the GM file in RESOURCE\MODELS\Characters as Davy.gm (for example)
Put a GM head file in RESOURCE\MODELS\Heads as h_Davy.gm (once you made a new head file for Davy, put that one in here instead; for the time being, you can use any head)
Copy a RESOURCE\animation\Heads file as h_Davy.ani (doesn't really matter which one, because you didn't modify any animations)
Put all used texture files in RESOURCE\Textures\Characters as .tga.tx files
Put custom Davy Jones portait textures in the 64, 128 and 256 folders in the RESOURCE\Textures\INTERFACES\PORTRAITS folder. Give them a number not yet used, such as face_188.tga.tx (face 187 is already used for Mr. Gibbs in PB Modifications)
Add an initModels.c entry like this:
<!--c1--><div class='codetop'>CODE</div><div class='codemain'><!--ec1-->    // Heretik -->
    makeref(model,Models[n]);
    model.description    =  "Davy Jones, heartless Horror of the Seven Seas and captain of the Flying Dutchman!";
    model.id    =  "Davy";
    model.FaceId    = 188;
    model.nation    =  PIRATE;
    model.price    =  1000;
    model.assigned    =  true;
    n++;
    // Heretik <--<!--c2--></div><!--ec2-->

Set Davy as starting model option in PROGRAM\InternalSettings.h and select him at gamestart when you want to test:
<!--c1--><div class='codetop'>CODE</div><div class='codemain'><!--ec1-->// Character Selection Options
#define NEW_MODEL_1    "Blaze"    // Nathaniel Hawk
#define NEW_MODEL_2    "Depp"    // Captain Jack Sparrow
#define NEW_MODEL_3    "will"    // Will Turner
#define NEW_MODEL_4    "cnorrington"    // James Norrington
#define NEW_MODEL_5    "Davy"    //  <-- Davy Jones <--
#define NEW_MODEL_6    "Aubrey"    // "Lucky" Jack Aubrey<!--c2--></div><!--ec2-->
 
Pieter - thank you so much for the helpful post! I'm sorry to make you type all of that out for me - but I promise you that it is REALLY going to help.

And right now I just wanted to post that I'm still here, and I will be working on the Davy Model again soon, but in the spirit of idiots worldwide, I got a girlfriend a week before I leave school to go home (6 hours and 150$ - 200$ train away) - so for the last week of school, I will not be very present if I do any work at all. I promise though that once I get home I'll be back on the job, and if all goes well, I might even have the internet in my room (which would help a lot). I just wanted to say hey, sorry, thanks, and I'll be back.

Happy Pillaging!

-Heretik Will
 
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