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Re: Modeling a weapon, for the first time
Posted: Sat Jan 15, 2011 7:10 pm
by acryptozoo
ColonelKlink wrote:What do I hit to get it started? I hit "enter" but it closes MshEx. Am I not supposed to hit enter?
did you export it right cuz that would crash it
Re: Modeling a weapon, for the first time
Posted: Sat Jan 15, 2011 7:15 pm
by ColonelKlink
Is there a file type it has to be in before I export it? My revolver is in an .scn file type. Is that the problem? And I also gotta put hp_fire under dummyroot this time. I wasnt sure if I had to before, but I know it now.
Could that make it not work?
Also, when I run MshEx, a black window pops up, and it says "MshEx
XSI Crosswalk 6.0 text Filename:"
Its supposed to be this right? I am using MshEx 3, is this only update, and not the whole program that is need, or something?
Re: Modeling a weapon, for the first time
Posted: Sat Jan 15, 2011 7:23 pm
by acryptozoo
ColonelKlink wrote:Is there a file type it has to be in before I export it? My revolver is in an .scn file type. Is that the problem? And I also gotta put hp_fire under dummyroot this time. I wasnt sure if I had to before, but I know it now.
Could that make it not work?
Also, when I run MshEx, a black window pops up, and it says "MshEx
XSI Crosswalk 6.0 text Filename:"
Its supposed to be this right? I am using MshEx 3, is this only update, and not the whole program that is need, or something?
thats all fine
but did you
uncheck: Keep referenced paths relative
and select :
selection only
convert mshs to triangles
and export xsi normals

Re: Modeling a weapon, for the first time
Posted: Sat Jan 15, 2011 7:32 pm
by ColonelKlink
I am pretty sure I did. Do I have to uncheck everything else, besides the three options you named? And I middle click "dummyroot" not "sceneroot" right? Is there some option I have to click before I export it? I am using Modtools 6, and Crosswalk 3.11. These both work right?
Do I have to save the revolver as a different file type? It is a .scn file right now. Does it have to be .exp?
Oh, and I have been reading, about MshEx can only handle soo many polygons. I didnt do anywith lowering the polygon count. I am not sure how much there are right now, but I guess there could be too much. Is there a way to see how many I got? and how to lower the count?
Oh, I just realized that I didn't have a texture assigned to it. Do I need one for the model to work?
Hey, I have been reading, and I have read something about freezing rotations? or something like that? I didn't do whatever they were talking about, could this be causing my problem?
Ah, I am getting really frustrated at myself. I don't know if I am causing a problem, or its something with my computer, or modtools. Is there some way someone could take a look at it, and see why it isnt exporting?
Re: Modeling a weapon, for the first time
Posted: Sun Jan 16, 2011 11:20 am
by Fiodis
You need a texture for MshEx to work.
This is why it is crucial to use Search before asking for help. Searching for "mshex need texture" yields this post:
link.
Re: Modeling a weapon, for the first time
Posted: Sun Jan 16, 2011 12:21 pm
by ColonelKlink
Okay, I see the error I might have made. What I don't get is, I think I did assign a texture to it. I did what the "basic modeling in XSI" said. I selected all the cubes and cylinders, and clicked "get/texture" and picked a 512 x512 texture TGA (it was just a silver base, with some lines of red and black). I clicked Planar XY (or whatever it says to click in the tutorial), and hit enter. I then saved the revovler. I opened it back up, and clicked preview, and the texture showed on the gun. Does that mean it is "assigned" to it? I didn't do any of the texture edit mode, I am not that experienced yet. Is that a problem?
About MshEx.... what do you hit when you type in your .xsi file? What I do, hopefully it was right, is type in "revolver v5.xsi" then I hit enter. After I hit enter, the MshEx window instantly closes.
I made sure the exported version was in the MshEx folder, and the texture I assigned to it. Oh, and I saved the exported version of the revolver as "revolver v5".
Here's a question, when it says middle click, you middle click on "dummyroot? right? not sceneroot?
Thanks for your help, I hope I get this figured out soon!!

Re: Modeling a weapon, for the first time
Posted: Sun Jan 16, 2011 12:47 pm
by SAMofBIA
are we talking about meshex3 or 4? because meshex 3 does NOT need a texture to work, but idk about meshex4.
(my proof is this pistol)
EDIT: and yes, you middle click on dummyroot, not scene root.
Re: Modeling a weapon, for the first time
Posted: Sun Jan 16, 2011 12:50 pm
by ColonelKlink
MshEx 3. The folder is labeled "MshEx_beta3".
Re: Modeling a weapon, for the first time
Posted: Sun Jan 16, 2011 12:58 pm
by SAMofBIA
okay, as far as i know, you dont need a texture, but you do have to export through crosswalk as an .xsi 6.0 text file (its the default most of the time) you will also need crosswalk 2.6 or higher. anyway, middle click the dummyroot, hit file, crosswalk, export, and little box of options that your familiar with will pop up, hit the settings tab on this little box, then uncheck "keep reference paths relative" and check "selection only", "convert meshes to triangles", and "export xsi normals". Specify where you would like to export this file to, and its name (i reccomend a one word name to keep things simple). After you have exported as the .xsi 6.0 text, go to where you exported it, and move it into the folder with meshex. open up meshex and type in your filename.xsi and push enter. if you have typed correctly it should start crunching a lot of numbers.
Re: Modeling a weapon, for the first time
Posted: Sun Jan 16, 2011 1:11 pm
by ColonelKlink
THANK YOU SOOOOOO MUCH!!!!!!!!!!!
I did what you said, and when I hit enter a bunch of numbers popped up!!!! What do I do now?
EDIT, thanks for explaining it in the way that you did, that really helped me!!!

Re: Modeling a weapon, for the first time
Posted: Sun Jan 16, 2011 1:59 pm
by SAMofBIA
no problemo, but as for the numbers, you have to wait till it finishes and then it will tell you to press q and then enter, if it crashes, there is something wrong with your model.
the amount of time it takes could be anywhere from 1 to 15 minutes depending on the poly size of the model. i estimate yours to be around 5 or so minutes if it doesnt crash.
Re: Modeling a weapon, for the first time
Posted: Sun Jan 16, 2011 2:12 pm
by ColonelKlink
It only took like a minute, maybe even less. I think there is a problem, though. I used the republic's pistol as the odf, and used my msh, and I munged. I got 3 errors
I ran the mod anyways, just to see what would happen, and there is no gun model. It can shoot, but there is no model there. So, this means that the hp_fire works, but the model is not showing up? I also got a couple errors in the BFLog too, here they are
What would I do about the errors? For the ODF, I merely changed the names of the files, and what msh it loads. I got rid of the HighRes line, cause I figured that my model isn't isnt HighRes, and it might just screw it up.
Oh, and I made sure the revolver was in the rep folder, incase you were wondering.
Re: Modeling a weapon, for the first time
Posted: Sun Jan 16, 2011 2:23 pm
by SAMofBIA
can you post your odf please.
Re: Modeling a weapon, for the first time
Posted: Sun Jan 16, 2011 2:47 pm
by ColonelKlink
here is the weapons odf
and here is the ord, just in case you want it,
And I gave it to the engineer. I didn't change anything there except the name (the weapon that the engineer holds as a pistol).
Re: Modeling a weapon, for the first time
Posted: Sun Jan 16, 2011 4:19 pm
by SAMofBIA
hmm im not sure that i can help you now, im not familiar with these errors.
EDIT: do you have the meshveiwer? cause you could see if it shows up in there.
Re: Modeling a weapon, for the first time
Posted: Sun Jan 16, 2011 4:58 pm
by ColonelKlink
I looked at the BFviewer (or whatever the MSH viewer is called), and it didn't show there. At least I know how to export, though. Thank you soooooo much!!! I probably missed a step with the msh in XSI. Right now they are all lines, and nothing solid. I think you probably have to do something to make it have faces? Or I might have to do something with the texture editor.
Anyways, I will keep at it, and hopefully, I will solve the problem, or someone who knows these particular errors helps me.
Thanks for your help!!
Re: Modeling a weapon, for the first time
Posted: Sun Jan 16, 2011 5:19 pm
by DarthD.U.C.K.
it looks like you might have set up the hirarchy incorrectly, could you please post a screen of the explorerwindiw in xsi with all objects visible?
Re: Modeling a weapon, for the first time
Posted: Sun Jan 16, 2011 5:26 pm
by ColonelKlink
Um, sure, once I figure out how to.....
You need a program for that right? If you do, could you name a free one?
Re: Modeling a weapon, for the first time
Posted: Sun Jan 16, 2011 7:55 pm
by SAMofBIA
if you have windows 7, it comes equipped with snipping tool, which is an application for taking screen shots.
Re: Modeling a weapon, for the first time
Posted: Sun Jan 16, 2011 11:19 pm
by ColonelKlink
Sorry, I was at orchestra....
Anyways, I had to take two pictures for you to see all the objects, they should both show up there. (sorry, I have edited this post like 5 times trying to get the picture thing right. This is the best I could do, sorry)
http://img821.imageshack.us/i/revolverf ... plorer.jpg
I did do some minor changing of the gun, as you might notice. Oh, and thanks for the info about Snipping tool, that will come in handy.
Sorry about the size of the picture, its kinda hard to read the lettering, but I was in a hurry.