Word got around that you guys are excellent at modding. So I registered here to ask some questions and further my knowledge of scripting and codes with modding BF2. I downloaded the munging modpack off of filefront.com and I created a test world, and now I want to import my own models into the game. The problem is I have no clue how to export my models from Maya (a 3-D modeling program) to a .msh file. My creation is a bunker, and I completely textured it. So how might I get this to a .msh and what properties do I give it in the .odf file? If you could please help me, that would be great! Thanks!

~Sharky

This question would be better answered in the XSI forum - it'll need to be converted to a format usable in XSI, which is what you'll use to turn the model into the .msh format, which SWBF2 uses.

Offtopic, welcome to GT.

(Moved to XSI)

Ah yes, I was reading a few other forums, and that partially answered my question. Thank you! So what you are saying is to export my Maya model to XSI (I have both programs xD), then from XSI, export it to a .msh file, then what? I just simply place the file in the BF2 mod folder? Is that it?! Then I may need some help with the .odf part of this. I read each document on the matter, and I was having some trouble understanding ALL of it. It just seems like there aren't enough examples to show. For example (:P), after putting the .msh of the model into the folder, I create a .odf file that creates the structure of it, correct? Please correct me, I think I'm so wrong here. I need help.

Once it's a .msh, you can do whatever you want with it, really. A mesh'll go as far as whatever kind of .odf you give it, whether it's a prop .odf, a vehicle .odf, a unit .odf - whatever. In most cases, you can figure out what kind of .odf you need and how to set it up by using the stock assets as examples - here's a basic prop .odf:
You'll note that any time an .odf calls for some kind of "geometry" it's referring to a .msh file. Any geometry under the "Properties" section won't be appended with the .msh, and any geometry mentioned under "GameObjectClass" will be appended with .msh (as seen in the above example). This example is from the hoth_prop_xwing_repair.odf, but the .odf name doesn't have to correspond to the .msh name.

Alright, that makes much more sense. I thank you again. Is it possible to create the .odf before you import the .msh? If so, I would like to create the .odf now. But again, I don't know where to start. Do I just copy one of the .odfs, rename it, and edit it using notepad?

You can create the .odf whenever you want, they're just text files with a different extention. The easiest way to create one would just to be to copy a stock .odf and modify it. Feel free to take some time to look through the various types of .odfs, too; they're pretty straightforward and you'll learn a lot quickly.

(Note that almost any modding-related file will open with notepad. I like to use a hexeditor for .msh files, although they work with notepad, a .lua IDE for .lua files, although they work with notepad too, and a basic picture editor - GIMP - for .tga files. Everything else I opens with notepad.)

Ok excellent. It's all comming together. I would like to give you an example to see if I get the hang of it. Thanks so much for your help, and you'll be reading from me again soon. Thanks a lot!