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I have heard of people use Battlefront MSH viewer, and the exporter developed by "RepSharpshooter", And last but not least the BF Builder addon.

So I'm just sitting here a bit confused, as to which one I am supposed to use or should use.

It would really... really be nice if there was a step by step, all around guide on any one of them on how to prepare and export a game ready moddel.

I hope I'm making sense here, I have just been running around the web for three months trying to find the best option and then do it

that depends on what you are trying to export, if you are making weapons, buildings, or other assorted props, any of those will work. The rest depends on skill level, despite all my time in XSI and milkshape, I can not get the hang of Blender, which uses mshveiwer to export.

If you have milkshape you could use Nimlot's BConstructor, or mshveiwer. (it can export vmrl97's)

if you have XSI modtool, you can use Repsharpshooter's Mshex, which is fairly easy to use, (PM me, i'll show you)

I'd recommend MshEx. I think MSH Viewer only supports props.

Fiodis wrote:I'd recommend MshEx. I think MSH Viewer only supports props.

MshEx is about the same (exporting props)

Maybe it can export vehicles and turrets, but thats where the extras end.

CodaRez wrote:

Fiodis wrote:I'd recommend MshEx. I think MSH Viewer only supports props.

MshEx is about the same (exporting props)

Maybe it can export vehicles and turrets, but thats where the extras end.

Main difference is it can do hardpoints. Pretty sure using Viewer you can't.


vehicles - as long as they have no moving parts.
turrets - as long as you don't mind only the base having collision.
guns - work fine, don't think sv's do though? Not sure.

Epifire wrote:I have heard of people use Battlefront MSH viewer, and the exporter developed by "RepSharpshooter", And last but not least the BF Builder addon.

So I'm just sitting here a bit confused, as to which one I am supposed to use or should use.

It would really... really be nice if there was a step by step, all around guide on any one of them on how to prepare and export a game ready moddel.

I hope I'm making sense here, I have just been running around the web for three months trying to find the best option and then do it

This is exactly my situation as well. I have combed the tutorial section, but it is just overwhelming.

never having used blender, i would say you best bet is MshEx. if you use Bconstructor, you don't get thos Zeroedit selection boxes, and sometimes collision is bad.

MshEx is fairly simple to use, if you can understand what he's saying.
(don't worry, if you're looking at the MshEx thread, and you don't know the the heck to do because nothing Rep says makes sense, don't worry, I've been there too.)

here is a quick how-to (in No0b)

1. you MUST have Crosswalk, it's in the mshex thread, and is self-installing
2. open XSI, import/build your model.
3. (if your model is a building ) go to Primitive>Null.
4. Select your null,
5. go to the lower right corner, and click "Parent"
6. select all your models until they are all gray.
7 Right Click to end pick session.
8. Middle Click on your null and go to File>Crosswalk>Export
9. go to settings and make you box look like this:

i blacked out my name
10. click the ... button (circled in yellow) and browse to you chosen directory. ( i use the desktop)
11. click export.
12. find your MshEx folder, put your ***.xsi file in it.
13. open mshex, and type in your EXACT file name, whether it's "gun.xsi" or "big_pile_of_monkey_poo.xsi" if you don't it won't work.
14. wait
15. (depending on how big you're model is) wait some more.
16 now it's done and you can put ingame!

>>>>>>>>>>>.
IF you are making a gun!!

you will need tow nulls, one at the top of the grip, called hp_active, and one at the end of the barrel called hp_fire.
I usually just parent everything under hp_active (cuz I'm lazy ) and export.

( I hope this is helpful!)

IndianaJoe wrote: you will need tow nulls, one at the top of the grip, called hp_active

To elaborate more on the "top of the grip" thing, u basically position this null on a point where u believe the INDEX FINGER of the playermodel will be in relation to the grip (if u look in-game, u see the index finger is clearly pointed out, follow that)

The hp_active (or any name basically) has a positioning of 0,0,0 , which is basically a null that is newly created and left alone. So u must position ur weapon model around the hp_active, instead of the other way around k.


Also, if ur making just a prop, the hp_active will be where ur prop centers around. To put in perspective, if ur model of a box is *above* the hp_active, when put into ZE the box will be firmly above ground. Of course, if ur box is *below* the hp_active, well, ur gonna be spending some hours finding ur box

IndianaJoe wrote:I usually just parent everything under hp_active (cuz I'm lazy ) and export.

Ur real lucky. Laziness has saved you, as doing THAT is a necessity, k?

CodaRez wrote: Ur real lucky. Laziness has saved you, as doing THAT is a necessity, k?

i know that is nessasary, i just don't make a dummy_root null or something like that

Thanks a lot my only other question is that Indie said...

"select all your models until they are all gray"

Do you mean reajust it to have the gray non-textured model, or gray as in all the selected.

Thats about it that I can see, but thanks again you guys are a great help to the "Noob".

um, no, you need to select everything when the cursor says "pick"

Does it need a texture? Could you elaborate on how to add one? Your tutorials make sense, unlike the ones in the FAQ.

Ok I have seen some odd ways poeple have got there textures to export with the model, so I was wondering.

Actually, I got the texture tutorial to work. I then followed this tutorial. Everything seemed to work. I tried to open the .msh in SWBFMsh Viewer, but nothing happened. I wasn't to sure abour how I got the parents to be the way they are.

As Promised, here are two Tutorials, one for Skinning and One For exporting with MshEx:

Skinning
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CmNQE-ori30

MshEx
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1hBg9e2RdFE

sorry for the quality, might re-record later.

I can't see my parent button, see :

then you have to drag and drop your objects onto the null, that makes it a parent as well.

OFFTOPIC: were the tutorials good?

Thanks, I'll give it another go round.

Thanks, it looks like I wasn't the only one who needed some help on this one, so I guess that went well for more reasons than just one.

Guys, don't forget that all your textures have to be on the one tga, otherwise the exporter won't work.