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Hey, I've been thinking about rewriting BConstructor to work better on BFII, but was not sure of how desirable something like this would be with the ability to use XSI now. Basically all it would do at first would be to decompile mesh (.msh) files into XSI readable formats. I'll create a poll here to try to feel out the community, so please vote/respond with any ideas or comments.

yeah i think it would be great if it could export to .xsi cause if you really look at the msh format it is in alot of ways like a .xsi format in terms of what info is stored in it and since they freely give out the code on .xsi for it to be integrated on other programs i say why not. i did use bconstroctor in the hunt to decode animations and i did succeed and i have workin animations but it woulda been alot better if it were .xsi since ascII cannot store info on bones, animations, hierarchies and alot of other things since ms3d is a VERY simple program. i also remember i think psych0fred saying that .msh is a compiled format which is only meant to go one way in the first place and that reverse compiling it would be a challenge.

Man, I used it regligiously. That's how I did the A-Wing, Moldy Crow, and the R-41 Starchaser. If there way any way you could, a modl (the compiled msh file used in-game) converter option would be awesome, that way we can use some Clone Wars assets.

Nimlot,
I think that would be a great idea I believe a number of modders have used your bconstructor to get models in the game. Also it would be really helpful because it would allow us to better see how hardpoints and animations are properly used in the models by example.

Nimlot - I'd bet you don't even know how much BConstructor to SWBF1 was used...
Just the fact that you even made it helped MANY people.

I think you should make one for SWBF2 too! but the others has already said all of my best points... so that's why I don't have so much to say right now!

I'm glad to see you've not definitively left GameToast forums and given up all your projects for either Star Wars Battlefront or Star Wars Battlefront II, Nimlot...
Moreover, regarding the possible designing of BConstructor 2, I'd say it would probably be the most valuable stuff ever released for both these two games, as the first version has proven us that the MeSH files weren't that "compiled", contrary to a few reports... Also, being able to edit existing models would be a good beginning to figure out how Star Wars Battlefront I / II playable characters have been designed, and so, how to create yours efficiently and didactically... (Only if this feature would be handled by BConstructor 2, of course !)

"Also, being able to edit existing models would be a good beginning to figure out how Star Wars Battlefront I / II playable characters have been designed, and so, how to create yours efficiently and didactically... (Only if this feature would be handled by BConstructor 2, of course !)"

what?

Yeah, I'll tell you what, Nimlot. BConstructor was/is an amazing program. If you can do MSH/MODL/XSI/TXT imports and XSI/TXT exports I'd honestly love you forever. It would make everything 1000x easier. (Especially a MODL importer ---> Episode II Anakin anyone [Clone Wars])

character models are simple leviathan, rig the model to the clones skeleton then export and make it an odf and thats it.

minilogoguy18 wrote:character models are simple leviathan, rig the model to the clones skeleton then export and make it an odf and thats it.

Off topic:

What happens if we can't get on Pyscho freds site for the clones skeleton...? I click his link and it says can't find server?

here try this direct link
http://www.secretsociety.com/FORUM/down ... e_Beta.zip

mini', I wasn't only thinking to Star Wars Battlefront II playable characters, but equally to vehicles which must own a "skeletal structure" (Such as AT-AT's or AT-TE's) or which are associated to particular animations... (Like AAT's or Hovertanks, for sample)

PS : Nimlot, maybe this thread should be stickied for more convenience ?

Okay! Pretty good response, so I think I will give it a shot this next week. Lemme answer/comment a few posts:

Mini: Yes, I do know that XSI format is "open source". I looked into it the first time I wrote the application, but it is definitly not as easy as it looks, and Milkshape proved to be much easy to implement and get working. Milkshape can infact store all of the things you mentioned; the reason I never got to implement them is that bone/animation information was much harder to decode from the msh files. Hopefully with this new version I will be able to get to them, as that is one of the things I definitly want to include.

Krun/Others: I wasn't planning on adding in recompiling of the msh files from XSI formats at first, as it seems like you could just use XSI to do this. But is this something you guys want? I strongly doubt it would ever be perfect, but I may be able to create a basic converter of other formats -> msh.

I do hope that it will be used for reference in the future, opening up players/vehicles/etc and viewing how they were all put together. I havn't gotten a chance to look at the BFII structure in depth yet, but I don't think it will be too much harder to add in everything the first BConstructor had, and then I will move on from there. I will aim at writing the decompiler with XSI in mind, as all of the files did come from there at one point, so all of the data has to be stored in some of the same way.

I will definitely be needed experiences XSI users help; creating files and explaining different things to me, so hopefully I can recruit a few of you in time.

Where can i get XSI, and is it free

I have some experience in 3d modelling (for a 12 year old )
i am making the gungan buildings for OOM 9's ARC campaign, although i still can't find a good texture so i might need to make one.

darkmole2006

u can download XSI Mod-Tools for free, but there is no working exporter yet, but u can download XSI 4.2 or 5.0 Foundations Trial for 30 days, and u can use the exporter with foundations.here is the link and u can select the download u want.

http://www.softimage.com/downloads/default.aspx

Off-topic : darkmole', I would like you to look at the name of this thread and tell me whether there's any link between it and your previous question...
Also, such a request regarding Softimage|XSI products has been already asked many times in this sub-forum, so you won't have valid reasons to repeat this mistake in the future...

leviathan, you can make new walker units with new skeletons, just make the skeleton yourself and export the model, as long as you have the hierarchy set up right itll work. im working on a walker right now and i know ill get it in game and fully working, flyers on the other hand i can do with my eyes closed now since ive made a good couple of them. but as long as you know how to set the keyframes right so that all the animations blend and you know a good deal about XSI you can make anything you wanted. ive also been talking to psych0fred about the msh format, according to him since its a compiled format that it loses ALOT of its data from XSI which means your probably not gonna get any skeletons or nulls back if you reverse compile it. he thinkgs 3ds max would be a better program to make bconstructor for cause your gonna not get much back if you do it with XSI.

No offense mini, but I know much more about mesh/msh format and models than you probably ever will. I have been around for a year and a half now, and am probably one of the last file-experts around (besides fred).

Of course I know that the msh files are a compiled format, and that it is not an easy task. I was able to get what BConstructor working with freds help, and I purposely ignored much of the file I did not understand; most of it animation/bones data. Have you even looked at BConstructor? It already decompiles model geometry from the compiled msh files, so I know whats going on.

I do apprieciate your comments, but I really don't need ya stating the obvious; it may be a new revelation to you, but most likely old news to us veterans.

Just out of curiosity Nim, have you looked at the FBX format used by alias? A lot of programs seem to be able to import/export this format including xsi (need plugin from alias's site though). Might be easier than the XSI format. Of course I'm not a programmer and I don't know s**t from shinola when it comes to that, but it might be worth a shot and save from coding import/export functions for the other formats individually.

Off-topic : After having read your suggestion, Hawkie', I went on what was supposed to be "Alias web-site", and I was surprised to see that this company has been acquired by Autodesk, which has equally put its hand down on Discreet...
Now, I just hope Avid / Softimage will succeed in resisting against this "wave of changes", since Autodesk has always intended its activities to the "Professional Sectors", and so, forsaken "individual customers"... (Therefore, it isn't surprising to see that Gmax has been simply given-up since the "dissolution" of Discreet) Otherwise, if such an event occured, programs like Softimage|XSI Mod Tools or Foundation might not be available anymore, for the benefit of the Essentials / Advanced variations...