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BFME Graphics Tutorials


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#1 Nertea

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Posted 11 May 2009 - 08:28 PM

There are a lot of resources available, both on and off of T3A, that can help wit any aspect of Battle for Middle Earth's Graphics. This post contains a list that is by no-means exhaustive, breaking down the tutorials by category for easy reference.


I will add new tutorials that appear on our site periodically, as well as any I find offsite. If there's any you would like to see here, post them and I'll check them out.


Modeling Tutorials
The shape and form of an object


Beginner Modeling Tutorial

Learn how to import EA's ingame models and edit them - here, FlameGuard will show you how to remove Aragorn's cloak.

Editing a Model

Beginner modeling tutorial - learn how to add a bow to a Rohan Peasant and export it.

Cutting Parts or Weapons from Models

This tutorial will teach you have to modify the weapons an existing unit has - say you want to give a Gondor Soldier an Axe.

Scratch Modeling a Human

This tutorial will take you through one method to create a human model (except the head) from scratch.

Scratch modeling a head

For the more advanced modeler, cahik shows his method of constructing a detailed head.

Rigging Tutorials
Making them move


Binding Human Models

Rob38's Ultimate Guide - the definitive resource for the Haldir skeleton, and pretty much any human model. Shows how to set up a skeleton, use space warps, and rig every part of the model.

Basic Binding on Horses

Quick and easy way of binding a troublesome kind of model: horses.

Basic Texture Tutorials
Giving a model a 'skin'


Creating Orc Armour

A technique tutorial showing how to draw a set of Orc plate armour.

Numenorian Shield

A technique tutorial that unifies the texturing, modeling and unwrapping of a Numenorian Shield.

Gondorian Shield

Similar to the above, an older technique tutorial that walks you through the texturing of a Gondorian shield.

Thick-Grain Cloth

Learn how to draw some really basic rough cloth pieces, like a cloak.

Scale Mail

Learn a technique for creating large sheets of scale-mail (can be applied to chainmail too).

Leather

Learn some basic ideas and methods that could help you draw leather armour for your models.

Texturing the Golasgil Household Knights

A long tutorial detailing the entire procedure of texturing a unit. Contains methods for cloth, chainmail, plate armour and anything you'd find on a medieval soldier.

Specialized Texture Tutorials
Doing fancy things with textures


House Colour Textures

This tutorial will teach you how to add team colour textures to a model.

Creating Basic Normal Maps

Learn how to add depth to your textures with normal maps

Applying Normal Maps

Learn how to apply a normal map to a model.

W3D Materials and Settings
Transparency, forged blades and the like


Forged Blades and Fire Arrows

If you're looking to understand how to make your Forged Blades and Fire Arrows look like EA's, all the settings are here.

Vertex Painting in Gmax/RenX

Sometimes you need to work with this powerful transparency/lighting tool; this tutorial tells you how

Tools
How to set up and use the tools of the trade



How to Set up and Install W3D Importer

To import models from the game into RenX or 3DS Max, you'll need to read this.

Importing and Exporting .obj files from RenX

To use other modeling apps like blender with BFME, you'll need to import models - this show how.

How to use W3D Viewer

How to use the handy program EA provides to view models.


I haven't added 2D art, animations or hex-editing yet, but those will be forthcoming once I read + categorize them.

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#2 Ridder Geel

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Posted 11 May 2009 - 09:04 PM

Nice list :good:
Very good for some people to look at :D
I might even need it sometime soon :blush:
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#3 Rob38

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Posted 12 May 2009 - 02:17 AM

Excellent work there Nertea. :blush: Lays out all the excellent tutorials on our site. :good:

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#4 Mathijs

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Posted 12 May 2009 - 12:52 PM

Good job there... now get animating again. :thumbsdownsmiley:

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#5 Nertea

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Posted 12 May 2009 - 02:31 PM

Haha, I am! I spent most of last night figuring out how to make the exporter treat bipeds as bones and work properly with a WWSkin. Might be fodder for an animation tutorial eventually too :thumbsdownsmiley:

Edited by Nertea, 12 May 2009 - 02:32 PM.

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#6 NewErr

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Posted 12 May 2009 - 04:40 PM

Animating ? cool , I would Love to make some movements in-game. Anyway , glad you gathered all these tutorials , very useful .

#7 Neutron4ever

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Posted 13 May 2009 - 02:31 AM

Yes! A list! Now I can really start to learn how to do graphics and stuff :thumbsdownsmiley:
Thanks Nertea for gathering them all up in one place and creating many of them.
Thanks goes also to the other creators :unsure:
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#8 Neth

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Posted 04 July 2009 - 12:53 AM

:sad: I can't do any of these tutorials. I am a failure ;)

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#9 Kwen

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Posted 03 March 2010 - 03:42 AM

New tutorial by me; Spline modelling Haldir's Sword.

http://www.the3rdage...m-499?visible=1

Edited by Kwen, 03 March 2010 - 03:43 AM.

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#10 man_of_gondor

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Posted 04 March 2010 - 08:27 AM

Thank you Kwen, helped me a lot :p

#11 Yarrum

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Posted 03 April 2010 - 03:56 PM

Not made by me, but here's the link to the index of graphics tutorials on Total War Center. They're intended for Total War, but the vast majority of them will also fit to BFME. Specifically check out S-te-Fan's "UVW Mapping a Head" tutorial. http://www.twcenter....ad.php?t=227460

Edited by Yarrum, 03 April 2010 - 03:57 PM.

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#12 Yarrum

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Posted 18 August 2010 - 07:21 AM

A friend of mine over at TWC made a nice texturing tutorial in which he skinned Aragorn's bedroll from his ranger outfit...here.

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#13 Xno

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Posted 18 February 2011 - 02:32 PM

Ah I'm just wondering whether doing the 3d things; modeling and skinning will be hard.
I'll take a look at those tutorials. (I've seen them for a long time, but I don't know a thing about this stuff, so I just
look past them :thumbsupsmiley: )

#14 modboy451

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Posted 18 February 2011 - 02:55 PM

A friend of mine over at TWC made a nice texturing tutorial in which he skinned Aragorn's bedroll from his ranger outfit...<a href="http://www.twcenter....d.php?t=381417" target="_blank">here</a>.


that is actually on the main site too...

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#15 Mathijs

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Posted 18 October 2012 - 01:03 PM

I wrote a quick tutorial on how to apply a cell-shading effect to BFME models:

http://www.the3rdage...tem-738?addview

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#16 Emperor of the East

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Posted 03 April 2018 - 07:43 AM

I read the tutorial on the Numeorean shield to get a sense of how to create custom textures that are specific to custom models. That tutorial says it can be done in full using either one of 3ds Max (which I lack because I can't afford it atm) or RenX (which I normally use). But I tried the UVW Mapping step in RenX and the 'Relax' option is missing under Tools. Not only this, but the checkered pattern with the lines does not appear when I select "Unwrap UVW" and click "Edit". That tutorial appears to me to be exclusively in 3ds Max context. Is there a way to access the Relax tool in RenX? Does RenX even have a Relax tool for unwrapping UVWs?


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#17 Mathijs

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Posted 03 April 2018 - 10:31 AM

I'll send you a PM regarding 3ds Max 8.


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#18 Emperor of the East

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Posted 09 April 2018 - 12:40 PM

I followed the Simple Structure Build-up animation tutorial four different times:

  1. Mordor Barracks remodel
  2. Easterling Fortress
  3. Easterling Turbine
  4. Easterling Barracks

And in the latter two times, it gave me the wrong export menu. Only when I did the Mordor Barracks and the Easterling Fortress did it give me the w3d export options menu I need. I am confused as to why this is happening, can I get a lesson on how to make sure I get this w3d export menu every time?:

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I have no idea why this particular export options menu only showed up for the first two projects. Is there a tool I am supposed to put into the Autodesk directory?


Edited by Emperor of the East, 10 April 2018 - 11:56 AM.

"You cannot know anything; only suspect. You must suspect to be wrong. To have overlooked, something, anticipate."

 

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