6 replies to this topic

[CommanderJC]

I may have questioned 21 of them but not all of them are answered in previous threads. This is the next set of questions I need help with.

1. Can I convert .w3dm files into .w3x? Is there any program that can do this? Or do .w3dm files must convert to either .ase or .3ds files and then convert to w3x using the plugins? I notice when extracting models from the BinOpener, there are .w3da, .w3db, .w3dc and .w3ds files. Can these files merge with .w3dm file to a .ase or .3ds file? I find this complex when a .w3x file is split into many odd files. Without the animation of that .w3x, even with the model tga skins, the model cannot be played in a C&C3 mod.

2. Is there a way on how you would merge tga skins and w3dm/w3dc files together to form a .w3x file? A .w3x file contains the skins, textures and animations of that model. So I probably might be knowing that extracting models are possible but not in that format.

For example I have the following after extraction (those tga files were already converted from dds files using DDS Converter):
NUReckoner.tga
NUReckoner_D.tga
NUReckoner_NRM.tga
NUReckoner_SPM.tga
NUReckonerTreads.tga
NUReckonerTreads_D.tga
and 66 NUReckoner ".w3dm" and ".w3dc" files that are probably split from a NUReckoner.w3x file.


3. Is it possible for any models textured and done for Generals/Zero Hour and other games work on C&C3/KW mod sdk? There aren't a lot coming from the PPMsite forums (3D models sub-section) but I got them anyway. Will free public models from Company of Heroes work on C&C3/KW mod sdk?

4. Can Adobe Photoshop safely change colors of buttons in the main, options and skirmish menus without causing errors to the C&C3 mod sdk after compliation? Make one mistake of changing the color, after compling and running the mod, there's no earth and no C&C3 logo in the main menu screen and the screen pictures somehow got mixed up with the new color.

5. I still cannot find the C&C3 logo picture (which is found in the top left corner of the screen) in the mod sdk and the art packs. Any way to extract that picture and edit it (alpha channel must remain when saved) and compile it with the mod sdk without errors?

6. I may have all the portrait icons extracted from Kane's Wrath and converted from dds to tga, but most packed images in tga files have more than one portrait icon. If I pick Power Signature Scan and code it, I would use PackedImages_019.tga (which has 9 icons in there) as the name for the portrait icon but it's in the second column, 1st top row. How is this done?

7. There was a C&C3 mod consisting of a rifle soldier, missile soldier, grenade soldier and sniper in one squad. So it might be possible for any one type of infantry merge into one to become a super infantry squad. How can this be done by coding? Even a vehicle squad isn't possible due to the huge amount of space it takes and neither mod nor RTS game can do that.

8. For the Mastermind unit, I would like that unit to have almost the same abilities as the Prodigy. However, there are a few things in the C&C3 mod sdk coding that I am unsure of:
- Is it possible to mind control more than one unit? If so, how? I would like the idea of mind controlling a unit every 5 cooldown seconds, up to a maximum of 5. With that effect, it should not lose health in this way, unlike the Yuri MasterMind in RA2 Yuri's Revenge.
- How you would you mind control units over a small area of effect for a short period of time by coding?
- Is it possible for a Mastermind to transport itself into a nearby area similar to the Eradicator Hexapod's special ability when being attacked or for recon? However, will this ability affect the mind controlling abilities, causing them to disable and reset?

9. Last but not least: How do you put movies into the Mod SDK? I don't see any tutorials regarding this though a conversion is needed and I do know both INI and xml files do cover the movie codes. Can any movie format file work into the Mod SDK?



Edit: From what I know after extracting ddm files and converting them to tga files from KW, the art pack from Kane's Wrath should contain AU, AB, EU, GU, GB, HC, NU, NB, FX, Images, IntelDB, Terrain and W3 subfolders and are to be placed in the "MOD SDK\Art" folder. Chances are still slim if the full KW art pack is to be released.

Now that makes 30 questions since coming here.

[Mighty BOB!]

I may have questioned 21 of them but not all of them are answered in previous threads. This is the next set of questions I need help with.

1. Can I convert .w3dm files into .w3x? Is there any program that can do this? Or do .w3dm files must convert to either .ase or .3ds files and then convert to w3x using the plugins? I notice when extracting models from the BinOpener, there are .w3da, .w3db, .w3dc and .w3ds files. Can these files merge with .w3dm file to a .ase or .3ds file? I find this complex when a .w3x file is split into many odd files. Without the animation of that .w3x, even with the model tga skins, the model cannot be played in a C&C3 mod.

There's a program called 3D Object Converter that costs $50. It can convert .w3dm into many other formats but there is no program that can convert files into .w3x. You could use jonwil's extra tools (cncmods.net) to just directly extract the .w3dm as a .w3x. You cannot extract anything with animations. You can't do anything with any of the files other than the .w3dm files. In any case you're going to have to re-rig and re-animate any model you extract in 3dsmax and re-export it.

2. Is there a way on how you would merge tga skins and w3dm/w3dc files together to form a .w3x file? A .w3x file contains the skins, textures and animations of that model. So I probably might be knowing that extracting models are possible but not in that format.

For example I have the following after extraction (those tga files were already converted from dds files using DDS Converter):
NUReckoner.tga
NUReckoner_D.tga
NUReckoner_NRM.tga
NUReckoner_SPM.tga
NUReckonerTreads.tga
NUReckonerTreads_D.tga
and 66 NUReckoner ".w3dm" and ".w3dc" files that are probably split from a NUReckoner.w3x file.

The game compresses and encrypts everything. There's nothing you can do with the vast majority of stuff you might extract. If you want to extract separate pieces you're going to have to put them all back together in 3dsmax and then redo a bunch of other work like rigging and animating.


3. Is it possible for any models textured and done for Generals/Zero Hour and other games work on C&C3/KW mod sdk? There aren't a lot coming from the PPMsite forums (3D models sub-section) but I got them anyway. Will free public models from Company of Heroes work on C&C3/KW mod sdk?

Once again, you're going to have to rig and animate these models. The textures and meshes will work fine, but rigging and animating are up to you. Also you're going to have to make sure the normal maps, specular maps, and house color maps (if they even exist, otherwise you have to make them from scratch) conform to the way C&C3 handles them.

4. Can Adobe Photoshop safely change colors of buttons in the main, options and skirmish menus without causing errors to the C&C3 mod sdk after compliation? Make one mistake of changing the color, after compling and running the mod, there's no earth and no C&C3 logo in the main menu screen and the screen pictures somehow got mixed up with the new color.

Yes it can. It sounds like you used the clean shell menu instead of the regular shell menu possibly.

5. I still cannot find the C&C3 logo picture (which is found in the top left corner of the screen) in the mod sdk and the art packs. Any way to extract that picture and edit it (alpha channel must remain when saved) and compile it with the mod sdk without errors?

You're not going to find it. It can't be extracted. Just grab the C&C3 logo out of one of the concept art packs or something. You're going to have to make an alpha channel yourself. The logo must be 256 pixels wide by 135 pixels tall. Scroll down near the end. The code you need is in one of the last posts. Just stick that in like "myindividualimages.xml" in the Art folder and include it in mod.xml.

6. I may have all the portrait icons extracted from Kane's Wrath and converted from dds to tga, but most packed images in tga files have more than one portrait icon. If I pick Power Signature Scan and code it, I would use PackedImages_019.tga (which has 9 icons in there) as the name for the portrait icon but it's in the second column, 1st top row. How is this done?

Offsets in the code tell it where in the image (XY) to read from for the correct image. <Coords x="blah" y="blah" /> I think. But don't quote me on that.

7. There was a C&C3 mod consisting of a rifle soldier, missile soldier, grenade soldier and sniper in one squad. So it might be possible for any one type of infantry merge into one to become a super infantry squad. How can this be done by coding? Even a vehicle squad isn't possible due to the huge amount of space it takes and neither mod nor RTS game can do that.

Dunno how it is done.

8. For the Mastermind unit, I would like that unit to have almost the same abilities as the Prodigy. However, there are a few things in the C&C3 mod sdk coding that I am unsure of:
- Is it possible to mind control more than one unit? If so, how? I would like the idea of mind controlling a unit every 5 cooldown seconds, up to a maximum of 5. With that effect, it should not lose health in this way, unlike the Yuri MasterMind in RA2 Yuri's Revenge.
- How you would you mind control units over a small area of effect for a short period of time by coding?
- Is it possible for a Mastermind to transport itself into a nearby area similar to the Eradicator Hexapod's special ability when being attacked or for recon? However, will this ability affect the mind controlling abilities, causing them to disable and reset?

Dunno how that would be done.

9. Last but not least: How do you put movies into the Mod SDK? I don't see any tutorials regarding this though a conversion is needed and I do know both INI and xml files do cover the movie codes. Can any movie format file work into the Mod SDK?

As I recall your movies need to be in H.264 format but other than that I don't know.

Edit: From what I know after extracting ddm files and converting them to tga files from KW, the art pack from Kane's Wrath should contain AU, AB, EU, GU, GB, HC, NU, NB, FX, Images, IntelDB, Terrain and W3 subfolders and are to be placed in the "MOD SDK\Art" folder. Chances are still slim if the full KW art pack is to be released.

Now that makes 30 questions since coming here.

[Phil]

9. Last but not least: How do you put movies into the Mod SDK? I don't see any tutorials regarding this though a conversion is needed and I do know both INI and xml files do cover the movie codes. Can any movie format file work into the Mod SDK?

I was going to write a tutorial on extracting and including movies, but never really finished my research until yesterday. I'll try to write it all down on the site tomorrow.
If you're very impatient about it, check out the following links, they contain most of the information required:
http://forums.revora...pic=30091&st=20
http://www.deezire.n...-vp6-codec.html

[CommanderJC]

I was going to write a tutorial on extracting and including movies, but never really finished my research until yesterday. I'll try to write it all down on the site tomorrow.

Where is it today, Dark Lord? Today is the 29th of October.

[Phil]

It's in the process of being written
I'm not sure if I'll be able to finish it today though, you might need to wait until tomorrow.

[Phil]

The tutorial Adding and extracting movies is now online. Please let me know if you face any problems, I forgot to mention anything or if anything is unclear.

[CommanderJC]

Thank you very much for the tutorial. Very helpful indeed.