Issues exporting VTF and VMTs and extra files. Free WWMT 3DS Max 2015

Started by hurtcules, August 18, 2016, 09:51:27 PM

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hurtcules

Hello, I recently upgraded my pc to windows 10 and cleaned all my hard drives and all so I have a fresh install of all my software and workspace. Previously I was using the free version of wwmt with 3DS Max 2014 and I used it for quite a while without any issues.

Now I'm using max 2015 with the latest version of wwmt and I have set up using the folders I was using previously. Exporting a model seems to work fine and it goes into the correct folder, although now it's compiling a few more extra files to the same location that it didn't do before, not sure if that's an issue or just how the latest version works.

When I click on export VTFs it will bring up the exporter and it will export only a vmt, but no vtf. Also when I manually edit the material to reference the vtf I want it to, it doesn't work.

wallworm

Can you post a screen shot of the WW settings for the Paths?

Also, when you click Export VTFs, is it only listing the VMT (as it's not listing any textures?) Or is it listing them bug failing to export?

Also, can you paste a screenshot of the material in Slate to show how the material and it's textures are set up?

hurtcules

Sorry for the late reply on this,

Here are my paths.
http://i.imgur.com/7gPyRWU.jpg

This is what it looks like when I click export VTFs
http://i.imgur.com/1OQFYcU.jpg

Here is my slate material
Just a simple bitmap image attached to diffuse
http://i.imgur.com/6wtP88U.jpg

I'm also having a scale issue, the model shown is just a modified arch, but I didn't change any scaling and it's the same size as the original, but it's coming into source like this.
The dark grey is the correct size version that I had created previously.
http://i.imgur.com/28ruusO.jpg

Also there are several additional files that get added to my model folder that didn't before.
http://i.imgur.com/rmzhG3f.jpg

Thanks for the help



wallworm

There are several problems going on here.

1) Your modelsrc and materialsrc paths are likely incorrect OR your Game Info path is likely incorrect. The Game Info path should be pointing to the folder that contains that actual game folders, and wherever that is, the modlesrc and materialsrc are generally not subfolders of that. For most standard games, the fastest way to get WW set up is to click the Import GameConfig button at the far right of the settings window and then browse for your mod's GameConfig.txt file.

Some versions of VTEX that comes with Source games for compiling TGA files into VTF files will only properly work if the TGA files are placed into its expected materialsrc path. This may or may not be an issue for you... as there is also a problem with your material:

2) The  texture exporter is failing to list any textures that will export with your model. That is because the free version of WW can only export TGA (and PSD) files. If the bitmap piped into your model is a PNG, JPG, etc, it won't work. You need to use a TGA file.

3) The scale issue should be solved by if you go to your Global Settings and check the Ignore Scale on Mesh Nodes setting in the Models tab. If that is already on and the scale is wrong, make sure that the object's WWMT Helper has the Scale setting to 1.0. If that isn't the issue either, read this article: My Model Scale is Wrong.

4) The extra files you see in the Model folder are because your settings (see #1 above) are pointing your modelsrc folder (where the QC, SMD, etc) files are generated to the same folder that studiomdl.exe compiles models (MDL, PHY, etc) to.

Finally, you are using a version of WW that has a significant bug in the SMD exporter in the free version of WW. Please update your version of WW.

hurtcules

Alright so I think I have everything back to normal, I had an issue in hammer also with my models with my gameconfig file so when I got that fixed the paths did as well when I reimported it. Models and textures are exporting fine into the correct folder paths, but I'm still having the issue with my scaling.

I read through everything, but nothing seemed to fix it. The issue I'm seeing is the file size is just incorrect, when I re import a vmf file it comes in much smaller than how it used to.
http://i.imgur.com/H0fhybw.jpg

The tiny displacement should match the size on the left. Resizing my model down though puts it at the correct size when I import it back in so it's not the biggest issue it's just gonna be a bit of annoyance to resize everything.

wallworm

I'm not entirely clear as to what object at what point is scaled wrong. It is only models that you import into a scene via import VMF? If so I need more info. Does the original model's WWMT Helper use the $scale parameter? If so, you may need to open your QC importer and set your preference to $sale to Mesh ON/OFF (not sure which you'll need as I'm not clear on the specific issue). It will import the model exactly as the original SMD file is independent of game scaling if $scale to Mesh is off (and the scale get stored on the imported WWMT Helper settings); when on, the mesh gets scaled to what the QC $scale param is.

Please explain more.

hurtcules

I was just importing brushes and displacements,

As an example this shows the displacements in hammer that I'm importing back into max using wall worm, the clipping brushes are about the same size as the large arch model
http://i.imgur.com/UB6458q.jpg

In max when I import them now they come in much smaller than how they used to. The group of models that are grey are what I created based on the first time I imported my map file into max and I haven't changed them since.
http://i.imgur.com/PBD999E.jpg

Not really sure if I did something different this time around, but that's what its coming in as now, and when I export a model at its current size it comes into hammer that big compared to the small displacements in yellow.

wallworm

OK, so I think I'm getting the issue.

So first, lets just clarify. When you say "models" are you using it generically for the objects in the scene? I'm asking, because a model, in Source, has a specific meaning. And if my understanding of the problem is correct, these are not actually models but brushes and displacements.

So if the tiny objects are brushes and displacements, the change is most likely due to the fact that they were tagged as Sky objects. The VMF Exporter will shrink down brushes and displacements to the map's sky scale and place them around the sky_camera entity. That's an automatic process in the exporter. But VMF Files do not have any designation for what is part of the skybox or not, so the importer cannot do the reverse automatically.

That, of course, is dependent on my assumption about your problem is correct (that these are brushes and displacements and not models).

hurtcules

correct, those are not models, just brushes and displacements.

I use the import for a scale reference to model around in max and then export the 3d props into hammer. The first time I did this before I went to windows 10 the scale was much larger.


wallworm

What are the units you have for Max? For Source/WW they should be set to generic units where 1 unit =  1 inch. That is another possibility.

The VMF Exporter will only rescale an object if it's been tagged as a sky object. Did you happen to do that? And the importer never rescales. But both are dependent on the system scale being correct.

hurtcules

I set the system units to 1 inch, previously I had them at 1 cm, and for the most part that seemed to correct the importing vmf scaling issues and it did fix one of my max files, but the other ones that I used still needed to be scaled down, but everything I need for my project I'm just storing in 1 max file now and I'm back up and running.

And I didn't have any sky brushes in the map file when I imported so I don't believe it referenced that.

Thanks for all the help!, I'll be looking to upgrade to pro soon.

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