From Source games to Fallout

[fubbzie]

First of all I would like to thank all of you for the work you do around here, for everyone to use and enjoy. Latly I have wanted to try getting some of my faveriot weapons from games like Counter Strike Source and other source games, but I have run into a wall and cannot figure out how to get my current files into that of what fallout would use. This is all for personal use, seeing that the creators of most of the models I would want to "port" are long gone.

First off I know that Fallout used .Nif files for their models so I have aquired 3ds Max 2009 with the NIF plugin, and I also have the DDS plugin for photoshop. I know that the GECK Program has a feature to choose sound files for weapons so that dosent seem like it would be a big problem. just the conversion of the model files from source to fallout and animations. if there is a tutorial i have missed I would love to pointed tourd its direction. I know some of you now how to do this and owould would very much apriciate it if you could help me. thank you. Fubbzie.

[Skree000]

ok you need to get Nifskope as well as Niftools plugin for Max.

Grab GECK also if you dont have it yet.

 

There are basically 2 ways to get things out of your favorite game and into max where the fun begins.

 

Option 1: use the editor the game came with , if there is one, or use a max plugin to import the original filetypes of that game.

Option 2: use a ripping program to extract the 3d data right out of the game as you are playing it. 3dRipperDX for example does this.

 

Now im not exactly privy to the CSS file format for weapons but im guessing there are plugins for max that will allow you to import those.

 

Once in Max, you should import a stock fallout3 weapon that most closely resembles the shape, design and function of your own weapon. adjust its proportions to match that one if you want perfect hand-holding positions and reload anims.

 

Once your mesh is conformed to that design (not necessary, but highly reccomended). Export your new weapon into a nif file.

Open a second copy of nifskope and open the target weapon you used to conform to just a second ago.

 

Copy and paste over the data blocks from one file into the other (via right click).

 

Once thats done and it looks good in nifskope assign your textures, then delete any unncessary pieces from the old weapon you just over-wrote/replaced.

 

In GECK, right click and copy the original weapon you used as a template, and change its name to yours, then target your own nif file instead of what it had before so basically you made your own new weapon using the original one as a guide.

 

Meshes should go in /programfiles/bethesdasoftworks/fallout3/data/meshes and textures go in /textures.

 

Diffuse should have empty alpha (or solid white) and the Normal must be named with a _n before the .dds (example_n.dds) Normal must contain the specular map in the alpha also, so a DXT5 compression for the normal map should suffice.

 

Textures get plugged in in nifskope btw. Open up existing weapons and have a look at how they are made.

 

 

OHH to extract vanilla content such as weapons and textures, use FOMM (fallout mod manager) it has a built in BSA Unpacker, which opens the Fallout3 master BSA files and allows you to extract all that stuff. (dont extract those files to the working fallout folders, make a second folder somewhere else on your hard drive so it doesnt slow down the game)

 

also will need to modify an INI file in your mydocs/mygames/fallout3/ to accept custom content or it will be ignored.

[fubbzie]

thank you for pointing me in the right direction, i'll go DL Nifskope,I had read about it elsewhere but wesent rly shure of the role it played.

 

Ya i just have to make the long list of models that The source engin used and make one Nif file.

http://thecardboardbox.webs.com/model.jpg

 

and the long list of textures XD looks like I have a long night ahead of me.

http://thecardboardbox.webs.com/skin.jpg

[Skree000]

welcome to the fun :)

 

MDL files i believe can be opened with Quake mod toolkit(s) there are several programs that can do it. Quick3d can also do it.

(that is if you didnt already have a plugin for max that opens those)

[fubbzie]

Max actually dosent have a plugin for MDL files, gotta decompile them to .smd and then import them.

[ecksile]

Yes, decompile to a .smd you can use stuido decomplier or cannonfodders. You only need to decompile the .mdl the other files are for use in the source engine for collision, physics, rendering, etc. You wont need them for fallout, BUT you will need them for the decompile so make sure they are all in the same folder. After you decompile import the .smd into milkshape (the smd is often called ref, reference, or the weapon's name). Export as a .obj or .3ds then you can go head and import that in 3dsmax. I don't use 3dsmax so skree will have to help you there, but make sure you go through the whole model and smooth anything round but leave flat surfaces or hard corners solid. If you don't you will notice weird shadows on the guns from the way the light and specular is cast in the game engine.

 

Also for the textures your gonna have to make your own normals (you can use the ones made by the original author but i prefer to make my own either way you will need to do the alpha channel). I found that leaving the normals solid white or black makes them look funny in game (too bright or dark). so for the alpha channel your gonna wanna copy the original texture and paste it into the alpha channel then go to image/adjustments/levels and in the first box to the left, type 34 and hit enter. This should darken the alpha enough that when you get it in game the specularity fades in and out well with the texture. The texture will look dark in the channel but don't worry it will look fine in game. Make sure that all channels are visible before export and export as a DXT5 interpolated alpha.

 

 

P.S. For the decompile you only need to v_model. the other is the world model, but you can use your port for both ingame models.

 

 

P.S.S. Your gonna wanna find out what vanilla weapon your gonna use for replacement. That way you can make all the extra animation parts. You will have to rebuild the model in 3dsmax. Just a bunch of importing and deleting of not needed things. But normally these will need to be separate pieces from the main body.

 

clip/mag

trigger

slide/charging handle

mag release/slide catch

[fubbzie]

Sir thank you, Cannonfodders requires you to have source SDK so Ill try the stuido decompiler, normals shouldent be to hard for me but since i have never made any for fallout 3 I'll give your settings a go.

[ecksile]

You can download SDK from steam for free under tools. Unless you don't have steam. Also id suggest leeching off skree's brain for 3ds max hes a robobrain in disguise ;)

[fubbzie]

ya i have the sdk but im getting an error when trying to run cannonfodder's decompiler, I puit it in the right folder but its saying "The procedure entry point Q_AppendSlash could not be located in the dynamic link library vstdlib.dll.".

 

Edit: Got it had it in the orange box bin folder when i had to be in the EP1 bin folder.

 

Edit # 2: Used milkshape 3D with some plugins to import the .smd files and export them as a .nif. yay progress!

[rkelly]

Max actually dosent have a plugin for MDL files, gotta decompile them to .smd and then import them.

 

CORRECT!