Mod help?

[DarthSkorne]

I'm almost finished with my very first mod, however, there is a small problem that I need help with. I'm working on a wingless "Duty" helmet. I have altered it using Eshme's Import/ Export tool for 3Ds Max. I have reskinned the helmet with the help of DA Tool and photoshop. When I export it into the toolset, everything looks fine. I start my game and when I equip my helmet, it begins to act funny. The helmet swivels around my shoulders and it doesn't seem to keep up with the rest of my body and the eyeballs seem to be floating outside of the helmet. Can anyone help me with this?

[Thandal]

Can't help you, but you might want to post this in the "Dragon Age Builder Troubleshooting" forum. The folk there are more likely to know something about building mods. :thumbsup:

[TheVampireDante]

Topic moved to apprpriate section.

[DarthSkorne]

Here is everything that I have done step by step. Hopefully someone may be able to point out something I did wrong or something I overlooked.

 

1. Saved all the files pertaining to the helmet (.mmh, .msh, .mao, .phy, & .dds files) via DA Tool.

2. Using Eshme's DA:O Model and Animation Import Export plugin, I imported the .mmh file into 3ds Max using the suggested scale of 100 with no errors. I then selected the helmet and converted to editable poly. I left clicked on the helmet and selected polygons and proceded to delete the wings. Once completed, I opened the export tool. I selected the World center is pivot point option (I also saved another set of files using the GOB is pivot option) I renamed the .mmh accordingly and selected to rename the .msh file and create .mao file as well. I then exported the files using the same scale of 100.

3. Using the .dds plugin for Photoshop, I created my own set of .dds files (3 total)

4. Using DA Tool, I reskinned the helmet as outined in this tutorial:

Retexturing a Armor without Replacing it blog, - by Krayzie_3334 - http://social.bioware.com/11689/blog/

5. Using the Tooset, I created a module as outlined in this tutorial:

Custom Player Items In Single Player blog, - by weriKK - http://social.bioware.com/5339/blog/576/

6. I collected all my prepared files (including .gda file) and placed them in the data folder of my module.

7. I reopened the Tooset and selected manage modules. Selecting my module, I selected my customized helmet under item variation. I then saved and exported into the game as outlined per the tutorial in step 5.

 

I open my game and go into the inventory and the helmet is there. I then equip it and all seems fine until I go back into the game. The helmet then starts wobbling and swiveling around the shoulder area. It will even move off the shoulder area where my character will look like a headless man with a pair of floating eyeballs :biggrin:

[rainshock]

Here is everything that I have done step by step. Hopefully someone may be able to point out something I did wrong or something I overlooked.

 

1. Saved all the files pertaining to the helmet (.mmh, .msh, .mao, .phy, & .dds files) via DA Tool.

2. Using Eshme's DA:O Model and Animation Import Export plugin, I imported the .mmh file into 3ds Max using the suggested scale of 100 with no errors. I then selected the helmet and converted to editable poly. I left clicked on the helmet and selected polygons and proceded to delete the wings. Once completed, I opened the export tool. I selected the World center is pivot point option (I also saved another set of files using the GOB is pivot option) I renamed the .mmh accordingly and selected to rename the .msh file and create .mao file as well. I then exported the files using the same scale of 100.

3. Using the .dds plugin for Photoshop, I created my own set of .dds files (3 total)

4. Using DA Tool, I reskinned the helmet as outined in this tutorial:

Retexturing a Armor without Replacing it blog, - by Krayzie_3334 - http://social.bioware.com/11689/blog/

5. Using the Tooset, I created a module as outlined in this tutorial:

Custom Player Items In Single Player blog, - by weriKK - http://social.biowar.../5339/blog/576/

6. I collected all my prepared files (including .gda file) and placed them in the data folder of my module.

7. I reopened the Tooset and selected manage modules. Selecting my module, I selected my customized helmet under item variation. I then saved and exported into the game as outlined per the tutorial in step 5.

 

I open my game and go into the inventory and the helmet is there. I then equip it and all seems fine until I go back into the game. The helmet then starts wobbling and swiveling around the shoulder area. It will even move off the shoulder area where my character will look like a headless man with a pair of floating eyeballs :biggrin:

 

Sounds like a skinning issue. Load your helmet in max and import an animation. If it starts wobbling or stretching when you play the animation then you're going to have to redo the skin weights either by copying the skin modifier from a similar helmet or painting the weights by hand.

[DarthSkorne]

Ok. I'll try that. What are skin weights? When I moddified the .dds files, I essentially copied patches from other parts of the helm to cover the holes and get rid of some of the unnecesary shadowing. Thanks for the assist!

[rainshock]

Skin weights are essentially how much the skeleton's movement causes indiviual vertices to move. When the game plays an animation, it animates the bones and joints of a skeleton and that skeleton, in turn, animates verstices based on how much they are weighted to the different bones of the skeleton (if that makes any sense).

 

When you imported the .mmh, .msh, etc. with eshme's scripts the resulting model should have 4 modifiers: Skin, Unwrap UVW, Edit Normals, and Editable Poly. What you want to do before you edit the model (and this is important) is to cut out the skin modifier and and collapse all the other modifiers and you should be left with only the editable poly modifier. Make any edits you need to the model. Once your done, you re-add the edit normals modifier, then the unwrap uvw modifier and then paste back in the skin modifier that you cut out earlier. You want to do this everytime before you delete parts of the model or you'll come across some issues.

 

If you don't want redo all your work though, I would suggest importing the source helmet again. Make sure to have "Merge with selected" checked and have "GOB" highlighted. Then Copy the Skin Modifier from the source helmet and Paste it on your edited helmet. Hope that helps.

 

Edit: Here's a Pic

 

http://img41.imageshack.us/img41/5458/helpu.jpg

 

Uploaded with ImageShack.us

Edited December 30, 2010 by rainshock

[DarthSkorne]

Fantastic! I'll definately give it a try. Thanks!!! You've been a big help. :thumbsup:

[rainshock]

Fantastic! I'll definately give it a try. Thanks!!! You've been a big help. :thumbsup:

 

Your Welcome. Hope it works :)

[DarthSkorne]

It works!!!!!!! Thank You Rainshock!!! You Rock!!! :woot: