1 _This article looks complete, [old methodology](#old-methodology) isn't a very complete section due to the obsolescence._
4 > ### 1. [Modeling requirements](#modeling-requirements)
5 > ### 2. [Introduction to export a weapon](#introduction-to-export-a-weapon)
6 > ### 3. [Textures and UV map](#textures-and-uv-map)
7 > ### 4. [Starting to export](#starting-to-export)
8 > > 4.1. [Modifiers](#modifiers)<br/>
9 > > 4.2. [Bones and animations](#bones-and-animations)<br/>
10 > > 4.3. [Textures and materials](#textures-and-materials)
11 > ### 5. [New methodology](#new-methodology)
12 > > 5.1. [SMD (includes IQM converter and dpmodel guide)](#smd-includes-iqm-converter-and-dpmodel-guide)
13 > ### 6. [Export troubleshooting](#export-troubleshooting)
14 > ### 7. [Old methodology](#old-methodology)
15 > > 7.1. [MD3](#md3)<br/>
18 # Modeling requirements
19 ### To follow this, you need knowledge about modeling using Blender
21 Blender version recommended: [**2.79b**](https://download.blender.org/release/Blender2.79/) or [**later**](https://www.blender.org/)
23 You need [dpmodel](https://icculus.org/twilight/darkplaces/files/) to convert SMD files:
24 - [dpmodel tool](https://icculus.org/twilight/darkplaces/files/dpmodel20091008beta1.zip)
26 Requires these following tools (addons) for Blender:
27 - [IQM exporter](https://gitlab.com/xonotic/iqm) to export IQM files.
28 - [Source Tools (SMD importer/exporter)](http://steamreview.org/BlenderSourceTools/archives/) to import/export SMD files.
31 - [MD3 importer/exporter](https://github.com/neumond/blender-md3) to import/export MD3 files.
33 ***IMPORTANT NOTE**: if you want to contribute, it's strongly important use 2.79b version for compatibility cases, they need to open from this version. Share the .blend file using 2.79b or earlier , make sure to work properly from this version!*<br/>
34 *If the version of a file is later than 2.79b, we may to make some tweaks and become tedious.*
36 # Introduction to export a weapon
37 **Keep in mind about weapon systems:**
39 - `g_*.md3`: model mesh for item pickup spawn and third person.
40 - `h_*.iqm`: for first person animations (if this step used [old methodology](#old-methodology) is a glue of `v_*`); the skeleton and the bones (the rigging and animation part). Keep in mind, you would need `*.iqm.framegroups` (more info: [Framegroups](framegroups), you can look `*.iqm.framegroups` opening a notepad to see what animations contain and the keyframes where these are set)
41 - `v_*.md3`: model mesh for third person; if `h_*.iqm` doesn't match with the animations needed of `v_*.md3`, it will generate spamming errors and bad pivot position (usually happens in the [old methodology](#old-methodology)).
43 More info: [Weapon modeling system](Weaponsystem)
48 ### For MD3 exportation:
50 You have to add single material with single texture for every mesh object. Name of texture node will be written as is into MD3 data (suffixes like .001, .002 are ignored, feel free to use one texture for many meshes).
52 Keep in mind, when you've done your UV map in your model, you need to set this:
55 <img src="uploads/efee46a2a80a232ebe5fa63e30f4e2d9/Md3exp.png" alt="Md3exp" width="300" />
59 - be of **Image** type
61 - have UV map assigned
63 otherwise resulting data block will be filled with zeroes.
66 <img src="uploads/c48fb7565453eab24faca2d6ffec4347/Md3_textures.png" alt="Md3_textures" width="360" />
69 If you didn't this, the model will be invisible and it won't be able to interact shaders.
72 [Blender reference about UV in MD3](https://archive.blender.org/wiki/index.php/Extensions:2.6/Py/Scripts/Import-Export/MD3/)
78 Keep in mind, you need to set these modifiers for the mesh/model object:
80 <img src="uploads/447f6abe0f73c6d6cadce97e4ed66e8b/blendermodifiersiqmandmd3.jpg" alt="blendermodifiersiqmandmd3" />
82 ## Bones and animations
84 MUST contain `tag_handle`, `tag_shell` and `tag_shot` bone names attached. These tag_names MUST be attached, if not the model will cause errors.
86 `tag_Somename` is another one, you can add if you need some optional animation in this bone. (Not useful for [old methodology](#old-methodology))
88 Moreover, watch out about position and rotation. `h_*.iqm` alterates the position and rotation of `v_*.md3`. The positions may not be equal.
90 `g_*` and `v_*` MUST contain one bone. The animations can't be included. It isn't like `h_*`.
92 Required animations and in the correct order:
98 ## Textures and materials
100 Please note that before exporting, about textures and materials, you have to assign the same as the script like this example shader file (`crylink.shader` file):
102 crylink_new // your material name
104 dpreflectcube cubemaps/default/sky
106 map textures/crylink_new.tga // the texture you wanna display in-game, make sure to test in Blender!
107 rgbgen lightingDiffuse
111 Note: `crylink_new` must appear in the material.
112 <br/><br/>Material:<br/>
113 <img src="uploads/abef98eaddd7c61bec7eb467efe4c3fe/crylinkblendermaterialsample.jpg" alt="crylinkblendermaterialsample" width=920 />
118 You can make optional customized animations adding bones for the animations.
120 ## SMD (includes IQM converter and dpmodel guide)
122 Use Source Tools addon in Blender to export the model and animations.
125 Select the mesh and 1 animation and click Export, you need to export all animations one per one:
126 <br/><img src="uploads/3775545047aa58d6e4fcb37df4f500a1/blenderSMDexport1.jpg" alt="blenderSMDexport1" width=380 /><br/><br/>
127 Repeat the process:<br/><img src="uploads/b7c8b250fc1af6b30c999506e7143930/blenderSMDexport2.jpg" alt="blenderSMDexport2" width=350 /><br/><br/>
128 <img src="uploads/9e9efa19232d1c47fd982ad0da2eb1df/blenderSMDexport3.jpg" alt="blenderSMDexport3" width=350 /><br/><br/><img src="uploads/2c929b6993d5e370c1d5498a03cb4ba8/blenderSMDexport4.jpg" alt="blenderSMDexport4" width=350 />
131 - For `g_*` and `v_*`:<br/>
132 Just select the mesh:
133 <br/><img src="uploads/ec37639792378bb6ef9684b19d45a056/blenderSMDexport5.jpg" alt="blenderSMDexport5" width=350 /><br/>
135 Use `iqm.exe` from [IQM exporter](https://gitlab.com/xonotic/iqm), in Windows, in CMD execute for convert SMD to IQM for `v_*` and `g_*`: <br/>`iqm v_myweapon.iqm v_mesh.smd`
136 <br/>`iqm g_myweapon.iqm g_mesh.smd`
137 <br/><br/>Linux: `./iqm.exe g_myweapon.iqm g_mesh.smd`
138 <br/>`./iqm.exe v_myweapon.iqm v_mesh.smd`
140 Rename extension to MD3: <br/>`g_myweapon.iqm` to `g_myweapon.md3`<br/>and `v_myweapon.iqm` to `v_myweapon.md3`
142 Use dpmodel tool to generate `h_myweapon.dpm` and `h_myweapon.dpm.framegroups`, in command line execute: `dpmodel yourconfig.txt`
143 <br/>More info explained about dpmodel tool: [dpmodel](dpmodel)
144 <br/>Rename extension to IQM: `h_myweapon.dpm` to `h_myweapon.iqm` and `h_myweapon.dpm.framegroups` to `h_myweapon.iqm.framegroups`.
146 Save those compiled model files into `models/weapons/` folder where they belong.
148 **Conclusion**: Sometimes, renaming formats can be useful to save effort. Note: it's a kind of weird way to do stuff, file formats are hardcoded in the gamecode rather than dynamically obtained. The issue of model resources was found here: https://gitlab.com/xonotic/xonotic-data.pk3dir/-/issues/2629#note_686988936
150 # Export troubleshooting
152 - _**Spamming CSQC errors:**_<br/>
153 If you received spamming errors like that:<br/>
154 <img src="uploads/1f769ede89975be78d88eaad1b062a3d/spammingerrorstagweapon.jpg" alt="spammingerrorstagweapon" width=450 /><br/>
155 It's because you didn't do correctly the steps after exporting the models. Remember, `g_*` and `v_*` MUST contain one bone.
157 - _**Broken shadow artifacts (enabled with `r_shadows 2` and disabled `r_shadow_shadowmapping 0`):**_<br/>
158 To solve this, the possible way is exporting to IQM from Blender, selecting bone and mesh (both highlighted). Usually, this issue happens in `g_*` and `v_*` ones.
159 <br/>Reference: https://gitlab.com/xonotic/xonotic-data.pk3dir/-/issues/2667
161 - _**When exporting to IQM, get duplicated names in the texture:**_<br/>
162 <img src="uploads/cdb90908aab4a52580019c871a936156/duplicatedtexturenameloadingerror.jpg" alt="duplicatedtexturenameloadingerror" width=700 /><br/>
163 Take a closer look what is telling here:<br/>
164 _The "Materials" option controls how material names are generated. "material+image-ext" combines the name of the material and the name of the UV-map image (without its extension or directory) to generate the material name, "material" uses only the name of the material, and "image" just uses the name of the UV-map image (without its directory)._ <br/><br/>
165 When you export to IQM, you need to watch out that detail after selected File > Export > Inter-Quake Model (.iqm, .iqe).<br/>
166 Pay attention to this [section](##textures-and-materials) when you need to export correctly, the material/texture(image) should be one thing, so do the following: Export IQM > Materials: > select `material` or `image` instead `material+image-ext`.<br/>
167 <img src="uploads/4fa75dca8ebb724b89d5fd5513fd2787/exportiqmiqeblenderdetails.jpg" alt="exportiqmiqeblenderdetails" width=200 /><br/>
171 *Note: this section is obsolete.*
173 **IMPORTANT**: In this methodology, you can't make cool animations with separated objects, because `h_*.iqm` here is a plane mesh with bones.
175 Note: the model should be rotated as YXZ, instead being XYZ. Because the tip of the weapon is Y, horizontally is X.
177 `tag_weapon` is a MUST bone for this methodology.
181 Before to export, you need to select all objects in the scene. (Pressing A, seeing all objects highlighting orange or red)
183 <img src="uploads/f3f39c9a06a408bffd5e48bc5e07eac6/exporttutorialMD3.jpg" alt="exporttutorialMD3" />
185 And export the model to MD3. _Attention: You can't export a model over than 8192 triangles/polys._
189 Before to export, you need to select all objects and bones in the scene. (Pressing A, seeing all objects highlighting orange or red)
191 <img src="uploads/7df860d73a6fae27408c8f0c024122c7/exporttutorialIQM.jpg" alt="exporttutorialIQM" />
195 For `h_*.iqm`, you will need to make a simple plane with a scale reduced to 0.01 and the following bones attached: `tag_weapon`, `tag_shell` and `tag_shot`.
197 There's a post from InsideQC Forums explaining about IQM:
199 There is a simple way:
201 You just can use an iqm model like a regular mdl file, you only need to use each frame as a framegroup.
203 For example, if you have an iqm called "rocketlauncher.iqm" with 20 frames you need to create a framegroup file with notepad like this:
227 So you will save it with the name.
229 "rocketlauncher.iqm.framegroups" and place it in the same directory where "rocketlauncher.iqm" is located.
231 About the framegroups file (explained on [Framegroups](framegroups)):
233 The first number represents the start frame of the animation (.framegroups files always start at frame 0, some modeling software starts at 1, so you might have to subtract 1 for the start frame).
235 The second number represents how many frames is in that specific frame group.
237 The third number is the frame rate at which the sequence plays. This is independent from what the monsters "think" rate is, which I have set at 10 frames-per-second.
239 The fourth number is whether the frame sequence loops. 1 for true, 0 for false. The only frame groups that should loop are the standing, walking and running animations.
241 It becomes very tedious to make framegroups for models with really many frames, you can use this sample generated for the DarkPlaces model compiler. It will work in every iqm model (if you wan you only need to cut the specific number of frames in the framegroups file, but it will work anyway)
243 Reference: [IQM animation framegroups (InsideQC Forums)](https://forums.insideqc.com/viewtopic.php?p=55949&sid=952cd347938ae5f2bb8bde276b5a35cd#p55949)