Making Models

[Tauka Usanake]

Okay now I've heard many different things on here that lead to 3D programs and stuff. Personaly, I don't know what does what. I would like to try making my own building mods no matter how hard it could be. I'm kind of autistic like that.

So what would you use to make something? So far I've looked at LeoCAD and MLCad with the latter being more nicer to me. I've taken a thought for Blender and remember Wings3D. So far all I know is that you guys play a hopping game in which your file is emported to different programs. Can working processes be listed for me to try out?

Please note that I'm stupid. Also recently annoying.

[PWNZOR]

The thing about LDraw and LeoCAD, is that they use too many polygons. I have a program that can remove the studs and export to .obj, but there's still a pile of them.

Blender and Wings3D both model, the latter of which I believe it able to export to LRR.

However, if you plan on editting the animations, you're going to have to bug someone who owns Lightwave, or purchase the software yourself. I do not know the process, as I am clueless on how to animate.

Lightwave can also model, and export with textures correctly. But the program costs a huge sum of money.

I hoped that helped some...

[TheDoctor]

Personally I like and use Wings3D, but some like blender better. As long as you can get the file to a format that milkshape can import, like obj, you're fine. Lightwave is the only animation program so your kind of stuck unless you can get someone who has it to animate for you.

[Amauros]

Just to note, blender and wings3d do NOT export to the correct format for LRR. You need Lightwave, Milkshape, or lithunwrap (i think) to import>export to the correct format. Lightwave is expensive, and milkshape requires a bit of money as well... not sure about lithunwrap.

I have wings and milkshape, and personally find wings3d to be easier to model with, so I start there and finish up in milkshape.

[Tauka Usanake]

So Blender or Wings3D and then use Lightwave, Milkshape or Lithunwrap to format correctly.

If anything I do want to make models out of LEGO bricks and LDraw and MLCad have that correctly. I guess LRR does use mostly normal shapes though so I guess thats how it goes.

I recall versions was as important as the software itself. Any comments on that?

[PWNZOR]

If anything I do want to make models out of LEGO bricks and LDraw and MLCad have that correctly. I guess LRR does use mostly normal shapes though so I guess thats how it goes.

If you go that route, the massive polygonal reduction of all the studs and innards'll probably be your job. Modeling from scratch is much easier, trust me, and goes better on the game engine.

I recall versions was as important as the software itself. Any comments on that?

All versions of Lightwave can export models and animations to 5.x, but I do recall someone saying Lightwave 9.0 cannot correctly export animations this way. (models do not have this problem) I am not sure about subsequent releases of Lightwave.

[TheDoctor]

Milkshape has a two export as lwo plugins, but only one exports to the proper 5.x format. The other exports to 6.x, which won't work. As far as lightwave goes you need to export scenes as 5.x. Lightwave 5.x-8.x do this right, but lightwave 9.x+ can't export scenes right IIRC. Its tricky but we know what we're doing.

[Masterchief]

If it helps you you can model your models via LeoCAD or MLCad and hand them over to me. I own Lightwave 9.0 which works fine with LRR just drop me an PM about it.

But keep in mind that for successfull modding your models shouldn´t have to much polygons, if you want I can even take care of that and reduce the polygoncount while converting your models to the LWO format.

Cheers!

[Tauka Usanake]

If it helps you you can model your models via LeoCAD or MLCad and hand them over to me. I own Lightwave 9.0 which works fine with LRR just drop me an PM about it.

But keep in mind that for successfull modding your models shouldn´t have to much polygons, if you want I can even take care of that and reduce the polygoncount while converting your models to the LWO format.

Cheers!

But I wants to do it! You can do pretty much everything in Lightwave then? I'll look into getting it. I hope it's not too hard to use. And I guess I won't be making my models from LeoCAD or MLCad but a rough draft. How do you reduce polygons though? Manually or is there something that can do it for you?

[Addictgamer]

But I wants to do it! You can do pretty much everything in Lightwave then? I'll look into getting it. I hope it's not too hard to use. And I guess I won't be making my models from LeoCAD or MLCad but a rough draft. How do you reduce polygons though? Manually or is there something that can do it for you?

I tell lithunwrap to reduce them for me before it exports something into LRR format.

Try that and see if it works.

[Tauka Usanake]

It does Lightwaves job I guess except the texturing right? What exaclly should I look for then? I Googled it and found a 1.3 download. Is that the right one?

[Addictgamer]

I think it's the right one. Try it.

And I don't know about not texturing it right.

If it turns out it doesn't, have it remove polys, export into lwo, then open in lightwave, texture it, and rexport.

[Masterchief]

But I wants to do it! You can do pretty much everything in Lightwave then? I'll look into getting it. I hope it's not too hard to use. And I guess I won't be making my models from LeoCAD or MLCad but a rough draft. How do you reduce polygons though? Manually or is there something that can do it for you?

Well Tauka Usanake I was just offering help to you!^^

Nevermind if you like to do it on your own then I appreciate your way because it´s a smart decision to try it yourself rather then let others do the work for you.

So to get you started I would like to give you some essential information:

To edit the original LRR models of the game, or to create new ones and texture them you will need a modeling software called Lightwave version 9 which costs EUR 1.066,70 on amazon Amazon Link

Once you bought the software, installed and activated it you have all the power to customize the game as you wish (speaking of modding the models and textures not the sourcecode!)

You can then extract all the data from the WAD files using the WAD tool and open the LWO/LWS files with Lightwave.

If you need any help or have questions to the workflow or the layout of Lightwave don´t hesitate to ask me!

For the Polygon reduction:

I use a software called 3ds max to reduce the polygon count and perserve the texture coordinats and modeling structure.

[Tauka Usanake]

But I wants to do it! You can do pretty much everything in Lightwave then? I'll look into getting it. I hope it's not too hard to use. And I guess I won't be making my models from LeoCAD or MLCad but a rough draft. How do you reduce polygons though? Manually or is there something that can do it for you?

Well Tauka Usanake I was just offering help to you!^^

Nevermind if you like to do it on your own then I appreciate your way because it´s a smart decision to try it yourself rather then let others do the work for you.

So to get you started I would like to give you some essential information:

To edit the original LRR models of the game, or to create new ones and texture them you will need a modeling software called Lightwave version 9 which costs EUR 1.066,70 on amazon Amazon Link

Once you bought the software, installed and activated it you have all the power to customize the game as you wish (speaking of modding the models and textures not the sourcecode!)

You can then extract all the data from the WAD files using the WAD tool and open the LWO/LWS files with Lightwave.

If you need any help or have questions to the workflow or the layout of Lightwave don´t hesitate to ask me!

For the Polygon reduction:

I use a software called 3ds max to reduce the polygon count and perserve the texture coordinats and modeling structure.

Oh wow what luck. I have 3Ds Max! Just not installed on here. That' helps quite a bit I guess. I just need to get Lightwave then.

So wait. 3Ds Max can mess with .lwo files? If I had known that I would have messed with them a long time ago. I guess it doesn't do textures though?

[Masterchief]

I am sorry but 3ds max can´t handle LWO or LWS files as these file formats are stock formats of Newtek´s Lightwave. Nevertheless you can use the OBJ or the FXB format to exchange 3d data between Lightwave and 3ds max.

I am not really sure wheter there is a plugin for 3ds max to import LWO files but on http://www.maxplugins.de/ you might find one.

And for textures: Using the OBJ or FXB format 3ds max can handle almost everything!^^

[Tauka Usanake]

I am sorry but 3ds max can´t handle LWO or LWS files as these file formats are stock formats of Newtek´s Lightwave. Nevertheless you can use the OBJ or the FXB format to exchange 3d data between Lightwave and 3ds max.

I am not really sure wheter there is a plugin for 3ds max to import LWO files but on http://www.maxplugins.de/ you might find one.

And for textures: Using the OBJ or FXB format 3ds max can handle almost everything!^^

So I could export to Lightwave as .obj and then from there to .lwo and textures would stay?

[Masterchief]

In case that you check the checkbox for 'perserving the texture cordinats' and 'include materials' : Yes.