Well as you probably may have noticed. Normal modeling and skinning does not work in EAW anymore. We have evolved. Really? No. Well, yes we have. We have shaders. We have SHADERS!!.
As you can see I have never made a web page or a tutorial before. But I have attempted to take this challenge like a normal forum post, to many sites. So if anyone wants to make a better nicer tutorial page, feel free to help.
NOTE!: I have no clue if this is the PROPER way to do it, but it works, and it does its job just fine. So if you discover something new, please tell me.
I will also add and fix things as time goes on. Hopefully making this a complete modelers guide to making models in EAW. Eventually I may even go further making tutorials for XML code and skinning. For now, this is what you get.
If you have and questions, critiques or anything at all, feel free to email me at swgbex@gmail.com.
And last but not least: SHARE this tutorial. It will save lots of frustration within the modding community. That is why I wrote this. Put it to good use.
All notes aside, lets start on the tutorial.
This is not really a section as much as it is just a reminder: have your models... boned (no giggling, I didn't have a better word for having models ready with bones in place), skinned, UVW unwrapped, the works. What you want to start out with is a finished model ready for exporting.
Also make sure that you get the FX and FXH files that came with the mod tools that are in your EAW GameData\Mods\Source\Art\Shaders directory, and place them in your 3D Studio max 6 directory: C:\3dsmax6\maps\fx
Now lets EXPORT!
HOLD ON. We have one last thing before we do that, and that is why you are reading this
Note:
Make sure that when doing this tutorial that you have max running in DirectX 9 mode (by going to: Start, Programs, discreet, 3dsmax6, Change gfx mode).
Ok well first go to the material editor and click on an empty sphere.
Yes we see the Material editor now. Click on The box that says "standard" that is next to a drop down box that says default. Its below the spheres.
Now we see that menu. Click on Direct X9 shader.
Now you should see this.
Now click on the button that has the directory that points to 3dsmax6\maps\fx\default.fx. On mine its on drive F, on yours its probably on drive C.
That brings up a load effect file window. There click on MeshGloss.fx
Next, you should see this.
Place all the emissive, diffuse, and specular colors to approximately to what I have set them to. Also Shininess should be as low as possible since otherwise they come out so shiny they blind people. Next click on the base texture button. Choose your base texture source.( your skin that you made for this model)
Now that you have done all that, click and drag on the sphere and drag it to your model.
Your model should look like this (except with a diferent skin, model, and everything. Unless you did a tie Interceptor =P)
WAAA??!?!?!
"An orange glow?" you ask, what could this be?!
This has to do with the default values of some variables in the shader. The first version of the ALO viewer also displayed this, but the newer version did not. Don't know how Mike got it fixed, but TRUST me: it's not part of the model and will not show up in game, or in the newer ALO viewer.
So export and place in game. Enjoy
This is how that exact model looks in game.
