Exporting NIF from 3DS Max 9

Kinniken · Post by **Kinniken** » Fri Sep 07, 2007 9:38 pm

Is it possible? I tried using the CivIV plugin, but it fails to load with 3DS Max. As for the NifTools, while it seems to work, it does not seem to include texture in the generated .nif file. Anything else I can try?

TIA,

K.

Dr Frag · Post by **Dr Frag** » Sat Sep 08, 2007 6:11 am

This is a major issue discussed in the Trains section.

Emergent is the company that makes the Gamebryo engine that SMR uses. They have all the tools that we would need if someone could convince them to give the modding community a helping hand. If you are in the industry you might be able to get an Eval kit to help you out.

I have an engine that I want to get in game but the nif file that NifTools creates is incomplete for SMR.

Kinniken · Post by **Kinniken** » Sat Sep 08, 2007 12:16 pm

Hmm, that's a real blocker

If I can't easily export 3D models to SMR, I can forget about my map...

Still, people have managed to produce quite a lot of new 3D graphics for SMR, so what is the trick? Would 3DS Max 8 work better?

Oh, and BTW, lots of thanks for that tutorial of yours on using MicroDEM to generate SMR maps. It's a really easy process with great results!

Dr Frag · Post by **Dr Frag** » Sat Sep 08, 2007 5:35 pm

Yeah, I asked eilelwen once how he did it and he said he had to manually edit the nif to include all the stuff SMR needs.

You're welcome. The current MicroDEM is even nicer than the version I started with so it's pretty easy to make maps. I think I need to revisit my tutorial though as I think MicroDEM has changed a bit.

Post by **Warll** » Sat Sep 08, 2007 5:39 pm

Choobacca & Big Papa should know how after all they make a whole lot of new content.

Kinniken · Post by **Kinniken** » Sat Sep 08, 2007 5:55 pm

If anyone feels like making a nice tutorial on how to make new industries, that would be great

Just had a look at the unpacked industry file and it's a bit daunting. Hadn't realised that something like the cattle ranch would be made up of nearly a hundred files...

snoopy55 · Post by **snoopy55** » Sun Sep 09, 2007 9:27 am

I did a couple myself. A Cotton Farm out of the Grain Farm and a Coffee Plantation out of the Vineyard. It takes a lot of editing and, as you have noticed, a lot of files. You also have to edit the Train Cars, Goods and create Icons for each. And don't forget the Annexes in the Depots.

It kind of comes down to 'What do I want to create', 'What comes closest to it'(unless you wish to start from scratch

), 'What files are needed' and 'What do I need to do to them'. Then comes the testing and the possible 'What did I forget

,

Not trying to scare you away, just letting you know that you have to get all your 'Files' lined up and change them all. You can do like I did with the Coffee Plant and just use a Factory, changing only the input and output.

It would be nice to get those of us who have done it to submit a thread of notes as to how they did it. Of course, I only did the 'Editing Existing Material' unlike others who have done the 'Create It From Scratch'.

Let's see what happens........

Kinniken · Post by **Kinniken** » Sun Sep 09, 2007 9:34 am

Well, I'm going to need some stuff from scratch, but that will be mostly simple graphics (city buildings mostly). The rest I can adapt more or less from existing stuff.

The most complex things I'm going to need, if at all possible, is creating out-of-cities "industries" representing ports and airports. That one will be tough :\

Anyway, if you could simply post a list of the softwares you used to import/modify/export the files, that would be great. It's my biggest problem now. Once I have that figured out, the 3D work itself (outside of animations, which I'm probably not going to even touch, assuming SMR can be satisfied with "blank" animations for buildup and cargo loading) should be doable.

Oh, and has anyone tried using the depot graphics as an annex for an industry? It would do fine for my port and airport I think, if technically doable.

Kinniken · Post by **Kinniken** » Sun Sep 09, 2007 2:20 pm

With 3DS Max 8, the export of a (very simple) NIF file as a decoration worked fine. I'm sure I'll have a lots more problems with more complicated models, but it's nice to have gotten something to work, no matter how simple

snoopy55 · Post by **snoopy55** » Mon Sep 10, 2007 3:09 am

Well Blow My Mind!!!!

Go into Railroad! Wiki and go down to the last three in the section called 'Customizing the Game' and you'll see where Dr Frag has done the teaching on this little subject. He states in the third that he hasn't tested it yet, so maybe in seeing this he can verify it.

As far as Ports, the Distribution Center used in the Basin and Range map is good for it. As is, you cannot set up a Victory Condition for it. Dr Frag was wanting to do this and I had an idea for doing it, so we'll see what happens.

As to programs, they are mentioned in the Wiki, but:

NifSkope
Dragon UnPACKer
Paint Shop Pro (I use this, but any one of same type will do)
GMAX or other 3D Editor

I may try to do a tutorial on how I did the Coffee Annex and related things. I'll have to try to remember it all.

If you happen to find out where Firaxis hid those feilds, let me know....

Dr Frag · Post by **Dr Frag** » Mon Sep 10, 2007 3:48 am

Thanx for the credit but those were done by Gczobel. You can click on the History tab at the top of the page to see who has worked on it.

snoopy55 · Post by **snoopy55** » Mon Sep 10, 2007 4:03 am

OK, I got it now, you looked it over but hadn't tested it out yet. I'll have to rattle my brain to figure out how I did the Annexes I did. I'll take notes while I do

Kinniken · Post by **Kinniken** » Mon Sep 10, 2007 9:19 am

snoopy55 wrote:Well Blow My Mind!!!! Go into Railroad! Wiki and go down to the last three in the section called 'Customizing the Game' and you'll see where Dr Frag has done the teaching on this little subject. He states in the third that he hasn't tested it yet, so maybe in seeing this he can verify it.

I have read those... And while it's true that I didn't respect the texture part very closely (I just exported my model as a NIF with textures included), it worked fine as a decoration.

Anyway, I did unpack the city package as well and did see that SMR's city models use four dds each, but that didn't mean it was the only way to handle textures in SMR

If it is though, it's quite a big deal for me. It means that every model must be of one block and necessarily have one and only one unwrapped UVW texture, right? It's not the simplest way to make buildings, and while those unwrapped textures are cool they make adjustment to the model's shape a real pain.

I need at least 20-30 buildings for what I had in mind, and while I can make them half decently in 3D if I'm free to design them as I want, I don't know if I can make them within the constraints of SMR

Dr Frag · Post by **Dr Frag** » Mon Sep 10, 2007 7:18 pm

I'm no expert but making small adjustments to the model will distort the texture but it shouldn't be that noticeable in-game. When I did my loco I hand mapped almost every polygon. It was my first experience with UVWs but once I learned a few tricks it moved along smoothly. If you make large adjustments to the model you might have to tweak the UVW but only for the part(s) you adjusted.

I'm not sure what you mean by 'one block'. Have you imported a loco and looked at all the linked parts?

Kinniken · Post by **Kinniken** » Mon Sep 10, 2007 7:44 pm

I meant that for texturing purpose; i.e, you can't apply different textures to different parts, it has to be in one go.

Oh, and I haven't managed importing a NIF in 3DS yet... just viewing them in NifSkope. What do you use?