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- Milkshape 3D - ObjectTool V1.01, MS Plugins 4/22/2011
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- Milkshape 3D - ObjectTool V1.01, MS Plugins 4/22/2011
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The MilkShape Plug-ins have been updated to a V1.01. The ObjTool itself will not be updated, instead I have prepared these plug-ins to perform with the S3PE Object Meshing Helper that Inge and Peter Jones and Atavera have been working on. The changes involve some minor extensions to the .s3asc file format, and some tweaks to the 4th skin weighting. I expect that the new tools will be easier to work with, with a broader creator/developer support and have the potential to greatly improve object meshing on Sims 3. I have been informed that similar changes are being made to the object Plug-ins for Blender. You will note I am providing no links to this at this time, I am clueless as to where these new things will be posted.
I believe this is a positive development for Sims 3 modding, enabling users to use a smaller set of tools, and to choose among different 3D programs to use in making their meshes. While it appears that only MilkShape and Blender have plug-ins that support the format, the format is public, and open for anyone else to use.
Note the implication that the ObjTool itself will not be further updated. I expect the users will replace it with newer and better things now that they are becoming available. The ObjTool served its purpose, but as a piece of software development it has its limitations. A lot of it was written without a full understanding of some of the subtleties in the game file formats (MODL/MLOD) and a lot of things were sort of shoveled in (as you can see from the release history). In lieu of the complete rewrite it needs, I am choosing to support in whatever way I can the great work that others are doing. I am leaving the binaries for the ObjTool and the MilkShape plug-ins that should be used with it posted until such time as they are totally redundant. Of course, anyone is free to continue to use them so long as they want.
History: (for the ObjTool)
V1.01: 20-Jan-2010 Fixed incorrect block listing on MTST for MODL file types, added type3 vertex, corrected wrong bounding box in MLOD.
V1.00: 30-Sep-2009 Revised to default UVScales to 1/32767. Added check to release all file handles.
V0.20: 16-Sep-2009 Revamped Dropshadow parts, again. Added Joint placement based on game file data. Revised licensing for plugins, seperate package.
V0.17: 01-Sep-2009: Revised scaling for DropShadow parts.
V0.16: 29-Aug-2009: Added MTST block listing to Info function.
V0.15: 27-Aug-2009: Fixed UV Scaling, fixed shadow normals, added materials to decompilation/recompilation.
V0.14: 14-Aug-2009: Added MODL bounds changes, created GUI version.
V0.12: 10-Aug-2009: Restored lost fix for normals that flipped.
V0.11: 08-Aug-2009: Reverted UV scaling back to pre-V0.09 value.
V0.10: 07-Aug-2009: Revised to use .s3asc files for mesh data.
V0.09: 06-Aug-2009: Changed UV compression scaling.
V0.08: 04-Aug-2009: Increased buffer limits.
V0.07: 03-Aug-2009: Fixed error exporting default 8-byte vertex (0x5003 block).
V0.06: 02-Aug-2009: Fixed assignment import problem. Increased size limits.
V0.05: 01-Aug-2009: Fixed some normals flipping. Added seam (UV)
splitting. Added scan for unassigned bones.
V0.04, 29-Jun-2009: Fixed bug in VPXY field from decompiler for some MODLs.
V0.03, 29-Jun-2009: Fixed problem caused by earlier fix.
V0.02, 29-Jun-2009: Added code to manage welded seams on export
V0.01, 28-Jun-2009: Initial release
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S3ObjTool.rar (33.8 KB, 16022 downloads) - View custom content | |
Size Packed Ratio Date Time Attr CRC Meth Ver ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- license.txt 9420 3511 37% 30-09-09 09:09 .....A. 3D0F25C2 m3b 2.9 MtlSrcFmt.txt 1435 698 48% 27-08-09 13:50 .....A. 894B33A8 m3b 2.9 S3AscFormat.txt 4424 1904 43% 07-08-09 03:47 .....A. 79032CCA m3b 2.9 S3ObjTool.exe 74240 26113 35% 20-01-10 21:19 .....A. B0475952 m3b 2.9 S3ObjTool.txt 4700 2153 45% 20-01-10 21:18 .....A. B364AC63 m3b 2.9 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5 94219 34379 36% |
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Description: V1.01, no plugins, they are separate | ||
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ObjMSPlugins.rar (18.4 KB, 12457 downloads) - View custom content | |
Size Packed Ratio Date Time Attr CRC Meth Ver ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- msS3Objexp.dll 24064 7749 32% 30-09-09 10:23 .....A. 909AAEB7 m3b 2.9 msS3Objimp.dll 22016 7390 33% 30-09-09 10:23 .....A. 482DC312 m3b 2.9 pluglicense.txt 9432 3515 37% 14-09-09 10:27 .....A. 21E53017 m3b 2.9 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3 55512 18654 33% |
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Description: MilkShape Object plugins, V1.00 | ||
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msS3ObjPluginsV101.rar (19.0 KB, 6720 downloads) - View custom content | |
Size Packed Ratio Date Time Attr CRC Meth Ver ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- msS3Objexp.dll 24064 7979 33% 22-04-11 17:10 .....A. BF603F9B m3b 2.9 msS3Objimp.dll 22528 7797 34% 22-04-11 17:10 .....A. 2B11C8D8 m3b 2.9 pluglicense.txt 9432 3516 37% 14-09-09 10:27 .....A. 21E53017 m3b 2.9 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3 56024 19292 34% |
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Description: MilkShape plug-ins for S3PE and helper (fourth-weight support) |
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Visual Studio 2008 runtime must be downloaded from the list?
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<* Wes *>
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thank you very much, I thought something had to be updated
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If you made a desktop icon for MilkShape, just right-click on that, choose "properties" and look where MilkShape is installed (the Target directory).
<* Wes *>
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http://i26.tinypic.com/8wk5n5.png
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"You can do refraction by raymarching through the depth buffer" (c. Reddeyfish 2017)
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To make it larger or smaller than it is, the easiest way is to scale it. You just select the group, then put perhaps 1.1 in X and Z an 1.0 in Y and click Scale. Voila! it is now 10% larger.
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"You can do refraction by raymarching through the depth buffer" (c. Reddeyfish 2017)
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Their biggest purpose seems to be not as a mesh itself, but used for UV mapping to the right part of that DDS file that says "do not use any blobs below this line".
<* Wes *>
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In the 'Tools' menu for MilkShape is an item "Show Model Statistics" that will tell you the bounds for an object. Load in the original mesh, see how big it is, load in the new one, see how big it is, scale the dropshadow accordingly. If you can manage C++, you can work the fractions to get a scale value. Just remember, Y is Up.
<* Wes *>
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Do you think that will work in the game? I really can't work on the shadow without being able to use it in the same MS session as the frame. Is it possible for your importer and exporter to handle that rescaling automatically to facilitate the editing?
"You can do refraction by raymarching through the depth buffer" (c. Reddeyfish 2017)
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Alas, having never seen the original EA files or code, I have no way of know what exactly they do. I can only guess from how their code reacts to different values, and learn only to feed it what it wants to see.
<* Wes *>
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I am testing your recommendation right now, I think it will work nicely, look like the old, scale special because it is a dropshadow.
<* Wes *>
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"You can do refraction by raymarching through the depth buffer" (c. Reddeyfish 2017)
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All I did was decompile/import/export/recompile.
I added a teeny slop factor to the check routine. I think what is happening is that U or V values like 1.00001 end up existing, and those evaluate to > 1.0. The check exists to make sure that what is being compiled stays in the 0.0 to 1.0 range, after scaling, unless you intend it to be different. Going out of range makes the texture mapping wrap around, say the left edge is over to the right of the right edge.
Thanks for the report, though. I am going to make a release soon, I am just waiting on one other item that will be included.
<* Wes *>
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Can you explain what the 0.0 to 1.0 range is? How much of a gap do I have to leave between all the pieces and the edge of the square they are laid out on?
BTW, after editing the shadow and shrinking it again it disappeared completely.
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The texture maps were then made, using the scaled UVs. So there are several important side-effects that happen from this.
If a UV point is placed right of or below the positions used in the original EA mesh, when these are scaled they will go off-the-map, exceeding 1.0 or dropping below 0.0 (negative values). That is what the check is complaining is happening.
If you want to change the UV Scales value, it can be done, however all of the texture maps will need remade. This is only viable when you are planning a new mesh, new texture item. Doing what you are doing, modifying original objects, will require that you stay withing the confines of the UV mapping used in the original UV map. What I mean is that is that any new or changed UV points need to be no lower than the lowest or right of the rightmost points used in the EA made mesh. Doing so will generate the warning.
<* Wes *>
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"You can do refraction by raymarching through the depth buffer" (c. Reddeyfish 2017)
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As for knowing ahead of time, you could load both the original and your edited map as separate groups into UV Mapper, and check if any of your new points are "East" or "South" of any of the original UV coordinates.
Most of the UV maps seem to use the majority of the area, but few are mapped all the way to the edges. Nonetheless, when trying to maintain parts of the original clone, such as some of the texture maps, you have to stay with the original scaling. If you are redoing it all, then you can change the UV Scales value.
I already ranted about this in some other post, so I will spare you my arguments about it being over-designed, it is truly a solution in search of a problem. However, there is no simple solution I have seen that preserves the ability to partially modify meshes without restriction. This issue is not a problem for EA, since they are building the packages for these items from scratch. Were that the only option (start from scratch), I could build a scaling change into the exporter and you would never have any issues like that.
<* Wes *>
I posted this elsewhere, but this is a pic of a UV map that goes out of bounds.
https://thumbs2.modthesims2.com/img/...99_ruguvmap.jpg
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