need help with models - 'invisible' sword grip, forest fire

[Legacy_xorbaxian]

               

hi,

 

first, let me start by saying i have NO experience whatsoever with modeling. i've d/l'd gmax and nwmax and plunged, but doing so has just given me a massive headache...  hoping someone could show me how to do this.

 

there are two things i want to do.

 

1- invisible sword grip. i tried emulating this by modifying a standard longsword blueprint in the toolkit, using some of the cep weapon parts that don't display in the properties editor. this has only resulted in the entire weapon not being displayed at runtime. i'm thinking i'll have to make some sort of 'invisible' hand grip and make it available to the module as a new wswls_b_xxy part. ideas ?

 

2- i want some really big fires. i want to burn down houses, forests, whole towns -- let the chaos reign. i've managed to create some big fires by exporting the campfire model to ascii using nwnmdlcomp and changing some lines for 'scale value', and these do display much bigger, but they look bizarre -- they look sort of 'flat' ; i.e., changing the camera angle doesn't cause them to react correctly, they look kind of like they're pasted onto the back of the monitor screen or something. what am i doing wrong and how can i fix this ?

 

thanks much in advance for your patience w/a modeling n00b.

 

               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Rolo Kipp]

               

<winging...>

 

Taking the plunge is *good*! =)

 

1. This is exactly what you need to provide, a hilt piece with invisible mesh. I'm not sure what CEP pieces you looked at, but try this approach; Take a standard sword hilt you know displays and in the ascii file locate the mesh node(s). On them, find the "alpha 1.0" line (search and replace is best ;-) and change it to "alpha 0". Viola! Instant invisible hilt. Rename into a new part piece and you should have the affect you need.(follow the naming convention as outlined in the Custom Content Guide...)

 

2. I believe the effect you're talking about is the plc_i06 (which has no particle rotation and does not inherit local) You might muck about with the fx_flame01 model instead which does inherit local. Try giving it a particle rotation (slow, for a swirl). You might also try changing the render type and experiment.

 

Additionally, you might look for a better sprite atlas of a much larger scale flame, . as the fxpa_flame00 is so obviously a small flame. That is the tga collection of images the particle steps through in animation.

 

Edit: I *think* effect export is still a bit buggy in NwMax, though MDA can correct me if I've just fallen behind. Generally, I tweak effects in the ascii model after I get everything else set in Max.

 

I'll be interested in your progress ;-)

 

<...it>

               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Tiberius_Morguhn]

               

For the invisible sword grip, clone an existing grip to a new model number (use NWN Explorer to export as text so you can edit internally as well).  Edit the text model so the model number matches the file model number.  Set the 'render' and 'shadow' directives in the model to 0.  Then the child pieces of the sword can still bind to the grip but it won't be rendered by the engine.

               
               

               
            

[Legacy_xorbaxian]

               

thanks to both of you for your help !  first problem solved, the screenie below is the result of the support model for my version of the the druid flame blade spell. the decompiled ascii file didn't have the 'alpha', 'render' or 'shadow' parameters you mentioned, so i added all 3 and set them to 0. i also noticed there were parameters for reflections, so i set them to 0 too. voilà, flameblade :

 

i'm still massively struggling w/the forest fire. 'sprites' ? 'particle rotation' ?  inheriting 'local' ?  no capisce !  lol   i'm now using fxpa_flame00, but still get the same phenomenon. it doesn't look like this will be something i can create quickly ; i'm still stumbling around like a dupe in gmax, and learning how to do use it properly looks like it'd take me weeks -- time i can't afford given all of the other things i've got on my plate. is there an alternative approach i could consider ?

 

thanks again for the help, greatly appreciated !