Custom 3D Models and Mods Compilation

[JohnO]

4 hours ago, 37mm said:

Yeah, good explanation @JohnO... it beats my "method" of just covering up the hole with another hatch.

No problem. I have some boxes and medical cases that I'm going to place on top of the hatch to help cover it up. Now that I know how to join two objects to each other will do that right after my dental appointment this morning.

[Sgt.Squarehead]

1 hour ago, JohnO said:

will do that right after my dental appointment this morning.

Joy!  Have fun with that! 

[37mm]

One interesting experiment, that somebody might be interested in trying out, is seeing if you can use blender to get power cables onto the various pole objects (perhaps with modified poles, perhaps as their own "floating" wire FO).

I imagine they'll be tricky for scenario creators to line up properly but it would be very flavoursome option for the ME (I'm pretty sure the wires would even block ATGM).

[Xorg_Xalargsky]

42 minutes ago, 37mm said:

One interesting experiment, that somebody might be interested in trying out, is seeing if you can use blender to get power cables onto the various pole objects (perhaps with modified poles, perhaps as their own "floating" wire FO).

I imagine they'll be tricky for scenario creators to line up properly but it would be very flavoursome option for the ME (I'm pretty sure the wires would even block ATGM).

As far as I know, no flavor object has any influence on the game map, that is to say, to the units and their projectiles, they are invisible and ethereal.

Seems like I was wrong. 

There's definitely more to it than ghostly crates, cows, and carts.

Edited August 25, 2019 by Xorg_Xalargsky

[Rinaldi]

5 minutes ago, Xorg_Xalargsky said:

As far as I know, no flavor object has any influence on the game map, that is to say, to the units and their projectiles, they are invisible and ethereal.

Not entirely true; crates, concrete barriers and logs (off the top of my head) can and will be used as cover by troops, how effective they are is another matter, but the fact that troops conform to such things in an action square suggests they're more 'real' than not. The fact that they can be destroyed along with the rest of the scenery is a further suggestion.. 

Edited August 25, 2019 by Rinaldi

[benpark]

On 7/18/2019 at 6:06 PM, benpark said:

This thread covers...cover (relevant to how flavor objects behave):

 

Cover vs. concealment. My second link, in this very thread. See Steve's bit halfway down. Flavor objects do not conceal, but do offer a cover value set by object.

Edited August 29, 2019 by benpark

[benpark]

On 8/17/2019 at 4:49 PM, MOS:96B2P said:

L-Trains would be perfect.

 

They would need to arrive as “reinforcents”, 20 minutes late. And when they do, you hear “Stand clear of the closing doors!” And then the smell-o-vision kicks in.

Edited August 29, 2019 by benpark

[borg]

Are there already released scenarios making use of the 3D Custom models ? I’m assuming this will work with modtags and special mod downloads

[Sgt.Squarehead]

Not yet AFAIK.....But there will be fairly soon I susupect. 

I could be wrong.

[Geezer]

On 7/26/2019 at 5:23 AM, Aquila-CM said:

I tried to get the free educational license of 3DS Max in order to open .max models to convert them to the free format obj for Blender. For some reason I didn´t hear back from them. Perhaps my initial attempt to register as "John Dong"  wasn´t the best idea and they blacklisted me now.

 

If one owns 3DS Max here (or has more luck with registering for the free edition), I would be glad if he could convert this model here from .max to .obj. Its a matter of seconds.

http://www.cadnav.com/3d-models/model-10539.html

Newbie here.  Still surfing the threads to get a feel for the different versions of CM, but I have modding experience - samples below - and can send you the above glider in .obj format.  Let me know how you want to transfer the file to you.

[Sgt.Squarehead]

Cool stuff.....Love the Chirri! 

[JohnO]

Not trying to take anything away from other peoples post but thought I would post my little project.

I have finished working on the CMBS vehicles and just finished working on the spare tires and antennas for CMSF2. Here is a screenshot. Will start to add gear to the vehicles.

 

[Aquila-SmartWargames]

On 9/4/2019 at 7:03 PM, Geezer said:

Newbie here.  Still surfing the threads to get a feel for the different versions of CM, but I have modding experience - samples below - and can send you the above glider in .obj format.  Let me know how you want to transfer the file to you.

Welcome to CM modding Geezer. 

Your knowledge and experience will come in handy for sure. Glad to see several people here getting into custom models modding. About the Glider .obj I´ll send my email contact via pm. If you run into questions or troubles you can also contact me on Discord Aquila#8952 as I am not often around here lately.

11 hours ago, JohnO said:

Not trying to take anything away from other peoples post but thought I would post my little project.

No worries. You and everyone else feel free to discuss and present your projects or ideas here.

[Sgt.Squarehead]

On 8/1/2019 at 9:40 PM, MOS:96B2P said:

These billboards are very useful and user friendly.

What's the best size & type of image for those please @MOS:96B2P.....I'd like to make a few images (more movie posters etc.) for possible use in the modern games.

On 9/2/2019 at 1:57 PM, borg said:

Are there already released scenarios making use of the 3D Custom models ?

Soon.....Very, soon. 

Edited September 8, 2019 by Sgt.Squarehead

[RockinHarry]

On 7/20/2019 at 9:23 PM, Aquila-CM said:

This is my "way and method" how I got to the finish. Perhaps there are steps that aren´t required or not best.

 

CUSTOM FLAVOR OBJECTS FOR WW2 AND MODERN AQUILA METHOD:

1) Install Anaconda Python 3.X (Google)

2) Install Blender Software (Google)

3) Install a Photoshop Software. Free good Tool: GIMP2 (Google)

3) Check CM2Tools Plugin Authors Github page https://github.com/sbobovyc/CM2Tools for info and plugin download. Also his BFForums thread (1st post) Watch Plugin Author´s Import/Export Tutorial (1st Post)

4) Install Plugin like shown in these Videos

5) Take the original .brz files in data of your WW2 or Modern CM2 game and put it into "Input" of Combat Mission X/ModTools/Rezexplode and unpack them

6) Go and find a custom 3D Model of your liking in one of the Blender formats (advanced users may convert them). You can check comptatible formats in Blender under File/Import. Free 3D Databases in 1st Post and recent big post of me. Check that it comes with textures. 

7) Start Blender, delete the placeholder cube you don´t need it, with add/lamp/hemisphere in the lower interface you can make everything brighter. It is sometimes very dark.

8 ) I start with importing an original "primer" Cm2 flavor object. Without this step no custom models show up in CM2 (there is likely some essential info stored into them). They are located in your unpacked CM2 game files. Often under terrain/flavor objects/models. Import for example "shelter1.mdr" into blender with file/import/mdr. Check "import metadata" and "transform", I have 4 checkmarks there. May not be required for flavors but for standarization I always do this. For smaller projects you can use smaller stuff like crate1.mdr.

9) You see a CM2 shelter, there is a small ball dropdown in the lower interface, you can change to "materials" or "textures" so see it with textures

10) Now again file/import/ choose the format of your custom model download and import it aswell. Check if textures are shown, I am no 3d artists some models are riddles and I dismiss them because I can´t handle them. Easy model to start training was the fire truck and ambulance https://www.turbosquid.com/FullPreview/Index.cfm/ID/432872

11) You see it, it may be extremely gigantic, extremly small, you need to resize it and move it with these three colored arrows, some objects have multiple entities, use usual windows shift commands for multi selection to move all at once to keep them in cohesion. The original CM2 shelter is your orientation. Where the CM2 shelter is, is the center, where its fundament is, is the ground. Delete stuff you don´t want with right  click "delete hierarchy" in the right interface (I call it Order of Battle, first time is like a battle but don´t give up ) . You can move stuff into the space of the original Shelter, no problem but AVOID moving,modifying the box, its your center of the world. Use undo/redo under lower interface/object if you mess up. You can perhaps modify it but I don´t know how and it often leads to problems when exporting with flying models in the sky etc.

12) When you are done, move every custom entitity into the shelter´s folder in the right interface (pros call it make it parent), you can do that by simple drag and drop the symbol of the entitiy. (Author´s Tutorial shows this).

13) Textures of custom models most time come with wrong format. Start GIMP2, load textures into it, go to export, choose file extension "BMP", check 24bit and "do not write info bla" and export it. This is the required format for CM2. 

14) Now difficult part you need to replace the texture connections in BLENDER with new BMP. Its in the Right Interface looks like a chessboard ball and square. There you need to remove (x symbol) and to add the bmp. This is somewhat complicated and I to this day don´t know what I am doing. With Trial and Error you get everything show up with your texture.BMPs

15) (optional) you can turn models or model parts invisible with a blank texture (post attachment) in CM2. Also your primer shelter if it is outside the custom model for example.

15a) IMPORTANT: There is something I forget, some models need to be "triangulated". Sounds super complicated but what you just need to do is select the custom model entity, press TAB, and then SHIFT+T, done. If you ever see a "perforated" custom model in your CM game its this step you´ve missed.

16) When everything is textured you are now ready to export. In the right interface select the root entry (your shelter.mdr entitiy with all bells and whistles in it), right click, select hierarchy, everything gets an yellow outline. Check that you are on OBJECT MODE (lower interface) Go to file/export/mdr and do it, make sure that "export metadata" is OFF and do it.

17) create a folder with your new .mdr file and put all textures in it you´ve used. For reverse engineering and helping others I suggest you save an additional blender file (file/save) and put it into it so others can learn from this.

18) rename the untitled.mdr to an flavor object of your liking. Draw Distance is dependant on what you replace. Do not make a cargo ship and call it crate1.mdr, very bad idea it will pop out after 100m distance. Better draw distance comes from big stuff like shelter1,2,3.mdr and best likely are street trafic light or Black Sea monument or big WW2 shelter.

19) throw your ready folder into the Z mod folder

20) go into editor, map, flavor objects place the flavor object you just´ve replaced and check, first time errors will happen you WILL see nothing, you WILL see black models, process of learning but you will prevail.

 

CUSTOM VEHICLES FOR WW2 AND MODERN AQUILA METHOD (just different step):

16) Turn "EXPORT METADATA ON", do not forget otherwise all tire and track wheels will look like you´re watching a Transformers movie. This on the other hand means there are difficulties replacing vehicles or vehicle parts with custom models as custom models require "EXPORT METADATA OFF" so if you want a custom ride with wheels or track wheels with current CM2 tools this seems not possible AFAIK but you can do surely do boats as these naturally don´t require wheels.

HOWEVER: You can mix/match several CM2 vehicles by importing them all and switching their parts. Its a bit like playing Car Mechanic simulator, no joke . NEVER FORGET when importing set "IMPORT METADATA" and "TRANSFORM" and always "EXPORT METADATA" when working with vehicles, do alot of backups, if you once miss this and save info is lost, I lost an hour work because I forgot as you don´t notice that you forgot to import/export metadata. Since this I always stop breathing for a moment when I give my custom CM rides the first move command. 

You can also sculpt and cut parts by moving the vertices or selecting specific model parts in EDIT MODE (Tab) with Wireframe Model (Z) and deselecting (A) (pixels that connect everything) in edit mode. I always USE DELETE FACES not delete vertices as otherwise I got export errors afterwards. Check my Humvee V2 creation video, no commentary for doing this live. But sculpting completely new vehicles out of existing ones requires 3D Artist maestros and is alot of work. 

I had 5-10 lines of text in mind before writing this, very naive. Honestly now after writing this I see that a written tutorial wasn´t the best idea and I don´t know if this will make any sense but perhaps it helps one and somebody can come up with a decent video tutorial. Don´t get scared by Blender´s interface, for Combat Mission stuff you do not need 99,9% of it.

blank.bmp 128.05 kB · 5 downloads

big thanks. that´s what I was looking for. Fingers crossed I can get it all to work and deal with bits of CMBN and CMFB environments. 

[RockinHarry]

ok, I got as far as beeing able to convert MDR files to OBJ by use of the command script Python file. That I can load/import in Blender and do bits of basic messing around. No luck with the MDR import-export plugin though. I´m doomed using the older 2.76 Blender version (last time WinXP compatibility), while I need to use at least 2.78 to get it working.  While I installed Python 3.4.3 it´s of no use in Blender as it uses it´s own underlying Pythony version. But at least I can convert and look at things in OBJ format. A pity. 

[Aquila-SmartWargames]

Alright I´ve just tested the H&E mod and thought about creating something new.

M60 Patton Tank (Experimental/Alpha)

 

In Action:

- was created in half of an hour so its rough

- Has a working track

- Texture are vanilla CM supplements but can be modified/changed to something better

- has a working turret and muzzle. However the turret is currently rotating in the wrong axis which looks obviously awkward. This should be fixable in blender by modifying/switching the turret axes (the three colored arrows) but I yet don´t know how this can be done. Perhaps someone else can figure it out.

- Can be used as vehicle, flavor object, mission objective etc etc. 

- replaces the T55 1974 but can replace any other tank/vehicle/object by simply renaming the .mdr files

- Download and blender project file in the dropbox, feel free to fix/mod it.

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/1tviryry89g6py7/AAAJpSvGH6u1iEx4WzwVLSnJa?dl=0

- Can be used for modern scenarios aswell due to the fact that the M60 is still in service of several armies to this day (although most are modernized of course)

Edited September 25, 2019 by Aquila-CM

[Thewood1]

Does it replace the T-55?  IOW, is the armor and weapon specs of the T-55 vs. the M60?

[37mm]

1 hour ago, Aquila-CM said:

was created in half of an hour so its rough

Amazing on a number of levels... heck, only a few months ago you said that importing land vehicles likely couldn't be done.

 

[Sgt.Squarehead]

That is very cool.....An M48A3 would be even cooler, but seeing a Patton of any kind in CM is exceedingly cool! 

[Aquila-SmartWargames]

6 hours ago, 37mm said:

Amazing on a number of levels... heck, only a few months ago you said that importing land vehicles likely couldn't be done.

 

That was because atm one can´t export metadata on custom models with CM2Tools and Blender which caused issues particulary with wheels. I took an invisible t55 hull as primer (other models/flavor objects like the usual crate would likely work too), moved the t55 crew positions to new hull and turret, and renamed and organized specific parts of the new custom model to "track", "turret", "mount", and "weapon" as the internal game engine recognizes this names thus producing working vehicles without metadata.

The best is to check the blender project file to gain an overview about this method. It is included in the download.

6 hours ago, Sgt.Squarehead said:

That is very cool.....An M48A3 would be even cooler, but seeing a Patton of any kind in CM is exceedingly cool! 

You or 37mm talked with me about bringing a Patton to H&E but I couldn´t remember which one was requested. This was likely discussed on Discord and I don´t have a chat log anymore because I needed to reinstall everything. So I assumed the M60 Patton was the right one.

Just to be clear you talking about this one:

https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/m48a3-patton-medium-tank-toshueyi-3f00c27f2b284776a46a0663f1250806

Edited September 26, 2019 by Aquila-CM

[Dr.Fusselpulli]

Just found this topic... you guys are just awesome. This is amazing!

[Erwin]

Yes...  Aquila is doing things that for the past 12 years since CM2 was released, we all thought was impossible.  Amazing work.

[JM Stuff]

 Since the first day I said about Aquila-CM

 

Posted July 18

You seem to manipulate all these tools of the game, like to take your breakfast !

here on the forum you will get a place of first choice and your knowledges will be apreciated and sought...

some good modders will take care of you ... or you will take care of them but I m sure together you will do a good job  hope to see more, I have lot of projects, like everybody  ...

 

And I maintain what I said, Aquila is a MUST on the forum...

@sbobovyc give the 3D available keys

@Aquila-CM open all  doors 

The others one, let us discovers ! !

BF watching on a staff map the situation !!

Edited September 26, 2019 by 3j2m7

[Sequoia]

Not trying to be a stickler, but I don't think the M60 kept the Patton name. I was in the Army from '77 to '81 and never heard it called that, but I was in the artillery. Perhaps a tread head can set me straight..