New 3ds Model Tool to expedite Source Model Creation

[shawnolson]

Version 1.73 out today. WWMT turns one year old today too. Woohoo!

A couple bug fixes. Most new features are in the Displacement Tool... including WWMT proxies that let you re-use your WWMT models in the same scene but export into VMF at different locations and have different skins.

See changelog for complete details.

[Carbon14]

Just wanted to say thanks for this amazing tool, makes creating content so much less of a nightmare. Honestly I would have left Source never to come back without it more than likely.

[shawnolson]

Just wanted to say thanks for this amazing tool, makes creating content so much less of a nightmare. Honestly I would have left Source never to come back without it more than likely.

You're welcome

[shawnolson]

Version 1.74 is out. Added more Proxy functions (that were added in the displacement tool recently--now you can make them from WWMT UI in Utilities Rollout). Also added a skin collector... to collect the skins from all your proxies of a model.

Also added a RES File utility to make RES Files from the scene... makes a RES file for all WWMT models, their materials and for world materials (if using Convexity). Did this because PakRat doesn't seem to work anymore (at least I can't get it to collect materials anymore) and it makes it easer during developement so you don't have to package everything everytime you want your group of testers to test new things--they don't have to constantly download large packed maps each iteration.

RES maker is in the menu after update if you go to WW Configuration floater and click Add To Menu. Note it does not account for things external to the scene (script files, text files, waves, etc).

[shawnolson]

Version 1.744 out today. Fixed a bug if you tried to export VTAs with a model using a Morph-O-Matic modifier. Most people probably never noticed because I didn't document any of it yet ... so to answer the handful of emails about how to use the VTA/Flex exporter... I've also added a new page explaining how Flex Prep Tool and the way WWMT exports VTAs and creates flex files.

A few new settings you can set in the WWMT Settings floater (like using ProOptimize instead of MultiRes for generated LODs, making LODs references instead of copies and defaulting new models to Use Local Origin).

[shawnolson]

Another update already (Version 1.745)... rushed because I learned that the Displacement Tool's VMF Exporter was broken (a chunk of code was commented out because I was testing something and I had forgotten to uncomment before release).

Aside from fixing the VMF Exporter, I added flexcontrollers being auotmatically generated along with flexfiles with morphed models.

[Will_B]

Wow this looks really awesome

[shawnolson]

Wow this looks really awesome

Thank you Will.

I updated the flex/vta docs today to include info on how flexcontrollers get made.

[shawnolson]

I loaded a big update yesterday and made a follow-up update today (1.751). Among the new features:

• New WWMT MAXScript SMD Exporter. Has some of the features that will also be in Wunderboy's upcoming SMD Exporter 1.7. Exports Reference Models, Sequences and VTAs. Also allows choosing an arbitrary channel for UVW Exporting. Also supprts the Shell Material (Uses the Baked Material).
• Activated the Quick Hull feature. Works if you have a version of Max that has and supports nVidia PhysX or MassFX. Will create a convex hull for each element of each mesh in your model.
• Added a VMF Exporter. Will export all World Brush Geometry* as world geometry, scene displacements as displacements, wwmt models/proxies as models, sky writer as your sky texture, lights, cameras and layers.
• Fixed some bugs in the collision hull rollout buttons.
• More...

Click here for the full changelog.

*Adding Geometry to the list of things to export to VMF is done by opening the Displacement Tool, selecting the geometry, and clicking Add Brush Geometry. That flags items as World Geometry.

The VMF Exporter will also export brush and point entities you've assigned with Convexity.

One major problem still is that I haven't figured out how to calculate the uaxis and vaxis of each polygon of a world brush. If you happen to know of a way to get the uaxis/vaxis along with translation and scale, please let me know. I'd greatly appreciate it.

Enjoy!

[shawnolson]

Loaded version 1.76 today. Fixed a bug in the Process Hull and Quick Hull functions. That bug was introduced in the 1.751 update listed above.

[[Steve]]

I still find this tool fantastic, really makes content creation for source alot more awesome.

keep the great updates coming ! the vmf exporter is great

[shawnolson]

I still find this tool fantastic, really makes content creation for source alot more awesome.

keep the great updates coming ! the vmf exporter is great

Thanks.

In terms of the VMF Exporter... it is almost great. The lack of proper UVW export is becoming a truly vexing thorn in my side I'm working on it though. (Unfortunately, my math skills are limited and getting the VMF UVW format is a lot more challenging than I originally anticipate. Wunderboy, Miauu and some other 3ds guys have considered the problem and are also trying to help... hopefully someone will conjure the answer soon.

I haven't released it yet, but I just finished the UI/interface for full entity Output/Input support. It requires you own Convexity to truly take advantage of, but if you own Convexity, it lets you control the Outputs of the Convexity Entities. I'm pretty excited about that. I may have that out within a couple days.

[shawnolson]

Video demonstrating the Quick Hull function and Hull Helper in Wall Worm:

[shawnolson]

Well Max 2013 is out. Overall I like it. I had to update a piece of code to get the hull generating functions to work in 2013... which you can now download to fix that problem. (Incidentally, anyone using the nVidia PhysX Plugin for 3ds Max 2.71 has that bug too which must be fixed by nVidia.)

At the moment, you need to use the internal MAXScript SMD Exporter that comes with Wall Worm to export the SMDs in Max 2013 (which is slower than the Wunderboy and Cannonfodder exporters... but only noticeable with a lot of high-poly models). And just to drop a rumor and stir the soup a little, I have an understanding that a 2013 version of one of the compiled plugins will, in fact, arrive at some point in the forseeable future... (along with some new exporting features and bug fixes)

[shawnolson]

Well my last prediction was incorrect...

Anyway... I wanted to share a new video on exporting an animated prop with a concave hull.