XSI ZETools

[Cerfon Rournes]

A small changelog:
"Expansion" code works now.
Wrote the beginnings of a brief "documentation/help" you can open from the help dialog.
Removed the addon group from the character tab and made an own tab for it.

Sounds good, I'm looking forward to the release.

[AceMastermind]

...could you create a group Envelope_Bones for all of your unit skeletons...

The .xsi format doesn't seem to support group data.

...I suppose the 2012 .xsi 5.0 didnt work?...

The newer versions of Crosswalk export .xsi 5.0 format files with additional scene data exclusive to newer versions of Softimage that can't be parsed by older versions of the XSI software and this breaks the import of those files. Although there is additional data in those files it doesn't seem to change the compatible data written by older Crosswalk versions, so theoretically you could edit out the additional data from the file by hand and make it work.

*The file format version numbers do not relate to the actual version of the Softimage program.

[ANDEWEGET]

Old post: Something like Thanks for the info and the templates, Ace!

Hidden/Spoiler:

Hidden/Spoiler:

Another update:

• Hardpoints/nulls generated by my tool have different icons now(arrow for hp_fire, square for hp-driver, circle for exhaust)the icons in the UI look a bit weird so I might remove them again, what do you think?
• completely redid the Character Tools Tab layout, now has options for override-texture(yes, no), override-tex 1 or 2 and if it should delete any existing override textures.
• Expansions work completely now, copies/deletes templates etc
• Addon Tools got an own tab, drop down menu items are still hardcoded, need to be dynamically generated(?; are there any skeletons with less/more bones which support addons? Do lowrez meshes support addons?)
• Weapons Tab is still so empty , just one button
• Wrote a "documentation" and added comments to the source code so its easier for me(and others who might want to learn/update/repair/whatever)to understand and maintain the code

To Do:

• Rewrite character functions(with all the skeletons in mind)
• Rewrite Addon functions with skeletons in mind
• Maybe add a link to this topic or the XSI FAQ
• Create templates for rifle, pistol, rocketlauncher, lightsaber and some vehicles(might just use yours if you convert any, Ace )

The progress is slow but its there...
Ideas, Comments, Droids?

[naru1305]

verry cool, awesome update, can´t wait for the release, it will be sooooo helpful
keep it up

[ANDEWEGET]

Hidden/Spoiler:

Next update!

• Redid the Character Tab again, now has other and some additional buttons/options(skeleton/bone stuff).
• Weapon and Vehicle Tab each got one additional button and one option(shadowvolume).
• Addon Tools now support multiple addons and get the bones dynamically(only objects beginning with 'bone', though; char bone tools do it the same way).

Not much left to do coding-wise Id say. Maybe pop-up one of those panel-explorer-things if nothings selected and youre pressing on of the Selected > ... buttons. On thing I considered was some sort of hardpoint scanner which outputs a list of all hp_'s to you so you dont have to search the hierarchy for the exact names... Any suggestions?
BTW thanks to DUCK I now have templates for the lightsaber and rifle.

[Lephenix]

Nice work my friend .

[ANDEWEGET]

forums/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=26664
Released version 0.9.
Theres still some stuff to do but that has to wait for now. You can download the template packs without the XSIZETools if you just want to use the templates. The plugin seems to work completely with 5.11(and 2011/2012). It doesnt install on Vista with 5.11 though(32bit XSI and 32bit Vista), if anyone has Vista, please test it there(with any version of XSI). I uploaded a manual install version you can try if the .xsiaddon doesnt work.

Thanks again to Ace and DUCK for the templates.

[naru1305]

great work on this, the templates makes it a lot easier to improe units like Grievous or Yoda

[Cerfon Rournes]

Awesome! Downloading right now..

[AceMastermind]

You're missing the text container file for the heroes expansion:
heroes.tcnt

Code: Select all

ep Heroes
c all_inf_chewbacca
c rep_inf_aaylasecura
c rep_inf_yoda

Nice work putting this all together. I was browsing through the python files and you really seem to know your stuff! Maybe when you get some free time you could write a msh exporter plugin in Python for Mod Tool users.


Notes about templates with SWBF2 cloth:

• Cloth collision will need to be remade since primitive properties are lost in the conversion process, these were left in the scene for size and location reference only. Cloth will need to be set up again using the Create Cloth tools included with the Pandemic Tools.

Notes about vehicle templates using collision primitives:

• Collision primitives used on turrets/vehicles were left in the scene for size and location reference only, these will need to be remade.

Notes about vehicle templates with missing shadowvolume geometry:

• Geometry designated as shadowvolume in the msh file is not read by the msh importer for U3d and is therefore not imported and is not present in the scene when exported, these will need to be recreated also. This mainly applies to vehicles.

Notes about missing textures on templates:

• If you switch your viewport display to Textured or Textured Decal and still don't see the textures on the additional expansion templates then you probably don't have the BF2_modtools installed in the root of your C:\ drive. If this is the case then you'll need to edit the texture paths in the .xsi template files by hand.

I'll work on more conversions over the coming days for more template expansions.

[minilogoguy18]

Nice work putting this all together. I was browsing through the python files and you really seem to know your stuff! Maybe when you get some free time you could write a msh exporter plugin in Python for Mod Tool users.

This was something I was really stressing to him when testing in 5.1 on win7 x64, a Mod Tool plugin for the pandemic exporter would be a HUGE breakthrough in SWBF2 modding. Modding for this game would blow up big time, we would see loads more content being produced.

[naru1305]

Nice work putting this all together. I was browsing through the python files and you really seem to know your stuff! Maybe when you get some free time you could write a msh exporter plugin in Python for Mod Tool users.

This was something I was really stressing to him when testing in 5.1 on win7 x64, a Mod Tool plugin for the pandemic exporter would be a HUGE breakthrough in SWBF2 modding. Modding for this game would blow up big time, we would see loads more content being produced.

agreed, i talked to him sometimes about this too and i hope he will make this, cause it makes things so much easier, especially on my computer xsi 5.11 wont work, only on the laptop of my father and i make nearly all my models on my computer...
so please ANDE, try it!

[minilogoguy18]

^Surely there is a way to get 5.1 working for you if I'm able to use it on win7 x64 and it's a 32bit install.

[ANDEWEGET]

Thank you all for the comments! Getting such positive response definitely keeps up motivation for future projects and updates(and of course having people like Ace contributing stuff to make it even better)!

@Ace: Ill upload an archive with the .tcnt. Thanks for noticing it.
@MSH exporter: Sadly its not that easy(but easier than you might think...)... The easiest and quickest way would be to get RepSharpshooters or the SWBF model viewer creators(?, with the vrml[?] to msh function)source code so I can see how they handle all the data. A MSH exporter would be the second step, reading is way easier than writing. If someone magically got hold of the source files(of the .exe, I can open and understand the max script file but it only creates the advanced obj file) Id start today.

[giftheck]

At the risk of sound dumb, lazy, all of the above, what exactly can this tool do that the original Pandemic addon for XSI can't? Or is it just an easier way of doing things?

[ANDEWEGET]

This doesnt aim to replace the pandemic exporter. Its more of an addition to it. Most of the stuff it does wont work with other exporters anyways. Just a tool which makes creating assets easier(for beginners) and faster(for advanced). Eg creating turret/addon mesh/vehicle hierarchies, importing templates as scale/hierarchy reference. Mostly doing stuff you usually needed 5 mouse clicks for with 1 or 2.

[giftheck]

So it's not able to export to MSH on newer XSIs/Mod Tool, but it should be useful to create units in Mod Tool for exporting on compatible versions.

[AceMastermind]

I uploaded more templates HERE

Contents:
all_walk_tauntaun.xsi
cis_walk_droideka.xsi
geo_inf_acklay.xsi
imp_walk_atat.xsi
rep_walk_oneman_atst.xsi (AT-RT)

To add them to your existing ZE Tools installation just drop the *.xsi files here:
C:\users\%username%\Softimage\%XSI_version%\Addons\XSIZETools\Resources\Templates

Then add the template names to the templates.tcnt file located in the same folder.
The letters (c,v,w) preceeding the name determines which tab the template will be listed under.
Example:

Hidden/Spoiler:

[0]
ep Default
c unit_template
v cockpit
c tentacles
c unit_lowrez
c first_person
w lightsaber
w rifle
w pistol
[end]
[1]
ep Creatures
c gam_inf_gamorreanguard
c gen_inf_geonosian
c hot_inf_wampa
c tat_inf_jawa
c geo_inf_acklay
c ewk_inf
v all_walk_tauntaun
[end]
[2]
ep Walkers
v rep_walk_atte
v rep_walk_oneman_atst
v imp_walk_atat
[end]
[3]
ep Droids
c cis_inf_battledroid
c cis_inf_magnaguard
c cis_inf_sbdroid
c cis_walk_droideka
[end]
[4]
ep Special Units
c all_inf_marksperson
c rep_inf_arctrooper_SWBF1
[end]
[5]
ep Villains
c cis_inf_generalgrevious
c imp_inf_darthvader
[end]
[6]
ep Heroes
c all_inf_chewbacca
c rep_inf_aaylasecura
c rep_inf_yoda
[end]

Also, I submitted fixed templates a few days ago to ANDEWEGET which should be up for download now that replaces the first set of templates I gave him. I had to correct a bug (removed data unsupported by the msh format) introduced during the conversion process that screws up the UVs when exported to msh.

What other templates do you guys need or want to have?

[ANDEWEGET]

I forgot to upload them, theyre now up though.
I added the new templates and referenced them in the .tcnt. To get them working you most likely have to either remove all existing templates/expansions and reinstall them(you should update them anyway) or add the new templates manually(see Ace's post).

I might have a new version of the ZETools around christmas with some additional features.

The new version will be delayed a bit. Rep agreed to send me some stuff but hes at college right now so he'll(haha, thanks Mav(right?)) send it when hes home again(christmas).
@All blender users:
Which version of blender do you use(</> 2.5)?

[THEWULFMAN]

@All blender users:
Which version of blender do you use(</> 2.5)?

I've used 2.49b for a long time and don't intend to change. I tried out 2.55 and hated the new interface. I know for making movies 2.55 is superior, but I'm just modeling so I stick with what I know and makes sense.