Dear Obsidan's Modellers, Please Help

[MrNixon]

Hello guys,

 

I'm working on my fan-mod Fallout D20 (http://falloutd20.blogspot.com) which is changing NWN2 fantasy-style into Fallout-style.

 

We've done a lot of remodedelling placables, armors etc.

But now we are seriously stuck on creature conversion: we are trying to convert Fallout New Vegas creature (brahmin) into NWN2 format (with bones, meshes and animations).

And we can't do it: renaming bones in FalloutNW skelet of brahmin: after that during export from 3Dmax to GR2 for NWN2 using Exportron otput GR2 file doesn't contain animation....

 

As far as you made both NWN2 and FalloutNW,

Could u help?

Or maybe you have any advice?

Or FNWtoNWN2 Creature Conversion Manual ?)

Edited May 17, 2011 by MrNixon

[Nightshape]

Head->Table *THUNK* Noise.

[Blarghagh]

Are those even compatible?

[Nightshape]

You WIN!

[MrNixon]

We made it )

 

Edited May 19, 2011 by MrNixon

[Nightshape]

Excellent you managed to do a mesh conversion. Wooo!

 

What about the Animation data???

Edited May 19, 2011 by Nightshape

[Blarghagh]

You WIN!

 

No, I mean, I've never played or even looked at New Vegas, but it's much newer than NWN 2, so like doesn't it have a much higher polycount? Wouldn't just converting meshes as they are make NWN run like ****? Well, like more ****?

 

But apparently not.

 

Great job being helpful though, there is so much content in those posts it will make many people who visit here very happy.

[Nightshape]

You WIN!

 

No, I mean, I've never played or even looked at New Vegas, but it's much newer than NWN 2, so like doesn't it have a much higher polycount? Wouldn't just converting meshes as they are make NWN run like ****? Well, like more ****?

 

But apparently not.

 

Great job being helpful though, there is so much content in those posts it will make many people who visit here very happy.

 

I don't think they have a higher polycount per say, that's not really where the cost would be anyways, I'd wager its in the pixel shader.

 

Anyroad, that aside... Converting a few vertex streams is easy enough. Now getting materials to work correctly? Bah, that's a different thing.

 

Seems like whats been done is, basic vertex stream conversion couple with some generically applied materials.

 

The reason i said you win was more to do with, "yeah they're not really the same asset", close enough mind.

 

I find these kinds of projects to be kind of pointless unless the software is robust enough that they can genuinely convert enough information to make it practical.

 

I know for a fact that some of the NWN2 meshes have some complex animation information, and that is in of itself another conversion task, don't really know about the Fallout : NV engine, but the dragons were as I recall from some interview made up of several skeletons.

 

Its a problem of Mesh + Animation data conversion. It can be done, but who knows if there isn't missing data in some respects. Seems like they have something going off, which is great, but who knows if its a one shot bullet or an everything fits solution.

 

At the end of the day, I wish them the best!

[Blarghagh]

Fair enough. Sorry about being flippant with you then, it's very hard to infer things on the internet.

[Walsingham]

I'm struggling a bit with the strategic intent. Is this so people can write their own stories?

[Nightshape]

I'm struggling a bit with the strategic intent. Is this so people can write their own stories?

 

I do not understand your problem...

[Walsingham]

I'm struggling a bit with the strategic intent. Is this so people can write their own stories?

 

I do not understand your problem...

 

I mean why fit FO3 into an old engine. What does that let people do that's so good?

[Nightshape]

I'm struggling a bit with the strategic intent. Is this so people can write their own stories?

 

I do not understand your problem...

 

I mean why fit FO3 into an old engine. What does that let people do that's so good?

 

They're basically going after fallout D20. And yeah, it means they can "make their own stories".

 

Think of it as a full coversion mod for NWN2.

[Walsingham]

I can't imagine this being worth a fraction of the effort. Seriously. Just use the editor in the FO NV engine.

 

Or have I missed something?

[Nightshape]

I can't imagine this being worth a fraction of the effort. Seriously. Just use the editor in the FO NV engine.

 

Or have I missed something?

 

I agree with you. It isn't worth the effort.

[Walsingham]

I didn't mean to be rude, BTW. I like anyone who makes an effort. But after talking it through, I think you chaps ought to work at something else with your undoubted talent and enthusiasm.

[Morgoth]

I'm always of the opinion if modders want to learn, and want to have a chance maybe landing a job someday, they should do so with Techs/Engines that actually are supported and have a future.

 

I.E the widespread Unreal Engine has a free SDK available, also CryEngine 3 now has a SDK.

Edited July 7, 2011 by Morgoth

[Nightshape]

I'm always of the opinion if modders want to learn, and want to have a chance maybe landing a job someday, they should do so with Techs/Engines that actually are supported and have a future.

 

I.E the widespread Unreal Engine has a free SDK available, also CryEngine 3 now has a SDK.

 

Depends what you want to do, frankly, I think the days of toying around a modding stuff leading to a person landing a job are in past; there will be the occasional gifted person who gets noticed.

 

Understanding the tools workflow is only part of the problem, there is alot more to the whole process.

 

For an environment artist, building assets, exporting them from whatever 3D package you use, and then building a level in a editor, further exporting followed by a data build is probably more beneficial.

 

I think the same kind of thing applies to character artists, making something yourself and getting it cleanly into an engine is the way to go, that is really where UE or CryEngine come in handy.

[Lexx]

Well, experience with currently widely used engines is never bad. But I don't see this as a very important thing as well. Just "toying around" is doubtful to give any job, yes. But if you have created a portfolio that is worth to look at, things might change, because it shows that you can do something and not "that you have toyed around" a little bit.