A how to fix thread ;)

[FrostySnowman]

So I got back into Halo CE modding (yay) and everything has gone well, except for my custom weapon. I have made a simple sig 550.
http://mrsnowmanae.googlepages.com/Sig550.png/Sig550-full.jpg

The problem is, is that when I open it up in game, the model literally was gone. The animations would work right, I would fire, and smoke would appear, but no mesh was visible. My shaders seem to be okay, so I did not know what was the problem. I then decided to import the gbx model I had exported, and it was sorta... jumbled up.

So, I realized that I did have some degenerate triangles, however I did not think they would really cause much of a problem :(.

So, I opened up the dreaded STL Check modifier. Lo and behold, I had 293 errors (everything). Is this the cause of my dissapearing weapon? And if so, how do I get rid of: spikes, multiple edges, and open edges in an efficient way? I modeled this by starting out and drawing a line over a reference picture, extruding the line, and making the barrel a cylinder and touching up some things. The uv map was a fast planear over the weapon. Right now I'm not too worried about how good it looks.


Any help would be highly appreciated.

[echo216]

its because the nodes are in the wrong spot..i had the same problem when i made my chaingun it was literally sticking into the ground..and the smoke appeared i think you need to change where you hold it and the gound point in the middle of the gun ..im not positive but that should fix it..if not its the animations

[FrostySnowman]

I am referring to when I hold the gun, the mesh does not appear. The reload animations and fire animations work perfectly, just with no mesh. Ill provide a screen shot soon to show you what I just really mean. And yes, if your gun was not showing on the ground, it would mean your #ground point node would be misplaced.

Edit, pic: http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h172/Cpt_Koloth/gun_gone.png

[Hurrvish]

You can fix it all up by watching this video tutorial on how to model (http://tutorials.moddb.com/16/beretta-9000-video-tutorial/).

kthnxbai

EDIT: I know what he is asking. Consider this before going apeshit on me :v

[FrostySnowman]

Are you proposing that the geometry in my gun is causing this error? please be more specific. This is not a thread about my modeling skills.

And seriously... This is really the first gun I've ever made from scratch and I only spent about an hour on it.

[DaneO'Roo]

Alpha channel is fucked. Make your alphas white, not black.

[Con]

Lo and behold, I had 293 errors (everything)

Are you proposing that the geometry in my gun is causing this error? please be more specific. This is not a thread about my modeling skills.
Maybe it should be if you're getting 293 errors on it. Spend more than an hour on it next time. It could end up being what Dano said, but I wouldn't be surprised if the poor modeling was to blame.

[FrostySnowman]

Ok. I'm still wondering at the moment why extruding a spline would leave so many errors. I will follow the tutorial that Hurvv recommended for sure. (http://tutorials.moddb.com/16/beretta-9000-video-tutorial/)



I checked the alpha on the base map, and it's white :P

[SL1CK1337]

Did you make an fp model? or does it not show in 3p also?

[Leiukemia]

It's not due to modelling error. I've put in one of my models before, that was modelled well, and had the same problem. I got my little brother to fix it, if someone doesn't tell you how to fix this first then I'll ask him what he did once I see him on monday. Also, have you tryed redoing it? Or did you just try it once and come here?

[DaneO'Roo]

Have you checked your bitmaps in photoshop to see if the alpha channel is white?

[FrostySnowman]

Did you make an fp model? or does it not show in 3p also?

I made an fp model, and it does not show in 3p as well.


I have not tried redoing it, the point of posting here was to prevent myself from redoing it and fixing the problem =/

I spent more than an hour on this gun, I just don't remember how much.

[FRain]

Did you change the node count? Because 99.99999% of the time if you dont have the same node count it'll not show up in fp.

[echo216]

yeah what rain said..thats probably the problem or the alpha is white like d4no said. you would be best to listen to them. They know what they are talking about

[Apoc4lypse]

Have you checked your bitmaps in photoshop to see if the alpha channel is white?

thats not the problem dano, at least i HIGHLY doubt it, because that would purposely need to be done...

Its most definately your node count, the nodes you placed in your .gbx model do not match the nodes in the animation graph you are using.

What I mean is.. when you make your gbx model, you make "nodes" most nodes start with #"name" then there are also things like frame, frame gun and such, the "boxes and spheres".

These need to be placed exactly the same in the model and the animation files you export, otherwise you will have a node error where the nodes don't match. Thus your model just won't show up because the games incapable of showing it when the 2 don't match because the game doesn't know how it should be animated (kind of dumb, the game shud just show the model anyway and just not animate it, but I'm not coding genius so idk...)

So yeah, open up your .max files or what ever format there in for the model, and the animations, then check to make sure everything matches up with position rotation and everything, if they do, then try opening the gbx model tag and the animation graph tag, then find the "Node Check Sum #" and make sure that they match in both tag files if they don't then change it and save it so they match, then try to see if itl work then. If not,
open your model in max (or w/e app u use...) before you animated it, put everything where you want it to be, then save it, and then re-animate it.

when ever you start a new animation ALWAYS start with the origional model, that way the nodes don't change due to silly mistakes or accidental movements you might make when animating the model.

I hope this helps if you need further assistance, there are tutorials out there on this sort of thing, try searching, although I'm not entirely sure there still up, I would try searching halomaps.org first for tutorials, other wise look around for the ghosts tutorials I know he used to have a site with alot of them, but I forget, its been a while since anyone has had questions on this sort of thing. (not mapping related but animation related.. not alot happening with that lately)

good luck :)


edit: n/m... idk, haven't done any animations for a while.

[CtrlAltDestroy]

If that was the case, the arms wouldn't show up either.

[Apoc4lypse]

If that was the case, the arms wouldn't show up either.

if thats the case then I guess I should shut up XD, idk I forget, I haven't don't anything related to FP animations in a long time.

Idk whats wrong then...

[DaneO'Roo]

Its the freaking alpha channel on his diffuse bitmap. His must be black, therefore his gun is totally transparent. I did it once while fucking with textures in Halo PC.

Open photoshop, open the bitmap, select totally flat white as your colour, select the Paint Bucket Tool, go to channels on the bottom right, select the alpha channel, and just simply click once and fill the whole thing with white.

I assure you, that is your problem. BLack on alpha = transparency. If it's totally flat black, it won't even be visible.

[echo216]

yeah thats what im wondering..the arms wouldnt show up either so it has to be the alpha or you didnt put the weapon in the right spot when you animated it

[supersniper]

Hey echo are you just echoing what ever Dano says. I mean come on do you even know what he is talking about??

[echo216]

yes..i think its the alpah...cause if it was the nodes the arms wouldnt show up..der

[FRain]

Its the freaking alpha channel on his diffuse bitmap. His must be black, therefore his gun is totally transparent. I did it once while fucking with textures in Halo PC.

Open photoshop, open the bitmap, select totally flat white as your colour, select the Paint Bucket Tool, go to channels on the bottom right, select the alpha channel, and just simply click once and fill the whole thing with white.

I assure you, that is your problem. BLack on alpha = transparency. If it's totally flat black, it won't even be visible.


That, or you just don't make a fucking alpha channel at all :v


E:


yes..i think its the alpah...cause if it was the nodes the arms wouldnt show up..der

..........

No.

Don't judge shit when I've ran into that error so many times, it isnt funny. I'm 100% sure that if you have the wrong node count, the arms will show up, because the arms are a different fucking FP model.

[echo216]

never thought of that

[FrostySnowman]

Thanks so much for the replies. I've been busy lately, but eventually Im gonna try all of the solutions recommended. Ill get back to ya ;)

[FrostySnowman]

Ok I think it' appropriate for a double post, to bump the thread.
So. First, I realized that some nodes were indeed missing from the assault rifle. I properly added and placed them. However when I exporterted, I received this error (what does it mean?):
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h172/Cpt_Koloth/weirdwarning.png

I'm all like, ok, Im moving on...
So I put it in game, and same problem. No difference. But then, with closer examination as I melee, I see a glint of something. I put the gun on the ground and barely see something fall on the ground. I zoom in (just to show you how small this is:
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h172/Cpt_Koloth/omg.png

I zoom in with the sniper rifle:
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h172/Cpt_Koloth/omg2.png

:mad::mad:

Does anyone know what the problem is? It is in correct proportion to the assault rifle in 3ds max, is it a value in guerilla that is improperly entered? Thanks would be highly appreciated.

[CodeBrain]

Cool! A mini-mini-gun! All we need to do is to put a little chain on it, and then put it on your backpack/object! :awesome:

But, I would have no idea of how that happened. to me it looks like a sprite more than a weapon model. I would have no idea, because I havent made a weapon with max and then exported it.

[DaneO'Roo]

Oh, so thats why we couldn't see it. He was holding it in his fucking palm.

[FrostySnowman]

This is pretty messed up. Anyone can think of the cause of this??