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Using Animated MD5 Models in jME 1.0
by Simon Cooper
This guide will help you create an animated model in 3ds Max and load it into your jME game. Itincludes some basic information on texturing your objects, creating bones, skinning andkeyframe animation in max and then getting the finished animated model into your jME game.I will also mention some tips for other modelling tools, but the main focus will be on 3ds Max.For an MD5 Blender Tutorial Click hereYou will need:- 3ds Max (I'm using version 7) or another similar 3d modelling tool, for example Blender/Maya.http://www.autodesk.co.uk/(3ds Max/Maya)http://www.blender.org/(open source)- MD5 exporter plug-in or script.der-ton's MD5 exporter script for 3ds Maxder-ton's MD5 exporter script for BlenderBeRSeRKeR's Md5 exporter script for 3ds Max hyperion-5's exporter script for Maya(more infohere) Other MD5 exporters can be foundhere- Image Editing SoftwareAdobe PhotoshopGimp(open source)- jME MD5 ImporterMD5 Importer Google CodeWe will download and set this up later using the Eclipse CVS Repository View.- Your jME game setup in a suitable IDE (I'm using Eclipse) jME HomepageEclipse HomepageSetting Up jME in Eclipse Tutorial- MD5 Model Viewer (Optional)MD5Viewer - v1.2.0 Win32MD5Viewer - v1.2.0 Mac
 
- Other Useful LinksMD5 File Format Wiki
Part 1 - Creating Your MD5 Model in 3DS Max 7
If you are using Blender click herefor a different tutorial. For other versions of Max some steps orbutton layouts may be a little different.1.First downloadder-ton's MD5 exporter script for 3ds MaxorBeRSeRKeR's Md5 exporter script for 3ds Max.2.Unzip the file and copy the"
md5export.ms
"or"MD5.MAX.Exporter.For.Skin.Modifier.mzp"file into the scripts folder of your 3ds Max installation (mine is:
C:\3dsmax7\scripts
).3.Open up 3ds Max.4.If you already have a model mesh, load it into max and follow step 5, then jump to "Part 2- Bones and Skinning".5.If your starting from a blank scene, create your mesh (For more help here's a freecharacter modelling tutorial I found) making sure that when it's finished it is in theEditable Mesh format, by right clicking on the object and selecting "
Convert To: >Convert To Editable Mesh
".6.When you have finished press the "
 M 
" key to open up the material editor.7.For simple texturing set the materials diffuse colour by expanding "
maps
" and clicking the"
None
" box next to diffuse colour. Click "
Bitmap
" in the new window and choose yourtexture file. For MD5 models with transparent textures, the texture file must be in Targa(.tga) format, with no RLE Compression
or .png format (which I prefer and now workswith MD5 Importer)
.8.For more complex textures/models dropping a texture image of checkered or numberedsquares as the material's diffuse colour can help when unwrapping the mesh for texturinglater on. You can download onehere.9.It can help the model loading process in jME later if you name your new material with thesame name as the texture file.10.Drag and drop the new material onto your model.11.In the "
 Modify
" tab on the right, click on the drop down "
 Modify List 
" tab and choose"
UVW Map
" to add it to the stack above your Editable Mesh.12.Click on the new "
UVW Map
" modifier.13.If your object/textures are simple you can click on the different mapping tabs (e.g. Box or
 
Cylindrical) to fit the texture to the model and jump to step 27.14.For more complicated texturing using unwrapping, first set the length and width values inthe "
UVW Map
" to match your intended texture size (remember to keep texture pixel sizesto a power of two e.g. 512 x 512).15.In the "
 Modify
" tab on the right, click on the drop down "
 Modify List 
" tab again andchoose "
Unwrap UVW 
" to add it to the stack above your UVW Map.16.In the "
Unwrap UVW 
" modifier click the big "
Edit 
" button in the parameters section.17.In the new window's menu bar select "
Mapping > Flatten Mapping..
" then setthe "
Face Value Threshold 
" parameter to about "
66 
" and click "
OK 
". This should show anunfolded wire-frame of your model with the texture behind it.18.Arrange the wire-frame to fit neatly in the thick blue bordered square. You can use themove/scale/rotate/flip tools to help. For parts of the model that are mirrored and/or usethe same texture move them so that they overlap, highlight the shared vertices and press"CTRL" and "W" to weld them together. This is where the numbers texture comes inhandy to see if the different faces are aligned.19.When the UVW Map is unwrapped you can export it to your image editing program tocreate the final texture, either by using print screen on the Edit UVW window or by installing a UVW map exporter plug-in likeTexporter.20.To use Texporter unzip it into the max plugins folder (mine is
C:\3dsmax7\plugins
).21.To install Texporter click on the top menu bar in max and choose "
Customize >Plug-in Manager....
". Right click in the new "
Plug-in Manager 
" window andchoose "
Load New Plug-in...
". Browse to the plugins folder where you unzipped Texporterand select the "
Texporter.dlu
" file.22.To run Texporter click on the "
Utilities
" tab that's four tabs along from the modify tab,then click on the "
 More..
" button. Scroll down the list and select "
Texporter
".23.To export the texture UVW map set the image width and height to match the one youentered earlier, click on the "
Pick Object 
" button and select the object you wanted toexport. Click on the "
save
" disk icon and choose a file name and save location.24.To create your texture open up the new image file in Adobe Photoshop or your otherimage editing program.25.Create a new layer above the UVW image and start to fill in the sections with theappropriate colours and detail.26.Save your finished texture (remember if using tga it needs to be uncompressed and allformat image sizes need to be a power of two square). If you want transparencies Irecommend using .png format and deleting the default background layer in Photoshop sothe checker-board appears, which signifies transparent areas.27.Replace the numbers texture with your new image as in step 7.28.Repeat the texturing process for each object in your scene, then make sure you collapsethe modifier stack down to an Editable Mesh by right clicking a modifier and choosing
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