Need Help With Getting 3d Model In-Game

[ryan101]

I just followed a tutorial on making a 3d model for San Andreas. I followed all the steps and have made my model with the needed .dff, .txd, and .col files.

 

I opened up MEd and made a new .ide file, which then i made a new object. When I chose the .txd and .dff files from an .img file, I made a new .img, added my files, then rebuilt the .img file. I then chose the .dff and .txd files for my building and successfully added my building to my new .ide file.

 

I then rendered the lae2.ipl file for San Andreas, which is where I wanted my building. I made a new .ipl file and added my building to that, then I saved the .ipl file.

 

After following the tutorial on how to make a 3d model and get it in-game, I tested my game. It didn't seem to work. I tested it a bit and found out that my game will not work with a modified gta.dat, although I've modified it before with no harm. I even tried both using my v2 gta .exe file with the v1 patch, and the no-cd gta .exe file. They both crash half way through loading the game. When I replace the gta.dat with the original, the game works again.

 

=====

 

EDIT: Figured out why my game crashed at loading. I forgot to add the new .img file I created to the gta.dat file.

 

Now I got a new problem: Any time I'm in the game and I go over to where the lae2.ipl file is in MEd (like around Grove Street, where I added my building in the ditch there just to test) the game crashes. The lae2.ipl file is still original, so I don't know why it would crash. Everything else seems to work.

Edited July 14, 2007 by ryan101

[xmen]

make you new ipl and match the dff and txd names in your img with IDE

 

or just see this Tutorial

 

i hope this will help..!!

[ryan101]

EDIT:

 

I got it working. I forgot to hit the one button after texturing the object in 3ds Max. Although somehow I managed to put the object (a simple box) in the game twice. One problem though, the textures didn't exactly work.

 

Edited July 13, 2007 by ryan101

[JohnPro]

Solution for above: dont forget to push any button in the tutorial when it comes to texturing.

 

Right click> convert to editable mesh > select faces you want to texture (turns red) > open material editor > diffuse bitmap > click assign to selection > also click the blue and white box untill it turns yellow > go to modifiers menu > select UVW MAP > for better quality use apply to FACE not plane.... export

Edited July 13, 2007 by JohnPro

[ryan101]

EDIT:

 

Well I fixed the problem to my airbase mod.

 

I was making a box like I did last time but I cut a few openings (one so I could get in and another so I could fly a plane out), which opened up the interior of the object, so in the game it would show up but once you go through it on the inside it would disappear. I forgot to model the inside.

 

Now it's in the game, but it's big and above the cloud line so when I find it I end up crashing into it. Now I got a better idea. To just make a platform that's well above the cloud lines and have it so there's an entrance way on the ground through a yellow marker (I'm already modifying my main.scm to add spawn points so why not). And when I get there there will be a bunch of planes and I can just fly off the platform.

 

 

Xmen thanks for giving me the link to the tutorial.

Edited July 14, 2007 by ryan101

[JohnPro]

lol when you make a box and you want to see inside of it you have to do this..

 

Right click your box > convert to editable mesh >

Right click your box in 3d screen > select clone > select copy NOT INSTANCE > now select all faces of cloned box > go to surface properties > under normals select FLIP, export to dff etc.

 

Now you will have an exterior and interior for your box. also when you say you crash into it then you will need to make a lod file which is the box.dff but with a higher draw distance in IDE.

 

 

oh btw if it says more than one hiearchy selected then you need to select on of your parts then under ATTACH LIST select ALL then click ATTACH

Edited July 15, 2007 by JohnPro

[ryan101]

JohnPro, thanks for that info. Now the interior of my building works in the game. So far all I made was a rough building with a helipad on the roof with stairs. And I'll texture the individual faces when I'm done it, but for now, it just has a simple concrete texture I found on google.

 

 

 

P.S. I thought it would be better to make a building on the ground instead of a box in the sky, so I gave up my airbase mod and started making this building.

[JohnPro]

cool,

suggestion try looking for free 3d models on the internet and convert them to SA. You will find many usefull stuff including airport hangars and floating cities which you might consider for your map.

[xrk]

Or just make them for yourself it's not that hard devil.gif

you dont get a false sense of achievement if you make it yourself too biggrin.gif

 

 

edit

sorry nevermind Im probably being ruder than I mean to be( not that I mean to be), Im a bit drunk (I cant even do the bb code stuffs *sniff*)

 

edit again

 

I see that quick edit there Gangsta Killa but why meh?

Edited July 22, 2007 by xrk

[Andrew]

JohnPro Lets not start with conversions of free models, modeling them yourself gives you a much better feeling about yourself, and learns you valuble modeling skills.

[JohnPro]

Of course we should not rely on them and learn to do it ourselves, its really not that difficult anyway. But i just found some models are what i need and save time for me example: Halo guns, the end result would be the same so why not just use it.

[ryan101]

I decided to model my own model, as I have become quite good at modeling with SketchUp. After all the models I've made, trying to make like a secret base for San Andreas, which had both car, plane, and weapon spawns, I finally decided to make a simple building.

 

Although I've been having trouble converting it to .dff, seeing as my 3ds Max trial expired the other day and Gmax doesn't support texturing (it crashes everytime I load my .3ds model which I textured in SketchUp). No clue why Gmax doesn't support texturing, but I've textured in SketchUp before and it's shown up in the game, so the problem's not with SketchUp.

 

Anyways, here's a pic I took from SketchUp.

 

[ryan101]

I finally got my building in the game, and it works. Now I just need help with adding the finishing touches:

 

1) How would I increase the draw distance on the game? I tried supplying a LOD file in MEd (I used the same .dff file as the building as the LOD file) but in the game everytime I go near the building it flashes between solid and transparent.

 

2) How would I add those yellow marker's that allow you to go to another part of the map, like the ones outside of the Grove Street safehouse that allow you to go inside the house. I have a safehouse in the middle of the building? but the only way right now that I can get to it is using SA Place Manager to transport myself. I managed to make the doors teleport to the interior of the building without those unrealistic yellow markers.

 

3) At night in the game, all the buildings have bright windows and flashing red lights so airplanes don't crash into them. I have replaced one the buildings in the game with mine, but at night the windows and red lights are still there. I need to know which IPL file these are in so I can delete them. Here's a pic to show you what I'm talking about:

 

Edited July 24, 2007 by ryan101

[JohnPro]

1) How would I increase the draw distance on the game? I tried supplying a LOD file in MEd (I used the same .dff file as the building as the LOD file) but in the game everytime I go near the building it flashes between solid and transparent.

 

Using the same Dff import it into 3dsmax etc and Rename the model to buildinglod or whatever you want then export it, then export the col with no collision mesh to save space . after that add to gta3.img both files (dff, col), Open Med select your IDE select add item , etc in the LOD section set it to 1500 which is more than enough.

 

What i think is happening is you didnt replace the dff instead you just renamed it but somehow i think the col files will conflict which is giving you your prob.

2) How would I add those yellow marker's that allow you to go to another part of the map, like the ones outside of the Grove Street safehouse that allow you to go inside the house. I have a safehouse in the middle of the building? but the only way right now that I can get to it is using SA Place Manager to transport myself. I managed to make the doors teleport to the interior of the building without those unrealistic yellow markers.

 

How? could you please give a small tut cause i'm still learning

3) At night in the game, all the buildings have bright windows and flashing red lights so airplanes don't crash into them. I have replaced one the buildings in the game with mine, but at night the windows and red lights are still there. I need to know which IPL file these are in so I can delete them. Here's a pic to show you what I'm talking about:

 

It would most likely be in the same IPL as the building itself, Once you found it edit the dff or simply delete the extra lighted windows

 

Good Luck

Edited July 24, 2007 by JohnPro

[xrk]

 

somehow i think the col files will conflict

 

Doubt it, lods dont use collision in sa.

 

 

How would I add those yellow marker's that allow you to go to another part of the map

 

Afaik (I haven't done this myself yet but..) they dont go to another part of the map, they go to the "interior world". Try the pinned ipl topic

Edited July 24, 2007 by xrk

[JohnPro]

 

Doubt it, lods dont use collision in sa.

 

Yeah i know but he used the same dff, Every dff needs its own col.

[ryan101]

I finally succeeded in solving all my problems:

 

1) I just exported the same file from 3ds Max but as lod_ instead of using the same .dff. It's still the same .dff model but a different name.

 

2) I managed to connect the interior and exteriors of the building by modifying the .ipl file in notepad, and yes I got this information from the pinned .ipl topic.

 

3) I finally found which model those lighted-windows and blinking red lights on the building at night were. It was actually in the same .ipl file as the original building itself, but under the time-controlled objects tab in MEd. And since MEd renders the game to 9am by default, the map was being rendered to a time in which the time-controlled object did not show up. Once I rendered the game to 3am, I found those lighted windows and blinking red lights.

 

Thanks for all your help.

[JohnPro]

well thats good to hear.

[dertyjerzian]

 

*cough cough*