I need your help

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Jico

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Hello 405th. I'm here to ask for some assistance. I'm recreating Blood Gulch from Halo 1 into a Left 4 Dead 2 map that I'm going to send to Rooster Teeth. I have the original 3d model of Blood Gulch from Halo 1.

So, here is why I need your help. In order to export the 3d model into the source engine as an editable scene, I need to turn every plane into a box/mass. The source engine does not accept planes, only full geometry. I do not know very much about how to do this in 3ds max or other types of 3d software. So if someone knows how to convert planes into 3d masses/boxes, can they please help me?

Here is a picture of the map in 3ds max:

B_G1.png


Sketchup:

B_G2.png


Download the .OBJ here.

Thanks for your time.

Note: The person(s) who help me with this will be listed in the map credits:)

Thanks again.

Jico
 
Oops, it seems it is inverted to the wrong side :)
Just have fixed it :)
Download it THERE :)

Thanks Bevbor:) I really appreciate your help, but I think I need to be more specific X)

What I meant is that I need every plane/polygon turned into a box(except the bases).

Geometry in the source engine is brush based. Which means that the map geometry have to either be a brush or a model. A brush cannot be a flat plane. It requires volume.

src2.png


The object on the left is a brush and the one on the right is a model. Models cannot be edited in the editor and has to be edited in 3ds max or another program. I could just import the map as a model, but then I won't be able to apply textures to it as I see fit in-editor.

In order to make a plane in the engine you have to apply the texture "nodraw" to the sides of the brush you don't want rendered:

src3.png


src4.png


In order for my converter to make a .obj into a .vmf / .map properly, the model must have no geometry without volume. If the model have geometry with a volume that is more complex than a box or a low res sphere, the outcome looks like this:

src5.png


So in order to create a plane wall that looks like this:

src7.png


You need to make every plane a box and apply nodraw to the unused sides:

src6.png


Here is a demonstration of how the backside of every plane needs to be in order to properly work in source:

src8.png


front

src9.png


the one to the left can work as well but will result in brushes intersecting with each other, which can cause performance and lightning issues:

src10.png


Thanks again Bevbor for helping me:) I hope you have the time to continue helping me:)

Best Regards

Jico
 
can't you just import the model in the hammer editor? And then export that as a map?
 
can't you just import the model in the hammer editor? And then export that as a map?
Yeah, but I won't be able to edit it. If I export it, it will still be an in-editable mesh. Models doesn't get exported into brushes. Making the model into an editable brush/mesh is the goal I'm aiming for:p

Isn't there a way to extend a polygon/plane as a box? I have tried to extrude the polygons but I only end up making a hole:p

Edit: I'm trying to do it manually now. I'm going to patch up the holes afterwards:p

src11.png
 
Sorry for the double post, but this is taking forever XD. Isn't there a way to select a face and click a button to turn it into a box?


Edit:

Here is a better example of what happens to the non-box faces when I try to convert the .obj into a .map or a .vmf:

The converter tries to make everything that is not or close to a box into one:

src12.png


Here is the original

src13.png
 
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There should be some kind of plugin for some program. Although you should better ask this on source/hammer modding forums
 
There should be some kind of plugin for some program. Although you should better ask this on source/hammer modding forums
Yeah, but those guys never reply:( And when they do it is just "Well I don't know, ask this guy" and the journey is on XD.
 
Sorry for the double post, but this is taking forever XD. Isn't there a way to select a face and click a button to turn it into a box?

I have find the only one way do add volume to the face with my software:
- copy face with some offset;
- make a loft between old and new faces;
And you are right, this taking forever =(
 
in lightwave i'd use the extrude function to turn a flat surface into a solid model. Typically select faces, extrude, flip still selected surfaces to create a closed solid object with all surfaces facing outward(this relies on you extruding in the opposite direction of the surface normal)
 
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