Possible solution for ripping shenmue game models found!

[accel99]

Ryo Vs Akira

Ryo Hazuki most deadly fight yet against and unexpected opponent...Akira Yuki?I think Ryo is a bit too relaxed for his own good.Sorry did this just for laughs,like I said b4 I dont know how to use max if this was xsi I probably would have added final gather or hell even some shadowmapping in gile(s).Click on it to enlarge it.

Edit:I just noticed Akira is missing his belt/whole mid section....ooops?

[wude]

nice work there guys, maybe you should try the bone tool , by the way how do you convert textures kyodai ? do you replace them in max , or by external program?

[Master Kyodai]

@accell99:

I can try ripping Ryo again, i never save any max files. The textures in max would be DDS though - no idea how to replace them in 3ds. In .obj format you can just edit the files (obj and mtl) with a text editor and replace .dds with .png or whatever format you converted them to.

The time it took for importing is real time, i did not edit or shorten the video.

@dotsona: Theres settings for 3dr importer? Didnt know that, so i didnt change any. How is scaling a problem? I never work with real world measurements, so i probably never noticed. Anythhing noticable is that the geometry is slightly distorted (A bit strecthed in the diagonal way)


@fine'n'dandy: I use a tool called DDS converter to convert the dds to .png. I havent found out how to edit them in 3d max, so i import the .3ds model in Vue, then vue is like "lol, dds? WTF?" and im like "ignore all errors" then i go to material editor and just replace the (in vue "invalid") dds files with the according PNG. As png has transparency vue always asks "DO you want the trans info for material transparency" and i always click "no". Oddly the last few materials are always set to 100% transparency, so i just edit these to 0% transparency (They still use the transparency defined in 3ds). The only step that is a bit handmade in vue is correcting the screwed up geometries (have to strecth the models a bit in the right direction).

[accel99]

[quote="Master Kyodai"]@accell99:

I can try ripping Ryo again, i never save any max files. The textures in max would be DDS though - no idea how to replace them in 3ds. In .obj format you can just edit the files (obj and mtl) with a text editor and replace .dds with .png or whatever format you converted them to.

The time it took for importing is real time, i did not edit or shorten the video.
/quote]

Nah I got ryo I saved in max format.My problem is that export doesnt work.So I guess its reversed from yours lol.

[Master Kyodai]

@accell99:

I can try ripping Ryo again, i never save any max files. The textures in max would be DDS though - no idea how to replace them in 3ds. In .obj format you can just edit the files (obj and mtl) with a text editor and replace .dds with .png or whatever format you converted them to.

The time it took for importing is real time, i did not edit or shorten the video.
/quote]

Nah I got ryo I saved in max format.My problem is that export doesnt work.So I guess its reversed from yours lol.

I was only able to export the models correctly in 3ds format. In theory OBJ should also work (Which i would have prefered) but in fact it seems to be badly glitched. I only use 3ds even though it requires me to correct all textures manually - the good point is that the UV mapping stays intact.

[dotsona]

When you import a 3dr file in max it should show abunch of settings, there is something about aspect ratio at the top, and I think it might possibly fix the scaling (skewed scaling) been playing around with it, but my results havent changed much.

[accel99]

Well I wanted to see if I could rig up(meaning to attach bones so he can be animated) ryo so I decided to use a simlper mesh like vyse from skies of arcadia.And just to rig him up took me around 2 hours in softimage xsi.I dont know if I still should rig ryo or if I want to besides I need ryos mesh in obj/.x with the right uv and texture.And this isnt a complex(or correctly done) rig.Jeez it was hard...

Tweaked the pose so it looks more natural.

[Master Kyodai]

I want poser characters made from the figures, but i got no idea how to do that...

[accel99]

I want poser characters made from the figures, but i got no idea how to do that...

Ummm ,I am not sure what your saying there but I could try to rig if you could provide me with his mesh.But seeing how ryo is more complex he will take even longer than vyse(vyse is less 1000 triangles!).Sometimes the mesh are too close together so got to weigh the vertices one by one and that takes long.I did that with vyse imagine ryo!.

[Master Kyodai]

uhm no. Poser as in "Poser 8", the award winning character animation app. Yeah i know that you can also rig then in 3D Max, Maya or whatever, but Poser is really the best when it's about character animation. I usually do character animation in Poser and the rest of the scene and rendering in Vue. However, i have modified many poser figures but never made one from a 3ds or so, i always used the finished commercially (and free) available poser figures.

[accel99]

uhm no. Poser as in "Poser 8", the award winning character animation app. Yeah i know that you can also rig then in 3D Max, Maya or whatever, but Poser is really the best when it's about character animation. I usually do character animation in Poser and the rest of the scene and rendering in Vue. However, i have modified many poser figures but never made one from a 3ds or so, i always used the finished commercially (and free) available poser figures.

....So whats stopping from exporting to poser(I never personally used it,then again Iam just a hobbyist in modeling)

[Master Kyodai]

The problem is not importing a solid model, the problem is creating the bones and IK... If you just import it its a damn solid object, like a rock or statue. The process is probably quite similar to rigging in softimage or whatever, but as i have never done it before i can't say for sure.

[accel99]

The problem is not importing a solid model, the problem is creating the bones and IK... If you just import it its a damn solid object, like a rock or statue. The process is probably quite similar to rigging in softimage or whatever, but as i have never done it before i can't say for sure.

Oh that,yes it is hard ,Ive done it b4.I think i tried something similar to ik in softimage by using volumes to constrain the bones so they umm "move" a certain way and just limiting the rotation.But that was years ago and I dont remember how to do that.You could try softimage, its belongs to autodesk now.I decided to redownload the xsi mod tools it does everything the commercial version does but its limited in importing and exporting.Give it a try.

[accel99]

Heres how it looks now.As you can iam not using the constrains I was talkin abuot or that skeleton is built incorrectly cuz honestly I just dont remember what to do anymore.But it might help ,its pretty easy to use.

[Master Kyodai]

While i find softimage a bit better than 3D Max in regards of ease of use i would really not want to get into it. I think it's a fine renderer but not really my idea of character animation, i really prefer Poser for characters and Vue for rendering/landscaping. Like Maya, max, lightwave and co i find it's not an app you learn by "looking at it for a few minutes". Maybe Poser is terrible if you compare it to a classic renderer, it's definitely neither an "allround" renderer nor a modeling tool. But for what it's focused on - character animation - it is imho the best one. My handicap is that i have absolutely no experience in charater creation/conversion, but i don't think it will help if i also have to learn a completely new app... I terribly lack the time, but if noone else will do it imma try my own luck in Poser. I think i can get the bones placed with some practice, for hands i will prolly just slide the shenmue textures over some pre-defined hands - the real tough part will be creating the modifiers/magnets for realistic facial animation, at least if you do it right that is.