x2mdo.exe (d3drm.dll)

[Holy_Diver]

Has anyone been able to make x2mdo.exe work? It seems to want "d3drm.dll" (legacy retained mode dx) which doesn't exist on most systems these days apparently. I downloaded one copy of d3drm.dll from the internet and stuck it in the same folder with x2mdo.exe... now I get no error message, but nothing happens when running the exe...

[dmpdesign]

It will work, but its a command line executable.

The usage would be x2mdo.exe filename.x

and the output will give you the .mdo and .txr files in the directory the .x file was stored.

If you are running an XP machine, DirectDraw Acceleration and 3D Acceleration must be turned on else it will not output a file.

There are other limitations as well. The texture files must be bitmaps no larger than 256 x 256 pixels, and the size must be a multiple of 2 for example 128 x 256.

Also, depending what 3D program you are using to create the model file, its picky on how it references the bitmap... so if all the above doesnt fix your problem let me know.

[Holy_Diver]

That's weird... I wonder why the bmp2txr has a graphical drag drop interface and x2mod is commandline??? So much for any standards whatsoever

[dmpdesign]

The toolset is very disjointed, but at least they did release it. Some of them came as an afterthought to the original release I believe, that might be the difference.

Unfortunately they never made a tool to create 3D animated models so we could make new enemies and npcs...what a shame, because to me that just makes me not want to use SoM to make any more games after DD.

[Holy_Diver]

X files contain data for animation purposes. Are you sure that is not transferred over?

Btw, don't worry, I'm going to start looking into this stuff soon (as you might have guessed from the post)

PS: The only thing that really bugs me about SoM (other than the bugs) is game making tools are not supposed to impose themselves on the game experience. They're just supposed to overcome technical barriers. Stuff like how damage is calculated and how status ailments work should not have been built in to the "engine".

[Rowena]

Well..the enemies and npcs that SOM uses are .mdl and .cp files. These are definately not the same as just the basic .mdo file that is used for static objects and items.

My guess is the .cp file contains all the coordinate data for the animations, telling it where to place the different model skeleton parts dependant on what action the model is using.

The closest model type I know of is from Quake, which there is an addon to 3ds Max to allow you to construct the .mdl file they use and also create the additional file that is used in quake that is the equivalent of the SOM .cp file. From what I can tell, there is no such add on that can open a .mdl file that is in SOM. I have tried opening it as any type I could possibly choose from and had no luck. My guess is without a tool that From Software created, we will not be able to create new or edit existing model files for animated characters.

BTW, this is dmpdesign posting, for some reason my account is gone, assuming it has something to do with the data migration you are going through to get the new forum going.

Also, I will be out of town all weekend, back monday night, so i likely wont be responding to any posts or emails. Have a good weekend guys.

[Holy_Diver]

First off, no way anything I've done (or will do) could effect anything on the website not under /bbs/. In short, there must be another explanation.

Is there any connection between SoM file formats and any existing stuff? From what I can tell they're all homegrown, but probably bare a close resemblence to the files they import from and Dx formats. Tim is used, but that seems more like a playstaiotn throwback.

Anyway, I will unravel them eventually regardless. Just be patient. I am a disillusioned professional after all.

[dmpdesign]

If you crack the animation stuff you will make myself and darchangel happy beyond belief. What youve done so far is great, but that would just be some seriously thick icing on the cake.

With custom npcs and monsters, I would probably do a DD remix someday, and actually be willing to make another game in SOM for the KF series. I would even probably expand this website and have it professionally overhauled so there could be custom graphic sections etc for submissions.

I would donate to the cause of someone modeling new stuff.

[Holy_Diver]

It's not really that big of a deal if you understand what's going on. I've just only gotten started with this sort of stuff so far...

I'm about to start working with the graphics files... it's on my list.

[Holy_Diver]

Do we have a tutorial for this sort of stuff? If the x2mdo tool is doing anything, it isn't talking about it???

Geez, I mean... is it too much for a command line utility to have some output? I'm a big fan of Fromsoftware in general, but this is ridiculous...

Anyway, just using an x file as input produces no output console or file wise. So I'm guessing either something is not working, or it wants a specific kind of x file. The readme says something about the contents of input files being compatible or not. But I'm thinking it either wants a text x file instead of binary, or maybe I remember some words about there being IM and RM x files, and I think x2mdo likes the RM variety?? Even though SoM doesn't use retained mode dx calls.

So anyway, long story short I'm guessing I need to download one of the apps people are using to work with this stuff?? So I could use some advice in that dept. Hopefully by the time I'm done working with models I'll have a custom tool chain that can cut x2mdo out of the picture... because it's just not a friendly tool.


PS: For now I'm just trying to get an x file and a corresponding mdo file in front of me so I can see what is similar and what is not between them. Ultimately I'm trying to get some of the SoM models out of SoM so I can use them as a modeling reference. My two major priorities for m09 are to make a multi-equip armor set that matches the scaly helm, and I'm thinking I want to make an obj set for making fairly opaque high performance weeping willow trees which should look something like this...