MDL

[Madison Lastrega]

great work Holy.......few questions though? could you send me a link or tell me what hex editor your currently using? I use xix32 and it's view can be confusing......Next could you send me one of the MDL you have mapped, since I started this project I taught myself Hex to ansi, so if you send me one mapped I can make notes of the normal postion of the header parts......... (will help once we tackle TOUGH MDL's like NPC's and such...My test subject has been MDL o0004 ( the tomb looking box) that is the smallest MDL WITH animation......... one more thing, from what you shown, I don't see anything that would indicate "skeleton based" I feel and I stand by this, that som mdls use FRAME based movment like Quake mDL files...... The research I have done with .CP data indicates FRAME based movement....Even your example SHOWS that they move by frames..... and no Joint or skeleton points...... Now that would make sence BECAUSE in 1999......99.9.9.9.9.9.9% of all games were animation based....Only FF8 at the time had even incorperated the use of skeltons...... the tech was still evolving, and SoM being cheaply made would be anothere indication of FRAME based movement...... Play with the .cp files of NPC or emenies..... You can make them glide, teleport, MISS frames and such, So unless DEFINATIVE PROOF comes forth, I HAVE to say that The animation is stored in frames in the MDL, and would explain why some MDL's are huge, while ones with little movement (like the slamander) are not so big at all................. Less frames................ ‎  ‎  But Holy I must say again........GREAT JOB.........Thanks:)
NOW that being said Our work will be tough in mapping....... Now I want to quickly explain MY work with MDO files, I know that they are different,,,,,MDo Have No header........But the info we can gain from them is awesome......... I have even gotten simpilier in test, WITH BOMB results......... I made a single sided RED plane and a double sided plane.... Very small MDO...... And I have been able to isolate EVERY part...And can now Manipulate the actual verts of the MDO...... The point.........in the MDL files the data of each frame, and the actual MODLE will be MUCH like the MDO base as far as the atual model goes and it's frames....Once we can isolate WHERE the model data is , and it's frames of the model...We could instead of inserting new models like I want we could ALTER the existing Verts and lines of the file with out breaking it, changing the shape of the model in the files, then with clever reskinning, we could make ALTERED versions of existing models THAT WORK , so thats why my MDO research is important:).Keep up the good work, and I will continue on my end till a resolution is found that works efficiently:) ps will send my mapped results of my planes to you, believe me, MDO is one of the ways we will solve the MDL customs problem:) with your work as the forefront......thanks Holy, till next time................................Happy Modeling