Pipeline, Animation, I.E. C.G., cooking ., Bam creation revival discussion Options

[nicotine caff...]

Thanks Solomon. If wasn't for you i would probably already given up. Doing this sort of things sometimes is frustrating, becouse lot of times they turn into dead ends. I'll search for a decent gamecube iso, then i'll extract them. I wonder if also the dreamcast version of soul calibur 1 maybe has the olke file inside.. Hmm...

[salomonkane]

Teaser : (...)

Villains from the Realms
Sarevok, Sarevok Armor, Sarevok Helm, Sarevok Sword, Sarevok Character Kit, Improved Sarevok,
Magic/Cursed Armor,
Sarevok Npc vs Custom PC, Armor for Fareun races Phenotypes,
Custom Item, Custom Item Quest, Npcs Mods & Co ...
Game/Character/Scenario/Design.
Concept Art/Original Capture Model Footage : Bioware/Black Isle
3D Cinematic Model vs In Game Sprite Model
3D Character Creation vs 2D Sprite Integration

,

A little model (wip.) preview, initiated after a brief private discussion with one of our (Black Wyrm's) modder resident, around Sarevok Character Improvements ... :

,

Original sprite vs Sprites Cover textured V°s :



vs Colored, Mesh Scales, V°s :



Originals Renders :

Few finds about Sarevok Character :

,

Sarevok Inventory .Bam & Paperdoll : (***)

Custom GUI & Inventory icons from Baldur's Gate Comm. :



Battle Stances :



Armored Sarevok with Weapon equipped (Sword of Chaos ?), Cloack & a little Particle Effect in NWN battle animations tests ...



Credit & Process :
Original Saverok Armor Mesh from NWN Comm., model rebuild (*), animated with injection process by me S.K., in 3ds/Iclone Pipeline.
Various NWN tools used for this purpose : NWNViewer, nwnexplorer, NWN Toolset etc ., tutorial (**) & dedicated 3ds max script : as NWNmax plus .

Question : : How to export NWN models from game with appearance & inventory ?
(*) : Is it possible to export from NWN Toolset (or from others NWN Tools) : Complete Armored, (Winged), (Tailed), Creature/Monster in .mdl format ?
- By some graphics NWN dedicated tools ? With some editing files process (compiler/decompilation ?, 2da editing, etc .)
- Or its necessary to rebuild them with all inventory/parts items in one 3d soft (*) ?, TY .

About :
Various materiel, resources & tutoriels that in my investigations, help me a lot to rebuild & understand the NWN (Assets) making off,
NWN Community : You rock guys!
http://neverwintervault.org/project/nwn1/h...e-sarevok-armor
http://gtproductions.net/index.php?tab=codetut (**)
http://neverwintervault.org/project/nwn1/other/nwn-omnibus
NWN World Builders Ultimate DVD
https://kerzenburg.baldurs-gate.eu/showthread.php?t=42865 (***)
http://www.shsforums.net/topic/36705-bg2-sarevok-paperdoll/
http://forums.beamdog.com/discussion/3954/...rade-and-armour
http://forums.beamdog.com/discussion/4526/...fficial-artwork
http://forums.obsidian.net/topic/59376-let...-maevar/page-21
http://baldursgate.wikia.com/wiki/Sword_of_Chaos_%2B2

(more info to come ...)

This post has been edited by salomonkane: May 27 2015, 10:26 AM

[nicotine caff...]

Ah Solomon maybe this time i could be of some help to you... I think you already know that more than half of the models used from bioware for the infinity engine games are the same ones used after in the dark alliance games. I've found how you can extract the models from those games (which is not exaclty legal, but i guess it's really illegal only put the models for downloading after all) all you need is the iso and this program--> https://github.com/bigianb/bgda-explorer (you have to compile it before using it) and then..

[nicotine caff...]

Ah Solomon maybe this time i could be of some help to you... I think you already know that more than half of the models used from bioware for the infinity engine games are the same ones used after in the dark alliance games. I've found how you can extract the models from those games (which is not exaclty legal, but i guess it's really illegal only put the models for downloading after all) all you need is the iso and this program--> https://github.com/bigianb/bgda-explorer (you have to compile it before using it) and then..  temp.JPG ( 90.68k ) Number of downloads: 10

[nicotine caff...]

Sorry for the doublepost but the site seemed to be crashing when i was uploading the image but instead... it wasn't.

[salomonkane]

Reverse Engineering/Retro Modding : Game Historical Research
About Ethic in Modding
3D Asset for Pre-Rendered Sprite Modding purpose
NWN (I) BioWare Aurora Engine
BG Dark Alliance Snowblind Studios Engine (*)
PC Games Engine vs Console Games Engine

Hi Nico., Thanks for your help, very promising info. about Dark Alliance Assets!

NWN I, Complete : Armored, Equipped, Winged, Tailed Creature Model Export, Issue :

In fact in the Post above, I talk about NWN : "I" opus,
About possibility to export Model in 3ds (&/or Blender ...) with its Tool-Set Appearance, cause actually I need to rebuild the all parts of the armor Mesh on a SuperModel to animated it . I would prefer to export, if possible, the Model with its custom appearance from the look we can give it in the NWN toolset itself (with Wings, Tail, Helm etc ... of our choice), it would be give more diversity & fun for some Model Candidate to Sprite ...


Baldur Gate Dark Alliance Saga :
Dark Alliance 1

Well, the Drizzt picture you've posted from Dark Alliance Engine, is very impressive !
I've try to install the tool you've linked, earlier (in 2012) then I've read about it on Xentax, but the Prerequisites as Visual Studio 2012, was stopped me, cause I can't install this version with my configuration, it was very frustrating ...
I've try at this moment to rip Model from Game itself via 3D Ripper DX (in particular Dark Alliance II, witch I will to convert in sprite : Ysuran Auondril, the Moon Elf Necromancer), but the Game wasn't very well emulated at this time .

Today I see with a great satisfaction somebody that's able to read the asset from : Baldur's Gate Dark Alliance I, that's great! :
You said :

I've found how you can extract the models from those games

Are you able to extract assets with rigs & weight, UV, textures ? With animations ?
Anyway we will also to explore deeper this Pipeline via PM, & give a feed back to our audience later ...

Infinity Engine Making Off : (**)

I'm literally "fanatic" about all info./stuff concerning Infinity Engine original creation Making Off :

half of the models used from bioware for the infinity engine games are the same ones used after in the dark alliance games

Did you have some source/more info to linked about it (**) ? TY .

In any case, in my turn, in a few times, I'll post some crucial infos from some forgotten Black Isle Dev. Diary ... .

,

Ethic :

Concerning the exploitation of games Assets, in Gaming Modding Spriting Purposes :

- I rely on that kind of legislation/gentlemen's agreement :



- As well as being in a approach of knowledge exchange and promotion of artistic creation .

Source : http://www.daz3d.com/forums/viewthread/14261/P15


About :
(*) : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snowblind_Studios_game_engine

This post has been edited by salomonkane: May 30 2015, 09:24 AM

[nicotine caff...]

Yeah, about this, there's a little issue by the way, and i'm not yet able to resolve it. The fact is, that the program which extracts the models when extracts them some faces results inverted. I have no idea why happen this, but considering how did convert the first release the models, i guess we could consider ourselves already lucky
 temp.JPG ( 82.25k ) Number of downloads: 10


So i've tried to revert the backfaces, but doing that on all the model results to simply invert every face from one side, so it's useless. I'm not yet able to fix the problem. I tried to fix them one by one, but anyway not everyone get fixed, and when i tried to import the model inside a game for testing (vampire the masquerade redemption is the game i usually use for testing) it crashed, so i think it must be this problem.

This post has been edited by nicotine caffeine: May 29 2015, 04:19 PM

[nicotine caff...]

This is the best i could do with my favorite character, Mordoc:  m1.JPG ( 44.7k ) Number of downloads: 13
 m2.JPG ( 36.23k ) Number of downloads: 9

[nicotine caff...]

As you can see, his back has lot of faces darker let us say, but technically they're inverted. I'm still learning 3d modeling, so i still have no idea what's that issue.

[salomonkane]

Baldur's Gate Monsters & Ecology
PC Games Engine vs Console Games Engine
BG Dark Alliance Snowblind Studios Engine
Vampire the masquerade redemption game Engine
Characters, Characters & Spell effect associated/Kits Concepts design
Modeling/Mesh Issues

my favorite character, Mordoc:

Cool!, That's said : You have able to rip model from Dark Alliance 2 also !,

I' like a lot the Visual effects used by this vampiristic Boss :

Especially his use of "shadow" sphere/Necromancy missiles style effects :



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJjfisJb0jE (at 5'27)

I wonder to try to clone/reproduce it for some ideas for kits like : Black Flame Zealot



Vampire the Masquerade Models & Game Engine

i tried to import the model inside a game for testing (vampire the masquerade redemption is the game i usually use for testing)

Vampire saga have pretty good models/animations inside, & if I'm correct some enhanced high textured enhancements have been planed by the active modding community ...

Mesh Issues/ UV mapping issues, ... ? :

I'm still learning 3d modeling

-Me too ,
Here for the moment I' can't distinguish if it's polygon/textures issues or something else ...
Maybe (in my experience with this kind of stuff), some UV maps info don't correctly exported on the Model, & the render engine don't correctly assign textures coordinates ...,
We need to work on this ... .

About :
http://forgottenrealms.wikia.com/wiki/Mordoc_SeLanmere
http://weiducommando.forumsactifs.com/t644...s-etudes-de-cas

This post has been edited by salomonkane: May 30 2015, 09:18 AM

[nicotine caff...]

Ah well, no i simply forgot that vampire the masquerade redemption doesn't support any image bigger than 512x512. I've resized the mordoc texture and now it works. So the inverted faces doesn't really affects the functionality in the game after all. Anyway, i can help you with that, but with the conversion into bam not much.

[salomonkane]

Advanced Infinity Engine Animation Project
Baldur's Gate Mesh Base Cover
3D Model Character, Building & others Assets making for Mapping Purposes
Modeling Skills, Animation Skills, Character Artist & Character Animator
Low poly/high poly, polygonal modeling vs digital sculpting
Inverse/Forward Kinematics, vs Motion Capture vs Animation Cloning/Injection

Modding Project,
Preliminary & Tranversal Tasks
Division of Task/Task force :

Hi Nico,

i can help you with that,

As you know, I'm trying to rebuild/customize some of the original IE models,
May be you can try to accomplish some of the Baldur's Gate Character textured base mesh cover, & I try to rig, skin & animated it ... ?

Character Design Resources :

Look at some of this original creations asset information that I've gleaned about :

,


What we need to know, to better understand/grab : it's the structure of the Models/Animation itself ...
Number/Size of the Models Polygons, Mesh Body, Rigs/Bones structure & Skins type, Texture type, Animation Procedure used, etc ...
Any valuable information that's could help us to re-create the Assets with its "old-school"- touch .



One more gems :



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VeWnC9DB32o

,

Something similar ..., No ... ?

Advanced Baldur's Gate Mesh Prototype Candidate :
Noober

It's could be a pretty good step if we begin to try to reproduce some BG original Model with simple clothes/armor for the beginning,
like Noober Character by eg ... :



About :
http://baldursgate.wikia.com/wiki/Tolerating_Noober

Credits :
Respect to all the artists & especially here, for original Character/Animator Artists that would be involved In Infinity Engine Models creations Assets ...
Big Up !

This post has been edited by salomonkane: May 30 2015, 09:53 PM

[salomonkane]

Advanced Infinity Engine Animation Project
Baldur's Gate Mesh Base Cover
Hands Mesh Rigs/Skins Issues
BG Dark Alliance Snowblind Studios Engine
Adrianna, the Sorceress



Pipeline Export Validation
Issues to fix, & or adaptation about :

Hi Nico, thanks for the Compiled Version of the Dark Alliance engine Tool, as you know now the tool export only textured, rigid mesh body, but that's enough for me to recreate & fix the previous issues that's I have before about D A Models .
Thank's again .

Before :



After :

Here the (armored) Adrianna Model mesh, cleaned/rigged/skinned by me, with NWN and Diablo III animations injected .



Baldur's Gate Mesh Base Cover Prototype
Hand's Issues:

Here I've try to inspired myself by the glove/muffle style hand (that you've could observe in the short clip with Ogre character above) for the rationalization of rigging prototype process for our next base mesh improved character tests/conversion/creation in the rigging/skinning process ...

Prospective :
Actually we try to see If some very promising possibility could be realized, like exporting complete animated characters (& maybe Placeables/Scenery, or VFXs ?) from the Dark Alliance Games Engine ... .

Credits & Process :
nicotine caffeine & friends for explanations and share of compiled version of BGDA-Explorer, of course the Tool Dev. himself, Snowblind Studios/Producers for the Assets exploited for modding spriting purposes .
Iclone 3DxChange/Iclone Pipeline, 3dsMax & associated exporting scripts (for D3 & NWN) .

This post has been edited by salomonkane: Jun 2 2015, 07:32 AM

[nicotine caff...]

It has been a pleasure. Now i'm working on use those models in nwn2. After all, until now, it's the only 3d game which has a remake of Baldur's Gate isn't?

This post has been edited by nicotine caffeine: Jun 5 2015, 09:28 PM

[salomonkane]

Advanced Infinity Engine Animation Project
Baldur's Gate Mesh Base Cover
BG Dark Alliance Snowblind Studios Engine
Games Engine Intricacy : Aurora (NWN V° vs The Witcher) vs Electron Engine (NWN 2) vs Infinity Engine
Animation Export necessity & issues
Dark Alliance I, DA II, Champion of Norath, CN II, The Bard's Tale
Dark Elf Avatar
Avatar GUI Customization
The Bard's Class/Kits : Artist & Fighter Custom Animation, Bards Songs Customs .VFXs
Famous Forgotten Realms NPCs : Volo/Elminster
PC/NPCs : Haer'Dalis, Bards Kits : expert fighter kit, Blade kit/Kensaï kit
Avatar/Races/Customization : Tiefling tail

,

Snowblind Studio, Black isle Studio, InXile Studio : The Console Games RPGs Heritage

Welcome Followers !,

Today it's a nice day, I can confirm to you, that most of Snowblind Studio Engine Games assets could be ripped for our modding purposes,
Here they're some screens of various Models that we could see (animated in the most of the cases)/export (in .Obj, but hoping some .Fbx/animations support) from BGDA-Explorer :

,

,

,

Base Mesh :

Always looking for some/more substitute/alternative/enhancement choice of Base Mesh model for the Baldur's Gate remake Asset/Sprites Data Base that I project to do/working on, this is a Dark Elf Female Top-Less Model, who's could be customized with Hair, Armor Weapons & Co,
(btw, here I conserve hands/gloves rigs for the test) ... :




Others Transversal Works/Request,
Elminster Model remake,
Improved Bards
Volo & Haer'Dalis NPCs, Custom Fighting, Acting, Bard's Style Animations
Tiefling Tail
NWN 2 & The Witcher Animations Export Request

Now i'm working on use those models in nwn2. After all, until now, it's the only 3d game which has a remake of Baldur's Gate isn't?

Well, talking about Baldur's Gate Reloaded, I've always thinking that It could be something to do with this fabulous work on NWN 2 engine in matter of Model Asset/Maps retro/conversion for spriting/mapping purposes in Infinity Engine ...
Especially with some NPCs Model, like Elminster Model, that I would like to integrate with full playability in Infinity Engine ...

But the most important thing for the success of my enterprise it's would to be able to export Animations from NW2, at least animated rigs/skeleton base mesh that I could be reintegrate to the mesh later, because in NWN 2 they are all the NWN 1 animations + The NWN 2 news one, a freaking awesome possibility to animated RPG/STR style Models in lot of Mods Projects .

Bards Class Custom Animation
Singing, Instrument Playing, Acting etc . :

, , , ,

By eg I want to give to the Bards a lot of more animations/.VFXs, (& incidentally more interactive/dialogue/lore action & co)
the Flute/Luth/Harp instruments animations playing from NW 2 could be feet very well for this purpose ... .
And of course I would like to give more expert fighting art animations (The Witcher Animations would be perfect for this) /body expression to one avatar/Bard Class/Blade Kit like Haer'Dalis with animated tail (as we can do in NWN 1 Toolset) ...



One capture from one of my workflow, trying to reconstitute/rebuild The Bard character, (I like so much this funny & so absurdness game) ...

Credit & Process :
3Ds/Iclone Pipeline, BGDA explorer,
Female Dark Elf : rigged/skinned animated with injection process by me salomonkane,
Models provided from Dark Alliance Engine, from Games developed by : Snowblind, Black Isle & InXile studios,
Animations from Iclone Template & NWN I .

About :

(NWN I MeshMod), (NW II),

http://www.ironworksforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=38011
http://forums.nexusmods.com/index.php?/top...2#entry12495230
http://forgottenrealms.wikia.com/wiki/Volothamp_Geddarm
http://www.baldursgateworld.fr/lacouronne/...html#post280254
http://www.baldursgateworld.fr/lacouronne/...html#post285078
http://www.shsforums.net/topic/39299-bard-...d-mode-for-bg2/
http://www.gibberlings3.net/readmes/readme...nd_silence.html

This post has been edited by salomonkane: Jun 8 2015, 09:00 AM

[nicotine caff...]

Yeah, the animations of Elminster especially with the original BAMs were pretty buggy. I remember i imported the bams for use the character on Icewind Dale (1 or 2 i don't remember anymore) and i got CTD becouse the weapon attack was bugged. Anyway i think most of the BG1 models should be directly redone, the only one worthy was Sarevok. About extract animations from NWN2 be damn if i know how to help you. I'm trying to understand how it works to link the models to the nwn2 default skeletons, but i haven't yet obtained any result.

[nicotine caff...]

Ah, another thing. Talking about something that could be more inherent to your interests, i don't know if it's possible, but in my opinion, the most interesting animations i've ever seen, are those of "Monster Hunter" (4 ps2). The fighting is the most realistic (but also in Dark souls to be honest) but i like especially some 'idle' animations. The ones from DS you should be able to export without too much effort i guess, since i've seen the models and various mods around the net.

[salomonkane]

Interlude ... :

, ,



A little Gift to our Community, because a lot of effort could be seen actually on the Spot to develop & share creativity,
Then I decide to make my part ... :

,

Dedicated to all Riskbreaker addicts ... .

Enjoy Yourself,
See Ya!, Salomon .

Process & Credits :
Soon ... .

This post has been edited by salomonkane: Jun 30 2015, 07:24 AM

[nicotine caff...]

Lol how did you extracted Ashley? I was trying to do that some time ago but i didn't obtain any result. Well especially since i was trying to use 3d ripper for doing that and i've seen that it's useless using it with the pcsx2 or epsxe.

[salomonkane]

Sprite Model Data Base
Custom Model Fan-Made
3D Model Sketch/Fantasy Model Archetype Cover
Personal Experimentation/Works in Production Pipeline
3D Sculpting Software/Free (Modding) Model Builder Software
Sculptris by Pixologic
Case Of Studies : Arcanum Bestiary, Familiar/Followers, Custom Familiar Animations, Custom Summoning Animations

Hello Everyone !, I hope that you have enjoyed this summer, and take enough cool/relaxing time ...

Ok, here begins a serious stuff :

,

Since I begin to learn modeling,
I plan to sketch/sculpt some Archetypes Monsters/Originals Creatures coming from various Isometric Games that I like ... :

, ,


Of course the model, here, need to be more detailed (like in Zbrush later) & the animations tuned (spring effect/tail by .eg), but I'm pretty happy to validate this new building option (modeling/painting/texturing) in my Pipeline .
The models could be also customized (more horns, wings etc., etc.), and for one of the most funny part, could be animated in/with animations cloned/retouched/remakes/customized, by injection process,
(here animations provided from : NWN/Diablo 3) .

*Edit* :

In summoning interactive action :

, ,

Familiar in walk style tests (I plan to create a muzzle for this fellow & hold/release leash custom animation for his master) .

Credits & Process :
Model sculpt in Sculptris, rigged/skinned in 3dsMax, converted in 3DXchange for Iclone & animated by injection process, by me salomonkane .
Original Arcanum of Steamworks and Magick Obscura Models by Troika Artists (Leonard Boyarsky/Jason Anderson/etc.) .
* : Nosferatu Model from Vampire Bloodlines

About :
http://www.rpgamer.com/games/other/pc/arca...arcanumart.html
http://www.terra-arcanum.com/sierra/world/...tures-krag.html
http://web.archive.org/web/20060614232913/...um.com/gallery/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zpxeHxpH8hU
http://terra-arcanum.com/drog/dest/uap.html
* : http://forums.blackwyrmlair.net/index.php?...st=0#entry50628


P.S. :
I have no information concerning the making of animated models of Arcanum, if anyone has any sources to communicate about it, it would be very nice, thank you.

This post has been edited by salomonkane: Aug 25 2015, 08:22 AM