New Models - Cages/Prisons

LinkyNStoof · Post by **LinkyNStoof** » Tue Jul 20, 2004 10:58 pm

Steel cages of various size, with a door/gate on the front side. Included in the zip file is a 3x3, a 5x5 and a 5x3. In all cases the dead spot is set at the upper left corner. Keep in mind that to make it act like a prison you need to place the Xs at spots corresponding to where the walls of the cages are, so the space inside the prison is actually 1x1, 3x3, and 3x1 respectively.

Pictorial description of setup:

(* = where the model is placed, X = where you'd see the cage's walls, and therefore where you should place "X" floors)

3x3:

Code: Select all

*XX
X X
X X

5x5:

Code: Select all

*XXXX
X   X
X   X
X   X
XX XX

5x3:

Code: Select all

*XXXX
X   X
XX XX

Below's a screenshot of the 3x3.

If you need cages of other sizes and/or orientations just PM me and I'll see what I can do. Resizing models is fortunately one of the easier tasks I can do fairly proficiently.

janetgalle · Post by **janetgalle** » Tue Jul 20, 2004 11:32 pm

Good Work!

First tried to use one and it wouldn't work. Went back and looked at the zip. Had to rename the 3 cages, as you had them as sizes not as model 1, model2, etc.

Worked great after that, I am puzzling over what I can do with them now.......

Thanks,

jg

Robbie · Post by **Robbie** » Wed Jul 21, 2004 2:28 am

Hi LnS

Keep up the good work!
Just one quick question though - I always thought that a model's dead spot was right in the centre... how do you determine where it will be? I noticed that yours were all in the back right corner - did this just happen or was there something you did in particular?

Thanks
Robbie

PS Do you use 3D Canvas for your model creation?

LinkyNStoof · Post by **LinkyNStoof** » Wed Jul 21, 2004 3:02 am

Robbie wrote:Just one quick question though - I always thought that a model's dead spot was right in the centre... how do you determine where it will be? I noticed that yours were all in the back right corner - did this just happen or was there something you did in particular?

You set the dead spot by how you set the model's location in its coordinate system. Associated with each model is an (x,y,z) coordinate system, and Wonderland always takes the origin (0,0,0) in the model's coordinate system as the dead spot. So you set the dead spot by moving the model. For example for the cages, since I want the dead spot to be at the upper left corner, I move my cage during model creation so that the cage's upper left corner is at the origin.

So it's arbitrary where the dead spot is, you can even set it to a point that's not within the object itself. For example, with the treasure chest, I set the dead spot to be behind the chest itself.

Robbie wrote:PS Do you use 3D Canvas for your model creation?

No, I've currently been using a combination of Milkshape and AC3D, with more of the latter nowadays because it seems to handle texture mapping better than Milkshape. I think Popo had tried using 3D Canvas, but I remember her saying that it doesn't export to 3DS, the format that Wonderland requires to use the models. But I could be mistaken.

It's probably a good idea to find a couple of different programs, because no program is perfect and some will do certain things better than others.

By the way, "model creation" is a bit of a stretch, since so far with the exception of the chest, all my models have been downloaded from the Internet at various places. All I did is to resize, reorient, and position it properly, and possibly add coloring and texturing to the surfaces. Even doing that stuff is enough work that I probably won't be contemplating making anything from scratch for now, especially since I'm not that artistic to begin with.

Robbie · Post by **Robbie** » Wed Jul 21, 2004 8:07 am

...did I say right??? I meant left

Thanks for the info LnS. That's a really big help

Just starting to play around a bit now.

Love the AC3D site. Looks quite impressive. What did you see Milkshape doing better than AC3D at the moment or is it a matter of using Milkshape while you're getting the hang of AC3D?

As for the 3dCanvas issue (I may be wrong) but I thought there was an crash issue regarding transfering 3DS models created in 3DCanvas to Milkshape - sitting in the same boat as most of us I'm not sure why. I can't imagine she's gone over the Poly limit (4000?). Maybe Popo you could try saving it in one of the other compatible file types like MD2 (Quake2) rather than 3DS & transferring that maybe? Hmmmn...

Hopefully sometime within the next ...... (not committing myself) I'll post something here. A bit of practice at this modelling thing & we'll get there

Robbie

popo · Post by **popo** » Wed Jul 21, 2004 8:52 am

I'm getting a bit confused now.

Robbie.

I tried 3DCanvas but I couldn't save the files as anything but 3DC or 3DO files, and I didn't seem to be able to import anything either. It might have been that I'd only just started and didn't know what I was doing.

I tried Milkshape because that is what Midnight Synergy said they used. There are loads of 3ds files on the net to download and play around with, and you can import other file types but I haven't tried that. It does crash a lot though, not just when I'm importing, but when I'm working on a model. I have to save my work after every step to be on the safe side.

It isn't too good with textures either, some models take the texture well, some refuse to do so, and it's baffling as to why some will and some won't, for instance, I'm working on a potted plant that has a texture for the soil, it looks great in the 3D view but it comes out white in the game, the rest of the plant looks ok.

And the colouring's a bit on the touchy side, what looks perfect in the 3D view can look apalling in the game. What looks realistic in Milkshape looks cartoony in the game, but perhaps that's a good thing.

I am getting better at colouring and have a few things that are almost ready to upload.

LinkNStoof,

I downloaded AC3D last night but haven't installed it yet, but am I right in thinking that it only has a 14 day trial, or am I thinking of somethig else.

BTW the program I thought was '3D Studio' I now think was 'Unlead Cool 3D Studio', as the only 3D Studio I've seen is '3D Studio Max'.

popo · Post by **popo** » Wed Jul 21, 2004 8:56 am

BTW Linky, I forgot to say the prison/cage looks really cool.

Robbie · Post by **Robbie** » Wed Jul 21, 2004 9:08 am

Hi Pauline

Considering my (lack of) extensive experience I'd better not pass on too much dodgy information. I know with the 3DCanvas, the free version just doesn't support 3DS - you have to fork out for at least the $35 version for that file option.

As for Milkshape, I haven't yet tried anything - have to make the purchase either today or tomorrow and get going so I can't comment on appearances when opening in models in Wonderland. I guess it's a matter of create & see how it turns out...

Looking forward to more of your models

Robbie