Tutorial: Rendering halo 2 models

Tutorials for the Xbox version of Halo 2.
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FEED_ME_PLOX





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Tutorial: Rendering halo 2 models

Post by FEED_ME_PLOX »

Since this is my first tutorial, I encourage harsh but arguementive criticism.
This tutorial will teach you how to render a halo 2 model in any position you want. These are the steps that you need to take:

1. Extract the files
2. Open the model(s) in 3ds max and put textures on them
3. Rig the models
4. Render

This tutorial will have 2 parts because I don't have enough time to write the whole thing at once. The first part is extracting the models and texturing them in 3ds max.

Before we start, here are the programs you need to do this tutorial:

-3DS MAX (I'm using 2009 right now)
-ADI (http://www.halomods.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=19301)
-ADI model library (http://www.halomods.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=14577)
-Entity UE (google 'entity ue 1.6' and you'll eventually find a working download for it)
-Photoshop
-Shared.map, single_player_shared.map, mainmenu.map (you'll have these files if you have H2V installed)



Extracting the files

In this tutorial, I will be doing an elite, but you can do whatever you want.

1. Open up ADI (you can't do this without the model library, just to let you know), and open mainmenu.map

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2. Click on model (mode) and then objects/characters/elite/elite. Then, click on the little house button on the bottom right of ADI. Check Wavefront OBJ, and click Export Model. Make sure you know where to find it after you extract it.

Image

Now that you've extracted the models, its time to extract the bitmaps.

3. Open up Entity UE. You should see a long list of words. Double click on bitmaps (bitm).

4. Scroll down until you see objects/characters/elite/bitmaps/. Extract ALL (including the bump maps) of the bitmaps by right clicking on the picture to the far right of your screen. Save the files where you can find them later. MAKE SURE YOU SAVE THEM AS .BMP, NOT .DDS

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Opening the models in 3DSM and putting textures on them

1. Open up 3DS MAX, and go to file-->import. Click on the dropdown list and choose .obj. Import all of the elite models that have .5 on them, and make sure you import the body parts as separate models. Do this for the helmet, body, and head.

Your end result:

Image

It looks really bad right? Here's how to make it look better

2. Select ALL of the body parts, click on the modify button at the right. There should be a dropdown list with the words "Modifier list" inside. Click on it, and scroll down to Smooth. You should see a lot of buttons with numbers in them.

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3. Click on any of the buttons, and your model should look MUCH smoother.

Now its time to put the textures on the model.

4. Press your "M" key. The material editor window should open up.

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Click on the small square button next to Diffuse, and then select 'bitmap' at the top of the list that should appear. Find the texture of your elite's torso. Select your torso model in 3DSM. Then, click on 'Assign Material to Selection' and then 'Show Standard Map in Viewport' in the material editor. Your elite's torso should be textured. Do the same thing with the rest of the body parts. For example, put the head texture on the elite's head.

End result:

Image

This is the end of part 1. I hope you found this tutorial useful. I will probably finish the second part by next week.
Last edited by FEED_ME_PLOX on Sun Feb 01, 2009 11:30 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Eaton




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Re: Tutorial: Rendering halo 2 models

Post by Eaton »

I didn't know that ADI and Entity UE worked with Vista maps. :? Good tutorial! :) But you link for Entity UE is broken.
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FEED_ME_PLOX





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Re: Tutorial: Rendering halo 2 models

Post by FEED_ME_PLOX »

Thanks for the feedback. I'm sure that a download for Entity can be easily found if you google 'entity ue 1.6'.

By the way, you have to download special versions of the vista maps for ADI and Entity to work with them. I'll put up the link for that website when I get back home.
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Eaton




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Re: Tutorial: Rendering halo 2 models

Post by Eaton »

FEED_ME_PLOX wrote:Thanks for the feedback. I'm sure that a download for Entity can be easily found if you google 'entity ue 1.6'.

By the way, you have to download special versions of the vista maps for ADI and Entity to work with them. I'll put up the link for that website when I get back home.
If they are original maps created by Bungie, do not post the links or you will be banned.
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FEED_ME_PLOX





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Re: Tutorial: Rendering halo 2 models

Post by FEED_ME_PLOX »

Eaton wrote:
FEED_ME_PLOX wrote:Thanks for the feedback. I'm sure that a download for Entity can be easily found if you google 'entity ue 1.6'.

By the way, you have to download special versions of the vista maps for ADI and Entity to work with them. I'll put up the link for that website when I get back home.
If they are original maps created by Bungie, do not post the links or you will be banned.
Aite, but it won't be hard to find them by googling them (google ftw)
ImpactPro





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Re: Tutorial: Rendering halo 2 models

Post by ImpactPro »

Entity and ADI DON'T work with Vista maps. He used Halo 2 Xbox, and they are diffrent structure formats. That would mean that you would need a custom Entity for Halo 2 Vista.
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FEED_ME_PLOX





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Re: Tutorial: Rendering halo 2 models

Post by FEED_ME_PLOX »

@Impact:

I don't even have an xbox, and I still did this stuff. You can download the xbox map files from many websites (I'm not gonna name them because I could get banned), and finding them on google shouldn't be hard.
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grimdoomer




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Re: Tutorial: Rendering halo 2 models

Post by grimdoomer »

FEED_ME_PLOX wrote:@Impact:

I don't even have an xbox, and I still did this stuff. You can download the xbox map files from many websites (I'm not gonna name them because I could get banned), and finding them on google shouldn't be hard.
Well this is the Halo 2 Vista Section.
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Aumaan Anubis wrote:Grimdoomer. The first person ever to mod Halo 2 Vista.
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Rogue_Modder





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Re: Tutorial: Rendering halo 2 models

Post by Rogue_Modder »

i tried this and my ADI wouldn't open the halo 2 vista map. Is it my version of ADI or is this just not true?
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grimdoomer




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Re: Tutorial: Rendering halo 2 models

Post by grimdoomer »

Rogue_Modder wrote:i tried this and my ADI wouldn't open the halo 2 vista map. Is it my version of ADI or is this just not true?
Hmm lets look at this. A Halo 2 Xbox app opens a Halo 2 Vista map, which not only has a different stucture, the bitmaps are also compressed which is not the case for Halo 2 Xbox.
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Aumaan Anubis wrote:Grimdoomer. The first person ever to mod Halo 2 Vista.
Shock120





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Re: Tutorial: Rendering halo 2 models

Post by Shock120 »

FEED_ME_PLOX wrote:...-Shared.map, single_player_shared.map, mainmenu.map (you'll have these files if you have H2V installed)...
FEED_ME_PLOX wrote:I don't even have an xbox, and I still did this stuff. You can download the xbox map files from many websites (I'm not gonna name them because I could get banned), and finding them on google shouldn't be hard.
what?
Don't even bother making a Tut until you know what Halo 2 Xbox & Halo 2 Vista is. :evil:

Summary:
So this is a Tut for Xbox in the Vista Section.
You use Shared maps from Halo 2 Vista, open them with a Halo 2 Xbox program.
and now we need get Xbox maps from Internetz.


Edit: Hooray, Its been moved. Thanks Mods :D
Shock120 on XLink & XBC
CarpaccioSigil





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Re: Tutorial: Rendering halo 2 models

Post by CarpaccioSigil »

So, that's it then? There's no way for us to get these models aside from...'unsavory' means?

Many of us only have the Xbox 360, and obviously can't just FTP onto it and all that 'fun' stuff. So we're stuck here as is.

Unless, of course, somebody comes over and explains the alternate method that must exist for people using Halo 2 Vista. (And I don't mean this DX ripping stuff, that's not a viable option for half of us and has been known--in some cases--to provide unusable/incomplete results.)

Side note: Alternately we could just download some digital pixie dust and sprinkle that on the map folder--that'd work well, right?
colter131





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Re: Tutorial: Rendering halo 2 models

Post by colter131 »

Why the heck don't I get the little house button at the bottom :?: , i have all the other ones just not that one.

*Nvm I didn't install the library properly, btw works great though im having alot of trouble matching the textures.
BMercer





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Re: Tutorial: Rendering halo 2 models

Post by BMercer »

is this gonna work also for the PC Version?
I need to Extract some models of the campaign... could you help me?
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grimdoomer




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Re: Tutorial: Rendering halo 2 models

Post by grimdoomer »

BMercer wrote:is this gonna work also for the PC Version?
I need to Extract some models of the campaign... could you help me?
No.
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Aumaan Anubis wrote:Grimdoomer. The first person ever to mod Halo 2 Vista.
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