FF8 3d model modding?

[Wrongfire]

Hey guys, im no modder but I work with Maya LT making 3d models.
I was just curious if anyone has made any progress in altering the actual models for the characters in FF8?
If there is any progress here I would like to help out, and I guess another question.. any possibilities to smooth out the prerendered BG's on areas? I see alot of HD texture mods for characters but even the stock textures stand out noticeably against those pixelated BG's.

Thanks for reading!

[Maki]

Well, if you could remake the areas, then we could put it back into FF8.
There were some model replacement tests, but nothing much. Currently world map geometry and battle stages geometry replacement softwares are developed, but nothing for characters at the moment.

[Wrongfire]

I'm guessing there is an insane number of prerendered backgrounds and they are more than just still images at that. I guess replacing those are extremely tough?

[Maki]

I'm guessing there is an insane number of prerendered backgrounds and they are more than just still images at that. I guess replacing those are extremely tough?

Yep.
There are layers and some sort of GIF like animation.

[Zervox]

From what I've seen from deling there really isn't much magic going on.
you got the static background image layers. then you got the 'animated' images which is just individual static images of an object that is getting looped over(unless it is deling which converts it to single images).
like the starting infirmary scene, you got the infirmary, then you got the moving curtains as a seperate image with the curtain and the rest of the scene cut by alpha ontop which is looped over.
doors are images which are opened when the character gets to place 'x' in the screen controlled against a bounding box/region(if player is inside of that area the images for the doors gets looped over to open or close respectively).
to recreate the scenes you can either do camera matching perspective to the image while modelling, or you could guestimate the measurement of the room and objects then match the camera afterwards.
NOTE: also to know, every 2d prop in a scene is the same size as the original image it seems so there is no special placement for images like you usually see in games nowadays, so if the scene image is 972x572 every tiny prop image is the same size even if it is just the size of 25x25 in the scene.

[Shunsq]

It's funny you ask those 2 questions because i work on the 2 subjects: field background replacement and character model replacement.
For the field background replacement: http://forums.qhimm.com/index.php?topic=15245.0
I succeeded in replacing the background and adding custom animations. The process was really tedious and i can't remember how was it done. I need to look into my old program( an excel sheet ). Now that Berrymapper and tonberry exist we could combine the  methods to have a HD background with animation.

For the model replacement:http://forums.qhimm.com/index.php?topic=15668.50(see reply #72 page 3)
For a  complete model replacement see posts by Vehek:
http://forums.qhimm.com/index.php?topic=15938.msg223770#msg223770
http://forums.qhimm.com/index.php?topic=13261.msg197429#msg197429

Vehek replaced the models but had issues with the number of textures per character. When the new model has more textures than the original, the textures overlap with background and other character textures (see posts above). When you use my simple method to replace lowpoly models with midpoly models you will encounter the texture issue in some scenes. Indeed the midpoly model use 2 textures whereas the lowpoly model only uses 1.

Vehek already wrote a script to import the character into blender and export a new model to FF8. I'm actually writing a similar program to export/import models in FF8.

What it does so far: export .MCH ( static character in t-pose) to .OBJ (universal 3d model format)
What i'm testing: convert new model .OBJ into .MCH for FF8

[Maki]

Shunsq, sorry I skipped you over my post, totally forgot about you. So, you're for field model replacement, Halfer for world map replacement and me for battle stage replacement. So, finally only wmset vehicles replacement be missing, right? ...and GFs. Imagine the world of custom scenarios mods for FF8. Creating new places on world map, new BG with custom walkmesh, custom enemies, battlestages, characters. Damn ...

[Shunsq]

No problem MakiPL , i've been missing qhimm for a while(almost 1 year i presume). If we could push the modding further on FF8 it would be fantastic.
I've been on holidays this last week so i had time and motivation to work on FF8 modding.