I know this is a wierd question coming from *ME*

[halkun]

Hi, haven't been here in a while

long store short: I have a new job as a relational database programmer. Had little time for anything else

Now the n00b question, ^_^

I need to extract the battle models (main characters, summons, and the more human looking enemies (rude and the gang, hojo, sephie,). The problem is that after extraction I neeed them in LWO  (lightwave) format. Is there an easy way to do this?  

I know this is kind of silly coming from the guy who found out the .a format and assisted in finding the polygon/texture data in FF8. Along with teaching some reversing techniques early on. I just need a quick thing as I need off things like seph's trenchcoat and hair. I need Tifa's fair too. And the cloak from the summon, possably the pot too.

any help would be.... helpful

-halkun

[Sephiroth 3D]

Welcome to FF7 for Lightwave 101!

(This "tutorial" assumes you have a working knowledge of LW & Modeler.)

The best converter out there, right now, is Mirex's Conv program. (I'd include a link, but I'm a bit busy right now...)

With this, you can convert any FF7 model (battle or field) into the LW6 format, which will include the vertex coloring of the original model! Make sure that when you extract the .p files from the LGP, you grab any textures you need, and save them as BMPs or some other LW compatible format. This will save you a bit of time later!

Next comes the hardest part: rebuilding the model. Using HRC info, (or just eyeing it) rebuild the model, (I would love to have a plugin that would do this for me...) using something like a default pose. Keep them in seperate layers until you give each piece of the model a unique weight-map. Once the model is together, rebuild the skeleton in modeler using the skelegons. Assign all the weight maps to the appropriate bones. (Every piece must have a bone & must be weighted for this to work properly.)

At this point, select the polygons that will contain textures, and give each one a unique surface. Copy the surface attributes from the rest of the model, and paste it into all the new surfaces. (We'll deal with texturing later, but you can do it now...)

Clean up any modeler work you need to. Oh: NEVER MERGE POINTS! This will screw-up the vertex shading, and will make your model not work correctly!

Next, move from Modeler to Lightwave, and load the model. Convert the skelegons to bones, and set them all to "Use Weight Map Only"!

The last step is to import any textures, and set them up on your model. (This will take a bit of tweaking!)

There you are! A fully boned, animatable, model, looking just like the models from the game! Enjoy!

Sephiroth 3D

"I don't understand..." "You don't have to understand." - Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within

Sephiroth 3D.com
[email protected]

[halkun]

Bah, I only have Lightwave 5.5

I's a copy my uncle *bought* me a few years ago. Needless to say I know how to use it and have a few books both in Japanese and in english.

I don't need the vertex color data *or* the bitmaps. Actually it's just extra cruft that's going to be tossed anyway.  I'm not going to be animating anything. I just need a base model for import into pov-ray. I'm going to do my posing and rendering there. I just need the thing converted from modeler (my modeler of choice) to a pov .inc file consisting of triangle stements.

I have a converter that can take the following formats and convert them into lighwave objects for me

RAW <ASCII>
3DS <3D Studio>
IOB <Imagine Object>
DXF <AutoCad Object>
POB <Povray Binary>
OBJ <WaveFront>
Direct X <Microsoft>
SCE <SoftFX>
DAT <LDraw>

I also can also export my LWO into:

RAW
Smoothed RAW
UDO + POLY/INC <Moray/Polyray> (WHAT I USE)
ASC <3DStudio>
OBT <HighLight>
RPL <Real3D Macro>
3DS <3D Studio Binary>
UDO + POV/INC <Moray/Povray>(Wire)
UDO + POV/INC <Moray/Povray>(Blob Wire)
IOB <Imagine Object>
RWX <RenderWare Object>
WRL <VRML Object>
DXF <DXF Object>
UDO + POV3/INC <Moray/Povray>
Direct X <Microsoft>
OBJ <Real3D Object>
C <OpenGL Source>
OBJ <WaveFront>
SCE <SoftFX>
DAT <LDraw>

Does the Conv program do any of  these?

The whole reason why I'm doing this thing in the first place is becuse I need a base "anime" body. I'm more of a realist when it comes to modeling and need a framework on which to model from. *YOU* try and model something like sephie's hair and *not* have him look like a girl ^_^

I also need business suits, cloaks, dresses, swisuits, robes. lab coats, etc. Also the exotic vehihicles serve as a nice base too.

I'll look for this program and see if I didn't alread answer my own questin already.

-halkun

[ShinRa Inc]

Mirex's page - http://mirex.mypage.sk/

Also, I think Ultima, and/or other programs of Alhexx's can convert to LWO and other formats...

http://alhexx.com

[Renderguy]

For Moray, try the RAW triangle import.  But you had beter be warned that Moray does not like polygonal meshes. Oh by the way, you may want to edit the exported pov file to use smooth triangles.

[halkun]

I'm not using moray. I'm manipualting / creating pov files manulally and with scripts I have written

[Sephiroth 3D]

I'd like to point out that Mirex's Conv prog will also export to the older LW format that works on LW5.5.

You might want to consider finding an update for LW though...

Sephiroth 3D

"I don't understand..." "You don't have to understand." - Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within

Sephiroth 3D.com
[email protected]

[mirex]

Thanks seph, now im feeling somehow, proud. Have to calm down.
halkun:
 here is direct link to Conv
And here is list of relevant supported files (it is also in "about"):
 RAW, 3DS, IOB(only reading), OBJ, ASC, LWO.
hope it helps

Next comes the hardest part: rebuilding the model. Using HRC info, (or just eyeing it) rebuild the model, (I would love to have a plugin that would do this for me...)

I thought about that, i would also do it, but i have no free time.  :weep: