Bone rigging issues in 3ds max. Created 8 years ago2016-09-28 13:03:10 UTC by Noxx

I am trying to rig a mesh from another goldsrc game to an existing Sven Co-op skeleton and it's animations, but I have no idea how to go about it. All the tutorials I find on rigging half life models in 3ds max only show how to do it by building a skeleton from scratch. I am at a loss.

I'll import the Sven skeleton from an existing model and delete the mesh but keep the skeleton, but this deletes all the bone names from the skeleton so I can't use it. Another thing I try is I'll import the mesh I want to rig without it's skeleton and then import the Sven skeleton and try to assign vertices but it won't let me. A friend of mine told me to use the skin wrap modifier but that doesn't work either, and I am not sure how to use it properly.

Is there anyone who can tell me what I need to do so I can do what I am attempting? I know I can rig it in Milkshape 3d but the selection method is so difficult it makes it too tedious.

Does any think they can help?

Convert to blender and i can lend a hand

I appreciate the gesture but I have never used blender. 3ds max is more my forte and would like to stay with it.

Totally understand. If you change your mind, i have a video tutorial series on importing and exporting goldsource models from blender. Plus it's free

any nice tutorial for 3dsmax modelling for halflife 1?
I don't want to work around with milkshape anymore, max is better but about smd plugins etc. I don't know what to do..

I might be wrong but i think rimrook once made a good 3dsmax tut for hl1

Noxxx i might help but first thing, what max you use and what plugins for import and export of SMD
some max smd exporters/importers change the structure of the file and the new exported smd dosnt compile with old ones
(you dont get this with milkshape)

For that only job I will use Milshape (1.7.1.0 version is enough). It is very easy and with the trial version you can do models for a month!.

http://files.gamebanana.com/gamefiles/csgirl_tutorial_2.zip

This is the turorial whith wich Ilearn what you are trying to do.

Kruk I use 3ds max 2016 and I use wallworm free edition for importing and exporting smds.

Wallworm for importing goldsrc smd?
dosnt it just imports source engine smd?
those smd dont have the same data, i tried to import a character but the vertex weight was broken base mesh unwelded and bone hierarchy different.

He specifically made a option just for exports "Goldsrc Format SMD"
as s check box in the exporter. Never did find any info on imports.
You can mail him, its possible he will answer.

So yea didnt find any importing and reexporting goldsrc smd on
max2016 atm. Prev i did use Jed for max2012

btw Jed announced a re release of his importers and exporters for max2015up What i remember the 2012 version did work perfectly for both imp/reexp of goldsrc smd
https://www.wunderboy.org/
Or you can try max 2012 import and export with Jeds old plugins ;]

Wallworm for importing goldsrc smd?
dosnt it just imports source engine smd?
those smd dont have the same data, i tried to import a character but the vertex weight was broken base mesh unwelded and bone hierarchy different.

Gold Source doesn't support vertex weight, you should ignore them.

A Source skeleton is different from a Gold Source skeleton, but the data storing the vertexes, meshes, bones are identical for both engines.

W8...So both smd can store bone influence weights per vertex over 1 ??

btw Jed announced a re release of his importers and exporters for max2015up What i remember the 2012 version did work perfectly for both imp/reexp of goldsrc smd
https://www.wunderboy.org/
Or you can try max 2012 import and export with Jeds old plugins ;]

So you're saying that even though it's for max 2012 it could work for 2016?

My problem doesn't seem to importing or exporting, I am just not sure how to get the skeleton and the mesh on the same level so I can assign vertices to the skeleton, as well as how to actually assign things to the skeleton. Also which modifiers to use.

What i ment is working on max 2012 Jeds plugins didnt change the smd files on import, so you can decompile a mdl import the reference mesh rexport and it recompiles with other non modified smd files.
And no the 2012 plugins dont work with 2016.
As i said Jed is planning to release plugins for 2016

With wallworm i dont know why on import i get isues like aditional bones, unwelded mesh renamed materials so you need to do some cleaning up.

And if i understand correctly you have some basic problems with rigging in max? so first question do you work with skin or physique modifier?

how to get the skeleton and the mesh on the same level

I don't really understand what do you mean with this one.

And if i understand correctly you have some basic problems with rigging in max? so first question do you work with skin or physique modifier?

Yeah I am not sure which one to use, when I import a sven model it uses the skin modifier, but most of the tutorials I come across tell me to use physique, and one of my friends who rigs with max 2012 tells me to use skin wrap, and I am not sure how to use any of these to be honest, at least in the sense of how to go about assigning verts to a rig.

I don't really understand what do you mean with this one.

Yeah sorry that wasn't really clear, when I import the mesh I want to rig(the mesh by itself, with no skeleton. wallworm has those options) and then I import the the sven skeleton, when I try to use the attach function on the mesh and rig so I can attach them into one object and work on them, the bones disappear.

Skin wrap if for assigning mesh to a different deforming rigged mesh,
think of it as auto rigging a clothes to a working body.

Skin is just a recent modyfier made after physique sometime ago, so just use skin since it always updated.

Attach function?

Just add a Skin modifier on the mesh, pess "Bones: Add" and fix the vertex weight, 1 bone per vertex with Weight solver-Abs.Effeckt:1
for goldsrc

this might help
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lE6DXlersZM