Can I import models from Mudbox?

[Sir.Rocket]

Hi, I'm currently planning out my FMP for college and heavily wanted to work on an animation and wanted to use the source film maker. However I don't want to use the defult characters of valve games and wanted to use my own created models I've made in Mudbox. Is this possible?

[Pte Jack]

It is possible but an awful amount of work. SFM only works with models that have been converted into valve game formats, preferably TF2 based formats.
Models must be converted from whatever 3D format you are using to create your models into something that is valve compatable. In other word, from your obj, blend, maya or whatever program must exported to SMD format. All bones and reference points need to be described in a QC file. (see this for model design https://developer.valvesoftware.com/wiki/Model_Creation_Overview#.SMD_files)

From there they have to be compiled into Valve mdl format and all your skins converted to vft/vmts. (It's a lot of work and the above is just a short descriptive of what has to be done and there is info on the Valve Developer website describing the process here https://developer.valvesoftware.com/wiki/Compiling_Models_Basics).

Once they have you have your models converted, you have to import them to either the Usermod or another folder under the game folder and must conform to the models/materials rules imposed by valve. If you've converted your model to valve format and they work in the test environment, you can follow one of these 2 videos to get them into SFM.

http://youtu.be/6PS1xHbSByI

http://youtu.be/DPTQ32g4Wi4

Hope this helps...

[Sir.Rocket]

Thanks buddy, I'm defiantly up for trying this out try and get top marks ;) A LOT of help thank you

[Sir.Rocket]

Also the second link says there's no text D:

[Pte Jack]

Doh!!! Sorry about that, they may have moved it to the wiki page... Try this

https://developer.valvesoftware.com/wiki/Compiling_a_model

[Sir.Rocket]

Thanks mate you're a star :)

[GingerHeadHouse]

I don't believe there are any SMD exporters out of Mudbox. However I am sure Mubox can export to a variety of formats that can be loaded in to other 3D apps that do have exporters. 3DS Max and Blender seem to have the most support but the Wall Worm tools for 3DS Max are really well developed, IMO. The WIKI outlines many steps to get your models compiled but you still need to export those base files from your 3D app in order to run them through the compiler.

I've been working like crazy to learn the modding process and create my own custom models:
http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=125333111

For now I've taken it as far as I want to go and has mainly stay within the realm of props, no custom characters yet.

[Pte Jack]

Those are pretty neat pmike... As for blender there is a smd/dmx/vta plug in for it Import and export. But I'm stumped on why my model is giving me a bounding box error. Looks like the physics (collision) model. If you happen to know of a couple of really good and clearly laid out tuts for modding and compiling in blender (other than Hell Jumper's hat tut, that one didn't work me for me in this project), I'd appreciate a link or two. Can't afford 3 grand for 3DMax. (Fixed icome, retired)

Shotz,

Like pmike says, I haven't seen a SMD export tool for mudbox, but if you can export WaveFront .obj, 3dStudio .3ds, Lightwave object .iwo, milkshake 3d .ms3d, blender .bend and a whole bunch of other formats, then blender can open them. The biggest pain of the process is compiling. One slip in the .qc file and no model. Miss an opening or closing curly bracket { } no model and a cryptic error message that will send you searching websites for weeks trying to find the answer. Most of them lead you to a "Doh, am I ever stupid, fixed it" with no info on how the fix was completed. Or a "Thanks for the email, mate, that worked" answer.

Anyway, check out blender when you need to export to SMD format.

[Sir.Rocket]

I'm staying FAR away from blender and would much prefer 3DSmax or Mya if its better to do it from there?

[Pte Jack]

Well students, get the program free I believe. As long as they can prove they are in a 3d Graphic educational program. (Lucky you!!!) lol

[Sir.Rocket]

Yeah, that's how I got Mudbox :)

[Pte Jack]

Here's the link if you haven't already got it...

http://students.autodesk.com/?nd=download_center

[Sir.Rocket]

Cheers man, realistically how long do you think it will take me to import the models into Source?

[Pte Jack]

Depends on your learning curve, the number of models, how complex your .qc(s) are and the speed of your computer.

Your skins have to be converted to vmt and vtf formats, but VTFEdit, free program, can do whole folders at a time in batch mode and will write basic vmt files as it converts the converts your tga/png/jpg/bmp to a .vtf file.

Your models have to be converted with reference, collision and physics and animation sequence (if requried) models to SMD then compiled from that to valve format. You need GUIStudio for that, free program. I believe, it can only run 1 .qc at a time, but you can run multiple instances of it (I think.) I'm just starting down the modding path myself.

In fact I just re-compiled my first model successfully last night, the compiling process doesn't take that long if there are no errors. (That's the big thing you have to watch for while compiling.)

It can take a few second to a minute or two per model, if everything runs smoothly just a few seconds.

Just make sure you have everything planned out, ie model names, where they get their textures from and where the model willl be saved.

[Sir.Rocket]

Man that's all extremely confusing :S I'm just doing it for a project at college haha

[Pte Jack]

I know, I'm trying to work through a problem right now, however, it may be easier with 3dMax or Maya because there is a lot more support out there for them than there is for blender, Better plug-ins aswell (so I'm told anyway)