Export 3D models

[Gilligan]

hi, i want to basically export characters to make animations, renders, all of that inside Blender since a couple of years ago i stopped using Garry's Mod, so i wanted to find a way to export the character models but i can't find any

[cs2walmartgaming]

maybe go get a tip on 3D artist on youtube or take classes? online classes yes they cost but they can be cheap

[Gilligan]

Originally posted by cs2walmartgaming:

maybe go get a tip on 3D artist on youtube or take classes? online classes yes they cost but they can be cheap

classes on how to export Payday 2 models? are you serious, i mean honest question

[Insomnia]

I know almost everything there is to know about Payday 2 modeling, though some niche stuff I still don't quite know.

In order to access the game files in the first place, you need a tool called Diesel Bundle Viewer. Along with that tool, you need a file called "hashlist" that you place inside Diesel Bundle Viewer's file directory in the "Data" folder. I don't remember if hashlist comes with DBV, but still.

When you activate DieselBundleViewer.exe, you need to press File > Open, navigate to Payday 2's directory, then open "assets" and click on "bundle_db_blb". This is where he files are stored.
Start with something simple, like extracting Dallas' model.

While still in Diesel Bundle Viewer, go to units > payday2 > characters > npc_criminals_suit_1. Now look for a file called "npc_criminals_suit_1.model".
.model files are well… model files. You can simply drag it out of Diesel Bundle Viewer and place it anywhere you want.

Now, in order to put the model into Blender, you need another tool called Payday 2 Model Parser. You can find it on github when you search it up, should be the very first result.

Read through the github page carefully because I'm 90% sure like DBV, you also need the hashlist file. This time, you can just put hashlist in the same folder the .exe file for the Model Parser. If you skip this step, upon importing the model into Blender, the objects will be named an assortment of random numbers.

Open PD2ModelParser.exe and click on the "Export" tab. Remember where you put npc_criminals_suit_1.model because you need to put the file location in the "Input File:" section. You must set the "Format:" to "gLTF Binary (.glb)". There's an option for .obj, but trust me, .glb is useful for making your life easier...
Press the "Convert" button and the .glb file should be placed right where the .model file is.

Here's the tricky part, the part that sucks a lot. Do you know how to install Blender plugins? I hope so, because you said you worked with Garry's Mod stuff. You need "Blender glTF 2.0 Impotter and Exporter". I think this is also on github, I don't even remember where I got mine. Download the zip file, load it into Blender, and now you can open the .glb file.

So launch Blender again after loading the zip file, delete the stupid default cube, go into File > Import > glTF 2.0 (.glb/.gltf). Now navigate to where you created the .glb file (where you put the .model file), and open it.
Oh damn, this isn't Dallas' model. It's Dallas and like ten other characters' model. Yeah I don't know why multiple characters use the same model file… I guess this means character replacers that touch everyone in the file are incompatible with each other.

Now you can edit the model(s) however you want. But whatever you do, don't put a keyframe in the model, because it will stop working in Model Parser forever.
When you're happy with the edits, go to File > Export > glTF 2.0 (.glb/.gltf). Find a location anywhere, and press the big blue button at the bottom right corner.Is this getting tiring yet? Sorry. Don't know an easier way. It gets worse from here.

Go back to Payday 2 Model Parser, now examine the "Import" tab. "Select Base Model:" is a bit confusing to me. I don't know entirely what goes here, so I just use the directory of the .model file you extracted.
"Script:" is important. It's also the most confusing part. You need a .msscript file, which you can get by just opening a Notepad++ file and renaming it. The file must contain specific contents.
Here's a Mega link to the same file I use a lot. Don't worry, it's nothing malicious.
https://mega.nz/file/s40HgIrC#O9eAEiIIIIAnL83CBEdd2ignLB3S_IzmZtIsVf2LEQ4

Place that file in the same place the .glb file is located. Open up the .msscript file and in line 4, you'll see "<import file=".glb" createnewobjects="true">" Right inbetween the " and .glb, paste "npc_criminals_suit_1" right inbetween. It should now look like "<import file="npc_criminals_suit_1.glb" createnewobjects="true">"

Do a similar thing in line 8. It should say "<save file=".model"/>"
In between " and .model, paste "npc_criminals_suit_1". It should now say "<save file="npc_criminals_suit_1.model"/>". Save and close the file.
Go back to Model Parser, and add the script to the "Script:" section. Ignore "Object:", "Pattern UV:", and "Animations:" leave them blank. I don't know what the check boxes mean, honestly. But leave the first one blank, and leave the second one checked. Make sure "Root Point:" section says "root_point". In "Save To:", find the directory you want, and click "Convert". Whatever directory you inputted, Model Parser will create a new .model file and put it right in there.

All model edits go into "mod_overrides". So create a mod folder, and make sure the .model file uses the same file directory as what it was in Diesel Bundle Viewer.

Congrats, you edited a model. Or at the very least, you know how to edit a model.
Editing animations are an entirely different story, however...

[Insomnia]

Also dude, your profile is very unwelcoming. I don't know how you even have people in your friend list.

[Gilligan]

Originally posted by Insomnia:

I know almost everything there is to know about Payday 2 modeling, though some niche stuff I still don't quite know.

In order to access the game files in the first place, you need a tool called Diesel Bundle Viewer. Along with that tool, you need a file called "hashlist" that you place inside Diesel Bundle Viewer's file directory in the "Data" folder. I don't remember if hashlist comes with DBV, but still.

When you activate DieselBundleViewer.exe, you need to press File > Open, navigate to Payday 2's directory, then open "assets" and click on "bundle_db_blb". This is where he files are stored.
Start with something simple, like extracting Dallas' model.

While still in Diesel Bundle Viewer, go to units > payday2 > characters > npc_criminals_suit_1. Now look for a file called "npc_criminals_suit_1.model".
.model files are well… model files. You can simply drag it out of Diesel Bundle Viewer and place it anywhere you want.

Now, in order to put the model into Blender, you need another tool called Payday 2 Model Parser. You can find it on github when you search it up, should be the very first result.

Read through the github page carefully because I'm 90% sure like DBV, you also need the hashlist file. This time, you can just put hashlist in the same folder the .exe file for the Model Parser. If you skip this step, upon importing the model into Blender, the objects will be named an assortment of random numbers.

Open PD2ModelParser.exe and click on the "Export" tab. Remember where you put npc_criminals_suit_1.model because you need to put the file location in the "Input File:" section. You must set the "Format:" to "gLTF Binary (.glb)". There's an option for .obj, but trust me, .glb is useful for making your life easier...
Press the "Convert" button and the .glb file should be placed right where the .model file is.

Here's the tricky part, the part that sucks a lot. Do you know how to install Blender plugins? I hope so, because you said you worked with Garry's Mod stuff. You need "Blender glTF 2.0 Impotter and Exporter". I think this is also on github, I don't even remember where I got mine. Download the zip file, load it into Blender, and now you can open the .glb file.

So launch Blender again after loading the zip file, delete the stupid default cube, go into File > Import > glTF 2.0 (.glb/.gltf). Now navigate to where you created the .glb file (where you put the .model file), and open it.
Oh damn, this isn't Dallas' model. It's Dallas and like ten other characters' model. Yeah I don't know why multiple characters use the same model file… I guess this means character replacers that touch everyone in the file are incompatible with each other.

Now you can edit the model(s) however you want. But whatever you do, don't put a keyframe in the model, because it will stop working in Model Parser forever.
When you're happy with the edits, go to File > Export > glTF 2.0 (.glb/.gltf). Find a location anywhere, and press the big blue button at the bottom right corner.Is this getting tiring yet? Sorry. Don't know an easier way. It gets worse from here.

Go back to Payday 2 Model Parser, now examine the "Import" tab. "Select Base Model:" is a bit confusing to me. I don't know entirely what goes here, so I just use the directory of the .model file you extracted.
"Script:" is important. It's also the most confusing part. You need a .msscript file, which you can get by just opening a Notepad++ file and renaming it. The file must contain specific contents.
Here's a Mega link to the same file I use a lot. Don't worry, it's nothing malicious.
https://mega.nz/file/s40HgIrC#O9eAEiIIIIAnL83CBEdd2ignLB3S_IzmZtIsVf2LEQ4

Place that file in the same place the .glb file is located. Open up the .msscript file and in line 4, you'll see "<import file=".glb" createnewobjects="true">" Right inbetween the " and .glb, paste "npc_criminals_suit_1" right inbetween. It should now look like "<import file="npc_criminals_suit_1.glb" createnewobjects="true">"

Do a similar thing in line 8. It should say "<save file=".model"/>"
In between " and .model, paste "npc_criminals_suit_1". It should now say "<save file="npc_criminals_suit_1.model"/>". Save and close the file.
Go back to Model Parser, and add the script to the "Script:" section. Ignore "Object:", "Pattern UV:", and "Animations:" leave them blank. I don't know what the check boxes mean, honestly. But leave the first one blank, and leave the second one checked. Make sure "Root Point:" section says "root_point". In "Save To:", find the directory you want, and click "Convert". Whatever directory you inputted, Model Parser will create a new .model file and put it right in there.

All model edits go into "mod_overrides". So create a mod folder, and make sure the .model file uses the same file directory as what it was in Diesel Bundle Viewer.

Congrats, you edited a model. Or at the very least, you know how to edit a model.
Editing animations are an entirely different story, however...

pretty useful but my plan is not edit a model for the game, it's basically exporting it to make animations

[Gilligan]

Originally posted by Insomnia:

Also dude, your profile is very unwelcoming. I don't know how you even have people in your friend list.

what do you mean by that?

edit: now i understand what you mean, the bio in my profile is super old, even i forgot what i had in there to begin with since i don't usually play with friends so i just enter, use blender, play Payday 2 and leave (because i play more Fortnite) so i actually forgot what my bio was like

[BitsOfSkin]

Originally posted by Gilligan:

Originally posted by Insomnia:

snip for length

pretty useful but my plan is not edit a model for the game, it's basically exporting it to make animations

Then you only need about the first half of what Insomnia wrote, the rest you'd do with Blender and Garry's Mod/Source Movie Maker (or whatever that thing is called).

[Insomnia]

Originally posted by BitsOfSkin:

Then you only need about the first half of what Insomnia wrote, the rest you'd do with Blender and Garry's Mod/Source Movie Maker (or whatever that thing is called).

No no, not quite.
Yes you do about the first half of what I said. But once you import the .glb into Blender, you should press the A key, which will select every object on the field. Then press H to hide all the objects. They're not being deleted, don't worry. Look at the menu on the top right corner that shows all of the objects. Click the eye icon beside "root_point" to unhide it. You should be left with just the model skeleton. Make sure the skeleton is selected. Now go to Diesel Bundle viewer again. Go to anims > shared, and you'll be met with the animation files for different weapon types, as well as the special NPC animations, and the special player animations for the menu screens and such. In these folders, there's .animation files. Extract any one you want the same way you extracted the .model file. Doesn't matter where it goes.

Now go back to Blender, with the skeleton model still selected, go to File > Import > Diesel Animation (.animation)
If that option isn't there, that's where my knowledge runs out because I genuinely don't remember how I unlocked that option…

Look for that .animation file you extracted, and Import it to the skeleton model.
Now the animation is able to be played on the model. The model itself may look extremely ♥♥♥♥♥♥ up, but don't worry, that's supposed to happen. Edit it however you want, but before you start editing, make sure the frame the "Start" position is one is at frame 0. It defaults to frame 1 for some reason. Also be sure to move the keyframes in the "Animation" tab so that they start at frame 0.
When you want to Export the animation, make 100% sure the skeleton model is the only thing selected. Then go to File > Export > Diesel Animation (.animation). Use any file directory you want. Once you Export, you're done, you don't have to touch Model Parser.

(Please don't quote this post. This thread will just become annoying to look at.)

[Gilligan]

i mean..custom animations like...me making an animation of Jimmy taking the pager, make animations in a literal way and i know how to use blender ad you don't have to talk to me like some brainless thing, i know the hotkeys, how to import/export

the only thing i wanted is "how the hell do i export the models from Payday to put it inside Blender" just that, i got a tutorial with baby words like i'm dumb or something. i'm not mad, just annoyed a bit

[Insomnia]

Originally posted by Gilligan:

i mean..custom animations like...me making an animation of Jimmy taking the pager, make animations in a literal way

I told you not to quote that, thanks a lot.

Also, not possible. Sorry. Wish you would've said this before I typed everything.

[Insomnia]

Originally posted by Gilligan:

the only thing i wanted is "how the hell do i export the models from Payday to put it inside Blender" just that, i got a tutorial with baby words like i'm dumb or something. i'm not mad, just annoyed a bit

Oh go to hell! I wasn't treating you like a dumb thing, I was trying to be as helpful and specific as possible because the whole model extracting thing is kind of a long and complicated process. You were never ever specific with what you wanted. If you were, maybe I would've shortened my tutorial a bit. Didn't even thank me once either... Instead you were annoyed, by me trying to help you! Why do I even bother?

[Gilligan]

Originally posted by Insomnia:

Originally posted by Gilligan:

i mean..custom animations like...me making an animation of Jimmy taking the pager, make animations in a literal way

I told you not to quote that, thanks a lot.

Also, not possible. Sorry. Wish you would've said this before I typed everything.

i mean, i thought it was obvious enough

[Gilligan]

bro, i said it was very helpful, it's basically a thank you, i'll leave it at that, i already saved your comment and will try it as soon as i get the chance, i'm sorry, alright? you were very helpful and i appreciate it

[Gilligan]

i'll tell you quick because this post gave a 360 turn that i didn't wanted because i asked for help

i started on steam when i was young, edgy and stupid, my bio was "mean" and i never changed it because i forgot i even had that, that's the full story

now i'll gently ask the mods to close this post, because i'm here to make animations of a game i love