Model is purple and black in model viewer...

[Digital]

OK so after following the tutorial I got upto the the point of compiling my hat, I compiled it using the ushanka just like the video, but when I go to view my model in the model viewer it shows up as the ushanka but with a purple and black texture, and when I load up the actual ushanka model, it shows up as the textured ushanka model.

http://i.imgur.com/WfIYn.jpg

How has this happened because I have no clue!

[HellJumper]

You most likely didn't export your smd properly and instead exported the default ushanka again.

[Digital]

So in blender, just export my model as an smd again, and go from there?

[HellJumper]

Make sure you are exporting *your* model from blender.

[Digital]

it's the only thing in Blender and I export it as an smd, it's not named as ushanka, It's name arrow_head, and the mdl in the heavy folder is also named arrow_head.mdl but shows as the ushanka again!

[HellJumper]

I'm 100/5 certain you aren't exporting your smd properly. Delete any existing smds/mdls and re-export. Also, let me see your QC file.

[Digital]

Originally posted by HellJumper:

I'm 100/5 certain you aren't exporting your smd properly. Delete any existing smds/mdls and re-export. Also, let me see your QC file.

http://i.imgur.com/tSSff2L.jpg

That's my entire QC.

[HellJumper]

Well there's your problem: In your QC you have the $model line pointing to the ushanka smd... Also change your .idle smd.

Change it to this:

$model "body" "Arrow_Head.smd"
$sequence idle "Arrow_Head.smd" fps 30.00

Also, get rid of the $hboxset and $hbox lines. Those are not needed and will cause problems if not set up properly.

[Digital]

Originally posted by HellJumper:

Well there's your problem: In your QC you have the $model line pointing to the ushanka smd... Also change your .idle smd.

Change it to this:

$model "body" "Arrow_Head.smd"
$sequence idle "Arrow_Head.smd" fps 30.00

Also, get rid of the $hboxset and $hbox lines. Those are not needed and will cause problems if not set up properly.

Ok done and done, I compiled it in the itemtest thingy. got it into the item test map, But now I'm at what looks like the last hurdle.

From this angle the hat moves about 6ft behind the heavy: http://i.imgur.com/3EhC2qn.jpg

But from this angle it is perfectly in possition: http://i.imgur.com/ypcqiam.jpg

Now I believe I've over stayed my welcome here, and you have been a great help, But this is most likely the last problem I will be facing, I have learned alot from your videos as well as my own messing about with the program.

Any ideas as to why this seems to be happening?

[HellJumper]

Wait, did you compile it with GUIstudioMDL? The Itemtest feature in the SDK is broken and shouldn't be used. I don't answer questions about it because of how broken it is. Always compile manually for TF2.

If you did compile manually, the problem lies with your bone. When you exported your model in blender, you might have accidentally moved the bone when exporting. If I were you, I would delete any existing bones in the scene (actually delete everything except your model), re-import a fresh heavy model, assign the correct bones to your model, and re-export/re-compile.

[Digital]

Originally posted by HellJumper:

Wait, did you compile it with GUIstudioMDL? The Itemtest feature in the SDK is broken and shouldn't be used. I don't answer questions about it because of how broken it is. Always compile manually for TF2.

If you did compile manually, the problem lies with your bone. When you exported your model in blender, you might have accidentally moved the bone when exporting. If I were you, I would delete any existing bones in the scene (actually delete everything except your model), re-import a fresh heavy model, assign the correct bones to your model, and re-export/re-compile.

Right I've done that, and it now works! The texture works, model works, It stays in place, ALL IS GOOD! And It's now in the Workshop!

there was a slight problem with my texture though, with my other model, I think I posted it further up the thread.

http://i.imgur.com/nnBfe.jpg What's caused these black "stitching" It's not part of the texture, or even on the base model, is it something to do with my Ambient Acclusion?

[HellJumper]

Those black stiches are inevitable due to how UV unwrapping works. Those areas are where the seams are-- Good modelers learn to put the seams where they can't be seen easily (on the back, on the inside, within another mesh, etc). Another way to reduce the amount of black lines is to slightly increase the margin of your AO bake. In the future, try to put the seams where the viewer doesn't normally see them.

If you look closely, these seams are on every model (there are some TF2 hats that have blaring seams).

[Digital]

Originally posted by HellJumper:

Those black stiches are inevitable due to how UV unwrapping works. Those areas are where the seams are-- Good modelers learn to put the seams where they can't be seen easily (on the back, on the inside, within another mesh, etc). Another way to reduce the amount of black lines is to slightly increase the margin of your AO bake. In the future, try to put the seams where the viewer doesn't normally see them.

If you look closely, these seams are on every model (there are some TF2 hats that have blaring seams).

Yeah I actually noticed this because my Bake Margin was set to zero, so I up'd it to about 8 or 9, and the black stitches have gone.

I want to thank you for all the help you have given me, I realise that I must've been abit of dick asking you all these questions, So thank you for keeping your cool and helping me when I need it.

[HellJumper]

I help when I can. I'm glad you got it working, and best of luck in your future modeling endeavors.

[Digital]

Could you recommend a good reference for a Demo hat, everything seems fine in the .qc even compared with my other .qc that works.

This is my Tower.qc

$cd "C:\Users\Harry\Desktop\Demoman\output"
$modelname "player\items\demo\Tower.mdl"
$model "body" "Tower.smd"
$cdmaterials "\models\player\items\demo\Tower.tga"
$surfaceprop "cloth"
$sequence idle "Tower.smd" fps 30.00
$collisionmodel "Tower.smd" {

$mass 5.0
$inertia 1.00
$damping 0.00
$rotdamping 0.00
}


And I've done two seperate compiles with mdlcompiler and itemtest, but I seem to be getting the same problem as before, my texture is purple and black.

[HellJumper]

The $cdmaterials line in the QC is a folder, not a file. You specify the folder, then put your textures (vtf/vmt) in that folder, and because you presumably assigned the texture correctly in Blender, the compiler will already know which texture to look for.

Thus it should be the following:

$cdmaterials "\models\player\items\demo\"

For reference, here was the QC I used when I submitted the Carouser's Capotain 2 years ago:

$cd "C:\Users\ALX\Desktop\Capotain\output"
$modelname "player\items\demo\inquisitor.mdl"
$model "body" "capotain.smd"
$cdmaterials "models\player\items\demo\"

$texturegroup skinfamilies
{
	{ "witchhunter_red" }
	{ "witchhunter_blue" }
}

$surfaceprop "cloth"
$sequence idle "idle" fps 30.00
$collisionmodel "capotain.smd" {

	$mass 5.0
	$inertia 1.00
	$damping 0.00
	$rotdamping 0.00
}

$lod 15
{
	replacemodel "capotain.smd" "capotain_lod.smd"
}
$lod 25
{
	replacemodel "capotain.smd" "capotain_lod2.smd"
}

Note that the only difference in the texturing is that I have 2 skins ("skinfamilies").