@Space Centipede .... ummm it shows 1296 tris, but is that only for one of the heads? because if it is, I'd think you need to cut it in half to be duplicated...
also, remember that they both need to be 250 tris in-game.
I thought if it were poly's it was allready low, but with tricount it's rediculous. It's almost impossible to get some nice model work into it. I deleted almost every face that I could without screwing up my model and im still at 380 tri's :S
I'm also really getting discouraged by this :S If I see al those great concepts here, it's almost impossible to get them as detailed as many of them want too with these limits..
You have to be creative, low poly modeling is very different from high poly modeling.
I know i know... every head is 650, so its okay. I mean it not use to be very oldscool in topology, sorry for bad english but im sure u understand what i mean, corners in siloette like in world of warcraft. But so far when i zoom out the model everything is okay, hmmm...
On my work i have 10k tris per character limit, and always enoght tris for garments, so i mean 650 tris not very usual for me. Thats what i want to say and worry about.
Is there a way to tell which channels a character has available? for example, I've heard not every character can use Alpha - how can I tell who can and which ones a particular character uses?
Since there are 2 LODS that are able to be uploaded, can we also upload two texture files? When reducing the polycount I might need to remove some minor objects (not a full object but parts of it) and I'm worried that I wont be able to match it all up on one texture map
EDIT:FROM MY THREAD Tvidotto: no, you cant use 2 texture, is one single texture for the 2 lods. the textures has already lods called mipmaps that are generated automatically =]
Is there a way to tell which channels a character has available? for example, I've heard not every character can use Alpha - how can I tell who can and which ones a particular character uses?
I asked this yesterday and got this useful response:
In the future they might add it to everyone, but for now you go into the VPKs for the game in Steam\steamapps\common\dota 2 beta\dota (Open pak01_dir.vpk with GCFscape) and check in Materials/Models/Heroes/{hero name} and the name of the ffile you're looking for isn't always the same, but it's usually obvious. It's something like {Hero Name}_body_color.VMT vmt and body are important. Open it as a text file and look for $alphatest 1
just hit me, since you can be making money off this,
what about software licensing? cause I only have student licenses!
so I should be doing the modeling in Blender cause it's free?
and another thing:
Does a new item need to fit with all the other default items equipped?
Cause the sets of Valve have a preview of all the items seperatly with the rest of the items equipped being the original ones!
Does anyone have Antimage's mask files? I got Qwiggalo's package (thanks!) but mask1 and mask2 aren't in the zip file.
I would also like to start modelling smth for anti-mage for learning purpose and want to add a question to that:
Since there is no Workshop Requirement page for him, what amount of polys are allowed for each of his items ?
I would also like to start modelling smth for anti-mage for learning purpose and want to add a question to that:
Since there is no Workshop Requirement page for him, what amount of polys are allowed for each of his items ?
If he's not on the Requirements page, I had the understanding he's not available for the competition.
Is there a way to start a private thread? I would like to keep a WIP thread but show my ideas later.
I don't think there is, but wouldn't that defy the spirit of the contest? Being that you would get critiques and feedback. Is it a worry about others stealing your ideas?
Is it possible for anyone to make a list of characters that do and do not have the ability to utilize alpha transparencies? I checked the folder mentioned earlier (under dota 2 beta/dota/materials/models/heroes), and there were only three character folders in it.
It would be really helpful if someone could make a list of characters that are transparency enabled. I'd do it myself, but, well...
Getting an error in the DOTA 2 viewer "Couldn't find any bones in the wearable that correspond to bones in the hero model. Wearable items must be skinned to the hero's bones to be submitted"
My pipeline.
1. Import Hair SMD (Bones/rig)
2. Import my Hair (Reset Transform pivot to 0.0.0/reset Xform)
3. Apply Skin modifier to my model
4. Add the Head Bone to my Model
5. Export my Model (With and without bone)
When i import it its just hovering there while the character is doing her animation, Textures are working fine its just not properly sticking to the bone, any ideas?
Did you ever find a solution to this? I'm working in Maya and having the same exact error message pop up when I try to import models.
Did you ever find a solution to this? I'm working in Maya and having the same exact error message pop up when I try to import models.
I had the same problem yesterday, and it took me over 1 hour to get this stupid error away.. If they just put this on a faq on the dota 2 site, it would help a lot of people.
What you should do:
- Open the .fbx. maya or smd File of the model you want to import, for hats etc use the head. Not sure if it will be a problem if you open a different object, but don't open all the objects or more objects together.
- Import/merge your model into the scene, you can remove the normal model
- Make sure you have the right scale
- Use a skin modifier and attach the bones to your model, use exactly the same bones as the normal (valves) model
- Export your model with the entire skeleton (not only your model)
Your problem should now be solved
I still got one probem with this, I use 3ds max but I just can't get the scale right. I've looked a lot on the internet and there were a few solution, tried all that but it didn't help.
If I do a xform, the complete model is gone and I don't see anything. If I use the vertex mode and scale it down, I can't see anything. If I use the model without these things, it's 10 times bigger then it should be (Offcourse I allready scaled down the model so it fits the model you can download)
The only problem I can think of is the units Can someone confirm on how they do the .fbx import settings and export? And on wich unit scale your normal program is working. (my unit scale is on automatic so it should work correctly, don't got any problems with TF2)
Getting really frustrated :shifty: Can someone pls help me with this!
Hello there. I just want to ask is it alright if I do a design for Doom Bringer but add a bit of mechanical features in to his armor. Such as pipes and gears and such. Of course it's going to look more hellish than robotic. Would Value be okay with that?
Andyk125 - this sounds like the root of your problem "If I do a xform, the complete model is gone".
Im not sure if this is the best solution, but if i had this problem i would do the following.
Make sure your model isnt skinned and the stack is collapsed, select the model and export selected as .obj. Import your model into a fresh scene and try resetting your xforms. If that works collapse the stack, save the file and merge it into your original scene if need be.
Andyk125 - this sounds like the root of your problem "If I do a xform, the complete model is gone".
Im not sure if this is the best solution, but if i had this problem i would do the following.
Make sure your model isnt skinned and the stack is collapsed, select the model and export selected as .obj. Import your model into a fresh scene and try resetting your xforms. If that works collapse the stack, save the file and merge it into your original scene if need be.
Thanks! I didn't try that one, I will deffinitly have a look at it tonight. You gave me some hope again, sometimes you are getting so frustrated that you stop thinking normal
Does anyone know how to get/import actual animations from the characters? I'm having a hell of a time getting my cape skinned correctly, and my current work flow of making changes, and then uploading the files within Dota 2 is a huge time suck.
Also, I've found that the submission file uploader within Dota 2 does not seem to update if you have made changes. You have to shutdown Dota 2 completely and reopen it. Its driving me insane!
Also, I've found that the submission file uploader within Dota 2 does not seem to update if you have made changes. You have to shutdown Dota 2 completely and reopen it. Its driving me insane!
I had this problem too, you don't have to close DOTA, just change the name of the item in the import screen. This is because it makes a copy of the file in the DOTA folder but it doesn't overwrite it if you use the same name. So if you have and item named "Weaver Antenna", change it to "Weaver Antenna 2".
It's still very annoying and I hope they fix it. Another problem I found is that if I import a LOD0 model I get a compile error unless I import the LOD1 model by itself then change the name and import both of the LOD models.
Hey, I feel a bit stupid and feel like I'll be posting here a lot but... when I load the meshes in maya, they're missing textures? In this thread I saw some tutorial on how to fix this in Blender, is that the only way to get it done? Is it the same in Maya?
Also as someone else said before, can I use the student license of maya?
Andyk125, thank you for posting your solution! I'll try that out later today and hope that it works
I hope it works for you as well
I finially got my model import correctly, it had been the unit setup. For some reason I just needed to change the system unit scale to cm and my problem had been solved, here's the result. I still need to work on the masks though, and her's also a link to my thread:
Can we make animated textures? For instance if I wanted to have fire coming out of a sword, I was thinking of using warped uvs and animating either the uvs or texture map to translate, so the flames would be moving. Is there a way to do this and have it work in-game? I also wanted to have a swirly firey eye crystal thing.
Thanks!
I think you're limited to particles at most (and even then they're somewhat complicated) as everything else is limited by the given Hero's shader. Your items can't have any extra texture effects that the existing shader (which is applied to all the hero's items at runtime) doesn't support.
I just completed the UVs for the Naga Siren set, and I started thinnking that I had perhaps misunderstood the meaning of an item slot.
On the "Creating items for Naga Siren" page, there is a category "armor" and another named "legs". I had asumed her tail was part of her base body, and therefore "legs" referred to her skirt.
While exporting the different parts of the armor, I noticed that her tail was separate geometry.
The original texture map for her tail is named "tail" not "legs", and in Maya her tail is named "tail".
the texture map "armor" does include her skirt, and in Maya her skirt is name "armor".
I cannor find anything named "legs"
So before starting with Zbrush and all the maps, I need to know: Does "legs" refer to her tail or her skirt?
I just completed the UVs for the Naga Siren set, and I started thinnking that I had perhaps misunderstood the meaning of an item slot.
On the "Creating items for Naga Siren" page, there is a category "armor" and another named "legs". I had asumed her tail was part of her base body, and therefore "legs" referred to her skirt.
While exporting the different parts of the armor, I noticed that her tail was separate geometry.
The original texture map for her tail is named "tail" not "legs", and in Maya her tail is named "tail".
the texture map "armor" does include her skirt, and in Maya her skirt is name "armor".
I cannor find anything named "legs"
So before starting with Zbrush and all the maps, I need to know: Does "legs" refer to her tail or her skirt?
Correct. If a hero does not have alpha in their shader, you should not make items that require it. We will not be adding alpha to heroes to support items.
Which file should I use to build over then export from?
Wunderboy's .SMD importer messes up the bone orientation for the newer .SMD versions used by Source. Use CannonFodder's .SMD importer instead, which will give you correct bone orientation (but you will have to rotate all imported objects by 90 degress in X, as it doesn't automatically set the proper axes for you like Wunderboy's).
If you want the least hassle possible, use the .SMD geometry as reference to build your items around. Otherwise if you're using the .FBXs as reference: using the origin (0,0,0) as pivot and scale everything up (bones+geometry) to 254 units.
I just wanted to chime in quickly and say thanks to everyone who has been helping others new to the Dota2 art pipeline. It's the helpful nature of artists like yourselves that make PC the place it is - thank you!
For future reference, when submitting our entries its seems like we have to submit them one piece at a time? It looks like you can't actually submit them all as a group? Anyone know exactly why that is? I'd love to be able to have all my items on the character at the same time to see how they look with all the maps working and animations goin'.
Replies
also, remember that they both need to be 250 tris in-game.
You have to be creative, low poly modeling is very different from high poly modeling.
EDIT:FROM MY THREAD Tvidotto: no, you cant use 2 texture, is one single texture for the 2 lods. the textures has already lods called mipmaps that are generated automatically =]
I asked this yesterday and got this useful response:
what about software licensing? cause I only have student licenses!
so I should be doing the modeling in Blender cause it's free?
and another thing:
Does a new item need to fit with all the other default items equipped?
Cause the sets of Valve have a preview of all the items seperatly with the rest of the items equipped being the original ones!
I would also like to start modelling smth for anti-mage for learning purpose and want to add a question to that:
Since there is no Workshop Requirement page for him, what amount of polys are allowed for each of his items ?
If he's not on the Requirements page, I had the understanding he's not available for the competition.
Someone else confirm
I don't think there is, but wouldn't that defy the spirit of the contest? Being that you would get critiques and feedback. Is it a worry about others stealing your ideas?
It would be really helpful if someone could make a list of characters that are transparency enabled. I'd do it myself, but, well...
Did you ever find a solution to this? I'm working in Maya and having the same exact error message pop up when I try to import models.
Thanks for pointing that out. I'm pretty boned now on doing my character without alpha.. well.. it'll certainly be a challenge
I had the same problem yesterday, and it took me over 1 hour to get this stupid error away.. If they just put this on a faq on the dota 2 site, it would help a lot of people.
What you should do:
- Open the .fbx. maya or smd File of the model you want to import, for hats etc use the head. Not sure if it will be a problem if you open a different object, but don't open all the objects or more objects together.
- Import/merge your model into the scene, you can remove the normal model
- Make sure you have the right scale
- Use a skin modifier and attach the bones to your model, use exactly the same bones as the normal (valves) model
- Export your model with the entire skeleton (not only your model)
Your problem should now be solved
I still got one probem with this, I use 3ds max but I just can't get the scale right. I've looked a lot on the internet and there were a few solution, tried all that but it didn't help.
If I do a xform, the complete model is gone and I don't see anything. If I use the vertex mode and scale it down, I can't see anything. If I use the model without these things, it's 10 times bigger then it should be (Offcourse I allready scaled down the model so it fits the model you can download)
The only problem I can think of is the units
Getting really frustrated :shifty: Can someone pls help me with this!
Im not sure if this is the best solution, but if i had this problem i would do the following.
Make sure your model isnt skinned and the stack is collapsed, select the model and export selected as .obj. Import your model into a fresh scene and try resetting your xforms. If that works collapse the stack, save the file and merge it into your original scene if need be.
He is on the top of the list, so i figured he would be available
Thanks! I didn't try that one, I will deffinitly have a look at it tonight. You gave me some hope again, sometimes you are getting so frustrated that you stop thinking normal
Also, I've found that the submission file uploader within Dota 2 does not seem to update if you have made changes. You have to shutdown Dota 2 completely and reopen it. Its driving me insane!
I had this problem too, you don't have to close DOTA, just change the name of the item in the import screen. This is because it makes a copy of the file in the DOTA folder but it doesn't overwrite it if you use the same name. So if you have and item named "Weaver Antenna", change it to "Weaver Antenna 2".
It's still very annoying and I hope they fix it. Another problem I found is that if I import a LOD0 model I get a compile error unless I import the LOD1 model by itself then change the name and import both of the LOD models.
Also as someone else said before, can I use the student license of maya?
I hope it works for you as well
I finially got my model import correctly, it had been the unit setup. For some reason I just needed to change the system unit scale to cm and my problem had been solved, here's the result. I still need to work on the masks though, and her's also a link to my thread:
http://www.polycount.com/forum/showthread.php?t=106528
I am talking about this light here:
Ignore the little brown thing above the light, it was just a try to move the position of the light closer to the head, but didn't worked.
I guess the light is connected to a bone but I don't know if there is any way to change the bone position.
Thanks if anyone can help me
Thanks!
On the "Creating items for Naga Siren" page, there is a category "armor" and another named "legs". I had asumed her tail was part of her base body, and therefore "legs" referred to her skirt.
While exporting the different parts of the armor, I noticed that her tail was separate geometry.
The original texture map for her tail is named "tail" not "legs", and in Maya her tail is named "tail".
the texture map "armor" does include her skirt, and in Maya her skirt is name "armor".
I cannor find anything named "legs"
So before starting with Zbrush and all the maps, I need to know: Does "legs" refer to her tail or her skirt?
When I import the .FBX file I get a nice organized bone system.
When I import the .SMD file I get a messed up bone system.
The grid changes size as well and it looks like a scaling issue but both of the system units are in inches.
Which file should I use to build over then export from?
Answer: Yes
I loaded my belt into her legs slot....
Her tail MUST be legs xD
Wunderboy's .SMD importer messes up the bone orientation for the newer .SMD versions used by Source. Use CannonFodder's .SMD importer instead, which will give you correct bone orientation (but you will have to rotate all imported objects by 90 degress in X, as it doesn't automatically set the proper axes for you like Wunderboy's).
If you want the least hassle possible, use the .SMD geometry as reference to build your items around. Otherwise if you're using the .FBXs as reference: using the origin (0,0,0) as pivot and scale everything up (bones+geometry) to 254 units.
Edit:
everything was working right up to there ;_;
I just wanted to chime in quickly and say thanks to everyone who has been helping others new to the Dota2 art pipeline. It's the helpful nature of artists like yourselves that make PC the place it is - thank you!
-Adam
Speaking of this thread, this is missing the link to it on two occasions
Thank you! Fortunately I still can include the skirt to the armor without going above the poly budget, and will only have to rework on the UVs