Problems importing item into DOTA 2 - 3DS Max 2013

robbotic

Hi all.

I thought I had figured out the importing process ages ago when I tested it, but I've hit a brick wall and nothing I try is working.

I've almost finished a helmet item for Sven and am trying to test it in the DOTA 2 importer. No matter what I try, the helmet just won't skin to Sven's bones in the game. I can see the item in the importer, but it's not connecting to the bones, and isn't animating.

Getting this far has been issue after issue, starting with the resource files for Sven on the official workshop page being out of date.

I've tried decompiling the SMDs from the game source files, but since there's not yet an SMD importer compatible with 3DS Max 2013+, I have to import them into Blender, then export them as FBX to 3DS. I don't know if this screws up the bones along the way, but months ago when I tested it with a gauntlet model, I got it working somehow...

The model is zeroed, and xform reset before I skin it.

I've tried following every 3DS item tutorial I can find to no avail.

Any ideas on what I'm doing wrong?

Or it would be awesome if someone could share their own Sven resource files for 3DS Max.

identikal

Make sure you've set the bone affect limit to 3. The default value for the Skin modifier in 3dsmax is 20 (i think) and that will cause issues when exporting. Dota 2 and alot of other games engines work with max 3 bones to influence the vertex weighting.

robbotic

Thanks for the reply identikal, I didn't know about the Bone Affect Limit.

I tried it, and I still have the same problem though.

While I was trying different things before, I've now developed a new issue; my textures are no longer showing up. The model appears black, even though the textures were working a few hours ago.

I haven't changed the texture files since I started trying to import the model, and even importing from a previous version of the file still has the same problem.

What the hell is going on?

Something in my FBX export settings maybe?

Edit: Ok! I fixed the original problem I was having. When I imported the character bones they were converted into dummy objects. When I export I had to have the "Convert Deforming Dummies to Bones" option checked under geometry in the FBX settings.

I am still perplexed by this texture problem though, even an old file I made months ago is missing it's texture in the importer...

vlad_the_implyer

Texture bug is something Valve patched in, don't worry about it, it'll be fixed. You can use your Dota 2 Test client in the meantime.

robbotic

Edit: Nevermind. Thanks vlad, thought I was going crazy!

Pfrost

I'm running into the same black texture thing. Do you mean to load up the "Dota 2 Test" program in steam? or is the dota test client something else?