[SOLVED] Problem with M2mod3 (Editing models in 3.3.5a)

[boggtroll]

Solved-(The Fix): I was taking the M2, SKIN, and ANIM files from the wrong MPQ (patch.mpq) so i was getting out of date files instead of getting the newest ones from Patch-2.MPQ.


Original Post Start------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I have been trying to edit models in 3.3.5a with Blender 2.4...here are the steps i take.

Extract the original .M2/SKIN files

Use M2mod3 to convert those to .M2i

import into blender>make my edits>export as .M2i

run through M2mod3 again to merge  (original.M2+Edited.M2i)>New.M2

then i use Ladik's MPQ editor to make my custom MPQ, making sure file paths are correct.

put my MPQ in the data folder

log in, see that my edits have been applied to player characters correctly in toon selection screen.

play character, type in an emote that causes movement /dance, /sit, /sleep.

and then polygons/faces freak out and game crashes...or even talk to npc to get quest.

i have tried skipping editing the models in blender to see if its something i do to them. But using the (original.M2+Original.M2i)>New.M2 still crashes the game...so i think my problem is within my converter.



I have done these EXACT steps with M2modv4 and v4.5 with Blender 2.6 to produce edited models for 4.3.4 with absolutely NO problems...no crashes or anything.

Do Wrath models take an extra step or 2 to make them usable in-game?
Thanks in advance for any help i can get with this. A known working 3.3.5a M2mod link would also be appreciated.

[flagg78]

use m2mod4. i think m2mod3 was not complete. it has more bugs. I tried editing the uv maps with it and they came out all messed up no matter what i did. use the m2mod4 on cataclysm models and then convert with CataToLkM2.exe. see if you still have the problem. if you do this remember to save the cataclysm version of your model so you can make edits at another time if need be. i only mention this because i didnt the first time and had to redo allot of stuff.

[boggtroll]

im having a hard time finding this tool for download. Google only gives between 5 and 10 links total and all of those are dead or dont provide DL links :/

Could you post a working link to the CataToLkM2.exe?

EDIT 1: I think i found one on some russian site...ill have to test it out tomorrow.

By the looks of it do i just drag  the model/skins/blp files and drop them on the CataToLkM2.exe and then im all done and ready to put them in to an MPQ for WOTLK?

[flagg78]

just drag the m2 file into it. will spit out the m2_lk and .SKIN_LK files. just remove the _LK and zoom.

http://filebeam.com/3253e247078168596070726645eaa56d

[boggtroll]

Unfortunately this didn't fix my problem. It does let me get the files in game but the models still freak out and crash the game if i type /dance or talk to a quest giver. :/

Ill try using 4.0.6 files instead of 4.3.4. Other than that i have no idea what i could do or what is going wrong.

[flagg78]

the m2mod program only gives you the m2 and skin files. you still need the anim files from the original model. i have had a problem before where i didnt rename the new model. that helped fix some things. it sounds like its loading an animation or skin file that doesnt belong with that model or version of that model.

[boggtroll]

should i treat the M2, SKIN, and ANIM files as 1 file like we do the M2/SKIN even though the m2modv3 doesnt do anything with them?...Because ive tried to go back and extract the original animation files for the m2 and included them in the MPQ. Is this not the right way to do it?

Also (i know something changed with Cata) with 4.3.4 the .anim files arent needed in the files. i AM able to fully model M2s in 4.3.4 with m2modv4 and 4.5. I figured it was the same for m2mod3 and 3.3.5a

And just to be sure. what MPQ should i get my ANIM files from? Ive been getting the ones from patch.MPQ...but i noticed that for player characters .anim can be found in:
Common-2.MPQ
patch-2.MPQ
patch.MPQ

What MPQ should i get my ANIM files from? And am i possibly getting the M2/SKIN files from the wrong one?

EDIT 1: This WAS indeed my problem...i was taking the older files by mistake from patch.mpq and not the patch-2.mpq. Thanks for your help though

[flagg78]

oh cool glad it helped. Im glad because i was trying to figure out how to explain it in more detail and was coming up short. lol