[QUESTION] Creating Caves?

[venumfox]

The question is the same as the subject, how can I create caves? Like If i wanted to create an instance such as  Stonecore in WOTLK i would need to create a cave, I was wondering if this is possible with Noggit? also if i managed to create a cave would i be able to put an instance portal that would port me in as I walked through it like you would a normal dungeon?

[iindigo]

Caves and indoor dungeons are almost always WMO files, which act as collections of smaller M2 model pieces. This basically means that caves and dungeons are created in 3D software like Blender, 3DS Max, and Maya, not Noggit.

Outdoor dungeons (like Zul'Farrak, Zul'Gurub, and Black Morass) can be created in Noggit, however.

[venumfox]

Caves and indoor dungeons are almost always WMO files, which act as collections of smaller M2 model pieces. This basically means that caves and dungeons are created in 3D software like Blender, 3DS Max, and Maya, not Noggit.

Outdoor dungeons (like Zul'Farrak, Zul'Gurub, and Black Morass) can be created in Noggit, however.

Thanks for the reply, although i'm a little disheartened I guess I could give it a shot, I am an engineering major I make parts with SolidWorks and AutoCad all day, hopefully 3ds or blender, and the other ones aren't to different and difficult

[Steff]

I think the problem in this case is not the modeling of the stuff. But there is no WMO converter. Or do someone know how we all could get to working WMOs?

Its the big missing part in wow modding.

[venumfox]

Is it the structure of the WMO's that is so different? Would there be anyway to convert from .3ds to m2, from m2 to WMO? Or would a whole new converter need to be written? I'm very basic at c++ but I'm up for a challenge and don't mind ruining some files to at least try, any leads as to how it might work?

[schlumpf]

See the documentation for M2s at wowdev.wiki and compare that to the one for WMOs. Yo uwill see that the formats are completely different and the WMO documentation also being pretty full of unknowns  and missings.

[iindigo]

Are the unknowns unknown because the WMO format is difficult to reverse engineer or simply because nobody has dedicated time and effort to figuring it out?

[Steff]

I think both.
Best here to aks would be Tharo. He started an converter, but development stagnates.