UE1 - UT Importing UT2K4 Meshes into UE1

[rmcollins3]

I asked this in another forum and didn't get very many responses. Anyway, considering I don't have an external modeling program, what is the best way to import a static mesh from 2k4 into UE1? I've done a work around which works fairly well, but just wondering if someone knows an easier (better?) way.

My method:
1 - Open UED 3.0, insert mesh into level
2 - Convert mesh to brush, then export brush
3 - Open UED 2.0, import brush into level
4 - Add brush after assigning a texture to it
5 - Select the new additive, copy polygons to brush
6 - Export brush again
7 - Convert it to mesh using meshmaker
8 - Re-insert it into level as a new decoration

This takes about 5 minutes to do and works fairly well, but is there a better or simpler way? Obviously want to keep this to a minimum in UE1 games, as they don't handle meshes nearly as well.

 

[War_Master]

from my experience, meshmaker doesnt weld the model together or sets the smoothing groups of the model either, these are essential to all UT meshes or they will look bad or glitch. Also, the uv mapping of the model gets misaligned all the time and maybe very simple shapes will come out right.

So far there is no way of converting ut2k4 meshes for the .3d format that makes them come out properly. If you try Milkshape I would say it always misaligns the uv mapping (skin position) of the model no matter what you do to it to fix it.

 

[meowcat]

Th UV mapping issue is that the model's skin/triangle UV vertex coordinates cannot extend beyond the extent of the skin (e.g. no tiling of the skin). This is because the model format in the Unreal 1 Engine only used two bytes per vertex, one for U and one for V meaning the texture vertex locations only had a resolution of one pixel for a 256x256 skin. Any vertex that extends beyond the edge of the texture will be "wrapped" around to the other side.

Back on topic... no, short of using milkshape3D or 3dsmax that looks to be about the most straightforward way of converting models.

 

[rmcollins3]

Ok cool, and yeah I'm not able to do it for anything too complex, as the textures just become too much of a b*tch to try to align, due to all the triangles. I have been able, however, to use this method to import some nice rocks and stuff, and even the albatross model. Aligning the rock textures isn't too difficult (rotate, align to floor, etc), and of course it's easier if you use just one texture and it's not too complex of a model. Some torches and lamps seem to port over nicely for instance and still look better than anything already in UE1.

Thanks again.

 

[lucifur]

Just an idea

I am a total beginner, so I have been trying to figure that out too,, I been doing the same thing, export out in out in, any way I figured out using milk shape in conjunction with GMAX and converting using GMAX to doom three format, then to milkshape and then out again it works ok but if the poly count is much over 100 polygons it still glitches up the map with brush cuts, oddly enough if you make a round ball in gmax and import it as a brush in to unrealed it works pretty good I don't know why.

so I have attached the file in question and I got it off of a unreal sight, it is a space fighter and was supposed to be a prefab brush but it's in the .DXF format, and I can open it in milkshape and look at it it has over 2000 polygons in it, so I tried to import it as a regular brush just for the hell of it and smoke came out of my computer "LOL", any way I have no idea what to do with a .DXF, file as it relates to unrealed, and as I have seen complex ships ect, in numerous maps too, so if there is any body that can answer that question it would solve the problem. because then all you would have to do is import your mesh into milkshape and convert it to some thing unreal understands.

So in milkshape it gives you the option to save as unreal/ut ".3d" and unreal/ut ".psk" and ".psa", so If i save my work as this file format I can find no were in unrealeditor to import such files, all i can do is "music" "sounds" "brushes" and "textures" and of course "decorations" from meshmaker, so how does one take the autocad fighter jet and convert it to one of the unreal formats, and axially import it?

 

[Gizzy]

My method:
1. Download umodel
2. Use umodel to extract the staticmesh (Will be exported as a .PSK with 1 bone)
3. Open the .PSK in Milkshape and delete the single bone and then export as Unreal .3d
4. Import this into UnrealED 2.0.

I don't know if this method takes longer, as you have to export the textures (Use UTPT)
and then use UCC to compile it all.

Alternative:
Follow steps 1-3 as above, except export as an .OBJ instead
4. Open UnrealED 2.1
5. Import the .OBJ as a staticmesh
6. Realise you don't have 227, so you can't import static meshes.

I use the alternative method for decorations (Trees, shrubbery, buildings etc) but I use Umodel if I'm wanting models that have animations (Weapon and player models)

so I have attached the file in question and I got it off of a unreal sight, it is a space fighter and was supposed to be a prefab brush but it's in the .DXF format, and I can open it in milkshape and look at it it has over 2000 polygons in it, so I tried to import it as a regular brush just for the hell of it and smoke came out of my computer "LOL",

UnrealED almost had a heart attack when I tried to import it. It worked in the end, but it has WAY too many faces (Over 1000) so using this model in Unreal would be rather pointless (Unless you wanted to regroup all the faces and try to texture it)

anyway, I have no idea what to do with a .DXF, file as it relates to unrealed

Go to Brush->Import and find your .DXF then import it.

So in milkshape it gives you the option to save as unreal/ut ".3d" and unreal/ut ".psk" and ".psa", so If i save my work as this file format I can find no were in unrealeditor to import such files, all i can do is "music" "sounds" "brushes" and "textures" and of course "decorations" from meshmaker, so how does one take the autocad fighter jet and convert it to one of the unreal formats, and axially import it?

You need to use UCC to import models into UnrealED 2.0 if you exported it as an unreal .3d file.

Oh, here's your fighter jet back too

 

[lucifur]

wow cool thanks for the reply

quote
----------------------
Follow steps 1-3 as above, except export as an .OBJ instead
4. Open UnrealED 2.1
5. Import the .OBJ as a staticmesh
6. Realise you don't have 227, so you can't import static meshes.
-----------------------------

Ok thats a step in the right direction, darn I wanted to use that fighter jet in my unreal1 map I am working on to do a fly by, really loud and scary about the time the player was jumped by some skaarj warriors, oh well i guess that's out, I was going to make it a triggered mover.

So unrealed 2.1????? whats that, and I just thought I just needed to learn some more stuff, you cant import meshes into unrealed 1 and 2.0, wow that's really a bummer. I have every unreal game ever made, so if there is a unrealed2.1 with one of them i have it?

quote
---------------------------------
I don't know if this method takes longer, as you have to export the textures (Use UTPT)
and then use UCC to compile it all.
---------------------------------

I don't really under stand this part, I used the ucc.exe one time along time ago for the server it wouldn't see some packages and I followed exact instructions to make it find them.

well Thanks for your help, if you have any more comments on how to do those steps with the umodle and compiling with the ucc.exe, feel free to express them.

quote
---------------------------------
You need to use UCC to import models into UnrealED 2.0 if you exported it as an unreal .3d file.
---------------------------------

how do you export a .3d file all I see is export .t3d??? also, so what are the commands to import .3d??

if I ever get smart enough to code I think it would be nice to have a GUI for this stuff.

thanks, lucifur.

PS. I feel very silly, I was very flustered I guess I usually use the .t3d file extension that unreal puts out and it did not even click in my head that the .dxf file was there LOL, to import, I tell you what I do is, I have been using the unrealed2.0 to make brushes and then I export them and pick them up in unreal1 editor it's a lot easier to vertex edit in unrealed 2.0.

 

[Gizzy]

UnrealED 2.1 comes bundled with 227g, the latest community-made patch for Unreal. It's not released yet, but it's almost done. 227 is already way more powerful than UT, It's just a shame v468 (UT patch) probably won't be released. UT with 227's enhancements would be just...wow.

You can use UCC.exe to import raw model files, such as .PSK and .PSA skeletal meshes and animations. Read this, then this to understand more about package structure and compiling with UCC.

You can export models to unreal .3d format in Milkshape, not UnrealED. UnrealED 2 can't export models (Although UnrealED 2.1 can export specific frames of animation as .OBJ files or whole packages as .USM files)

 

[lucifur]

ok thanks

 

[rmcollins3]

Love 227F, just haven't had a chance to play around in the editor as much as I'd like. It's almost like UED3 but easier to manipulate since it maintains the feel of UED2. Guess I'm mainly just waiting on G to come out before I really start playing with it.

 

[Gizzy]

G is almost done, there's just a few more bugs that have recently been found

 

[Gizzy]

If anyone is interested, I could upload the UT2004 weapon models, sounds and textures if someone wants to use them for a Unreal or UT mod.

I tried porting the weapons a while back, but I just got lazy and my laptop is pretty much broken now :/