Editing SoC SP levels

[ket]

I'm having a brainfart and googling isn't helping I have all the SP levels extracted to the rawdata folder, everything shows up in the directory from the level editor but I can't remember how to open the SP levels in the SDK, anyone remember how?

[Nightwatch]

What OS you're using? I remember that you mentioned Win 7 before. It could be the reason, quite likely. Xray SDK is quite old for new OSes anymore. I myself use Win 7 64, and the SDK fires up alright ... and that's it! It doesn't do anything, you can chose from the tabs, but that's all, otherwise no response to any commands. It doesn't even exit! So I have to kill its process from the task manager.

if you can find a PC running on -or part install- XP, then you can have a better criteria to evaluate the problems, otherwise on new OS, it's tricky. It's like that since VISTA, I had managed to start and have it function for a limited time on Vista, partly by luck, but it did not continue after I had made a system recovery at some time later. If you find a way to have it function on Win 7 (mine is 64 bit) let me know as well. There well may be a way around it, but I couldn't deal with it as I don't need to use it now. I think the time has come to use some different software for the purpose from now on.

[ket]

For me the SoC SDK works perfectly on my Win 7 SP1 64bit install, I've been editing the particles and so forth without any problems Not even any issue installing the SDK either. When it comes to the SoC levels though I am cheating a bit - I'm opening them with the CoP SDK as CoP still has all the DX9 functions so theres no reason the SoC levels wouldn't load with the CoP SDK. Perhaps the devs built the levels differently for CoP though and I need to decompile the levels entirely in something like Maya first as the CoP SDK asks for a .level file in order to load everything up for the level, the levels for SoC have no such file for them. FYI, heres a sneaky peek at how good I'm getting poor old X-Ray 1.0 looking, dunno what you think, but to me it looks leauges better than even X-Ray 1.6.

[Nightwatch]

Yeah, that looks pretty good
Using the CoP SDK in the way you use is a clever idea. Also, MAYA is definitely the heavy weight in this arena of modding, or in any other case in fact. I use MAYA 2008, plug-in works perfectly. (I wonder if the plug-in would work in the new editions, though, btw.)
As you're dealing with all the SP levels as you say, it seems like you're up to some major works. Would be great to see the end results.

[ket]

Could you upload those maya plugins? I can only find really old plugins that have issues with maya 2008. I've only just started with level editing for SoC, but the terrain will certainly look a lot different as long as I can get to grips with things. I'll also attempt to "sew" some levels together.

[Nightwatch]

OK, here it is:

Attached is the MAYA 2008 plug-in from BARDAK. Great plug-in, works perfect, I've done "that explosion damage APC transition graphics" on MAYA, among few others. Check the read me file, BARDAK explains how to enable the plug-in, if it's a different way of enabling than the ones you've used before.

Attachment re-uploaded with the missing component now included

[ket]

Much appreciated X-Ray is far more powerful than most realise, its just about knowing how to tap into the potential and avoid the bugs. In all honesty though, even with X-Ray 1.0 theres really not any serious engine issues the versions of X-Ray used in CS and CoP are essentially exactly the same just with some DX10/11 stuff bolted on that doesn't even make a huge difference visually. One thing I will look at with X-Ray 1.6 (yes I have plans to overhaul CoP too) is see if the devs fixed being able to use custom scope glass textures without the need to use a whole new texture. If you are curious to know what I mean by this, open up the ltx file for the FN-F2000 and in that file you will find this;

lens_texture = wpn\wpn_crosshair_g36_lens
lens_texture_x = 183
lens_texture_y = 75
lens_texture_w = 648
lens_texture_h = 648

Those paramaters seem to define the ability to stick with one scope texture, but change the lens. The feature doesn't work in X-Ray 1.0, it might with 1.6.

[ket]

I need a little guidance with this Maya plugin, some of what is written in the read me from bardak doesn't make much sence.

- Ive deleted xrayMaya_material
- Copied xrayMayaTools to the plugins folder in the Maya directory

But I don't get what bardak means by;

xray_path.ltx -- into $MAYA_LOCATION\bin (and update $sdk_root$) (specifically, what is he on about by xray_path.ltx and update $sdk_root$)
Disable auto-loading of xrayMaya_export.mll (how is it possible to disable auto-loading?)

[Nightwatch]

OK, It seems I forgot to include the xray_path.ltx file in the folder, sorry. Everything in a big folder, all the plug-ins and such stuff for MAYA and others, I missed it to include. Now, I edited my above post with the attachment and now the attached file contains the previously missing xray_path.ltx. Sorry.

After you've placed the plugin in the described manner, you need to open up the xray_path.ltx and change the first line in accordance with the address of the X-ray SDK\level_editor in your own computer.
So, this:

$sdk_root$ = false| false| c:\program files\x-ray sdk\level_editor\

changes (possibly, as you have the Win 7 64 like I do) to this:

$sdk_root$ = false| false| c:\program files(x86)\x-ray sdk\level_editor\

(please check it on your PC, anyway)

Then, you need to place the xray_path.ltx into MAYA's MAYA_LOCATION\bin, that's it.

RE: on disabling the auto-loading:
I''m not on my PC that I have MAYA, so I can't exactly check the details, but there's a control facility on the plug-in management, on which you can set the plug-ins "load with the start-up, On or OFF." Don't remember the exact wording right now, but it's in this effect anyway. You'll find it. If not, let me know, I'll fire up MAYA when I get back home and check it.

Also, on your previous post, yes, I see your point.

[ket]

Ahh I think I get it now. My first time with Maya, I only messed a bit with 3Ds Max but theres no xray plugins for it really thats why I've switched to maya. I'm still unable to load xraymayatools though >.< Heres what I've done so far;

Extracted xraymayatools to mayas plugins folder
Extracted xray_path (adding $sdk_root$ to the file with the directory path, its not in there by default for whatever reason) to mayas bin folder
Stared maya, tried loading the plugin with the plugin manager and all it says in bottom right corner whenever I try checking the "Loaded" box is "// Error (xrayMayaTools)"

Oh, and yes I've remembered to use forward and not backslashes

ED - I've even now tried using the plugins that you can find with the CoP SDK for maya and even they won't load >_< every other plugin I've tried loads fine though.

[ket]

Nevermind I just installed Maya 2011 with the xray plugin and it all just works now I have to figure out how to save a edited mesh now though. When I tried I got a error message saying "The requested file type does not have write support"

[Nightwatch]

I was just writing you and just before posting it, I saw your post OK, glad that it worked. Also, it's a good news that you saved me from trying to see if the plug-in is working on MAYA 2011. Now I can install it, too.

How did you tried to save the mesh file that MAYA gave that error ( "The requested file type does not have write support" ), I can try to replicate the situation and try to help find a solution.

[ket]

I edited the krovosos mesh (I hate how bloodsuckers have always looked so lanky and weedy... thats the snorks job ) after I edited the mesh I just went File > Save Scene (assuming Maya would automatically pick up on the .ogf file extension and save appropriately) Attached is the xray maya plugin for 2011, it installs exactly the same way as for older versions of maya.

[Nightwatch]

Thanks, got it. Didn't you use the xray_path.ltx when installing MAYA 2011+Xray-plug-in?

I'll try to replicate your save situation on MAYA 2008 then, depending on the outcome, on the 2011 maya as well; let's see.

[ket]

I stuffed the xray plugin into the maya plugins folder then copied the xray_path to the maya bin folder, fired up maya 2011 and presto! We had lift off, plugin loaded fine when I selected it.

[ket]

I found the answer. In Maya 2011 take these steps;

- Save model as .object via "Export All"
- Copy the file to editors\rawdata\objects (remembering to make a folder named appropriately for your "object") of the Stalker CoP SDK directory
- Copy the "object" texture to Gamedata > Textures > Act (if you are editing a character model) this step isn't necessary
- Start the !ActorEditor, open your .object file
- Click File > Export > Export OGF.

You're done!

Phew, it took some time to figure that out lol. What I need to do now is figure out how I can make new textures for models in Maya, and apply model smoothing. I applied model smoothing in Maya (and by god does it make a difference!) but when I open the new model in the CoP SDK it doesn't look like its using the model smoothing, but that might just be the SDK being dumb and the model is fine actually in-game.

[ket]

Just found a fix for the SoC/CS editors. Heres all the info you should need; http://sdk.stalker-game.com/en/index.ph ... _Windows_7

ED - Just tried my new meshes, something is very very wrong. I export the edited model (nothing complex atm while I'm trying to figure out whats going wrong just some mesh smoothing) in Maya 2011 as a xray object, I open the object file in the xray SDK (tried both CoP and SoC) export the object as OGF, try seeing the new model in-game and... CTD. Xray log is empty, but the new OGF file is significantly smaller than the old one. My new one is 132KB (made with SoC Actor Editor), old is 408KB.

Ideas anyone? Beginning to wish I hadn't decide to overhaul the character models

[Nightwatch]

Well, it's obvious that the OGF file you got from the SDK is incomplete in one way or another (the difference in file size indicates that, too) and therefore the Xray engine cannot utilize it, and crashes. I can't say anything serious about MAYA 2011 process of saving/exporting the work to the SoC or CoP SDK, through the 'object' to 'OGF' process, but strictly speaking on the basis of MAYA 2008 workings, I remember that you should be able to export the work directly as OGF, without needing any commissioning work from the SoC SDK. I remember this, because -as I mentioned earlier- my SDK had stopped working on VISTA at that time, after a short working period, and I was not able to use SDK at all, so all my work directly finished on MAYA as full end results. (I still can't fire SoC SDK on my PC) There could be a problem with plugin and/or the way MAYA 2011 utilizes the resources of XraySDK.
If It was me, I would try to test it on MAYA 2008 once again, at least it is a known and proven system in its workings with the XraySDK. I think the xray_path file should work on it (maya 2008).
($sdk_root$ = false| false| c:\program files\x-ray sdk\level_editor\ comes as default as the first line in the file. And you change the c:\program files\ part (possibly) to c:\program files(x86)\ , that's all, without entering any other line. (if your XraySDK is in the program files(x86) folder as it should be in a Win 7 64 system)

The problem may be caused because that MAYA couldn't utilize XraySDK facilities and therefore couldn't process it properly and save it as native OGF file.

Also, a question: have fully uninstalled the MAYA 2008 before installing MAYA 2011? Because on the same PC it's not good to have them both, otherwise some plugins/resources cannot exactly call the correct paths (in MAYA) when they need it.

Weekends are bit hectic for me as many may have the same experiences, believe me weekdays are easier to work on things, anyway, if I have time I'll test open an OGF file and play around with it (don't need to make anything useful or better) and then save it as OGF, and then get back to you.
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PS: The Microsoft SDK help link is a great link.

[ket]

Is there a specific plugin for saving a file as OGF for Maya? I've tried all sorts of different search terms and can't find one. I've uninstalled all SDKs in order to start "fresh" as it were so will have another bash tomorrow. Maya 2011 is also the only version on the system atm.