3D models

From EECH-Central

3D Modeling requires the knowledge of Lightwave 3D.

Contents 1 Objects and scenes 1.1 Objects 1.2 Scenes 1.3 Lightwave file types 2 Exporting 2.1 Exporter problems 3 Importing of objects 3.1 Coverter allowance 4 Importing of scenes 4.1 Coverter allowance 5 Downloads 6 External links 7 See also

Objects and scenes

The key concepts are objects and scenes.

Objects

An object is something immutable.

For example, a wheel is an object. And a wheel cannot be perforated and/or blown out. It's always a round object with some textures applied to it.

Scenes

A scene is a composition of objects.

For example, a car is a scene of car body and 4 wheels. Each of these components is immutable. But they can move relatively to each other, i.e. the rear wheels can be rotated forward and backward, front ones can turn left and right as well.

Lightwave file types

Lightwave stores objects and scenes in different file types.

type	file type	acronyms description
objects	LWO	LightWave Object
scenes	LWS	LightWave Scene

Exporting

The 3D data exporter allows to export all of existing EECH 3D data and textures into set of LWO, LWS and TGA files.

You need to unpack content of this archive into C:\Program Files\Razorworks\COHOKUM\3DDATA directory and run the executable.

The directory _OBJECTS (mind the underscore) will be created along with all the 3D data.

Textures will be placed in C:\TEXTURES directory (where C is the drive where the game is installed). Some textures has several mipmap levels. Each mipmap level is two times (linearly) less than the previous. For example:

COLOUR_PASS.TGA	The biggest texture (64x64 pixels). LWO files refer to it. Zeroth mipmap level.
COLOUR_PASS@1.TGA	The first (after zeroth) mipmap level (32x32 pixels)
COLOUR_PASS@2.TGA	The second level (16x16)
COLOUR_PASS@3.TGA	The third (8x8)
COLOUR_PASS@4.TGA	The fourth (4x4)
COLOUR_PASS@5.TGA	The smallest one (only 2x2 pixels)

Windows Explorer is not a good tool for browsing in 10573 textures, 9442 objects and 2761 scenes. Try something different, like Far.

Warning! Extracting takes relatively much time (about 5-10 minutes). Be patient!

Exporter problems

Created objects and scenes are not 100% accurate. About 98% of information is used.

The following problems (unused information) are known:

• Objects:

  Some of surface features not supported

  • additive
  • luminous

• Scenes:

  Shadows problems

  • Shadow approximation

  Animation problems

  • Texture animation
  • Displacement animation

On exporting a log file eeexplog.txt will be created. That file holds details of these problems.

For details and suggestions please address to developers mail list.

Importing of objects

It is possible to modify existing objects and use them back in Enemy Engaged. It is also possible to import completely new objects (via scenes import, below).

For every object you need to know its name. Every LWO file created by the exporter starts with a 4 digit hexadecimal number. This number is the unique name of the object. You need to place a file with this name and EEO extension into C:\Program Files\Razorworks\COHOKUM\3DDATA\OBJECTS directory (note: no underscore). The existing object will be replaced with the provided one. (For compelete scenes import, it is lightly different.)

The only thing left is to create EEO files. You need a LWO EEO converter for this purpose. The depicted converter is a command-line utility. The name of the program file must be LWO2EEO.EXE. You need to run it as LWO2EEO file_in.LWO file_out.EEO.

The converter has many limitations. If the converter reports something, it means there is a misunderstanding between the converter and LWO file. Send a message to the developers mail list with the file attached to help solving converter issues.

Coverter allowance

• import of polygons

  limitations:

  • polygons must be either lines or planar
  • object must be of one piece: no parts (even if modeler allows it).

• surfaces

  limitations:

  • all of the polygons for each surface must be either lines or planar
  • no more than 256 different points for all of polygons for the single surface
  • all surfaces are treated as two-sided

• surface attributes (color, alpha, luminosity, reflectivity, specularity)

• texture / luminosity texture support (both vertex mapping and discontinuous vertex mapping)
• textures filtering, mipmapping, U/V wrapping
• limited support of texture and liminosity texture animation (only existing animation is supported)
• extra compatibility with Blender (under testing)

This converter is valid only for EECH v1.10+.

Importing of scenes

It is possible to replace existing scenes and add completely new ones.

To replace the scene it is required to create separate directory inside C:\Program Files\Razorworks\COHOKUM\3DDATA\OBJECTS directory (note: no underscore) and put EES and, optionally, EEO files there. EES file must have the name of the scene. Names of original scenes are available using exporter. Every LWS file created by the exporter starts with a 4 digit hexadecimal number, and the name of the scene is everything, goes after the first underscore (for example, file 0001_AH64D_APACHE_LONGBOW.LWS describes scene named AH64D_APACHE_LONGBOW and file AH64D_APACHE_LONGBOW.EES should be used to modify this scene).

Scene describes composition of object, thus objects' file names are found inside. Those files are divided in two parts:

• Original objects

  Those object names are 4 digit hexadecimal number and they exist in the original game

  Those objects may look dissimilar to original objects with those names

  Those objects are expected to be found in C:\Program Files\Razorworks\COHOKUM\3DDATA\OBJECTS directory, otherwise original objects will be used

• Completely new objects

  Those objects names do not allow to correlate with original object (any valid combination of letters, digits and other characters may be used, for example, normal English words)

  Those objects are expected to be found in the same directory where a new scene resides (it's a subdirectory of C:\Program Files\Razorworks\COHOKUM\3DDATA\OBJECTS directory)

  Those objects must exist, because no "original" objects may be used instead of them

The only thing left is to create EES files. You need a LWS EES converter for this purpose. The depicted converter is a command-line utility. The name of the program file must be LWS2EES.EXE. You need to run it as LWS2EES file_in.LWS file_out.EES.

The converter has many limitations. If the converter reports something, it means there is a misunderstanding between the converter and LWS file. Send a message to the developers mail list with the file attached to help solving converter issues.

Coverter allowance

• Objects hierarchy

  limitations

  • Only one root object supported

• LODs
• Collision object

  limitations

  • No more then one collision object is allowed

• Collision flag for subobjects
• Shadow object

  limitations

  • No more then one shadow object is allowed
  • No shadow approximation

• Keyframe animation

  limitations

  • No texture animation
  • No displacement animation

• Named objects
• Cameras with keyframe animation
• Point lights
• Links to other scenes

This converter is valid only for EECH v1.11+.

Downloads

• 3D data exporter
• LWO EEO converter
• LWS EES converter
• textures

External links

• Lightwave 3D

See also

• 3D editing tutorial
• 3D
• 3D Objects internals
• 3D Scenes internals
• Development