Best Headache-Free .MD3 Implementation?

[TheDoomGuy]

Perhaps it isn't possible... but after an embarrasingly long time, I've finally delved into the world of 3D modeling in Blender with much success. However, I'm having a particularly difficult time getting these bastards to show in-game. I used Gelle Szebastzian's Modeldef Generator to import them as .OBJ's in-game and they show perfectly that way, but obviously in that format animations are a no-go. The existing .MD3 Exporter for Blender generates a corrupt .MD3 file, and I even tried Noesis and the texture comes out incorrectly and the animations won't play.

Does anyone know of a fairly streamlined method of creating a model in Blender, animating it, and putting them in GZDoom without wanting to bash ones' head into their keyboard that doesn't involve downgrading to a version of Blender I've never used so that I can use Nash's exporter? Thanks in advance!

[HAL9000]

Because I have it available freely from my work I use Cinema 4D, and this is my framework:

1.) Model and animate in C4d
2.) Export Animation to OBJ sequence (frames)
3.) Convert OBJ sequence (frames) to MD3 Sequence (frames)
4.) Merge MD3 Sequence (frames) into single MD3 Animation.

I never had any issues with this, and it works perfectly
Tools i use:

-Cinema 4D and custom OBJ export script
-Noesis for OBJ-MD# batch conversion
-Quake3 Model tool 1.6.2 for Merging MD3 sequence into single MD3 Animation file

Here is the OBJ export script if anyone here is also using Cinema4D:
(Works with R18/R19/R20, not tested with R21)

---

Code: Select all

import c4d
import os
import subprocess
from c4d import gui

def main():

    # get active document
    doc = c4d.documents.GetActiveDocument()

    # retrieve an instance of render data
    renderSettings = doc.GetActiveRenderData()

    # retrieve fps
    docFps = 30

    # Get Animation Length
    fromTime = 0
    toTime = 30
    animLength = toTime - fromTime + 1

    # prompt user for directory
    filePath = c4d.storage.SaveDialog()
    filePath, objName = os.path.split(filePath)
    objName = objName + "_frame"
    filePath = filePath + "\\"
    # Check for confirmation
    questionDialogText = "Obj Sequence will be saved as:\n\n"\
        "" + filePath + objName + "####.obj\n\n"\
        "From frame " + str(fromTime) + " to " + str(toTime) + " for " + str(animLength) + " frames.\n"
    proceedBool = c4d.gui.QuestionDialog(questionDialogText)

    if proceedBool == True:

        # Loop through animation and export frames
        for x in range(0,animLength):

            # change frame, redraw view
            moveTime = c4d.BaseTime(fromTime,docFps) + c4d.BaseTime(x,docFps)
            doc.SetTime(moveTime)
            c4d.EventAdd(c4d.EVENT_FORCEREDRAW)
            c4d.DrawViews(c4d.DRAWFLAGS_FORCEFULLREDRAW)

            # progress bar
            c4d.StatusSetText("Exporting " + str(x) + " of " + str(animLength))
            c4d.StatusSetBar(100.0*x/animLength)

            # add buffer 0001
            bufferedNumber = str(doc.GetTime().GetFrame(docFps))
            if len(bufferedNumber)<4:
                for x in range(len(bufferedNumber),4):
                    bufferedNumber = "0" + bufferedNumber

            #save file
            fileName = filePath+objName+bufferedNumber+".obj"
            print fileName
            c4d.documents.SaveDocument(doc,fileName,c4d.SAVEDOCUMENTFLAGS_0,1030178)

    else: print "User directed cancel"

    c4d.StatusClear()

    # ask to open containing folder
    viewFilesBool = c4d.gui.QuestionDialog("Do you want to open containing folder?")
    if viewFilesBool == True:
        ('explorer "C:\path\of\folder"')
        subprocess.Popen('explorer ' + '"' + filePath + '"' )
    else:
        return None


if __name__=='__main__':
    main()

Be sure to change Get Animation Length fromTime / toTime to desired values.

===========================================

Maybe the Blender also have some kind of OBJ sequence exporter?
You could try to use Noesis and Quake Model tool if you can export OBJ animation sequence(frames)

I will release a new version of "Zrift Chasm in Doom" soon, you can look at the MD3 & MD2 files there.

[Cherno]

Have you tried exporting to FBX n Blender, then importing that FBX in Noesis?

[TheDoomGuy]

Because I have it available freely from my work I use Cinema 4D, and this is my framework:

1.) Model and animate in C4d
2.) Export Animation to OBJ sequence (frames)
3.) Convert OBJ sequence (frames) to MD3 Sequence (frames)
4.) Merge MD3 Sequence (frames) into single MD3 Animation.

I never had any issues with this, and it works perfectly
Tools i use:

-Cinema 4D and custom OBJ export script
-Noesis for OBJ-MD# batch conversion
-Quake3 Model tool 1.6.2 for Merging MD3 sequence into single MD3 Animation file

Maybe the Blender also have some kind of OBJ sequence exporter?
You could try to use Noesis and Quake Model tool if you can export OBJ animation sequence(frames)

I will release a new version of "Zrift Chasm in Doom" soon, you can look at the MD3 & MD2 files there.

Hmm... I'll try that but using Blender.

Have you tried exporting to FBX n Blender, then importing that FBX in Noesis?

I did, I then exported it as .MD3 but the coordinates were all off and it wasn't visible in-game. *Sigh* This really doesn't want to cooperate with me. I'm about ready to pay someone to bring the .MD3 exporter to the newest Blender at this point...

[Cherno]

If the coordinates were off, the model was not placed at 0,0,0. Note that the model's origin itself is not taken into account, only the scene origin (0,0,0).
If it was rotated wrong, you can pass commands to Noesis to rotate the exported model, such as "-rotate 90 90 180" of the model is oriented to look to z+.
If it wasn't visible in-game, check how the MD3 looks in Noesis. Maybe the model was squashed because it exceeded the 256(?) units limit per axis.

[TheDoomGuy]

If the coordinates were off, the model was not placed at 0,0,0. Note that the model's origin itself is not taken into account, only the scene origin (0,0,0).
If it was rotated wrong, you can pass commands to Noesis to rotate the exported model, such as "-rotate 90 90 180" of the model is oriented to look to z+.
If it wasn't visible in-game, check how the MD3 looks in Noesis. Maybe the model was squashed because it exceeded the 256(?) units limit per axis.

Wow, looks like exporting to FBX, converting to MD3 in Noesis with the rotate command was the magic formula I was looking for. Thank you!!

[Xabis]

you can also try giving this a whirl: https://github.com/Xabis/blender-md3

The release zips are dated, id recommend downloading the source instead.