doubleshadow's DBOX2 (1.11)

[Julius_Sneezer]

I never ran gmax with game pack.

I compiled it by x2bc -c --cut "dsfsdfs.bod"

I can't yet export any body unless I include the cammera or it nothing happens when I press Export sel. but I'll keep trying.
I'll read that X2 modkit.

The first error message it gave after compiling is No version number.
I looked in other .bod files by egosoft and modders and they didn't have a version number. The only version number was the example bod file on Wiki? Then it gave me some other error about path, but the path was there?

Just out of curiosity, I decompiled then tried to compile egosoft bobs and modders bobs. They decompiled to bod but none would compile to bob?
They kept giving me errors? How can I get mine to work if egosofts and other peoples mods didn't?

by x2bc -c --cut "dsfsdfs.bod"

I'll keep trying, though.

[doubleshadow]

You are confusing 2 things: body and scene

They both have extension .bod or .bob (because there were no scenes back in X-BTF). That's why x2bc needs to know what are you trying to compile.

Decompile "objects\ships\argon\argon_M3.bob" and look at the file. This is a body file. Compare its structure to the scene file "argon_M3_scene.bod". See the difference?

[Julius_Sneezer]

I kept trying different ways to export and compile and eventually it compiled. I havn't been yet able to finish getting it into the game yet.
One of my versions that compiled with no errors was that I
compiled the body with --bob and
scene with --cut.

I've been trying to look at xsp models and have been learning alot, I think they teach me more than anything. I'll keep learning until I finish.

Thanks.

P.s. I can't upload my avatar from my harddrive?

[Julius_Sneezer]

On the wiki tutorial; how to put a ship into x3, one thing I don't understand yet is. It says simply copy the good Mat6 entries from a Teladi TL to your bod file and erase the bad Mat6 entries in your bod?

They seem to look the same to me? Whats a good and bad Mat6 entry?
It doesn't specify.

[doubleshadow]

This above procedure is used by DeadlyDa.
If you save a 3ds max scene and later reload, all information (except textures) are lost from the MAT5 material. When you export such 3ds Max scene to X3 body file, the maerial entries will no longer be the same. However they will still be valid and working afaik.

If you just simply import/export a body, then the materials will be exactly same.

[Julius_Sneezer]

I've been trying to export for a week now and have tried every variation I could think of. I've read every tutorial and forum posting. I believe I did everything correct, so why doesn't it work? The first two days I could export with no errors, now its all errors.

When I could export with no errors, then I couldn't convert it to bob.

Now when I try to export it says;

Runtime error: maximum string length exceeded.

or

Runtime error: cannot get mesh from this object ships\props\cameradummy


When I try to export an Egosoft argon m3 bod it says;

Can't export argon m3 bod maximum string length exceeded.

I had no idea it would be this difficult to simply export something.

I'm using Gmax by the way and I can't afford 3dmax.

Is there something I'm missing here? Could somebody offer some advice please, thanks.

[Julius_Sneezer]

I just remembered I reinstalled dbox 1.7 and I didn't install the 1.7a patch to it for gmax users. Maybe thats why it stopped exporting after two days? I'll retry it when I get home sometime tomorrow.

[TriMagestis]

Hey Doubleshadow - I have a couple of questions about extracting bob / bod files and your x2bc tool (file version 1.0.0.5) - I have been trying unpack some bods so I can play with them in max5 - I have unpacked the ddrs.cat and have a bunch of pbb files - Cycrow tells me I need to unpack them to BOBs - using x2tool I have 'unpacked' them to BOBs and it seems to go ok - when I use your x2bc to convert them to bod files I get an error :

BOB Loader - Error: bob->bodies->body[0]->points->point[152]: Unknown Point head
er (tag).
hull.bob - decompiled with errors

and i end up with a 1k file - then dbox has a dummy spit.
I'm obviously missing something (probably a few marbles ) so if you could help me find my marbles I'd appreciate it...

[doubleshadow]

@TriMagestis:

Download the latest version which is 0.0.9 at the time of this writing.

What program have you used to extract the DDRS catalog? x2tool? I'm courious because X3MM will "unpack" the pbb by default (unless you change the default settings).

[TriMagestis]

Man that was quick! Yes x2tool - originally I read a whole heap of posts and found myself in the X2 modding forums - downloaded a lot of stuff - ran around in circles - bit my dog... Then decided to start asking questions (still looking for my marbles) any way - I have the X3MM - but didn't know it extracted the bobs - I'll give it a go - I'll also grab v9 of x2bc - thanks for your help...

[Cycrow]

yeah i prefer using X3MM to extract the pbb and pbd files.

[Julius_Sneezer]

I finally had some time to try again.

I uninstalled Dbox, then reinstalled and reinstalled patch 1.7a
I created a list to follow.

1. Create ship
2. Convert ship to mesh
3. Apply texture to mesh
4. Place cameradummies, turretdummies etc.
5. Link cammera_1 to object body
6. Save
7. Run DBOX
8. Affect Pivot, Center to Object on each part.
9. Reset Xform. Reset Selected,Collapse
10. Run Listener.
11. Make sure Export is Body
12. Run Glsgrab
13. Select All
14. Export Sel - Body
15. GlSgrab it to M4body.bod
16. Select All
17. Export Sel - Scene.
18. Glsgrab it to M4scene.bod


And it exported with no errors this time.
So I tried X2bc. It ran with no errors on body but scene it contained something I saw before.

looking for dbox xform
not found
rotation: (eulerAngles 0 0 0)

Why? I don't know.

My body file was this...

/# Exported with dbox2 from M4Tbodtest.gmax at 04/10/2006 13:01:39

MATERIAL6: 0; 0; metals\metal_pipes_red_diff.jpg; 0;0;0; 149;149;149; 229;229;229; 0; 0; 10; 0; 0;0;0; 100; NULL;100; NULL;30; NULL;100; NULL;100; NULL;0; // Mtl #1

1859; // body size
// vertices (108)
100000; 0; 0; // 0
93969; 0; 34202; // 1
76604; 0; 64279; // 2
50000; 0; 86603; // 3
17365; 0; 98481; // 4
...
...

0; 107; 93; 91; -17; 1; // 210
0; 107; 91; 90; -17; 1; // 211
-99; 00000000000000000001; // end of part
-99; 0000000000000000; // end of body


In the TS tutorial you mentioned vaguely about "simply copy good Mat 6 over to your file"?

[Julius_Sneezer]

I tried using the x3 editor and modmanager, ship installer etc, but the ship is invisible. I've been reading the forum postings about this and will keep trying.

Thanks everybody for your assistance so far.

[Julius_Sneezer]

I mis spelled my body bod in my scene file. And it worked.
Rock on!

http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k31/J ... ookie2.jpg

http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k31/J ... cookie.jpg


Cookies in Space!

The top turret didn't fire only the bottom one.

Also I tried your 1.80 beta. I'm not sure yet but I think I ran into some problems.

One I think but have to verify these still is that it gave me the message;

"runtime error cannot get mesh from this object cameradummy....

So I converted cameradummy, turretdumm to poly and it worked!

Also I couldn't use Select all, I had to select each one individually it seemed.

I'm very close. Thanks for DBOX.

[rxnnxs]

while i was writing because i had problems with installing DBOX into GMAX 1.2, i alowed the DBOX install to start GMAX (i usually dont do that and start the mainprograms than manually).
i figured that this is the only way to get DBOX running.
i followed your instructions how to get the button into a taskbar because in the utility window DBOX did not show up.
when i clicked the by myself to the taskbar-dragged button, GMAX told me that "DBOX isnt loaded".
maybe your install routine loads it somehow..

anyway, this part work for me. but i think now it is getting really tricky. maybe not.. thanks for this tool

[nailz45]

while i was writing because i had problems with installing DBOX into GMAX 1.2, i alowed the DBOX install to start GMAX (i usually dont do that and start the mainprograms than manually).
i figured that this is the only way to get DBOX running.
i followed your instructions how to get the button into a taskbar because in the utility window DBOX did not show up.
when i clicked the by myself to the taskbar-dragged button, GMAX told me that "DBOX isnt loaded".
maybe your install routine loads it somehow..

if you are still having problems then i might know what to do. i have gmax too and it took me forever to figure out how to load DBOX. i went to the utilities tab then to mxscript, load script the open up the gmax maxscript folder and look for something that says "DBOX startup" or something like that. i also have the latest patch instaled.

[demoneyes]

i keep getting an error saying it "installer cannot find file I:\program files\autodesk\3ds max 9\3dmax.ini. debox cannot be correctly installed continue anyway"
if i continue it acts as it installed but it does dot appear in 3d max max script utilities and the read me says if i hit cancel it does not install the version i am attempting to use is the most curent

[doubleshadow]

i keep getting an error saying it "installer cannot find file I:\program files\autodesk\3ds max 9\3dmax.ini. debox cannot be correctly installed continue anyway"
if i continue it acts as it installed but it does dot appear in 3d max max script utilities and the read me says if i hit cancel it does not install the version i am attempting to use is the most curent

It seems that 3ds Max 9 has different file structure then the previous versions. DBOX installer is looking for the .ini file to find out locations of different data (like what's the name of directory with scripts).

You still should be able to make it running under 3ds Max 9 though:
* Install DBOX into separate directory (like "c:\dbox install"). Installer will warn you twice - ignore the warnings
* Then copy the data from the instalation directory to 3ds Max 9:
* DBOX2 -> [max]\scripts (directory with scripts - .ms files)
* plugins -> [max]\plugins (directory with plugins - .dle, .dlo files)
* dbox2.ini -> [max]\plugcfg (directory with plugin configuration files)
* dbox2_autostart.ms -> [max]\scripts\Startup (.ms files executed during 3ds Max startup)
* doubleshadow's X3 modding doc.chm -> [max]\help (directory with help files - .chm)
* dbox2.chm -> [max]\help
* UI - > [max]\UI (user interface files)
Because I don't know the 3ds Max 9 structure, it is possible that the directory names (or hierarchy) has changed. But if you take a look inside 3d Max structure you should be able to figure it out - or try the 3d Max help.

[Midimaster]

First I want to say thank you for this great tool it is fun to dreate ships and it is great that i can port them with your Tool from / into X3.

But have one really big problem with dbox in gmax, which i couldnt solve by my self. I really tried hardly but I don´t get closer... even there is no solution her in forum (afaik).

whatever i try the Scenes are exported from dbox like this:

looking for dbox xform
not found
rotation: (eulerAngles ...)

the scenes are at least workable if i delete this entries but the rotaions are allways exported wrong. positions are ok..

of course the x form modifier was applied... i tried many different ways.. with changings sizes, collapse the stack, or converting the mesh with the modifier in to a new mesh etc... but that is just relevant for the body, not for the scene...

what i am doing wrong...? theese scene arent even importable to gmax again...

[doubleshadow]

There is a bug in the 0.7 version of DBOX when exporting to MaxScript Listener.

You must delete this 3 lines for every object in the scene from the resulting scene file:

Code: Select all

looking for dbox xform
not found
rotation: (eulerAngles 0 0 0)

Do not apply the dbox_xform modifier! It was experimental feature and it doesn't work correctly.

Little update: Download this fixed file and copy it to [gmax]\scripts\DBOX2 directory (overwrite the original).

EDIT: Don't open the link in Opera as it will show Chineese?? garbage. Save the file directly to disk.