Part 3:  Studiomdl compiling and QC file configuring

Ok Finally where almost to the end of it! :) hmmm its 4 in the morning already here yikes I have been Typing for 5 hours already. And getting all the pictures and stuff.... hmmm. Well atleast this will be on the web by tomorrow :) hopefully. 
Ok this next part will be short because otherwise it will be huge explaining every command that studiomdl has built in it what it does and all the functions there are.....I tell you again if you like my work and send enough support I will write more! 
If not fine I understand :(.. 

Ok QC files remember them from the good old days of quake1? :) well they are very important because it tells Studiomdl.exe where all your files are what animation's you want to include. But I am only gonne tell you the basics of getting you model to MDL format. I am still researching the events and stuff that can be added to bones and certain animation frames. For example 
build a big monster and when it walks you can go and add a sound event at each frame when the foot touches the ground and making it no problem simulating the T-rex as he stomps around and Also trigger his roar. From What I have figured out allot of the actual monster work goes into the QC file. Not like it would usually just be the programmer job to do all the FX. Or there are FX you can add to certain bones ,like lenzflares or glows ,Fx can be spawn at certain areas that you specify in the QC file. I have allot on paper already but i am still researching. There is a good chance that I know more about the QC files then anyone else at the moment then anyone else and i already know how to set up AI controlled bones and setting limits to em :) 

Ok but that's for a later (maybe) tutorial 

So lets finish this one quickly shall we? 

 

Ok here is a QC file at its most Basic. I will go through it line by line. infantry.qc in the 3rd line tells it the qc files name, yes you have to tell it or it becomes upset. In line 7 you see $scale 1.0, So its easy to rescale your model whenever you want to make it bigger. You can even have your model shrink on certain frames if you want to. Like having a animation of a gaspod creature expanding on its death frame, and for morte advance FX you could add a explosion event at the last one. That would make a interesting creature :). Ok back to the QC. In line 9 you have //infantry.smd telling it the filename of your Reference model that you exported out of max. Animation frames are added later in the script. Ok then in line 11 you tell it where you want the final model to be stored. Yes in the new Studiomdl you can tell it what drive you want it installed on also. with the old one you could not , nice add-on. Ok then in line 13 you tell the program to change directory to where your SMD file is. In the next line15 you tell it where the textures are. But you only change the directory again if your textures are in another directory other then the SMD file. Meaning if they are not in the same directory as your model reference frame THEN and only then will you need o tell it to change directory to find the textures. Ok and $body studio tells it the name of your smd file in the directory you specified. 
$origin I am still figuring out but i think for every space it means the X then the Y and the the Z coordenants. Sometimes your model is not centers when its compiled and you can adjust it by changing the origin coordenants. 
Ok go into dosprompt and type in studiomdl and your qc file name. min for the infantry was Studiomdl infantry.qc 

 

See there you go! All in fully working order. Finally I am done! Well that is if enough people want another tutorial. 
I hope this was helpful for all you modeler out there wondering how you where gonne get you work over to half-life :) 
This was fun Typing up and I hope I made it Very easy to understand. 

There everyone's happy now! and I can now get some rest! Its already 4:00 in the morning here...yawwwwwnnnn!! 

Well before i go to sleep would just like to tell you what tutorials I have in mind in the next ones to come. 
1. Better QC file explanation and All of studiomdl's commands explained 
2. Character planning and modeling ,assigning multiple textures and good character mapping 
3. Character texture creating tips and mapping tricks 
4. creating and modifying a Biped for your character animation in 3DSTUDIOMAX2 
5. Animation as a art and expression of the creature you are building. 

OH shit I better stop now or I am gonne have to do all of them! :( arrrgghh..!! 

Well I am still the main modeler for GUNMEN so i am gonne have alot of other stuff to do also besides sitting late in the nights writing tutorials for other people to lazy to figure it all out for themselves :) 

Ok this is Pug Signing off........END!