Ultra Modding | Unreal Engine Modding

Making new player model in Unreal Engine

UltraKill — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 14:03:42 GMT

Making new player model in Unreal Engine
In this article you may find 10 step instruction of new player model import to Killing Floor.

1. Open model and prepare it for work.
So we find 3Ds Max model file at the internet and want to import it in Killing Floor. E.g. Dante from Devil May Cry. Firstly you should open 3Ds Max file and prepare it for work. It needs to texture model and optimize its polygon quantity. How to texture model I write this articleabout. The difference is that model have more then one texture.
Polygon quantity optimization needs for keeping game performance. High detailed model may overload game engine or just not be imported. Right model polygon quantity is about 7000 for Killing Floor. If new model has too much polygons it needs to reduce it using Pro Optimizer mesh modifier. Reduce model quality step-by-step then it gets about 7000. Pro Optimizer guide here.

2. Import to scene one of regular Killing Floor player model.
Read here about how to do this.
3. Scale and match new model to regular
Scale and match its positions accurately. If new model has skeleton you should set mesh in regular position right away.

4. Delete regular model and match skeleton to new one.
Delete regular mesh and leave skeleton only, you should delete new skeleton as well. Then using rotate tool only you should match regular skeleton so that bones are inside body mesh parts. It may needs to additional scaling for model body parts. You must make no scaling or moving with skeleton bones! After matching it needs to save scene to separate file.

5. Making preliminary bones binding.
Apply Skin modifier to model and add all bones to it.

6. Check binding quality.
Open ActorXImporter as write here and use Restore Bindpose button on Tools tab. After that model turns to initial position. If some model parts turns to uncommon position (e.g. fingers stick together or limbs bend) you should back to step 4 file and improve skeleton position or back to step 5 and tune bones weigth at Evenlope node of Skin modifier. As soon as you remove bugs you may go to next step.

7. Import regular model again.
As on step 2. You should choose low detailed model better.
8. Attach regular model to new one.

9. Delete regular model.
Delete regular mesh parts from models merging.
10. Export new model with skeleton.
You may read how to here.

That’s all. It only needs to make texture baking and model ready to game test. About texture baking you may read in one of my futher articles.

Source

Making new weapon in Unreal Engine

UltraKill — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 14:19:40 GMT

Making new weapon in Unreal EngineIn this lesson I show you how to make a new weapon for Killing Floor by welder example.

You need all same tools: ActorX Importer for 3ds Max and unreal archive unpacker umodel (download here).
1. Export needed 1st person welder animation and textures (KF_Weapons_Trip.Welder_Trip, KF_Weapons_Trip_T.equipment. Welder_D and KF_Weapons_Trip_T.hands.hands_1stP_military_diff) then open it in 3Ds Max. More detailshere.

2. Add new welder model to scene. Previously it needs to remove all bones from model and pack all textures in one file (read texture baking article).

3. Using Move, Rotate and Scale tools combine models together so that new one looks naturally in hand.

4. Delete old welder and set new welder model material ID to old one. Combine effect mesh with new model. You may test results by playing animations.

If you are making gun weapon then pay special attention to backsight combining and separate weapon parts binding also (magazine, barrel, cartridge)
5. Export obtained model to Killing Floor. Read details here.
6. Repeat steps 1-5 for 3rd person model (KF_Weapons3rd_Trip/ Welder_3rd). If you are making dropped weapon it needs to take care about model static mesh also.

7. Make mutator that replaces regular welder. Create new mutator with 3 files:
NewWelder.uc

class NewWelder extends Welder
dependson(KFVoicePack);#exec OBJ LOAD FILE=NewWelder_T.utx //your textures
#exec OBJ LOAD FILE=NewWelder_A.ukx //your animationsdefaultproperties
{
AttachmentClass=Class'NewWelder.NewWelderAttachment'
ItemName="New Welder"
Mesh=SkeletalMesh'NewWelder_A.NewWelderMesh'
Skins(0)=Texture'NewWelder_T.NewWelder'
}

NewWelderMut.uc

class NewWelderMut extends Mutator;function PreBeginPlay()
{
AddToPackageMap("NewWelder_A");
AddToPackageMap("NewWelder_T");
}function bool CheckReplacement(Actor Other, out byte bSuperRelevant) {
if (Other.IsA('KFHumanPawn'))
{
KFHumanPawn(Other).RequiredEquipment[4] = "NewWelder.NewWelder";
}return true;
}defaultproperties
{
GroupName="KF_NewWelder"
}

NewWelderAttachment.uc

class NewWelderAttachment extends WelderAttachment;defaultproperties
{
Skins(0)=Texture'NewWelder_T.NewWelder'
Mesh=SkeletalMesh'NewWelder_A.NewWelder3rd'
}

Compile and add it to server as NewWelder.NewWelderMut.
I change shader color, make HUD textures yet and see result! Readymade stuff you can purchaise here.

MetalMedved

Killing Floor Skinning Guide

UltraKill — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 15:52:37 GMT

Requirements: Killing Floor SDK

For this example i will be using the british soldier models.

Step 1
-------------------
Launch Killing Floor SDK. When it's open you should see a little box like this

Step 2
-------------------
Now that we got the texture box open lets start a skin. I'm going to do the soldier's as an example. Feel free to skin what you want later
Click on this box and go down to KF_Soldier_Trip_T
Click on the box that says "Heads" and go down to "Uniforms"
scroll down to "brit_soldier_I_diff" and click on its name.
Right click it and select "Export to File"
Save it to where you want. It will save as a DDS so make sure you have something that can open them.
Now open it up with whatever you are going to be using to edit it and go nuts.

Step 3
-------------------
Once you're done with your skin you have to add it to the game.
Go back to KF SDK and go to your texture box.
Click File then Import and find your skin and click Open.
Now you will see this.

If the name is not already brit_soldier_I_diff then change it to that and press Ok.
Now your new texture should be there. If it's not go back and see what you did wrong.
Now click file and save and save it as something different then the original name or the game won't let you play online.
I'll save mine as KF_Soldier_Pink_T

Step 4
--------------------
Now go into your killingfloor/system folder and go down to the model you are wanting to skin. it will be one of the files pictured.

I'm going to do Private_Schnieder. Open it with Wordpad
Change KF_Soldier_Trip_T to the name of your texture's file. I'll be changing mine to KF_Soldier_Pink_T and save it.
Now go into Killing Floor and set your playermodel to the one that you edited.
(Once you edit a skin it will show no model there until you select one. you didn't do anything wrong)
If everything was done correctly it will show your skin.

---
Half-Dead

[Resoureces] Skyrim logo Static Mesh.

UltraKill — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 15:51:10 GMT

Skyrim logo Static Mesh.

Spoiler!