Galaxies Mesh Suite for Blender

Sumane

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is this another project that has died a sudden death :( I was just about ready to get blender booted up again.
 

Kayliaah

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It's not dead as far as I know, Charina must be busy, though she said last time that she wasn't okay with the way the plugin works, she wanted to redo it from scratch, no doubt it would take a while.
 

tiars

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My excitement about this is to be able to import more items into Poser or DAZ studio. Fortunately once we can get it into Blender I know how to get it over to them.
 

Timbab

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You could just use the 3ds max importer and save them in a different format, then import to Poser.
 

r3x

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Charina, if your still following this thread....this problem bugged me for ages too. I looked at Xunil's code but it led me slightly astray for a while. The key discovery for me was that the skeleton file (skt) quaternions are in W,X,Y,Z order, *not* X,Y,Z,W. You can build a local transformation matrix by multiplying the offset * pre rotation quat * post rotation quat. I don't know how Xunil's code actually works but an identity quaternion (which doesn't modify anything) is (X:0, Y:0, Z:0, W: 1)...so this makes sense. I'm getting skeletons that look correct in my own little SWG exporter project.
 
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I'd like some help with this, if anyone has any experience with it. I followed the directions for installation, but when I try to import one of the .msh files into Blender, nothing happens. Any guidance you can offer on what I might be doing wrong?
 

Drencor

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I just ran across this project. Though it looks like there hasn't been any recent updates to it. Does this project work with the current blender 2.7?
 

Blackadder153

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Sunrunner_Charina said:
It's no secret we all want to improve Star Wars Galaxies. While some forums are only interested in getting our old favorite back, here at Mod The Galaxy, we want to make it better than ever!

But how are we going to do that without TOOLS? Tools, I say, are of the ut-most importance for any extensive modding project, and here at Charina's Modding Emporium, it's tools we're making!

I'm getting pretty close to an alpha release of the Galaxies Mesh Suite for blender. What is the Galaxies Mesh Suite, you ask? It's tools for importing, exporting, and modifying all the mesh types in Galaxies, in Blender 2.5.

The aim here is not just to make another conversion system to change the format to something more workable, but rather, to create a suite of tools that aims to be the DEFINITIVE support for the .MGN, .MSH, and .SKT files of Star Wars Galaxies. I intend to allow support for all aspects of these complicated files, directly editable in Blender.

UV Unwrapping
Female mesh in 3D view

The first release may only include an Importer for .MGN files. While that doesn't sound very useful, it will allow us to analyze the files a little better, and make way more advanced tools (like the .MGN exporter). It also will allow us to leverage Blender's relatively decent UV unwrapping abilities to bake all kinds of texture information into Galaxies meshes. I'll leave you with an example of this, in the form of some modified skin textures in-game;

Early test texture, back tatoo.
Recent test texture, back tatoo & very high-res texture.

I'll need a place to start placing tutorials on how to use the suite once it's available. Suggestions are welcome!
Bummer, Using the latest version of Blender and it won't open the files. I really wanted to do some editing.
 

Kamara

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Blackadder153 said:
Bummer, Using the latest version of Blender and it won't open the files. I really wanted to do some editing.
Easy fix. Go download blender 2.58 https://download.blender.org/release/Blender2.58/

Then get the mtg mesh suite http://www.modthegalaxy.com/forums/mydownloads.php?action=view_down&did=4

Once you've downloaded blender 2.58 open the blender file then> click on the folder 2.58 then>scripts then addons. When it is open drag the io_import_mesh_SWG (from the mesh suite) into the addon's folder. Before closing it out make sure to grab a copy of the "blender.exe for your desktop to execute the program so you don't have to go digging into the folder every time to use it.

Then fire up blender 2.58.
At the top click on> file, then> user preferences, Then> add-ons. Scroll down till you see> import-export: import export SWG file types (.mgn .msh).
check the box.

You should now be able to bring .msh and .mgn objects into blender. "IF" you have to .tre explorer which you need to extract the files from to your desk top to pull them into blender.

I explained this in the simplest terms as I can for "anyone" who might want to take a stab at playing with the content "for the first time". If your more savvy than I was when I first attempted I apologize, and meant no slight to your knowledge or skill level. Truth be told I was very over my head the first time but I kept at it till I figured it out lol.

Another tip I'd like to give is when you extract something from the .tre explorer make a folder (which is an option the .tre explorer offers) and extract the entire chain into it so you can see the textures and shaders for the objects as well. (but requires a DDS plugin). /hats off to the tool makers for those options as well.

From blender you can export in just about every other format to take the objects into other programs.

I hope this was helpful /deepbow.
 

neersux

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Kamara said:
Blackadder153 said:
Bummer, Using the latest version of Blender and it won't open the files. I really wanted to do some editing.
Easy fix. Go download blender 2.58 https://download.blender.org/release/Blender2.58/

Then get the mtg mesh suite http://www.modthegalaxy.com/forums/mydownloads.php?action=view_down&did=4

Once you've downloaded blender 2.58 open the blender file then> click on the folder 2.58 then>scripts then addons. When it is open drag the io_import_mesh_SWG (from the mesh suite) into the addon's folder. Before closing it out make sure to grab a copy of the "blender.exe for your desktop to execute the program so you don't have to go digging into the folder every time to use it.

Then fire up blender 2.58.
At the top click on> file, then> user preferences, Then> add-ons. Scroll down till you see> import-export: import export SWG file types (.mgn .msh).
check the box.

You should now be able to bring .msh and .mgn objects into blender. "IF" you have to .tre explorer which you need to extract the files from to your desk top to pull them into blender.

I explained this in the simplest terms as I can for "anyone" who might want to take a stab at playing with the content "for the first time". If your more savvy than I was when I first attempted I apologize, and meant no slight to your knowledge or skill level. Truth be told I was very over my head the first time but I kept at it till I figured it out lol.

Another tip I'd like to give is when you extract something from the .tre explorer make a folder (which is an option the .tre explorer offers) and extract the entire chain into it so you can see the textures and shaders for the objects as well. (but requires a DDS plugin). /hats off to the tool makers for those options as well.

From blender you can export in just about every other format to take the objects into other programs.

I hope this was helpful /deepbow.
slight problem. tried using the downloads and it only accepts .mgn, not .msh. The thing I'm trying to import is a .msh.
 

duffstone

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I think I still need a guide here, or at the very least some advice.  I'm taking a simple skirt, importing it into blender (skirt_s07_f_l0.mgn).  That works.  I can re-assign the texture to the material, get a good render from within blender, and export to a new mgn file, without errors (but it's tricky).

However, you cannot see the mesh in game.  the inventory item shows up, it can be equipped or unequipped, but as far as the character model is concerned there is nothing to display when you equip it.  

The exported iff is missing some stuff: FORM -> BLTSFORM  FORM  -> FORM ->BLT INFO (X3)

I've tried hacking the IFF file since Sytners editor still doesn't do copy / paste as nicely as tre-explorer / a normal hex editor...  but I'm missing the bit that states the file length, and anytime I add / remove data it crashes the client.   Not knowing off hand what these blocks do, and various copy/paste issues have not yielded good hacking results thus far.

Any idea's here?   All I'm trying to do here is shorten the skirt :)   should be easy if the import / export is working properly, even if the textures and shaders aren't...

-Duff
 

duffstone

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Gonna double post here... This plugin for blender is OH so close to working on a basic level, I just can't figure out what's missing... I've made changes to the meshes (just simply changed the scale in the x direction), exported the mgn file back to my folder, compressed it into a .tre file... and Sytner's editor actually recognizes the model (with the new changes), and the texture from whatever shader I choose to use... It's there! In his editor. :)

But the game either ignores it and gives me a transparent item, or crashes depending upon what hacking I do to the .mgn file. Mostly just gives an invisible object... I'm gonna give up on it until this either matures, or we get a new client.
 

Sytner

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duffstone said:
Sytners editor still doesn't do copy / paste as nicely as tre-explorer / a normal hex editor...
Not to derail this thread but what's the problem? It can copy as hex for pasting into the hex editor or as a string for pasting into a text file. Ctrl+c is bound to the text form, perhaps people would prefer it the other way around?
 

duffstone

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sytner:  ctrl+c & ctrl+p functions aren't that fantastic.  they don't work for datatables (you can copy out to excel for example, but you can't paste back into your editor),  and for hex, I haven't completely figured out what it's trying to do...  example(v3.3.2.0):
this (hex):
726f6f74007370696e6531007370696e6532007370696e6533006e65636b006c636c6176006c61726d0072636c6176007261726d00
Copies out as:
<bh:72><bh:6f><bh:6f><bh:74><bh:00><bh:73><bh:70><bh:69><bh:6e><bh:65><bh:31><bh:00><bh:73><bh:70><bh:69><bh:6e><bh:65><bh:32><bh:00><bh:73><bh:70><bh:69><bh:6e><bh:65><bh:33><bh:00><bh:6e><bh:65><bh:63><bh:6b><bh:00><bh:6c><bh:63><bh:6c><bh:61><bh:76><bh:00><bh:6c><bh:61><bh:72><bh:6d><bh:00><bh:72><bh:63><bh:6c><bh:61><bh:76><bh:00><bh:72><bh:61><bh:72><bh:6d><bh:00>

equals this (string):
root.spine1.spine2.spine3.neck.lclav.larm.rclav.rarm.
copies out as:
root<bh:00>spine1<bh:00>spine2<bh:00>spine3<bh:00>neck<bh:00>lclav<bh:00>larm<bh:00>rclav<bh:00>rarm<bh:00>

But there's no way to paste any of that back into your tool.  again, copying out is feasible with some text editing and parsing, but I haven't found a way to paste anything meaning full back in.

Arioch:
*shrug*  I have what Sunrunner posted.  it works well enough for SIE to show the mesh with the textures and edits, but it's missing all the BLT info, which I'm guessing is necessary for the client to render the object...   so NO... but almost..  very tantalizing...  Unfortuantely it's not in my sphere of workable knowledge so I can't really do anything to improve it.  I just don't understand as much as I'd like about 3d objects, meshes, vertexes, etc...  

-Duff
 

Sytner

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Yeah I agree the copy currently bound to ctrl+c isn't ideal - the ones on the toolbar should be able to do what you want though. I've hopefully made it clearer/more as you'd expect in the new version. I'll see about adding some way of pasting from excel etc too.

Edit: pasting from Excel seems fine for me, even on the current version.
 

fortross

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BLTS sects are related to blend shapes (adoptation of mesh for different body shapes) so loose it will be bad especially for wearables. My tool can export it correctly, but I don't have import option at this moment...
 

duffstone

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fortross said:
BLTS sects are related to blend shapes (adoptation of mesh for different body shapes) so loose it will be bad especially for wearables. My tool can export it correctly, but I don't have import option at this moment...
export it from what?  import into what?   all my results are coming from blender...
 

Timbab

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duffstone said:
sytner:  ctrl+c & ctrl+p functions aren't that fantastic.  they don't work for datatables (you can copy out to excel for example, but you can't paste back into your editor),  and for hex, I haven't completely figured out what it's trying to do...  example(v3.3.2.0):
this (hex):
726f6f74007370696e6531007370696e6532007370696e6533006e65636b006c636c6176006c61726d0072636c6176007261726d00
Copies out as:
<bh:72><bh:6f><bh:6f><bh:74><bh:00><bh:73><bh:70><bh:69><bh:6e><bh:65><bh:31><bh:00><bh:73><bh:70><bh:69><bh:6e><bh:65><bh:32><bh:00><bh:73><bh:70><bh:69><bh:6e><bh:65><bh:33><bh:00><bh:6e><bh:65><bh:63><bh:6b><bh:00><bh:6c><bh:63><bh:6c><bh:61><bh:76><bh:00><bh:6c><bh:61><bh:72><bh:6d><bh:00><bh:72><bh:63><bh:6c><bh:61><bh:76><bh:00><bh:72><bh:61><bh:72><bh:6d><bh:00>

equals this (string):
root.spine1.spine2.spine3.neck.lclav.larm.rclav.rarm.
copies out as:
root<bh:00>spine1<bh:00>spine2<bh:00>spine3<bh:00>neck<bh:00>lclav<bh:00>larm<bh:00>rclav<bh:00>rarm<bh:00>

But there's no way to paste any of that back into your tool.  again, copying out is feasible with some text editing and parsing, but I haven't found a way to paste anything meaning full back in.

-Duff
Right click on highlighted bytes > copy, then paste from the context menu works.

Current state on copy paste keybinding in the Iff Editor is most likely due to a request I had over a year ago, before I started working on SIE myself. It's been mostly used for viewing and copying things out (Hence the multiple types of string outputs on copy, ie raw byte to hex string conversion) because you have templates now to actually edit the chunk.
 

fortross

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duffstone said:
fortross said:
BLTS sects are related to blend shapes (adoptation of mesh for different body shapes) so loose it will be bad especially for wearables. My tool can export it correctly, but I don't have import option at this moment...
export it from what?  import into what?   all my results are coming from blender...
from MGN to FBX. Then it can be imported to Blender (or any other 3D software)...

BTW i just check code of mesh suite - there are no export of blend shapes from blender to MGN
 
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