[All Games] Marvel Mods Modeling Tutorial

[BaconWizard17]

MARVEL  MODS  MODELING  TUTORIAL
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

By BaconWizard17

Table of Contents
Main Content

• Introduction
• Project Folder Setup
• 3ds Max
• Converting igb Files
• Importing Models from Other Games
• 2D Asset Templates
• Textures
• 3D Heads
• Mannequins
• BoltOns
• Other Models (Power and Map Models)
• Skins (Bipeds)
• Skins (Physique)
• Skins (Skin Modifier)
• Exporting Models
• igbFinisher

Supplemental Content

• Supplement 1 - Kitbashing Models
• Supplement 2 - Reducing Polygon Count
• Supplement 3 - Adjusting Model Proportions
• Supplement 4 - Advanced Bipeds
• Supplement 5 - Animated Models
• Supplement 6 - Outlines/Cel Shading
• SUpplement 7 - Skin Segments
• Supplement 8 - fx Bones
• Supplement 9 - Post-Processing for Transparency
• Supplement 10 - Console-Specific Format and Optimization Documentation

What is Covered in This Tutorial
    This tutorial covers how to make custom models for X-Men Legends, X-Men Legends II, Ultimate Alliance, and the n-space (last-gen) versions of Ultimate Alliance 2. This includes skins, mannequins, 3D heads, boltons, power models, and map models. It also covers 2D assets, like conversation portraits (HUDs) and character select portraits (CSPs). The tutorial describes the entire modeling process, broken into steps. Each section will link to subsequent sections that are used by it.

Which File Does What

• Skins: The visual files of the characters. Skins have skeletons that support animations. They are the hardest models to make because of the skeletons. They are used in X-Men Legends, X-Men Legends II, Ultimate Alliance, and Ultimate Alliance 2.
  
  • Required chapters: 2-3; 4 or 5; 7; 12-14; 15-16 (as needed); 17-18; Supplement 1-4 (as needed); Supplement 6-7 (as needed)
• 3D Heads: Also called UI heads, 3D HUDs, etc. They are used only in X-Men Legends and X-Men Legends II. They are the floating heads that indicate which character you're controlling during the game.
  
  • Required chapters: 2-3; 4 or 5; 7-8; 17-18; Supplement 1-3 (as needed); Supplement 7 (as needed)
• Mannequins: They are the models that show up in the character selection screen for Ultimate Alliance and Ultimate Alliance 2. They should be made from a complete or existing skin.
  
  • Required chapters: 2-4; 7; 9; 17-18; Supplement 5 (as needed); Supplement 7 (as needed)
• BoltOns: They are separate models that can be attached to characters in the game. Usually, these are weapons. They are static objects. They can be used in X-Men Legends, X-Men Legends II, Ultimate Alliance, or Ultimate Alliance 2.
  
  • Required chapters: 2-3; 4 or 5; 7; 10; 15 (as needed); 17-18; Supplement 1-2 (as needed); Supplement 5 (as needed); Supplement 7 (as needed)
• Other Models: These are any other 3D models found in the game. This includes models used in powers and those found in maps. They are static objects. They can be used in X-Men Legends, X-Men Legends II, Ultimate Alliance, or Ultimate Alliance 2.
  
  • Required chapters: 2-3; 4 or 5; 7; 11; 15 (as needed); 17-18; Supplement 1-2 (as needed); Supplement 5 (as needed); Supplement 7 (as needed)
• Conversation Portraits (HUDs): Also called hud_heads. These are the portraits that show you which characters are speaking in a conversation. In MUA1 and MUA2, they also show you who you're currently controlling. You should only create HUDs using this tutorial if you want to create them for all consoles. If you're only creating HUDs for MUA1 PC, check out the Alchemy 5 Texture Replacement Method
  
  • Required chapters: 2-3; 6; 17-18
• Character Select Portraits (CSPs): These are the portraits that show you which characters are available in XML1 and XML2. They're not used in MUA1 or MUA2. It's not possible to create these with the Alchemy 5 Texture Replacement Method, so this tutorial is the best way to create them.
  
  • Required chapters: 2-3; 6; 17-18
• Power Icons: These are the textures of the icons associated with character powers. You should only create power icons using this tutorial if you want to create them for all games and consoles. If you're only creating power icons for MUA1 PC, check out the Alchemy 5 Texture Replacement Method
  
  • Required chapters: 2-3; 6; 17-18
• Comic Covers: These are the textures of the collectible comic book covers that are used in XML1, XML2, and MUA1. You should only create comic covers using this tutorial if you want to create them for all games and consoles. If you're only creating comic covers for MUA1 PC, check out the Alchemy 5 Texture Replacement Method
  
  • Required chapters: 2-3; 6; 17-18
• Loading Screens: These are the textures of the screens shown when loading levels in all 4 games. You should only create loading screens using this tutorial if you want to create them for all games and consoles. If you're only creating loading screens for MUA1 PC, check out the Alchemy 5 Texture Replacement Method
  
  • Required chapters: 2-3; 6; 17-18

Next Steps
    The next place to visit is Chapter 2 - Project Folder Setup.

Credits and Thanks
    Special thanks to andersonbrazil, BLaw, Julio Cabral, nikita488, Outsider, Teancum, thetommyboy2002, UltraMegaMagnus, ak2yny, MrKablamm0fish, and all the other wonderful community members who have made this tutorial possible. All the tips and knowledge, whether it's big or small, have been critical to this tutorial, and without the great members that have made tutorials before me or figured out key bits of information, I would've never learned to make custom models. Thank you all. As this community continues to march on and make new content for our beloved games, it's you that have made it possible to pass on this knowledge.

[BaconWizard17]

MARVEL  MODS  MODELING  TUTORIAL
CHAPTER 2: PROJECT FOLDER SETUP

By BaconWizard17

Introduction
    Before you start on your modeling journey, you may want to get a folder set up where you will store all of your modeling projects and files. There are many ways to set up your folder. You may have your own preference on how you want to do it, but I'm going to share my recommendations here to any new people or anyone who wants to change their organization.

GitHub
    GitHub is a platform, often used in code projects, that allows you to host your files in a specific location, share them, and control their revisions. It's also something that can be useful for other project types, like modeling. It's not required to use GitHub for your models, but this is what I do.
    I prefer to use GitHub because I can work on the same files on my laptop and desktop without having to copy them around. It also allows me to revert to older files if I accidentally overwrite them. If you decide to use it, you can follow Using GitHub in Modding Projects to learn how to set up a repository and track your revisions. The repository name can be anything; mine is called BaconWizard17-Custom-Models. I keep it in C:\GitHub. You should also add this .gitignore file to your repository so that it will ignore certain unnecessary file types.
    If you choose not to use GitHub, you can store your custom models in any folder on your computer, but I still recommend something with a shorter file path.

Folders
    Here's how I organize my folders, which you can choose to follow if you wish:

Expand to see steps

    Within my main project folder, I create folders for major asset types:

    The Characters folder is where I do most of my work. Inside, I create a folder for each character:

    And then with a character-specific folder, I create folders for the different asset types used by characters:

    Then sub-folders for each specific asset:

    Within each asset-specific folder, I store the max files, the texture's .xcf source file, and the exported texture:

    Feel free to use and replicate this folder structure for your own project, modify it how you wish, or go with a completely different structure.

Next Steps
    Now that you've got your project folder started, you can get the rest of your tools set up! Proceed to Chapter 3 to learn how to set up 3ds Max.

[BaconWizard17]

MARVEL  MODS  MODELING  TUTORIAL
CHAPTER 3: 3DS MAX

By BaconWizard17

Introduction
    3ds Max is the primary software used to create and export models for X-Men Legends, X-Men Legends II, Ultimate Alliance, and the last-gen versions of Ultimate Alliance 2. However, new versions of the software don't support the plugins for the game's native 3d model format, igb files. The main plugin that's used is the Alchemy 2.5 plugin, which is only compatible with 3ds Max 5.

Installing VirtualBox and the Virtual Machine
    Because 3ds Max 5 is so old, it has to be installed on a virtual machine. A virtual machine is like a virtual computer that's on your regular computer. In this case, the virtual machine runs Windows XP, which is the operating system that 3ds Max 5 runs properly on. This version of 3ds Max is the only one that can be used, and it will not run on Windows 7/Windows 8/Windows 10 PCs. Here's how to get it set up:

Expand to see steps

• You can find the Marvel Mods virtual machine at this link. To download it, go to the download link and click the link that says "H.263" on the right side. This should download a file called MarvelMods.ova.
  
  
• To use the virtual machine, you need a program to run it. For this, you'll need VirtualBox. You can download it on their website. Choose to download the latest version for Windows hosts.
  
  
• Next, you'll need to install VirtualBox. You don't need to change anything for the first Custom Setup screen. For the second, I usually prefer not to have a shortcut in the Quick Launch Bar, but that's up to you.
  
  
• You can install the network interfaces, but it's not required.
  
  
• Proceed with the installation at this screen.
  
  
• When you're asked by Windows if you want to install the software, choose to do so.
  
  
• Go ahead and launch the software after installation.
  
  
• Once the software starts, press the "Import Appliance" button at the top middle of the screen.
  
  
• Locate the MarvelMods.ova file that you downloaded earlier.
  
  
• On the next screen, it's not necessary to change any settings. Just press the "Import" button.
  
  
• Within VirtualBox, click the "Start" button at the top middle to run the machine.
  
  
• If everything was successful, you'll be greeted with the home screen!
  
  

    Now that you've properly installed the VM, you'll have to configure a few things before proceeding.

Configuring the Virtual Machine
    After installing the virtual machine, you'll need to configure a few settings. Here's what to do:

Expand to see steps

    The first thing that you'll need to do is set up a shared folder. This is how you'll get files from your main PC to your VM and vice versa. If you created a GitHub repository, this folder should be your GitHub repository. Otherwise, it's whatever folder you created in Chapter 2. I do not recommend storing any files on the VM. If you have to reset it, you'll lose anything stored on it. All files that you want to use on the VM should be stored in the shared folder, which is hosted on your main PC and accessible by the VM.

• To set up the shared folder, the VM must be shut down. If it's currently on, power it down by going to Machine>ACPI Shutdown.
  
  
• Back in the main window of VirtualBox, select the VM and click on the "Settings" icon.
  
  
• There may already be a shared folder set up for this VM. If there is, go ahead and delete it.
  
  
• Now you can set up your own shared folder. First, press the button to add a shared folder.
  
  
• The Folder Path is the location of the folder on your main PC. The folder name will automatically be populated. You can choose a different one if you want, but it can't have spaces. Also choose to Auto-mount the drive (it saves a lot of headache). Then press OK. This screenshot is outdated, as it doesn't show my GitHub repository, but if you have a GitHub repository from Section 2, choose that.
  
  
• You should now see the folder in the list of shared folders.
  
  
• And when you restart the VM, you'll see that the shared folder appears as a network drive in the file explorer of the VM!
  
  

    Next, you should install the Guest Additions for the VM. This will improve compatibility with your host system and help avoid things like mouse issues or keyboard inconsistencies. It helps by installing the necessary drivers for your VM:

• To install the Guest Additions, go to Devices>Insert Guest Additions CD image....
  
  
• An installer window will appear. Follow along with all the steps. You don't need to change any of the settings.
  
  
• The installation process will likely run for some time, as there are many drivers to install. Once it's done, you'll see the completion window. Choose "Reboot now" and then "Finish." Your VM will restart, and then it will be ready for use!
  
  
• It's a good idea to occasionally reinstall the guest additions to account for any updates in your host PC, especially if you experience issues on the VM.

    The last thing that you'll want to do is create a snapshot of the VM. This saves the state of the VM exactly as it is at the point where you saved it. If you encounter any issues, such as licensing issues with 3ds Max, you can revert to this snapshot, and it will be like going back in time!

• To take a snapshot, go to Machine>Take Snapshot....
  
  
• The "Take Snapshot of Virtual Machine" window will appear. You can change the name or add a description if you want, but it's not required. Press "OK" at the bottom to create the snapshot.
  
  
• To see the current snapshots, click the list icon to the right of the VM name in VirtualBox and choose "Snapshots."
  
  
• To restore a snapshot, click on it and then click the "Restore" icon at the top middle.
  
  

3ds Max Overview
    There are plenty of excellent tutorials that you can find online if you're looking to get more familiar with the 3ds Max user interface. Although most tutorials cover newer versions of the software, the overall layout and structure of the UI and shortcuts hasn't changed much over the years. However, if you're looking for a quick start guide, here's some general information:

Expand to see steps

    To start 3ds Max, double click on the "3ds Max 5" icon on the desktop of the VM.

    When you launch the software, you may get a "Loading Plugins" popup asking about duplicate plug-in paths. You can press "No" here.

    If you get an error that says "A license error has occurred", this likely means that you tried to start 3ds Max too soon after launching the VM. Dismiss the error, wait a little bit, and then try to start the software again. If you keep having issues, restore your snapshot.
    As the tutorial progresses, I'll point out different things in the software that you need to know, such as menus and hotkeys. However, there are a few basic principles that you should know before you set off on your modeling journey.
    Here are some basic hotkeys and mouse controls that will help you with navigating the software. I encourage you to try them all out so that you can get a feel for how to get around. Some of them will only be usable when you have an object in the scene, which you'll learn about in later sections. When you have an object imported, then it'll be a good idea to come back to this section and try some of the hotkeys that require an object.

• Selection (requires an object to be in the scene)
  • Left mouse button click: select
  • Left mouse button click and drag: select multiple objects
  • Ctrl+Left mouse button click: add to selection
  • Alt+Left mouse button click: remove from selection
  • H: select from list
• Camera movement
  • Middle mouse button click: move the camera
  • Ctrl+middle mouse button click: move the camera (faster)
  • Alt+middle mouse button click: rotate the camera
• Zoom
  • Middle mouse button scroll: zoom in/out
  • Ctrl+Alt+Middle mouse button click and drag: zoom in/out with finer control
  • Z: reset zoom
• Camera views
  • Alt+W: change between 1 view and 4 viewports
  • V: bring up the option for different views
  • P: perspective view
  • F: front view
  • T: top view
  • L: left view
  • V then K: back view
  • V then B: bottom view
  • V then R: right view
• Display
  • G: toggle grid
  • F3: toggle wireframe view (requires an object to be in the scene)
  • F4: toggle edged faces (requires an object to be in the scene)
• Right mouse button click: right click menu
• Right mouse button click>Hide Selection: Hide the currently selected selected object(s)
• Delete key: delete the current selection

    Here's are some additional tools related to selection:
   

• Selection Region Shape: Click and hold this icon, and you'll get different selection shape options. This controls the shape of the selection when you click and drag on the screen. The default is rectangular.
• Selection Filter: Allows you to filter by certain object types to make selections easier.
• Window / Crossing: Change if objects not fully within the selection region will be selected. Default is crossing, which will select objects on the edges of a selection.

    When selecting objects, it's important to be careful and take your time. Make sure that you're selecting only what you want. Objects that are selected will always be boxed in by a white outline. Model portions (vertices, edges, faces, polygons, and elements) will always be red when they're selected. If you click on something to select it and it doesn't look like it was selected, make sure that there isn't an object behind it that's being selected.
    Another important set of tools are the transform tools. These are the Move, Rotate, and Scale tools. Here's what they look like:

    When you use one, the axes associated with a model will change to a gizmo. You can click and drag different sides of the gizmo to change the position, rotation, or size of a model. You can also enter values into the boxes at the bottom of the screen.
   

    If you click and hold on the Scale tool, you'll see that it actually has 3 modes: Uniform, Non-Uniform, and Squash. Uniform is useful to scale an object the same amount in all directions. Non-Uniform will scale in only one direction. Squash is not recommended for use, because it's got a cartoonish effect of having the opposite effect on the dimensions you're not scaling.
   

    After finishing transforming an object, always go back to the selection tool so that you don't accidentally transform it further.
   

    You can also change where the center point of the transformation occurs. This is mostly useful for rotation and scaling. To do this, press and hold on the Transform Center icon. There are 3 options: Use Pivot Center, Use Selection Center, and Use Transform Coordinate Center. I recommend only using the first one. It's the default option when you have one object selected. However, with two objects, it defaults to Use Selection Center, so you'll have to change it every time you start 3ds Max.
   

Configuring Modifier Sets
    Before you start modeling, there's one last thing you need to do, which is setting up the modifier sets. This will put all the useful modifiers used throughout this tutorial within easy reach. Here's how:

Expand to see steps

• On the right side of the screen, go to the Modify rollout.
  
  
• Click on the Configure Modifier Sets icon and choose "Configure Modifier Sets."
  
  
• At the top, give your modifier set a name, like "My Tools."
  
  
• Although you can have as many buttons as you want, I recommend that you change the "Total Buttons" number to 6. This will accommodate all of the modifiers that are commonly used in this tutorial.
  
  
• Add the following 6 modifiers to the 6 buttons by dragging them from the list on the left side of the screen: Smooth, Vertex Weld, UVW Xform, Physique, Normal, and Push. The only other modifier commonly used in this tutorial, Alchemy Object Properties, will not stay in the buttons for some reason, so it doesn't benefit you to add it.
  
  
• I usually use 10 buttons, because I have extra ones that are helpful when kitbashing models. Feel free to add any of them or any others that you think you'll need. Here are the ones I use:
  
  
• Once you're satisfied with the modifiers, click "Save" at the top, and then "OK."

Other Tips
    When using 3ds Max, there are a few other tips to keep in mind.

Expand to see steps

• When opening files from other people, if you're using different units from them, you'll get a dialog box that shows the discrepancy. The "File Unit Scale" is the units used in the file. The "System Unit Scale" is the units that you're using currently. When you see this, always choose the "Adopt the File's Unit Scale?" option.
  
  
• After this, if you want to set the file back to the units you use, go to "Customize>Units Setup..." Within that dialog box, go to "System Unit Setup."
  
       
• In the dropdown, pick the units you use, and then press "OK" on that dialog and "OK" on the next one.
  
  

Alchemy 2.5 Finalizer Setup
    The VM comes with a version of Finalizer for Alchemy 2.5, which is the same version of Alchemy that the exporter uses. Although it has limited use cases, it is beneficial in some places. Unfortunately, out of the box, it doesn't always work right, so you'll need to set up a few things to get it working.

Expand to see steps

• Within the VM, go to Start>My Computer.
  
  
• Go to C:\Alchemy\ArtistPack\Finalizer and open alchemy.ini.
  
  
• Change "showViewer" under "[FINALIZER]" to "false". Insight Viewer tends to crash and take out Finalizer with it when opening a model, so this disables it. Save the file and close it.
  
  
• Go to C:\Alchemy\ArtistPack\insight\DX. Right click test.igb and choose "Open With>Choose Program..."
  
  
• Click "Browse" and then go to C:\Alchemy\ArtistPack\Finalizer and choose sgFinalizer.exe. After selecting it, check the box for "Always use the selected program to open this kind of file" and press "OK"
  
  
• Finalizer will open, and you can close it right away.

Next Steps
    Now that you've got 3ds Max properly set up, you can start making models! The next section will depend on the source of your model:

• If you want to take a .igb file from XML1/XML2/MUA1/MUA2 and convert it so that you can edit it in 3ds Max, visit Chapter 4 - Converting igb Files.
• If you're using a model that's been extracted or converted from a different game, visit Chapter 5 - Importing Models from Other Games.
• If you want to create a 2D asset, like a conversation portraits (HUDs) or character select portraits (CSPs), visit Chapter 6 - Creating 2D Assets.

Summary

• 3ds Max 5 is the main modeling software used to make models for XML1, XML2, MUA1, and MUA2. This old version must be used because it supports the Alchemy 2.5 plugin.
• 3ds Max 5 will not run on modern PCs and must be run through a virtual machine. Marvel Mods has one easily available for download.
• For a virtual machine, it's important to set up a shared folder and take a snapshot.
• There are many online tutorials for help with the 3ds Max interface. Most cover modern versions, but much of the UI is the same between the older and newer versions.
• This tutorial has some basic information on getting started with 3ds Max, such as hotkeys.
• You should configure your modifier sets in 3ds Max to ensure that you have all the necessary tools on-hand at any given time.

[BaconWizard17]

MARVEL  MODS  MODELING  TUTORIAL
CHAPTER 4: CONVERTING IGB FILES

By BaconWizard17

Introduction
    To get convert in-game models to a format that can be used in 3ds Max, you can use igbConverter, a tool created by nikita488. These tools are great because they can extract the models in their exact original size with original data preserved.

Prerequisites/Installation
    Before you can start using these tools, here's how to set them up:

Expand to see steps

• First, set up Alchemy 5 by following the Alchemy 5 Tutorial.
• Next, install Noesis, which is used to convert 3D models to different formats.
• After this, download the Alchemy 5 batch tools from ak2yny's release thread. igbConverter is included. Extract this wherever you want it to be.
  
  • igbConverter actually covers 3 different tools depending on the asset type: igbConverter (yes, it's the same name as the main tool), which converts static igb files, actorConverter, which converts skins, and animationConverter, which converts animation files. All 3 tools convert the igb file to an fbx file. The igbConverter batch file automatically selects the correct tool based on the file type.
  
• Finally, download the ActorX Importer Script for 3ds Max 5. Place this somewhere on your VM; it doesn't matter where, as long as you know where it is. You can keep it in your shared folder, but the default location for 3ds Max scripts is C:\3dsmax5\scripts, which is an internal folder to the VM and not on your shared drive.

File Selection
    You can get .igb files from many places. If you have the PC versions of X-Men Legends II or Ultimate Alliance or the Steam version of Ultimate Alliance, the .igb files are available simply within the game files. You can find extracted console assets here.
   For most assets, you only need to convert the asset itself. If you're making a mannequin and want to use a pose from an in-game animation, you'll have to convert the relevant animation file as well.

Converting Files
    Once you've picked which asset you want to convert, you can proceed to converting it! Here's how:

Expand to see steps

• First, drag and drop your chosen file(s) onto igbConverter.bat. This will create a .fbx file with the same name. If the file has textures, they will be extracted too. The GameCube, PSP, and Wii textures can't be extracted by the tool because of their texture format, so nothing will appear. All other consoles except for PS2 use mipmaps; this makes the extraction process a bit slower, so be patient. Certain assets don't use textures at all and will instead use vertex colors. This is common for UI elements or some boltons. At this time, we can't extract that data from the models.
  
  
• Next, open Noesis and navigate to the location of the fbx file. Right click on the file and choose "Export."
  
  
• The "Export Media" window will appear. Here's what to change:
  
  • In the "Destination file(s)", remove "out" from the end of the file name (optional).
  • Change the "Main output type" to ".psk - Unreal ActorX Model."
  • Change the "Additional animation output" to ".psa - Unreal ActorX Animation."
  
• There are two possible issues that may happen when converting the file in Noesis. They will show up if you double click on the file to view it or when you click "Export" in the "Export Media" window:
  
  • If at any point you get a popup that says that the file cannot be opened but can still be exported, this means that the geometry didn't extract. This unfortunately means that the file can't be used. I'm not currently aware of how to address this issue.
  • If the file causes Noesis to crash, you can fix it by re-exporting the file. See the section below titled "Re-Exporting .fbx Files."
• Once the files successfully export, you'll get 1-2 file types:
  
  • A .psk file for skins and static models.
  • A .psa file for skins and animations.
  

    You can now proceed to importing the file!

Re-Exporting .fbx Files
    Sometimes, a .fbx file from igbFinisher will cause Noesis to crash. If you have this issue, it is generally fixable with Blender. Here's how:

Expand to see steps

• Blender is an open-source 3d modeling software. Download it from their website and install it.
• When you start Blender, you'll be greeted with the welcome screen. There, click "General" under "New File."
  
  
• Type A on your keyboard to select the starter objects (a cube, a light, and a camera) and then the Delete key to delete them.
  
  
• Go to File>Import>FBX (.fbx).
  
  
• Navigate to your file and select "Import FBX."
  
  
• Your file will open in the scene. You don't need to do anything to it.
  
  
• Go to File>Export>FBX (.fbx).
  
  
• Navigate to the same folder as the original .fbx file. Give the file the same name and then press "Export FBX." It's okay to overwrite the old file.
  
  

    With that done, Noesis should be able to load your file without crashing!

Importing Files
    With your file properly converted, you can now import it into 3ds Max! Here's how:

Expand to see steps

• First, make sure your .psk file (and .psa file, if applicable) are somewhere within your shared folder. I personally like to have the files in folder called !Resources within the character's folder in my GitHub repository.
  
  
• In your VM, open 3ds Max. Go to MAXScript>Run Script...
  
  
• Locate your ActorXImporter.ms script file. The default script folder is C:\3dsmax5\scripts, but you may have picked somewhere else.
  
  
• Click the "Import PSK ..." button.
  
  
• Navigate to where your .psk file is stored and select it.
  
  
• The file will be imported as one single combined model. Bones will also be imported (a single one for static models, a skeleton for skins).
  
  
• Select the model. On the right side, under the Modify rollout, click on "Editable Mesh."
  
  
• Apply the Smooth modifier and select "1" from the "Smoothing Groups."
  
  
• Apply the Vertex Weld modifier and set a very low value for "Threshold" (I usually do 0.001).
  
  
• Right click on "Vertex Weld" and choose "Collapse To." This will apply the Smooth and Vertex Weld modifiers to the model permanently.
  
  

    From here, there are different steps depending on your asset type:

• Follow Method 1 if you're making a static object (3D head, bolton, power model, map model) or if you're making a custom skin based on a default one (i.e., you will be changing the skin's geometry and/or rigging the skin yourself).
• Follow Method 2 if you're making a mannequin or if you're making small modifications to an existing skin (small corrections to rigging, re-exporting for compatibility with other consoles, changing skin segments, etc.).

Expand to see steps for Method 1

• Select the model. On the right side, under the Modify rollout, right click on "Skin" and choose "Delete."
  
  
• Next, select the model. Invert the selection with Ctrl+I or by going to Edit>Select Invert. This will select all the bones. Press Delete on your keyboard to delete them. For skins, you could keep them to use as a reference when you're creating a biped, but most of the time, that's not necessary.
  
  
• If your model uses multiple textures or requires certain objects to be separate for skin segments, you will need to separate the objects now. Repeat the following steps for for each item that needs to be separated:
  
  • On the right side, under the Modify Rollout, click the plus sign next to "Editable Mesh" and choose "Element." If the object you want to detach is not a single self-contained element, then you'll have to use the "Face" selection mode instead.
    
    
  • Select a part of the model that needs to be separated. In this case, I'm selecting Captain America's shield, because it uses a separate texture and is a skin segment.
    
    
  • Scroll down until you find the "Detach" button. Select it.
    
    
  • You'll be given the option to name the object. Give it a distinct name:
    
    • If it's a skin segment, you'll need to name it appropriately for it to function properly in-game (in my case, "shield_segment"). You can view the model in Alchemy 5 finalizer to see what the segment names should be.
    • If it's just a part of the model that uses a different texture, simply give it a descriptive name. For skins, I prefer to follow a naming convention like the base game, which is "(skin number)_(descriptor)". For the skin number, you can use "12301"; igbFinisher will update any geometry with "12301" in its name to the correct number when processing the skin. You can use any descriptor that properly describes this part of the model. For example, if Captain America's head used a separate texture, I could call it "12301_head."
    
• For skins and 3D heads, the main part of the model can simply be named "12301." For other models, the name can be whatever the file name will be for the game. If this is unchanged from default, the default name can stay.
  
  

Expand to see steps for Method 2

• If your model uses multiple textures or requires certain objects to be separate for skin segments, you will need to separate the objects now. To do this, you basically just need to keep re-importing the model and picking one part to leave behind each time. Repeat the following steps for each item that needs to be separated:
  
  • On the right side, under the Modify Rollout, click the plus sign next to "Editable Mesh" and choose "Element." If the object you want to detach is not a single self-contained element, then you'll have to use the "Face" selection mode instead.
    
    
  • Select a part of the model that needs to be separated. In this case, I'm selecting Captain America's shield, because it uses a separate texture and is a skin segment.
    
    
  • Invert the selection with Ctrl+I or by going to Edit>Select Invert.
    
    
  • Press the Delete key to delete the other parts of the model. Choose "Yes" if you're asked about deleting isolated vertices.
    
    
  • In this case, the shield is left over for the model. Don't touch any of the bones.
    
    
  • Now, give this portion of the model a distinct name:
    
    • If it's a skin segment, you'll need to name it appropriately for it to function properly in-game (in my case, "shield_segment"). You can view the model in Alchemy 5 finalizer to see what the segment names should be.
    • If it's just a part of the model that uses a different texture, simply give it a descriptive name. I prefer to follow a naming convention like the base game, which is "(skin number)_(descriptor)". For the skin number, you can use "12301"; igbFinisher will update any geometry with "12301" in its name to the correct number when processing the skin. You can use any descriptor that properly describes this part of the model. For example, if Captain America's head used a separate texture, I could call it "12301_head."
    
  • Click the "Import PSK ..." button again.
    
    
  • Navigate to where your .psk file is stored (the same one you just imported) and select it.
    
    
  • The same skeleton you imported originally will still be there, but now you have the full model back in addition to the detached model. So in my example, there's a Captain America model with shield attached, and just the shield by itself, and both have rigging data.
    
    
  • Just like before, apply the Smooth and Vertex weld modifiers to the newly imported model.
    
    
  • Then collapse the modifiers.
    
    
  • Again, on the right side, under the Modify Rollout, click the plus sign next to "Editable Mesh" and choose "Element" (or "Face" if needed).
    
    
  • Select the same part of the model that you selected before. In this case, I'm selecting Captain America's shield again. Be sure to select the newly imported version, not the one that was left behind earlier.
    
    
  • This time, instead of inverting the selection, simply delete the model portion. With this, I'm now left with a separate shield and main body model, both of which preserve the rigging data.
    
    
• The main part of the model can simply be named "12301."
  
  
• The following step is only necessary if you're making small modifications to an existing skin or if you're making a mannequin using a pose from a default animation. If you're making a mannequin with a custom pose, you can skip this step.
  
  • Click the "Import PSA ..." button.
    
    
  • Navigate to where your extracted .psa file is. For skins (or any mannequins that you'll create custom poses for), this was extracted with the skin and has the same name as the .psk file. For mannequins that use default in-game animations, pick the animation file you converted.
    
    
  • The "Actor X Import" window will be updated to include the list of animations in the file. For skins/custom pose mannequins, there will be a single animation called "defaultAnimDB." Otherwise, there will be a list of all animations from the animation file. Double click on the appropriate one to load it into the file.
    
    
  • For regular in-game animations, the character should generally fit to the correct pose without any issues.
    
    
  • The defaultAnimDB, however, will sometimes result in the skin looking weirdly deformed. This is normal, and the skin will look correct when exported. This just has something to do with how the rigging data was saved for the specific skin. If you don't do this step, the skin will actually end up looking wrong in-game instead.
    
    
• Next, press H on your keyboard to bring up the list selection. Select the bones named "ActorRoot" and "Motion" and delete them by pressing the Delete key on your keyboard.
  
  

    UltraMegaMagnus has created a video demonstration of this method on his channel.

    Your model is now imported and ready for the next steps!

Next Steps
    Once your model is properly imported into 3ds Max, you can go to Chapter 7 - Textures to learn how to apply textures to your model. Please note that if you are using Method 2 to create a skin, you don't need to follow Chapters 12-14 (although you can check out Chapter 14 for information on how to make changes to the rigging data). After Chapter 7, you can follow Chapters 15 and 16 as needed and then go straight to chapter 17.

Summary

• igbConverter is used to convert in-game models for modification in 3ds Max.
• igbConverter requires Alchemy 5.
• The .fbx files created by the tool must be converted to .psk to import into 3ds Max.
• To import the .psk files into 3ds Max, a script is required.
• .psk files import with skin modifiers and bones. Depending on what you're trying to do, you may need to delete these.

[BaconWizard17]

MARVEL  MODS  MODELING  TUTORIAL
CHAPTER 5: IMPORTING MODELS FROM OTHER GAMES

By BaconWizard17

Introduction
    This section covers how to prepare the models that were ripped from other video games. This section doesn't cover the ripping process, but only discusses how to prepare these models to work in XML1, XML2, MUA1, and MUA2. The method for this section is most useful for skins, 3D heads, BoltOns, power models, and map models. You can't use this for mannequins directly, but you can create a skin with this method and then convert that into a mannequin.

Selecting a Model
    When it comes to selecting models to work with these games, it's important to consider the limitations of the games and the platforms they were released on. These games came out in the mid-2000s, and game design has advanced a lot since then. Many modern games have models with very high polygon counts and high texture resolutions that these games simply wouldn't be able to handle. Here's how to pick models:

Expand to see steps

    The general rule for polygon count for skins is as follows (these rules apply for the appropriate versions of XML1, XML2, MUA1, and MUA2):

• GameCube, PS2, and PSP: 3,000 polygons or less. For the GameCube, the file size of the exported model should be 190kb or less.
• Wii: 5,000 polygons or less.
• Xbox: 8,000 polygons or less.
• Xbox 360, PS3: The extents have not been tested. There is likely a limit, but it's probably high. I would consider 20,000 polygons a safe limit, as the default models are 5,000 to 9,000.
• Xbox One, PS4: Unknown, but likely similar to Xbox 360 and PS3.
• PC, Steam: No limit, but models with extremely high polygon counts (over 100,000) become very difficult to convert into skins.

    Polygon count does contribute significantly to file size, but it's not the only thing that does. Textures definitely contribute as well. For the less powerful consoles (GameCube, PS2, and PSP), igbFinisher (covered in Chapter 18) will automatically scale the texture to the appropriate size in the final model. All other consoles will not be scaled. If you want the model to be compatible with the Wii and Xbox, I would recommend 512x512 as the maximum texture size. The next-gen consoles (Xbox 360, Xbox One, PS3, and PS4) can use a maximum texture size of 1024x1024. The PC and Steam versions can theoretically handle even bigger textures, but at a certain point the added resolution doesn't gain you much other than a huge file size; the characters in the game are never seen up close, so you don't have to worry about extremely fine details. I would also abide by the 1024x1024 limit for the PC and Steam versions.
    It's also important to limit the total number of textures. This can be hard to quantify, because different models have textures of different sizes. Some models come with 20 tiny textures, while some come with one big texture. A good rule of thumb to follow would be that the total texture area shouldn't exceed 150% the individual texture size limit. So for example, the total texture area for the Xbox and Wii would be 768x512, which can be spread across multiple textures. For the next-gen consoles, that limit would be 1536x1024. For the less powerful consoles, textures will be scaled automatically, but the limit would be 150% of the main texture area. So if the main texture is 512x512, then you can use up to 768x512. If the main texture is 256x256, you can use up to 384x256. Just scale appropriately based on the main texture size.
    Here's where you can source models from:

• Models from 5th generation consoles (PlayStation, N64, Genesis) have very low polygon counts. They'll be easy to convert, but the low polygon count may not fit the style of the game well.
• Models from 6th generation consoles (Xbox, PS2, GameCube, Dreamcast) often have lower polygon counts but better detail, so they're perfect for all consoles.
• Models from 7th generation consoles (X360, PS3, Wii) generally have mid-level polygon counts, so they will also be practical for use, but may not work with the weaker consoles.
• For 8th+ generation consoles, Wii U and Switch models tend to have mid-range polygon counts as well, but models from the other consoles (Xbox One, Xbox Series X, PS4, PS5, Switch 2) may have higher polygon counts that would only be suitable for the PC versions.
• Handheld consoles often have low to mid-level polygon counts and are often very practical for conversion to all consoles.
• Models for mobile games also tend to have low to mid-level polygon counts, making them also very practical for conversion, but may not work on the weaker consoles.

    If you don't want to deal with a higher polygon count, or you want your model to work on console versions, you can perform a polygon reduction. More on this can be found in Supplement 2.
    You can find many models already on our site here. You can also find them on sites like DeviantArt and the Models Resources

    For this tutorial, I'll be using Scarlet Witch's Uncanny outfit from Marvel Future Fight.

Converting Model Format
    When picking a model, it's important to keep in mind which format it is. 3ds Max 5 is older and only supports certain formats. Models found online are commonly either .obj files, .fbx files, or .dae files. You can import .obj files with no issues. 3ds Max 5 does have an importer for .fbx files, but nothing will import because this version of 3ds Max uses a much older format of .fbx. It also doesn't include any ability to import .dae files. If your model is in an unsupported format, you'll have to convert it to .obj. Here's how:

Expand to see steps

• First, install Noesis, which is used to convert 3D models to different formats.
• Next, open Noesis and navigate to the location of the .fbx or .dae file. Right click on the file and choose "Export."
  
  
• The "Export Media" window will appear. Here's what to change:
  
  • In the "Destination file(s)", remove "out" from the end of the file name (optional).
  • Change the "Main output type" to ".obj - WaveFront OBJ."
  
• Once the file successfully exports, you'll have a .obj file with the same name.

    You can now proceed to importing the file!
   Generally, .obj is the best format to use for models from other games. The skeleton structure of models from other games typically does not line up with the skeleton used in the game, so the rigging data won't be very useful. If you need to keep the rigging data (mainly useful for more advanced modders), you can convert to .psk format and import that way. You can find information about this process in Chapter 4.

Importing the Model
    Once you've selected your model, it's time to import it into 3ds Max! Here's how:

Expand to see steps

• Once you launch VirtualBox, and 3DS Max within it, you'll want to start a new scene. Be sure to click "New All."
• Go back to your main PC, and copy the file that you're importing to your shared folder with VirtualBox.
• In 3ds Max, go to File>Import. Make sure that the proper format is selected. Navigate to the proper file, and open it. In the case of an .obj import, a box will pop up. You shouldn't need to change any settings. Just press "Okay."
• When you import your model, it might be very small. Move the camera and zoom out until you see it. You can also select it with click and drag and then press Z to zoom fit automatically.
  
  
• Next you can verify the polygon count of your model to ensure that it's where you like it. To do this, save the file, and then go to File>File Properties. A box will pop up. Go to the "Contents" tab and look under "Faces." In this case, the file is around 7600 polys. That works for PC, next-gen consoles, and possibly Xbox, but for other console versions it won't work as well (or at all). If I wanted to reduce it, I could do so as described in Supplement 2, but in this case I won't.
  
  
• Another way to check the polygon count of an individual object is to select it and press "7" on your keyboard. The polygon count will show up in the top left of the screen. But again, this only shows an individual object's polygon count.
• You'll want to make sure that the model is upright and straight. If it's not, use the rotation tools to adjust the model's rotation.
• Now that your model is in the scene, it needs to be scaled up. To properly scale the model, you need to alter the pivot. If your model is in multiple parts, you'll want to do this for each part. Go to the "Hierarchy" rollout, select "Affect Pivot Only," and then at the bottom right of the screen, change its position to 0, 0, 0 using the move tool.
  
  
• Once you've done this, you'll want to scale all of your parts:
  
  • Select every part of your character, and scale them using the Scale tool. Remember that when you have multiple objects selected, the Transform Center settings will change, and you'll need to change them back to "Use Pivot Center". See Chapter 3 in the section called "3ds Max Overview" for more information.
  • If the model is very small, you'll have to drag the scale tool multiple times to get your character big enough. The overall height is less important than the placement of the hips. They should be right around the fourth line up (best seen from the front view of the model).
  • If your character has normal proportions, they'll end up being about 7-8 blocks tall in the viewport. Ideal height is 7.25 blocks in height. However, if your character has unusual proportions (like a cartoon character or someone with very short or long legs), they could end up a different height. The hip placement is all that matters, because that ensures that your character will animate correctly. If the hips are above the fourth line, the character will sink into the floor in-game, and if they're below the fourth line, the character will float above the floor in-game.
  • If you have a character with normal human proportions, and you're struggling to get their height to be 7.5 and their hips at the 4th line, check out Supplement 3: Adjusting Model Proportions.
  
• Also, make sure that your character's feet are touching the base plane of the scene, as shown above. After doing that, adjust the pivot back to 0,0,0 if it isn't already.
• Now that your character has been scaled to the proper size, you'll need to reset XForm to make sure that the scale occurs properly. To do this, select all parts of your model, go to the Utilities rollout, select "Reset XForm", and then "Reset Selected." Then, go to the Modify rollout, right click XForm, and then select "Collapse All." You'll need to collapse each part individually.
  
  
• Now that the model is properly positioned, you'll want to smooth it out to make it look nice. This isn't always necessary on models that you've imported from other games, but it can help. The first thing to do is, under the modify rollout, select the Smooth modifier. Under "Smoothing Groups," select 1. Then, select the Vertex Weld modifier. Set the threshold to 0.001. Reset XForm one more time and collapse all your modifiers.
  Note: Sometimes, having such a small threshold for Vertex Weld won't properly connect every object. However, if it's too big, it could unintentionally attach objects that shouldn't be connected. You can play around with the value to see what looks best for the model. If necessary, you can detach specific parts of the model and use a higher threshold on them to weld them properly, and then re-attach and weld at a smaller number.
  
  
• This made the model look a bit better.
  
  
• After this, it's best to rename the model. The name technically doesn't matter, but I prefer to follow a consistent naming scheme to match the default models. For boltons, power models, and map models, you can use the same name as whatever the final model name will be. For skins, mannequins, and 3D heads, igbFinisher will automatically rename any geometry called "12301" to the character's number. So, you can name the main model "12301" for those file types. If there are any secondary portions of the model already separated, you can name them "12301_(descriptor)." For example, Scarlet Witch's main body can be called "12301," and her face can be called "12301_face."
  
  

Separating Components
    Once the model is in position and smoothed out, it's important to separate the model portions. This is necessary for any characters that have different model parts that use different textures, or for characters that use skin segments.

Expand to see steps

• If you're importing a model from another game, chances are your model is separated properly based on the textures it has. However, characters with weapons or other separate objects that function as skin segments often have those objects split off as separate parts, so you'll need to do that as well. If you're unsure on whether a character needs a certain element to be separate, consult their mod to verify this, check an existing skin in Finalizer, or ask the community.
• I highly recommend detaching the cape if a character has one. It makes the process much easier. Name it "12301_cape".
• Scarlet Witch doesn't have any segments, and portions of her model that use a different texture are already separated, so I'll use Captain America's classic skin from Chapter 4 as an example.
• In this case, Captain America fits both requirements: his shield is a separate object within his mod, and it also has a separate texture. To separate it, go to the Modify rollout, press the black plus sign next to "Editable Mesh," and then select "Element." This allows you to select any closed object within the model, including Captain America's shield. If the object you want to detach is not a single self-contained element, then you'll have to use the "Face" selection mode instead.
  
  
• Select the shield. You'll notice that it glows red, indicating that it's selected. Then press "Detach" under "Edit Geometry." When you detach the object, you're given the option to rename it. For each character, it will depend on their mod as to what you should name it. You can look at the coding of the mod, or pull up their model in Finalizer to look at the different object names. In this case, it's "shield_segment".
  
  

    Your model is now prepared and ready for whichever model type you're creating. Be sure to save your model before proceeding.

Next Steps
    Once your model is properly imported into 3ds Max, you can go to Chapter 7 - Textures to learn how to apply textures to your model. If you want to learn about combining different existing models together, you can also check out Supplement 1 - Kitbashing Models.

Summary

• Modders need to be conscious of the size and level of detail of the model they choose to convert, especially if it's for multiple consoles. Adjust proportions and reduce poly count as necessary.
• Characters must be centered in the scene with their feet touching the plane.
• Characters in a T-pose should be oriented so that they are symmetrical.
• Elements of a model that need to be separate should be separated.

[BaconWizard17]

MARVEL  MODS  MODELING  TUTORIAL
CHAPTER 6: 2D ASSET TEMPLATES

By BaconWizard17

Introduction
    In addition to 3D models, it is possible to create some 2D assets in 3ds Max. Instead of downloading a model online or extracting one from the game, these are all created with pre-made templates.
    Note: this method should only be used if you're creating 2D assets for all consoles. If you're creating 2D assets that are only for MUA1 PC or MUA1 next-gen consoles, then I would recommend the Alchemy 5 Texture Replacement Method tutorial instead.

3ds Max Templates
    To get started, you'll need to get the templates files. Download the files from the release post. Put them somewhere in your shared folder that you can easily access. To get to them, open 3ds Max and go to File>Open. You can save multiple copies for each character or portrait (which is what I prefer to do), or you can just reuse the same template.
    You don't have to do anything fancy to these templates; simply open them, save them where you like, and proceed to adding textures.

Next Steps
    Once you've downloaded the templates, you can start applying textures to them! You can proceed to Chapter 7 to learn more.

Summary

• 3ds Max can be used to create igb files of 2D assets, like portraits.

[BaconWizard17]

MARVEL  MODS  MODELING  TUTORIAL
CHAPTER 7: TEXTURES

By BaconWizard17

Introduction
    Textures are images that are applied to models to give them visual detail. The main type of texture that's used on every model is a diffuse map, which gives the model its main colors and details. Other texture types can be considered "advanced textures."

Exporting Textures
    In order to be able to apply your textures to your model, you must first export them. To learn how to do this, check out the Marvel Mods Aesthetics Tutorial. This tutorial is separate to better capture all of the information for different texture types, but that does not mean that it's optional! After exporting the texture, come back here to learn how to apply them. The scripts covered in this tutorial will export the texture in a way that works properly with 3ds Max.

Applying Diffuse Textures
    After successfully exporting the diffuse texture, you can now apply it in 3ds Max. Here's how:

Expand to see steps

• Open up the .max file of your model.
• On your keyboard, press M. This is the shortcut to bring up the Material Editor window.
  
  
• By default, the window has 6 spheres in a 3x2 grid. Each sphere represents one material. Materials are a combination of one or more textures and associated properties. You'll have one diffuse texture per material. If you want to increase the number of materials that you can see at once, you can go to Options>Options, which will bring up the Material Editor Options window. There, you can change the number of slots under the Slots option. I prefer the 6 X 4 option.
  
  
• To get your texture into a material, open the file explorer within the virtual machine. Locate your texture file, and then drag and drop it into one of the spheres on the material editor. The sphere will show your texture.
  
  • The reason that you should drag the texture from within the virtual machine is because the texture can automatically be updated in all files if it's re-exported from GIMP. However, you may need to close out of the file and re-open it, relaunch 3ds Max, or relaunch the virtual machine if the texture changes don't show up.
  
• After dropping your texture in, under Shader Basic Parameters, change the type from "Blinn" to "Phong." It doesn't seem like it really matters which option is picked here, but the "Phong" setting was passed down from previous skinners, so it's the default that I go to.
  
  
• It's possible to change other settings here.
  
  • The Self-Illumination value can be changed if you want the model to give off its own light and react less to in-game lighting. This can be used on glowing characters for consoles that don't support emissive maps (see the section called "Advanced Textures" below for more information on emissive maps).
  • The Opacity value can be changed if you want the texture to have uniform transparency. For more information on this, see the section below, called "Transparent Textures."
• Once your material is properly set up, you can drag and drop it from the material editor onto your model. Apply the texture to all model parts that use it.
  
  
• If the texture doesn't appear on the model, you can click the "Show Map in Viewport" button to make the material visible on the model.
  
  
• If texture appears scrambled on the model, first make sure that all model parts are correctly separated. Also make sure that you applied the correct texture. If that's all correct, then you can try to flip the texture. You can either flip the texture in GIMP and re-export it, or you can apply the "UVW Xform" modifier and check the "Flip" box for the V direction to vertically flip the texture mapping. If you use the modifier, make sure that you collapse it after.
  
  
• Repeat for the remaining textures.
  
  

    If you need to apply other properties to your model, like transparency or environment maps, proceed to one of the sections below that contain the relevant information. Otherwise, if you're satisfied with the textures that you've applied, proceed to the "Next Steps" section of this chapter to see the next steps.

Transparent Textures
    There are many ways to achieve transparent textures. Here are the different methods:

Expand to see steps

    Transparency can be broadly split into two types: full and semi. Semi transparency can be further split into uniform or non-uniform, and non-uniform semi transparency can be split into discrete and gradient types. These terms are not universal, but this is how I'll be defining them for this tutorial:

• Full: this is when sections of a texture are completely transparent and can be seen through. Often, this is used on textures that have complicated edges, like a ragged cloak. It can also be used when a texture has a hole in it.
  
  • Non-uniform: Full transparency is always non-uniform because if it was uniform, the full model would just be invisible.
• Semi: this is when some or all of a texture is semi-transparent. You can see through it, but the color is still there. This has a variety of uses, such as making something look like it's made out of energy or glass.
  
  • Uniform: Uniform semi transparency is when the entire model is the same level of transparency. For example, Captain America's famous energy shield would be uniformly transparent.
  • Non-uniform: Non-uniform semi transparency is when the different parts of the model have different levels of transparency. This can range from no transparency to full transparency, but there are different levels across the texture. This is less common, but can still be seen with energy effects, light beams, etc.
    
    • Discrete: Discrete non-uniform semi transparency is when there are sections within the texture that are a consistent level of transparency within themselves, but different between each other. For example, if there was a part of the texture that was 0% transparent, another that was 50% transparent, and another that was 100% transparent. This type is fairly uncommon, but it could be seen if a specific part of a character's outfit needs semi transparency while the rest needs none.
    • Gradient: Gradient non-uniform smi transparency is when the amount of transparency gradually transitions over the texture. There will still be different levels of transparency in different areas, but there is a closer transition. A light beam or energy effect would more likely be a gradient.

    Uniform semi transparency is made with the material settings in 3ds Max, so you can choose No for the the "Preserve Transparency" option of the texture exporter in GIMP. In all other cases, the transparency is part of the texture, so it's necessary to choose Yes for the the "Preserve Transparency" option. For discrete non-uniform semi transparency, it may be possible to use a duplicate material and treat it like uniform transparency, but not always. If the different areas of transparency apply to different parts of the model, then it's possible. Otherwise, it's needs to be treated like the other cases.
    Here's how to treat the two cases:

• Uniform semi transparency:
  
  • Apply the texture to the material editor just like you would any diffuse texture. See "Applying Diffuse Textures" for more information.
  • Under the "Basic Parameters", change the value for "Opacity." It's a scale of 0 to 100. Opacity is the opposite of transparency, so 100 means 0% transparency, and 0 means 100% transparency. Most likely, your value will fall somewhere in the middle.
    
    
  • When the opacity is reduced, the model can be harder to see. To compensate for this, set the "Self-Illumination" value above 0 (I recommend 100).
    
    
  • Once the texture is applied to the model, you'll see that it is not fully transparent. Any further changes to the opacity will be shown in real time.
  • For this type of transparency to look right in-game, there are some things that you'll need to do right before exporting, during export, and right after exporting. Even though you'll be doing the steps later, you can familiarize yourself with them now by going to Supplement 9 and reading the section called "Uniform Semi Transparency."
• All other types:
  
  • Apply the texture to the material editor just like you would any diffuse texture. See "Applying Diffuse Textures" for more information.
  • If the texture has non-uniform full transparency, you'll need to visit Supplement 9 (the section called "Non-Uniform Full Transparency") to learn about necessary post-processing for the texture. Otherwise, you don't have to make any other changes!

    And that's all you need to know for transparent textures!

Environment Maps
    Environment maps, also known as reflective maps or cube maps, are textures that give a model the illusion of reflecting the environment around them. They are the only type of advanced textures that are compatible with all consoles, are the only ones that can appear when advanced lighting is off on MUA1 PC, and also the only type that can be set up in 3ds Max directly. Here's how:

Expand to see steps

    There are two different ways to apply environment maps to a model. The first is in 3ds Max, and the other is on a completed model after export. There are different benefits and limitations with each:

• 3ds Max Method:
  
  • Benefits: Compatible with XML1, XML2, last-gen MUA1, and last-gen MUA2; can be applied within 3ds Max; only have to be applied once.
  • Limitations: Not compatible with next-gen MUA1; can't be used with environment masks, which limits the level of control; requires duplicate materials to apply to selective parts of the model.
• After Export Method:
  
  • Benefits: Can (must) be used with environment masks, which gives a better level of control; can be combined with other types of advanced textures; will appear in MUA1 PC regardless of advanced lighting settings.
  • Limitations: Only compatible with next-gen MUA1; have to be re-applied every time you export the model.

    For more information on advanced textures and environment masks, see the section below titled "Other Advanced Textures."
    The next steps depend on whether or not you're applying the textures in 3ds Max. If you're applying them after export (not applying them in 3ds Max), then you can proceed with creating your model or setting up extra textures. After completing the model and exporting it, you can apply them via igbFinisher in Chapter 16.
    If you're applying the texture in 3ds Max, here's what to do:

• Open up the .max file of your character. The diffuse texture should already be set up and applied.
• On your keyboard, press M. This is the shortcut to bring up the Material Editor window (if it's not open already).
• Be sure to click on the diffuse texture that you want to apply the environment maps to. Scroll down in the Material Editor window and expand the Maps tab. If you want to apply the environment maps to only a select part of the model, see the section below called "Duplicate Materials" for more information.
  
  
• The tab expands to reveal a wide range of different maps that can be applied to the model. Most, unfortunately, don't work with the Alchemy exporter and wouldn't be compatible with many console versions anyways. Here, click the checkbox next to Reflection, and then click on the box to the right that says None.
  
  
• The Material/Map Browser window will appear. On the left, make sure that New is selected under "Browse From:." On the right, select "Reflect/Refract," and then press "OK" at the bottom.
  
  
• The Material Editor window will change and will now show the "Reflect/Refract Parameters."
  
  
• First, change the "Source:" from "Automatic" to "From File." The "From File" section at the bottom will no longer be grayed out. At this point, you can click on the box next to "Up:", and the file explorer window will appear. Select the texture that was exported with the "_UP" suffix at the end of the file name and press OK. The other textures will then also be filled out automatically.
  
  
• You'll notice that the preview shown in the material editor window is extremely bright now. It's possible to adjust the intensity of the map. First click on the "Go to Parent" button to back up the main settings of the material. Under the "Maps" section, next to "Reflection," there's a box with a 100 in it. You can change this on a scale of 0 to 100 to adjust the intensity. 15 is a normal level, but you can play around to your satisfaction.
  
  
• The console compatibility types for diffuse textures and environment maps are different, so they won't always line up in 3ds Max. If there are multiple environment maps that use the same diffuse texture, you can either use the duplicate material technique (see below) or just drop in extra copies of the diffuse texture.

Duplicate Materials
    There are some cases where you want to use the same diffuse texture in 3ds Max, but with different properties applied to the different models that use this texture. If you just added multiple copies of the same diffuse texture, you'd end up with an unnecessarily large file size. Instead, you can create multiple materials with the same diffuse texture. Whether it's for self-illumination, transparency, or environment maps, here's how to do it:

Expand to see steps

    To my knowledge, this method only works if the different parts of the model are already separate models. Although there are techniques that can be used to apply multiple materials to different faces of the same model, I'm not familiar with them, and I'm not sure if they work with Alchemy. So, before you proceed, make sure to separate the parts of the model that you want to have different materials. Here's what to do next:

• Open the .max file of your character. Within the material editor window, click on an empty/gray sphere. Click the black X button in in the middle of the screen to clear the material.
  
  
• Scroll down in the Material Editor window and expand the Maps tab.
  
  
• The tab expands to reveal a wide range of different maps that can be applied to the model. Here, click the checkbox next to Diffuse Color, and then click on the box to the right that says None.
  
  
• The Material/Map Browser window will appear. On the left, make sure that Mtl Editor is selected under "Browse From:." You can also choose Scene to filter to anything that's specifically applied to the model. Pick an existing diffuse color map that is the texture that you're trying to duplicate, and then press "OK" at the bottom.
  
  
• The "Instance or Copy?" window will appear. Make sure that Instance is selected, and then press "OK."
  
  
• Click on the "Go to Parent" button to back up to the main settings of the material.
  
  

    You'll now have a new material that uses the same diffuse texture as another material. This process can be repeated as many times as necessary to have different copies of the material with different properties. At this point, you can mess with the transparency/opacity or self-illumination, or add an environment map to this texture.

Other Advanced Textures
    In addition to environment maps, which can be made compatible with all games and consoles, there are several other types of advanced textures that are only compatible with next-gen MUA1 (PC with advanced lighting, Steam, PS3, and Xbox 360): normal maps, specular maps, emissive maps, and environment masks. For a better understanding of which texture type is which (and what they do), check out Chapter 3 of the Marvel Mods Aesthetics Tutorial. These types of textures can't be applied in 3ds Max. Instead, they'll be applied via igbFinisher after exporting your completed model, which is shown in Chapter 16 of this tutorial.

Next Steps
    Now that you've successfully applied the textures to your model, there are several places you can go:

• For 3D heads, proceed to Chapter 8 - 3D Heads
• For mannequins, proceed to Chapter 9 - Mannequins
• For boltons, proceed to Chapter 10 - BoltOns
• For other models (power models and map models), proceed to Chapter 11 - Other Models
• For skins, proceed to Chapter 12 - Skins (Bipeds)
• For 2D assets (conversation portraits/HUDs, character select portraits/CSPs, power icons, loading screens, comic covers, and concept art), proceed to Chapter 15 - Exporting Models, as no further processing is required on these files.

If you're using your model to make multiple different types of assets, you can come back here after completing one of them and start the other. For example: if you're making a 3D head and a skin from the same model, you can first go to Chapter 8 to make the 3D head and follow the subsequent sections that it needs to finish and export it. Then you can come back to this chapter and go to Chapter 12 to use the same model to make a skin.

Summary

• Follow the Marvel Mods Aesthetics Tutorial to learn how to use GIMP and its associated scripts and properly export your textures.
• The diffuse texture is a type of texture used by every model which contains the main color of the model.
• Diffuse textures should be dragged in from the VM's file explorer, not your main PC's.
• Transparency can be achieved in a variety of ways on textures.
• Other advanced textures can be applied to models. Environment maps can be applied in 3ds Max and are compatible with all games and consoles. Others can be applied after export and are only compatible with next-gen MUA1.

[BaconWizard17]

MARVEL  MODS  MODELING  TUTORIAL
CHAPTER 8: 3D HEADS

By BaconWizard17

Introduction
    This section covers how to make 3D heads for X-Men Legends and X-Men Legends II. These are the floating character heads in those games that indicate which character you're controlling.

Trimming the Model
    To start, you'll need to trim away anything that's not part of the head. Here's how to do that:

Expand to see steps

• First, delete any objects that aren't the character's body (such as weapons).
  
  
• Next, select the body of the model. Press the black plus sign next to "Editable Mesh" and select "Vertex."
  
  
• Click and drag to select all the vertices below the neck. If your character has long hair or anything else that extends from their head, do not select that just yet.
  
  
• Delete all of these vertices, and make sure that the head is still intact.
  
  
• Now, go through and delete any remaining portions of the neck or body, so that only the head remains. Again, don't delete hair or any other head protrusions just yet.
  
  
• If your character has long hair, you'll want to trim it down to a length just below their chin. Ponytails can be removed altogether, since they won't be seen. Leave any other elements (horns, helmets, etc) on the head.
  
  
  

Positioning the Head
    After trimming the model, it's necessary to position the model appropriately. Here's how:

Expand to see steps

• To properly position the head, first go to the Hierarchy tab, select Affect Pivot Only, and Center to Object.
  
  
• Then, deselect "Affect Pivot Only" and move the head to 0,0,0 using the move tool.
  
  
• Now, all that's left is to scale the model. Open the Front viewport, select the head, and, using the scale tool, scale it up so it's approximately 3 blocks tall.
  
  
  
• Now, make sure the head is centered the way you like it, and then all that's left is to reset XForm and collapse it!
  
  
  

Next Steps
    The next section to visit is Chapter 15 - Exporting Models.

Summary

• 3D heads are used in X-Men Legends and X-Men Legends II to show which character you're controlling.
• 3D heads do not need to contain any part of the model below the neck. Delete the body parts and trim the hair to be close to the chin.
• 3D heads need to be centered on the origin.
• 3D heads should be approximately 3 blocks tall.

[/list]

[BaconWizard17]

MARVEL  MODS  MODELING  TUTORIAL
CHAPTER 9: MANNEQUINS

By BaconWizard17

Introduction
    This section covers how to make mannequins. These are the character models that appear in the background of the character selection screen in Marvel: Ultimate Alliance and Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2.
    Our YouTube channel has featured a video tutorial that shows the steps for creating a mannequin with a custom static pose. You can find that video here. Some steps slightly differ from this written tutorial, but the principles are the same.

Possible Methods
    Depending on how you want your mannequin to look, there are two possible approaches:

• If you want your mannequin to have a single static pose or a simple floating animation, like the default in-game mannequins, go to the section called "Static Posed Mannequins."
• If you want your mannequin to be animated:
  
  • If you imported an existing in-game animation and don't need to change anything about it, you can proceed directly to the section called "Next Steps."
  • Otherwise, go to the section called "Animated Mannequins."

Static Posed Mannequins
    Mannequins with static poses are the most common, since they're easier to make and resemble the default in-game mannequins. Here's how to make them:

Expand to see steps

• The first step depends on if you're using an existing in-game animation or a custom one.
  
  • Expand to see steps for existing animations

    • With your model and animation imported, scroll along the timeline bar at the bottom until you find the frame that contains the pose that you like. With the pose picked out, you can proceed with the remaining shared steps for static poses.
      
      
  • Expand to see steps for custom poses

    • With your model imported, choose the rotation tool.
      
      
    • Pick one of the bones that you want to rotate. It's best to start at the center of the body and work your way out.
      
      
    • Rotate the bones to get the pose that you're looking for. Once you're done posing the model to your preference, you can proceed with the remaining shared steps for static poses.
• With the pose set, the first thing you want to do is collapse the skin modifier. To do this, select the model, and on the right side, under the Modify rollout, right click on the "Skin" modifier and choose "Collapse To." If the model has multiple separate parts, do this for each one.
  
  
• After this, select all of the bones and delete them.
  
  
• Next, select the move tool. Select all parts of the model, then move them until the head is directly centered in the scene. This may already be the case depending on the animation. This is easiest to see when you have the view minimized.
  
  
• Next, in the Hierarchy rollout, choose "Affect Pivot Only." At the bottom of the screen, make sure that the coordinated are 0, 0, and 0. Then turn off "Affect Pivot Only."
  
  
• After this, go to the Utility rollout and choose "Reset XForm," then "Reset Selected." Do this for each part of the model. Be sure to collapse this modifier after applying it.
  
  
• If the character uses a scale_factor in game, or if you want to scale the mannequin to a custom size, select the scale tool. Type the scale_factor multiplied by 100 in the box at the bottom (so if the scale_factor for the character is 1.1, enter 110). Do this one at a time for each part of the model. You can reset XForm again after this.
  
  
• If the mannequin is in a flying pose and you want it to gently float, here's how:
  
  Expand to see steps

  • At the bottom of the screen, choose the "Time Configuration" button.
    
    
  • Change the "End Time" to 60 and then press "OK." Realistically, you can choose any time you like, but 60 tends to look good.
    
    
  • At the bottom of the screen, click the "Auto Key" button. The screen will get a red border.
    
    
  • Select the move tool and then select all parts of your model. Move the timeline to the first frame.
    
    
  • Move your model into the air, about half a block, and then press the Key button.
    
    
  • Move the timeline to the last frame and then press the Key button again. This will ensure that the first and last frames are the same, giving a seamless looping animation.
    
    
  • Finally, move the timeline to frame 30. Move the model slightly up or slightly down.
    
    
  • Turn off the "Auto Key" option. The red border will disappear.
    
    
  • When you swipe through the timeline, the model will now bob up and down.
    
    
• The mannequin is now complete! You can proceed to the section called "Next Steps."

Animated Mannequins
    Animated mannequins are less common, since they can be more difficult to make, and they're not the default style. However, they can definitely add some extra "pop" to the character select screen. Here's how to make them:

Expand to see steps

• The steps for an animated mannequin depend on where you're getting the animation from. If you you imported a default in-game animation and don't need to change anything about it, then there's nothing to do here, and you can proceed to the section called "Next Steps." If you're making a fully custom animation or customizing an imported one, then these steps will apply. I'll mostly explain the process at a high level, as it can be very specialized depending on what you're trying to do. The 3ds Max documentation has a more thorough introduction to animation concepts. This is for the 2023 version of the software, but many of the concepts will still be the same. You can also find video tutorials online.
• If necessary, you'll need to configure the time of the scene. To do this, click the "Time Configuration" button. Here, you can add/remove frames, or alternatively scale the existing frames to control how long the entire animation plays. Whether and what you need to change here depends entirely on the animation you've chosen. For more information, check out the official documentation. This is for the 2023 version of the software, but this dialog has essentially remained unchanged since the old versions.
  
  
• Next, you can proceed to actually animating the model. First, click on the "Auto Key" button at the bottom of the screen. The screen will be trimmed in red. When this feature is on, the motions that you make with the skeleton are recorded to the timeline.
  
  
• On the timeline at the bottom, scroll until you get to the frame that you want a particular motion to happen. Ideally, start at the beginning and work your way forward in time.
  
  
• At the chosen frame, move or rotate the bones to the position they should be at that point and time.
  
  
• Repeat this process over the timeline to build out your animation. You don't have to move every frame; the software will interpolate the positions in between.
  
  
• If you press the "Play Animation" button at the bottom right corner of the screen, you'll see the animation play out in real time. The animation I made for this demonstration is obviously very simple, but you can make much more complicated animations if you're interested in doing so.
  
  
• With this, your mannequin is now complete! You can proceed to the section called "Next Steps."

Next Steps
    The next section to visit is Chapter 15 - Exporting Models.

Summary

• Mannequins are the models that appear in the Marvel: Ultimate Alliance and Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2 character selection screens.
• There are two ways to make mannequins: with a static pose or with an animated pose.
• Static poses are easier to make and more closely resemble default mannequins.
• Animated poses are harder to make.

[BaconWizard17]

MARVEL  MODS  MODELING  TUTORIAL
CHAPTER 10: BOLTONS

By BaconWizard17

Introduction
    BoltOns are separate models that can be attached to a character through coding in the herostat or powerstyle. Generally, they are weapons of some kind.
    Unlike skin segments, BoltOns are the same across every skin they're attached to. In Ultimate Alliance, you can do power coding with different BoltOns per skin, but any BoltOns not used in powers have to be the same for each skin. In X-Men Legends and X-Men Legends II, BoltOns can not be made skin-specific.
    BoltOns have some advantages. Since one BoltOn works for many skins, this can cut back on repetitively having to make the same skin segments for each new skin for a character. Using BoltOns over skin segments also keeps the total number of skin segments down, which is important because there is currently a limit to how many total skin segment entries can be present in the herostat. Lastly, BoltOns can be used to add elements to a default skin without having to completely re-rig it from scratch. With the ability to now make custom models for consoles, this is less necessary, but still a potential use.
    Note: if an image is too small, click to expand it

Acquiring a Model
    There are 3 different ways to make a BoltOn: from a model converted from the game (like in Chapter 4), from a character model ripped from another game (like in Chapter 5), or simply by getting a model of the object you want to make the BoltOn of (also covered in Chapter 5). In any case, the process is the same, but I'll detail all 3. For the first case, I'll be using Deadpool's sword from his XML2 model; for the second, I'll be using Namor's trident from his Future Fight model; and for the third case, I'll be converting the pistol from Halo: Combat Evolved as a loose model.

Trimming and Preparing the Model
    In order to make a BoltOn, you'll need to make sure that only the weapon part of the model is present. Here's how:

Expand to see steps

• For Deadpool, the sword is currently in his hand, so I'll need to delete the body and other weapons he has. For Namor, the trident is already separate from his body, so I just need to delete his body. The Halo: Combat Evolved pistol is already its own model, so I'll just need to delete its various handlers
  
  
  
  
• Before moving on, it's worth noting that you need to make sure that your model is properly sized as a BoltOn, or it will be hard to see. If it came with a character, scale that character to the normal height described in Chapter 5. If you converted a model from the game, it should be the proper size already. If you're taking a loose model from another game, you'll likely need to adjust the proportions when you test it. Alternatively, you can import the model into a scene with a model you ripped, and scale it to be a comparable size.
  
  • For the Halo pistol, I'll import it into a scene with one of Bishop's pistols, allowing me to compare its size. This should be a good starting point, but I may need to adjust it going forward. Be sure to reset XForm if you're scaling the model.
  Note: The models found in the X-Men Legends/Ultimate Alliance games are often larger than what would be considered "normal" size for the characters. Since the characters are primarily seen from afar (especially in combat), the weapons are made larger to have a greater visual impact.
  
  
• Additionally, be sure to properly name the model before continuing. If you're making a new mod, you can name it whatever you want to name it, but make sure it's descriptive. If you're making it for an existing mod, consult the mod's files to know how to name it. The naming can also depend on the positioning of the model. For instance, Deadpool's sword could be named dp_sword_r, dp_sword_l, dp_sword_l_back, or dp_sword_r_back, depending on where it will be positioned.
• Once you've gotten the model ready, it's time to start positioning it.

Positioning the Model - General
    In this section, I'll explain the general positioning practices for a BoltOn. In the next sections, I'll explain the positioning for BoltOns in the left hand, right hand, and back, which are the most common places for a BoltOn.
    The first time positioning a bolton is always the hardest. For that reason, I always import my model into a file with another BoltOn that I know is properly positioned, and then match its positioning there. In each section below, I'll provide helpful template files to guide you.
    When positioning BoltOns, you have to take into account the bone of the skeleton that you're going to be attaching the BoltOn to. You imagine that bone in the center of the scene, and then you position the BoltOn according to that. Because of this, the BoltOn is generally not centered on the origin. Unfortunately, the orientation of the imaginary bones is somewhat counter-intuitive, so the below examples should help you.

Positioning the Model - Right Hand
    Positioning for the right hand is possibly the easiest bone, as it makes the most sense. Here's how:

Expand to see steps

• From the top view, the hand-held part is close to the origin. It is almost on the x-axis, and about 0.25 blocks away from the y axis in the positive direction.
  
  
• From the front view, the handle should cross the plane, and the top of the handle should be slightly lower than halfway between the origin and the first block. The front of the model should face you in the right view, and the top of the model should be up.
  
  

    Here are some pictures of the various example models oriented correctly:

    And here are some .max files of properly oriented right hand models: Namor's Trident

Positioning the Model - Left Hand
    Left hand models are almost as easy as right hand models, with the only exception being that they need to be mirrored in the z direction. Here's how:

Expand to see steps

• If you've already positioned a model for the right hand, positioning it for the left hand can be easily done with the following procedure. First, select the model, go to the Hierarchy rollout, and select "Affect Pivot Only." Use the move tool to move the pivot to 0,0,0, the origin.
  
  
• Then, select the model, and apply the Mirror modifier. Select Z as your mirror axis. (If the model doesn't properly flip, make sure to reset XForm first). Now, you can just collapse the Mirror modifier, and the model is properly positioned!
  
  

    Here are some pictures of the various example models oriented correctly:

    And here are some .max files of properly oriented left hand models: Namor's Trident

Positioning the Model - Back
    The most common BoltOn spot for the back is on the Spine2 bone. Here's how to position these types of BoltOns:

Expand to see steps

    The positioning of BoltOns here is a bit trickier to explain. The left-to-right center of the BoltOn is generally about half a block in the positive x direction. The top of the model goes in the positive x direction. The front-to-back position should be about half a block in the negative y direction. If you properly position the model in one direction, you can mirror across the Z axis to get the other direction
    Example images better clarify it. The first one is for a sword that sticks out to be grabbed by the right hand, and the second is for a sword that sticks out to be grabbed by the left hand

    And here are the .max files: left-handed

Positioning the Model - Forearm
    If you're creating a new mod, and you have a larger melee weapon and want to use different animations other than Thor's, Corvetterules has come up with a way to bolt a weapon to the forearm to use a larger melee weapon with animations such as Wolverine's. Here's how:

Expand to see steps

The .max file for this weapon

Next Steps
    If you want your BoltOn to have some sort of animation, visit Supplement 5 - Animated Models. If you're making a BoltOn for X-Men Legends or X-Men Legends II, visit Supplement 6 - Outlines/Cel Shading to learn how to add the outline. Otherwise, you can move on to Chapter 15 - Exporting Models.

Summary

• BoltOns are separate models that can be attached to any bone on a character
• One BoltOn will be applied to every skin that a character has
• BoltOns can be acquired from ripped models, imported character models, or their own models
• BoltOn positioning generally requires trial and error, but templates can help you to arrange them properly
• BoltOns can have cel shading added to them

[BaconWizard17]

MARVEL  MODS  MODELING  TUTORIAL
CHAPTER 11: OTHER MODELS (POWER AND MAP MODELS)

By BaconWizard17

Introduction
    "Other models" refers to any other 3D object found in the game. This includes models that are used with powers (such as the shield that Captain America throws), as well as objects found in maps.
    This type of model is generally the easiest to make, as the positioning is almost always consistent.

Acquiring a Model
    Like with BoltOns, there are multiple ways to source an other models. If there's already a standalone object in-game, you can convert it using the steps in Chapter 4. This method can also be used for power models based on skins; you can convert the skin, trim away what you don't need, and then turn that into its own model. Other models can also be acquired from other sources (like in Chapter 5), either on their own or as part of a larger model that you trim down.

Trimming and Preparing the Model
    Like with BoltOns, you should first start by removing anything that you don't need in the scene. You can delete any separate objects or even any attached elements or faces as needed. For more information, check out Chapter 10.

Positioning the Model
    While every model can be a bit different, the positioning of other models is almost always the same. Here's how to do it:

Expand to see steps

• If your model is already positioned in the center of the screen and above the floor, then it's likely already in the right position. If that's the case, you can go straight to the section called "Next Steps." If it's not already centered, or if the initial position doesn't work right in game, follow the steps below.
  
  
• If the pivot point of the model isn't already at the center, you'll have to make that the case.
  
  • Select the model.
  • Go to the Hierarchy rollout and turn on "Affect Pivot Only," which will turn the button purple.
    
    
  • Select "Center to Object."
    
    
  • Turn off "Affect Pivot Only," which will turn the button gray.
    
    
• Move the X and Y coordinates of the part to 0. Adjust the Z so the part sits on top of the grid floor. If the position needs to be different, you can make whatever adjustments are necessary here.
  
  
• Once the part is in the right position, you'll need to adjust its center to the world center:
  
  • Select the model.
  • Go to the Hierarchy rollout and turn on "Affect Pivot Only."
    
    
  • Set the X, Y, and Z coordinates to 0.
    
    
  • Turn off "Affect Pivot Only."
    
    
• Rotate the part if necessary.
• With the model selected, go to the Utilities rollout and choose the "Reset XForm" option.
  
  
• Collapse the XForm modifier.
  
  

Next Steps
    If you want your model to have some sort of animation, visit Supplement 5 - Animated Models. If you're making a model for X-Men Legends or X-Men Legends II, and you want it to have the black outline (only some models in the game do), visit Supplement 6 - Outlines/Cel Shading to learn how to add the outline. Otherwise, you can move on to Chapter 15 - Exporting Models.

Summary

• Other models covers both power models and models found in maps.
• Other models can be acquired from a variety of sources.
• Other models are almost always positioned in the center of the scene.
• Other models can have cel shading added to them.

[BaconWizard17]

MARVEL  MODS  MODELING  TUTORIAL
CHAPTER 12: SKINS (BIPEDS)

By BaconWizard17

Introduction
    This section covers the first part of how to make skins for X-Men Legends, X-Men Legends II, and Ultimate Alliance: the biped. The biped (also called the rig or the skeleton) contains the bones that animate the model. In this section, you'll learn how to position the biped. In later sections, you attach the model to the biped and adjust it, which is what allows the model to actually move.
    Setting up the biped isn't too terribly difficult or time consuming, but it's important to do it correctly. If you don't, the model may not animate properly, or it may look strange or deformed in the game. Taking the time to make a proper biped is important.

Orienting the Model
    Before you begin, you must properly orient your model. Here's how:

Expand to see steps

    First, ensure that the pivot of each object is set to 0, 0, 0. Then, rotate your model so that it faces you in the right view (if it doesn't already), and reset XForm on all objects.

    Once this is done, save your file. Then, save it under a different name to indicate that you're going to add the biped. I usually go with filename_rig.max to help me distinguish between them. Save frequently to ensure that you don't lose any progress.

Biped Templates
    Before creating the biped, it's worth noting that for optimal model performance, it's best to match the default biped structure as closely as possible. The easiest way to do this is with a template. Here's how:

Expand to see steps

    It may not be possible for every model, but you should try to get your model's proportions to match the default biped as closely as possible. Here are the links for the biped templates for default skins. You can use these templates instead of creating the biped from scratch. If the template doesn't match up with your skin perfectly, you can follow the steps in this section to adjust the template, but you don't need to create a biped if you're using one of the templates.

Raven Biped Template - Female
Raven Biped Template - Male
Raven Biped Template - Bulky Characters (patterned off of Juggernaut, will work for other characters like Thing or Hulk for the most part)
   
    If you want to get your character to more closely match the proportions of these bipeds, you can visit Supplement 3 - Adjusting Model Proportions. If your character uses some kind of complex biped (wings, tails, etc), visit Supplement 4 - Advanced Bipeds to get pre-made bipeds that already have the proper bones laid out. It's recommended that you have some experience with skinning before using more advanced bipeds.
    Note: if you download one of these bipeds, you can save them in your shared folder as a separate file. Then go to File>Merge and choose the biped to merge it into the scene with your model.

    If you find that the hips of your model don't line up with the pelvis bone of the biped, you'll need to adjust the proportions of your model. You can try to scale it, but if that makes the model too tall, check out Supplement 3. An easy way to see where the hips are positioned is to select the model and press Alt+X, which will make it transparent. It is common for models from other games to not fit quite right, because XML1/XML2/MUA1 models have longer-than-average legs.
    Note: Default models from X-Men Legends, X-Men Legends II, and Ultimate Alliance won't have this problem, since they were designed with this limitation in mind.
    Before going forward, it's a good idea to make sure that the pelvis bone is centered within the model's torso. Look at the side view of the model, and move the model forwards or backwards on the X axis until the pelvis is centered. Reset all the pivots of your model to 0, 0, 0 once you do. Captain America's already fits, but Scarlet Witch needs to be moved (the images show a new biped rather than the templates, but the concepts shown are the same).

    Lastly, to learn how to position bipeds, you'll need to know about Figure Mode. Figure Mode is what allows you to move and alter your biped in a permanent manner. You can find the button for Figure Mode when you select the biped and go to the Motion rollout. When Figure Mode is on, the button is blue-purple, and any changes you make to the biped are permanent, which is necessary for posing the model. When Figure Mode is off, the button is gray, and any changes are not permanent, which is necessary in later sections. When you turn Figure Mode back on, the biped resumes the position it was in before Figure Mode was turned off.

Figure Mode Off	Figure Mode On

Creating a Biped
    If you chose not to use one of the biped templates, you can create a biped from scratch. Here's how:
   

Expand to see steps

• Now it's time to place the biped. Go to the Create rollout, click the Systems button, and then select biped.
  
  
• The bipeds for these games require a specific structure in order to properly work. First, the Body Type needs to be set to "Classic." Set 1 neck link, 3 spine links, 3 leg links, 0 tail links, 2 fingers, 2 finger links, 1 toe, and 1 toe link. If your character has long hair or a ponytail, give them 2 Ponytail1 links. Otherwise, leave it as 0. Add no other bones to the biped.
  
  
• In order to place your biped, click somewhere in the scene and drag up to place the biped. I usually like to place it close to the origin, and then scale it up to where its chin touches the top of the model's head.
  
  
• Now, with the biped still selected, go to the Motion tab and enable Figure Mode. Figure Mode is what allows you to move and alter your biped in a permanent manner. When Figure Mode is on, the button is blue-purple, and any changes you make to the biped are permanent, which is necessary for posing the model. When Figure Mode is off, the button is gray, and any changes are not permanent, which is necessary in later sections. When you turn Figure Mode back on, the biped resumes the position it was in before Figure Mode was turned off.
  

  Figure Mode Off	Figure Mode On

• Once you've done this, select the Rotation track, and then rotate the biped so it faces forward in the Right view, the same as your model.
  
  
• The positioning of the center of the biped is very important to prevent floating. Select the horizontal move track and enter 0.69 for the X coordinate and 0.0 for the Y coordinate.
  
  
  and then select the Vertical move track and position the biped at a Z coordinate of 41.82. This value must be 41.82, or else your model will float in-game.
  
  
• If you find that the hips of your model don't line up with the pelvis bone of the biped, you'll need to adjust the proportions of your model. You can try to scale it, but if that makes the model too tall, check out Supplement 3. An easy way to see where the hips are positioned is to select the model and press Alt+X, which will make it transparent. It is common for models from other games to not fit quite right, because XML1/XML2/MUA1 models have longer-than-average legs.
  Note: Default models from X-Men Legends, X-Men Legends II, and Ultimate Alliance won't have this problem, since they were designed with this limitation in mind.
  
  
• Before going forward, it's a good idea to make sure that the pelvis bone is centered within the model's torso. Look at the side view of the model, and move the model forwards or backwards on the X axis until the pelvis is centered. Reset all the pivots of your model to 0,0,0 once you do. Captain America's already fits, but Scarlet Witch needs to be moved.
  
  
• The last thing to do before positioning the biped is to rename the forearm bones. By default, they're called "Bip01 R ForeArm" and "Bip01 L ForeArm." However, the animations these games have those bones named "Bip01 R Forearm" and "Bip01 L Forearm" with a lowercase A. If you don't change that, the lower arms won't animate in Ultimate Alliance, and they'll disappear in X-Men Legends II. To fix this, simply select each bone and rename them from "ForeArm" to "Forearm".
  Note: If your version of 3ds Max isn't in English, you may need to rename all of your bones to have the proper name. This will not be an issue for the version included with the virtual machine.
  
  

Posing the Biped - Lower Half
    Now, it's time to pose the lower half of the biped. Proper posing is essential to make sure that your character animates properly. Here's how:
   

Expand to see steps

    Again, to be able to see the biped within the body more easily, select all parts of your model, and press alt+X, making the model transparent.
    To reduce the number of images, I'm going to show all the changes on Captain America's biped only. I'll show an image of Scarlet Witch before and after at the end of this section. The process is the same no matter which character you're using. Just make sure to line everything up, and don't be afraid to tweak it.
    I always begin with the lower body, and do the upper body after.

• The first bone to mess with is the pelvis. First, you want to make it vertically thin using the scale tool. Not paper thin, but much thinner than it is now. As needed, adjust its width to make sure that the thigh bones will go through the thighs. You may need to adjust it later, depending on the legs.
  
  
• After this, select either thigh. Go to the Track Selection and choose Symmetrical. This allows you to edit both thighs at the same time, mirrored from one another. Looking at the side, pivot the thighs so that they go through the knees, and looking at the front, pivot the thighs so that the leg bones go straight through the knees and ankles. At this stage, it may be necessary to adjust the Pelvis width to make sure the leg bones go through properly. Lastly, adjust the length of the thighs so that the joint is on the knees.
  
  
  
  
• You'll want to do the same with the calves. From the side (with the Symmetry track selected), pivot them so they cross through the ankles, and then shorten them to touch the ankles. Default XML1/XML2/MUA1 models have a slight bend in their knee, but other models may not necessarily.
  
  
• Once you've done this, select the thighs again, and pivot them in or out to make sure they line up with the direction of the knees (if necessary).
  
  
• With the feet, select them with the Symmetry track, and pivot them to align with the feet of the model. The bottoms should stay flat. From the side, adjust the height of the feet so that they touch the plane. Then, for the length, look at the bottom of the feet with wireframe mode (enable by pressing F3). Find a place where there's a line across or at least a vertex on the side of the feet, and make the foot bone that long.
  
  
  
• If the feet don't quite fit in the space, go back through and tweak the position of the upper bones, so that everything properly lines up.
  
  
• For the toes, just scale them until they fill the toe area of the character.
  
  
• Once you've ensured that the legs are properly placed, you can adjust their thickness so they fit the model. It's okay to make them thicker than the model, but make sure that the thighs and calves don't cross over one another.
  
  

    This completes the posing of the bottom half of the biped. Here are a few shots of Scarlet Witch to show how I posed her:

    Once you've gotten the lower half of your character posed, proceed below to learn about posing the upper half.

Posing the Biped - Upper Half
    After posing the lower half of the biped, you can continue by posing the upper half. Here's how:
   

Expand to see steps

• Before continuing, make sure to save your file if you haven't already. Save your work frequently while making skins to make sure you don't lose any progress.
• Once you've gotten the legs positioned, you'll want to get the spine in place. Begin with Bip01 Spine, the lowest bone. Before scaling it, you need to make sure it's in the proper position. Use the move tool to move it to X: 0.85, Y: 0, and Z: 42.1
  
  
• Next, you need to scale the spine bones. Scale Bip01 Spine to be short, so that its top is roughly where you would expect the character's waist to be.
  
  
• Next, move up to Spine1, the middle bone. Scale it down so that it's top touches the bottom of the latissimus dorsi muscle, which is the back muscle that sticks out of the sides.
  
  
• From there, adjust Spine2, the highest bone. Scale it up so that it goes up to the base of the neck, and then from the side, tilt it back slightly so the base of the neck is in the correct place. Spine2 should be the longest of your Spine bones, with Bip01 Spine being the shortest and Bip01 Spine1 being in the middle.
  
  
• If things aren't lining up quite right, you can go back through and re-adjust the spine bones, to make sure the neck will go through the center of the neck of the mesh, and that all the bones are the proper length. Be sure to fully adjust the spine before you move on to the arms. I always do the neck and head after the spine and before the arms, so that I can change the spine as needed.
• For the neck, pivot it so that it follows the neck of the model. Shorten it as needed, so that the chin of the head bone is even with the chin of the model.
  
  
• For the head, scale it until it fits the bounds of your head. Try to keep from making it too big. For XML1/XML2/MUA1 default models, I also slightly tilt the head down, so the head bone lines up better. I did the same for Scarlet Witch, but you may not need to on every model.
  
  
  
• Once you're satisfied with the spine and head, you can move on to the arms. Select the clavicles with symmetry mode, and scale them until they're thin like the Pelvis. Then, use the move tool to move them to the right place. You want to move Bip01 R Clavicle to X: -0.7, Y: -0.3, Z: 59.5 and move Bip01 L Clavicle to X: -0.7, Y: 0.3, Z: 59.5. If the Z coordinate doesn't work due to the proportions of your model, at least try to get the X and Y coordinates correct and get the Z coordinate as close as possible.
  Note: It seems that the X coordinate varies a bit from character to character. You may need to tweak it for your character. The images show X: 0.35, but I think that X: -0.7 is more common.
  
  
• Next, scale the clavicles so the joint with the upper arms is just slightly outside the line that goes down from the trapezius and deltoid, shown with the red line in the picture. Make sure they're not too long, so that the shoulder joint is in the right place. For female characters, the clavicles need to be slightly shorter.
  
  
• Lastly for the clavicles, you need to tilt them down very slightly (just a few degrees) and also tilt them back so that the ends are in the correct place for the shoulder joints.
  
  
• For the upper arms, pivot them with symmetry mode, so that they line up with the flow of the arms, and then scale them so the joint is right at the elbow. Make any adjustments to the clavicles as needed, but try to keep them as close to default position as you can.
  
  
• For the forearms, adjust the angle so it continues to go straight through the arm. Arms are generally straight on models (especially XML1/XML2/MUA1 default models), but be sure to look closely at other models to determine what's best for you. Also, scale the lower arms so that the joint is at the wrist. In this case, I also needed to slightly rotate the clavicles forward to get the right line.
  
  
• Before moving on to the hands, check over the arms and make sure you don't need to tweak anything.
• For the hands, go into wireframe mode (press F3), and find the line where the fingers begin. Scale the hand bones with symmetry mode to get them the right length, and scale the width as needed. From the side, scale the thickness to fill the hand. If the hand bone isn't centered in the hand, adjust the height of the clavicles.
  
  
• For the finger bone closer to the hand (Finger1), scale the width to be as wide as all 4 fingers. If the character has attached fingers, scale the length to the next line of the fingers. If they have 4 individual fingers, scale the length to the first knuckle of the index finger. From the side, scale the thickness to be as thick as the fingers. If necessary, you can move the finger bones up and down.
  I've included Scarlet Witch's finger positioning here, to give an example of how to position with individual fingers. You can see that I had to adjust the positioning of the hands to get the fingers to work. Continual adjustment ensures you get the positioning right.
  
  
  
  
  
  
• For the further finger bone (Finger11), the process is the same, but make sure you scale the length to slightly beyond the end of the fingers.
  
  
  
  
• Now, adjust the thumb (Finger0). Move it so that its joint with the hand is where the base of the thumb of the model is, and then scale it to the proper length and thickness. Try to look for a joint in the thumb to line it up with. Wireframe mode is the easiest way to do this.
  
  
  
  
• The lower thumb, Finger01, is the last one to pose. Just angle and scale it to fit the remaining thumb.
  
  
  
  
• You may notice that the fingers of your opposite hand don't look quite right. They're not lined up in the same way. The easiest way to fix this is to select all the bones of the correct hand, go to the "Copy/Paste" rollout, and select "Copy Posture" under "Posture." Select the same bones of the other hand, and then select "Paste Posture Opposite." The other hand will assume the proper shape. This is also useful in any case where you forget to turn the Symmetry track on.
  
  
  
• The only thing left to adjust on the body is to adjust the thickness of the Spine bones. Don't change the width of them, just the front-to-back thickness. Also make sure that the arm bones fill the arms fully.
  
  
  
• If your character has long hair or a ponytail, adjust the two ponytail bones to fit the hair. Try to keep the base of the upper ponytail in the same place, and put the joint of the two ponytail bones in the middle. Avoid crossing the ponytail bones with the spine bones.
  
  

    Now your biped is all posed! I'm going to attach the .max files for these two characters. The Captain America I'm attaching isn't the one that I've done in this tutorial, but it's actually that mesh imported onto my template. The template is pretty much solid, so I trust it more greatly.
Captain America
Scarlet Witch

    I can offer .max files of any other skins I've made on request.

Next Steps
    Now that you've finished posing your biped, you can proceed to Chapter 13 - Skins (Physique).

Summary

• Before placing the biped, rotate the character in the right view
• The biped type must be Classic, with the proper number of bones
• Bip01 needs to be placed at 0.69, 0, 41.82 for the character to animate properly
• Figure Mode must be on to pose the biped
• The pelvis needs to be centered within the body, made thinner, and its width needs to be such that the hips are placed correctly
• Thighs need to follow the leg and be the proper length to go through the knee
• Calves need to follow the leg and be the proper length to stop at the ankles
• Feet need to touch the plane, and be short enough to allow for the toes to be properly placed
• The toes need to fill the remaining space of the legs
• Always go back and adjust the legs if they're not properly aligned
• Adjust the thickness of the bones to go through the mesh, but make sure left and right side bones don't cross over
• To position the spine, Spine goes from the pelvis to the waist, Spine1 goes from the waist to the lat muscles, and Spine 2 (the longest bone) goes from the lat muscles up to the neck
• The neck needs to follow the line of the mesh's neck and be short enough for the chin of the head bone to touch the chin of the model
• The head needs to be scaled to fit the mesh head, and can be tilted down some as needed
• The clavicles should sit horizontally and point to the shoulders of the mesh. The joint should be just below the shoulder muscle. They can be rotated forward
• The upper and lower arms should follow the path of the arms
• The hand should fit the whole area of the hand before the knuckles
• For conjoined fingers, the finger joint should be at an edge along the hands. For separate fingers, the joint should be on the joint of the index finger
• The thumb needs to be positioned to align with the thumb of the model
• The positioning of one side of a biped can be mirrored to the other side
• Don't move the origin of the ponytail bones very much. Put the joint in the middle of the hair, and make the bones as wide as the hair. Don't make them so thick that they cross the spine bones
• You can use templates to easily set up a biped for a model. It will save you a lot of time

[BaconWizard17]

MARVEL  MODS  MODELING  TUTORIAL
CHAPTER 13: SKINS (PHYSIQUE)

By BaconWizard17

Introduction
    Within 3ds Max, there are two modifiers that can be used to attach the model to the biped. The physique modifier is one of them, and the other is the skin modifier, which is covered in Chapter 14. Both modifiers assign specific "weights" to each vertex of your model, and those weights tell the model how strongly the movement of a specific biped object should impact that vertex. However, the way that 3ds Max applies these weights isn't always natural to how the model moves, so it's important to adjust these weights after applying either modifier.
   For a finished skin, you must use the skin modifier. However, 3ds Max 5 doesn't allow you to apply the skin modifier directly. Instead, you first have to apply the physique modifier and then convert it to a skin modifier. You can change the weights for your vertices in either the physique modifier or the skin modifier. The way that weights should be assigned is similar for both modifiers, but the way to actually make changes is different.
   Some people prefer to apply the physique modifier, adjust the weights, and then convert to a skin modifier before export. This is my preferred method. Other people prefer to apply the physique modifier and then convert it to a skin modifier immediately, then adjust the weights. Either method is acceptable.
   In this chapter, I'll explain how to apply the physique modifier and how to adjust weights in it. I'll go through the overall concepts of how the weights should be set up for different parts of the model (starting with the section called "Weights on Solid Objects"). The next chapter shows you how to convert the physique modifier to a skin modifier and also explains how to adjust weights in the skin modifier. The weighting concepts won't be repeated there, since they're the same, and you can use this chapter as a reference for those aspects.
    Note: if an image is too small, click to expand it.

Applying the Physique Modifier
    The first step to the process is applying the physique modifier. Here's how:

Expand to see steps

• After completing the positioning of your biped, save the file. Then, save it under a new name, like filename_physique.max. Be sure to save consistently through the physique process, to make sure that you don't lose any progress in a crash. Max is particularly vulnerable to crashing during the physique stage. Saving a backup midway through doesn't hurt either, especially for high poly skins.
• Now, select all parts of the model (not the biped). Under the Modify rollout, pick the Physique modifier, and press the "Attach to Node" button. Then, press H on your keyboard to bring up the list selection. Select Bip01, and press "Pick." At the next dialog, just press "Initialize."
  
  
• Once you've done this, go to the Motion rollout (with any part of the biped selected), and turn off Figure Mode. Figure Mode is off when the button is gray.
  
  
• Now, select any parts of your biped, and rotate them around. It's a good idea to move symmetrical parts (arms and legs) with the symmetry track selected. Generally, the way I position the model is by bending the upper arms down (pull them up if the arms are already lower), the lower arms forward, the thumbs up, the head back and to the side (forward and to the side for long hair), the thighs out, and the calves back. Rotate the ponytail bones up.You'll notice the model moves with the biped, but some parts get deformed. This is what we'll be fixing.
  Note: selecting any bone and turning figure mode back on will cause it to resume its initial position. Always turn figure mode off before moving again.
  
  

    Next up, I'll show you the general process for adjusting the physique modifier

Saving and Loading the Physique Modifier
    Within 3ds Max, it's possible to save the physique modifier to a file. This is really valuable as an additional backup so that you don't lose your work if 3ds Max crashes or your main file is corrupted. It can also be useful for transferring weights between skins that have similar shapes. Additionally, it can be helpful if you need to go back and make any changes to your model without having to redo the entire process of adjusting weights. I recommend doing this periodically throughout the process of adjusting the modifier, and you should definitely do it before moving on to the conversion to the Skin modifier. Here's how:

Expand to see steps

    First, the process for saving the physique modifier:

• Select the Physique modifier under the Modify rollout. Under the "Physique" section, select the save icon.
  
  
• Save the .phy file somewhere. You can save it to the same folder as your filename_physique.max file. The name doesn't matter, just make sure it's something you can remember.

    Next, the process for loading the physique modifier.

• Make sure the model already has the physique modifier applied. This generally works best if it's done right after physique is applied, without making any adjustments to it. Additionally, the biped must have the exact same number of bones with the exact same names as the original for this to work. The model should also be in its starting pose.
• Select the Physique modifier under the Modify rollout. Under the "Physique" section, select the open icon and select the file you saved earlier.
  
  
• A dialog box will pop up. Keep all settings the same, and choose "all links" to be imported.
  
  

General Process for the Physique Modifier
    This section covers the general process for editing the physique modifier. After this, I'll go through specific areas that tend to have the most problems, and how to adjust them.

Expand to see steps

• To edit the Physique modifier, go back to the Modify rollout. Press the black plus sign by the Physique modifier, and select Vertex. All the vertices of your model become visible with little white plus signs.
  Note: If you have multiple objects that share a physique modifier, you can select them all at once and edit the physique modifier together.
  
  
• Editing the Physique modifier involves adjusting the "weight" of each bone on a vertex, which is the amount that it pushes or pulls the vertex when it moves. Each vertex can be affected by up to 4 bones.
  To adjust the weights on a vertex, select all the vertices you need to adjust in the same manner (for instance, if I was adjusting the thumb, I would select all the vertices of the thumb. In the specific sections below, I'll mention what to select and what not to select). Once you've selected them, scroll down on the physique modifier menu. Press the "Lock Assignments" button, and then "Type-In Weights." A small menu will pop up, showing all the bones affecting that vertex. If there's only one vertex, it will show the weight that each bone has on that vertex.
  
  
• When adjusting weights, if I say to "unweight" a vertex from a certain bone, that means to make the weight for that bone 0. If I say to fully weight it to a certain bone, then that means to make the weight for that bone 1, and the weight for all the other bones 0. Never make any weights greater than 1.
• An important thing to note is that proper biped setup makes the Physique editing process much easier. If you set it up right, you'll mostly just spend time unweighting vertices from certain bones, and not having to worry too much about messing with different weights trying to get a certain effect.
• There are a few ways that the weights menu (and the physique modifier) can be a little weird, so let me cover them all here at once:
  
  • If you have multiple vertices selected, and you go to the Type-In Weights menu for the first time, and there is a number listed for a certain bone (that you didn't put there), don't trust it. Almost all the time, that only means that only 1 vertex has that specific weight, and generally the rest have a weight of 0.
  • If the weight that you type into the box doesn't show up next to the bone after typing it in and pressing Enter, press the up and down arrows next to the weight once each. This will make the proper weight show up.
  • If your weights all appear to be correct, but the model still appears to be deformed in the preview, always trust the numbers over the preview.
  • If you can't find the bone you need, change the selection from "Currently Assigned Links Only" to "All Links"
  • Some bones are listed multiple times in the weights menu. If you're unweighting from a bone, unweight from all appearances of it. If you're weighting to a bone, only weight to the first one.
  • Bones will appear multiple times in the list if they have multiple bones connected to them in the hierarchy. Each instance of the bone will behave slightly differently. You can tell which bone that instance goes with based on what bone is beneath it in the "All Links" view.
    
    • For example, the first time that Bip01 Spine is listed, it's above Bip01 Spine1, which means that that's the "side" of Bip01 Spine closest to Bip01 Spine1. The next instance of Bip01 Spine is above Bip01 L Thigh, which means it's on the "side" of Bip01 L Thigh.
    • Depending on which instance of the bone you choose, it will animate differently. The second instance of Bip01 Spine, that's above Bip01 L Thigh, will slightly move with Bip01 L Thigh.

    With all that said, it's time to go on to the actual process. Be sure to look at each section that pertains to your model, as most of the sections should apply.

Weights on Solid Objects
    Solid objects are the easiest thing to edit with Physique, so I usually start with them. Here's how to edit the modifier for them:

Expand to see steps

    If you have a solid object, you'll want to weight every vertex to one bone. Solid objects can include things like weapons, pouches, large protrusions, logos, certain helmets, and the like. Each one is different, so look carefully to determine the best place. Often, I'll do this process before I even move the character

• Hand-held weapons: weight fully to the hand that holds them.
• Hand-held arrows: weight fully to the Finger1 bone of the hand that holds them.
• Shields: shields generally look better fully weighted to the forearm of the character, but for Captain America (and characters that use his animations), the shield should be weighted to his hand to fit the menu animations.
• Weapons on the back: weight fully to Spine2.
• Weapons on the hip: weight fully to the correct thigh bone.
• Holsters: weight fully to the same bone the weapon is weighted to.
• Pouches: belt pouches are generally best fully weighted to Bip01 Spine. Chest pouches are best fully weighted to the nearest Spine bone. Arm and leg pouches should be fully weighted to the nearest arm or leg bone.
• Logos/symbols: follow the same rules as pouches (unless they appear to be "soft," in which case it's better to leave them alone).
• Helmets: if the helmet is solid and allows them to move their head, weight the helmet fully to the head. If the helmet is solid and prevents them from moving their head (Juggernaut), weight the helmet fully to Spine2.
• Cuffs: cuffs (like on gloves or sleeves) should also be fully weighted to the nearest bones. For gloves, this is usually the forearm.
• Other solid objects: weight it fully to the nearest bone.

    In the case of Captain America, I'll fully weight the vertices of the shield to Bip01 L Hand.

Weights on the Arms
    I generally do the arms next after any solid objects. Here's how to edit physique for the arms:

Expand to see steps

• I prefer to do the arms in the default pose, since it's the same stuff that needs to be selected each time.
• Turn Figure Mode on to get the character back into their default pose, and then switch to the Right viewport. Turn on Wireframe mode (F3), and then go into the Physique modifier. Select all of the vertices of the arms that aren't on the deltoid (shoulder) muscle. Switch back to the 3D view and check to make sure you didn't select any wrong vertices, and then unweight them from any of the spine bones. If your character's arms rest in a downward position, also unweight from the legs, as they may grab some vertices. This keeps the arms from deforming when they're lowered and raised.
  In the case of Scarlet Witch, I had to ensure to do this on both parts of her model, because part of her arms are on the body model, and part are on the face model.
  
  
• Especially if your character's arms start out at a default angle, move them up from their default position to check the trapezius (shoulder) muscle. You may need to adjust how much the vertices are weighted to Spine2 to make sure the shoulders move properly. Lastly, you should also select any vertices on the threshold between the trapezius and deltoid (shoulder and neck), and give them a weight of 0.5 to the nearest clavicle bone.

Weights on the Legs
    After fixing the arms, I usually start at the bottom, at the legs. Here's what you should do:

Expand to see steps

• Turn Figure Mode back off, and move your character around again. After getting them into position, I usually hide the biped, as well as any detached objects I've finished working with.
• You'll notice that some of the vertices in the middle of the legs don't fully move with the rest of the legs, because they're stuck to one another. To remedy this, select the vertices of each leg one at a time (excluding the crotch), and unweight from the bones of the other leg.
  
  
• When you get to the crotch, select each side at a time. Don't worry about vertices that are too high up or too far forward or back, just get the ones close to the middle, where the legs and crotch join. Weight them fully to the thigh they're closer to, and do a weight of 0.5 to the thigh they're not as close to.
  
  
• If you have a problem where your knees look like they're curved rather than bent, unweight the calf vertices close to the knee from the thigh, and the thigh vertices close to the knee from the calf.
  
  

Weights on the Chest
    Sometimes, especially with female characters, the chest can get some light weight to the arms. Here's how to fix that:

Expand to see steps

    Select the portions of the chest that are affected (test by moving the arms), and unweight from the upper arms as needed.

Weights on the Fingers and Thumbs
    The fingers and thumbs almost always need some level of adjustment. Here's how to do it:

Expand to see steps

    Especially if the thumbs start close to the hand, the thumb and hand can end up pulling on each other. Select all the thumb vertices and unweight them from the hand (and Finger1 and Finger11). Select any hand vertices that are affected by the thumb and unweight them from the thumb (Finger0 and Finger01).

    If any of your fingers didn't connect to the bones, weight them to the proper bones

Weights on the Head
    The head can sometimes cause problems with the shoulders, and sometimes Spine2 can cause the head to deform. Here's how to fix it:

Expand to see steps

    Select all vertices of the head above the neck (ignore long hair). Unweight them from Spine2. Then, select all the vertices of the shoulders and chest area, and unweight them from the head (and neck). The head may still look a bit deformed, but trust the weights.

Weights on the Hair
    Physique on the ponytail is easy in theory, but can be tricky in practice, especially on high poly models. Here's how to approach it:

Expand to see steps

    You need to unweight the body (and sometimes the arms) from the ponytail bones, and the ponytail/long hair from the body bones (and sometimes the arm bones). This can sometimes result in having to go one by one on the vertices, or a few at a time, to get it right, but the more you do it, the easier it gets. Use wireframe mode (F3) to your advantage. It's generally easier to get all the body vertices out of the way first, and then mess with the hair.
    For hair closer to the head, leave it weighted to the head, especially at the front and top.

    Once you're done, select the lower half of the hair and weight it all again to Ponytail11, and select the upper half of the hair and weight it to Ponytail1. This ensures no vertices are left behind.

Weights on Capes
    Capes are a bit tricky to do, since they don't have their own bones. Here's how I approach them:

Expand to see steps

    Ideally, you should have separated your cape as its own object. Once you've done that, the most ideal way to weight the cape is as follows: All vertices higher than the hips are weighted completely to Spine2. Below that, the vertices are gradually weighted more and more to each calf. Vertices in the same row are given the same weight to Spine2. Vertices on the left are weighted to the left calf, vertices on the right are weighted to the right calf, and those in the middle are evenly split.

Weights on Skirts
    On higher poly models, skirts can prove to be a challenge. CorvetteRules has put together a detailed explanation of how to adjust them:

Expand to see steps

    Alright, so here's how I choose to do it.  I'm gonna have to break this up into vertex types depending on location. But first, a pre-requisite - make sure to use a viewpoint that displays your model in such a way that it is facing the camera. Seeing as we're rigging skins for MUA, that'll most likely be the right viewpoint
    Now then, onto the actual vertices. Select the mesh which includes the skirt model, and then, the only vertices you will have to worry about are the ones that begin from the crotch down. So anything above the crotch and below the waist, you won't have to worry about
    As for the vertices you will have to worry about, which are the ones below the crotch, I break them up into categories:

• the vertices which reside in the middle in the Right viewport (again, assuming that the model is facing forward in that viewport). Select the vertices from the crotch down, which are located such that they're either in that gap between the thighs, or slightly overlapping with the thighs. To that end, I personally use a fence selection tool for precision. If you did this right, then the vertices in the front of the skirt, as well as the back, will be selected, in that middle region. With your vertices selected, you must now weight them to the right thigh as well as the left thigh with a value of 0.5
• the vertices which are very close to one thigh and far from the other. Let's take, for example, the vertices which cross this middle territory and overlap entirely with the right thigh. You must select those, in the front as well as in the back through the aforementioned method, and weight them with a value of 0.5 to the right thigh and 0.3 to the left thigh. Closer thigh is 0.5, the further thigh is 0.3. Then you do the same on the other side - you select the vertices overlapping with the left thigh and weight those 0.5 to the left thigh and 0.3 to the right thigh
• the vertices which are far from a thigh and very far from the other. Those are the vertices at the two ends of the skirt in the right viewport, and they cross the respective territories described at 2). Let's say you want to do this for the vertices that are kinda far from the right thigh, and very far from the left thigh. Select those, weight them 0.3 to the right thigh and 0.1 to the left thigh. Then do the same on the other side. Select vertices, weight them 0.3 to left thigh and 0.1 to right thigh

    In the example I used, the character also has a dress extension behind them, but this should do well enough for skirts in general.
    One thing I wanna point out, especially if the mesh has a ton of vertices - even after you do this, you may have leftover vertices that do not look quite right. You would actually be quite fortunate to get it all right in this bulk weighting process, so do expect a need to take individual vertices and handle them. Use the same judgement as when you selected multiple vertices for each individual vertex, depending on the area where they are situated
    And, well, I said you need to do this below the crotch. I want to amend that by saying that you should select all the vertices below the vertical half of the crotch, so to speak
    It took me some trial and error to discover this, and no doubt to this day there may be some refinement to be done for this method to improve the results, but it's a start

Next Steps
    Once you're finished, check over all parts of the model to make sure everything looks good. Once that's done, unhide the remaining parts of the model, turn Figure Mode back on, and save your file. Now, you're ready to proceed to Chapter 14 - Skins (Skin Modifier)

Summary

• The physique modifier attaches the model to the biped
• The initial calculations that the physique modifier makes aren't perfect, so you need to adjust it
• If you properly set up your biped, most of the work you'll do in physique is unweighting things
• The physique modifier has some strange peculiarities that you need to watch out for
• Turn off figure mode to move the character around to check for deformities
• Once you've finished with physique, turn figure mode back on

[BaconWizard17]

MARVEL  MODS  MODELING  TUTORIAL
CHAPTER 14: SKINS (SKIN MODIFIER)

By BaconWizard17

Introduction
    Within 3ds Max, there are two modifiers that can be used to attach the model to the biped. The physique modifier, covered in Chapter 13 is one of them, and the other is the skin modifier. Both modifiers assign specific "weights" to each vertex of your model, and those weights tell the model how strongly the movement of a specific biped object should impact that vertex. However, the way that 3ds Max applies these weights isn't always natural to how the model moves, so it's important to adjust these weights after applying either modifier.
   For a finished skin, you must use the skin modifier. However, 3ds Max 5 doesn't allow you to apply the skin modifier directly. Instead, you first have to apply the physique modifier and then convert it to a skin modifier. You can change the weights for your vertices in either the physique modifier or the skin modifier. The way that weights should be assigned is similar for both modifiers, but the way to actually make changes is different.
   Some people prefer to apply the physique modifier, adjust the weights, and then convert to a skin modifier before export. This is my preferred method. Other people prefer to apply the physique modifier and then convert it to a skin modifier immediately, then adjust the weights. Either method is acceptable.
   In this chapter, I'll explain how to convert the physique modifier into a skin modifier and how to adjust weights in it. To learn about the overall concepts of how the weights should be set up for different parts of the model, head back to Chapter 13 (starting with the section called "Weights on Solid Objects"). The concepts are the same, but you'll just be applying them a bit differently. If you already adjusted the weights in the physique modifier, it's not necessary to do it again in the skin modifier.
    Note: if an image is too small, click to expand it.

Converting to Skin
    The first step is converting the physique modifier to the skin modifier. Here's how:

Expand to see steps

• Before you start, save your model, and then save it again as Filename_skin.max. Then, make sure that every bone is weighted to at least one vertex (most bones will do this automatically, but sometimes the clavicles and ponytail bones don't weight properly. If you've already adjusted weights in the previous step, you don't need to worry about this).
• To convert the physique to a skin, first make sure that Figure Mode is on. Select all parts of your model (not the biped). Go to the Utilities rollout, and select "Convert to Max Skin," and then press "Yes" for the popup. At the bottom, a progress bar will appear. It will flash through several times. For higher poly models, this can take longer, but not forever. Just be patient, and wait for it to finish. Once the bar is solid gray again, that means that it has finished.
  
  
• Now, when you go back to the Modify rollout, you'll see that the Physique modifier has been converted to the Skin modifier
  
  
• At this point, it's a good idea to test your model again. Move it around and make sure it's correct. If you properly set things up with Physique, then you should be fine to move on to the end of this section. If you missed something, or prefer to edit with the skin modifier, I'll explain how to edit weights with the Skin Modifier.

Saving and Loading the Skin Modifier
    Within 3ds Max, it's possible to save the skin modifier to a file. This is really valuable as an additional backup so that you don't lose your work if 3ds Max crashes or your main file is corrupted. It can also be useful for transferring weights between skins that have similar shapes. Additionally, it can be helpful if you need to go back and make any changes to your model without having to redo the entire process of adjusting weights. I recommend doing this periodically throughout the process of adjusting the modifier. If you adjusted weights in the physique modifier and don't plan to make adjustments in the skin modifier, you don't have to do this, but I recommend it otherwise. Here's how:

Expand to see steps

    First, the process for saving the skin modifier:

• Select the Skin modifier under the Modify rollout. Scroll down to the bottom of the modifier. Expand the "Advanced Properties," and then press "Save."
  
  
• Save the .env file somewhere. You can save it to the same folder as your filename_skin.max file. The name doesn't matter, just make sure it's something you can remember.

    Next, the process for loading the skin modifier.

• Make sure the model already has the skin modifier applied. This generally works best if it's done right after converting from the physique modifier, without making any adjustments to the skin modifier. For .env files, the biped don't have to have the same number/names of bones.
• Select the Skin modifier under the Modify rollout. Scroll down to the bottom of the modifier. Expand the "Advanced Properties," and then press "Load."
  
  
• A dialog box will pop up. Select "match by name" to make sure that the envelopes all match up, and then press "Okay."
  
  

General Process for the Skin Modifier
    This section covers the general process for editing the skin modifier. I'm less familiar with the skin modifier and don't use it as often, so I won't go into all of the details on specific applications. However, the principles from Chapter 13 - Skins (Physique) all apply similarly with the skin modifier.

Expand to see steps

• To edit the skin modifier, you'll want to select your model. Go over to the skin modifier, and press "Edit Envelopes." This will make it turn yellow. There are a few things to configure to help you edit. Under "Select," make sure "vertices" is selected. Then, at the bottom, under "Display," make sure to turn off "Show Colored Faces," and turn on "Show All Vertices" and "Show No Envelopes."
  
  
• Now, go to where your vertices are messed up. For this example, I messed up some vertices on Captain America's thumb to demonstrate how to fix it. On the right, select the envelope of the bone you want to edit. In this case, it's Bip01 R Finger01. Select the vertices you're trying to affect. They will be outlined in white. Then, scroll down to the box that says "Abs. Effect," and input the number there.
  The numbering process here is slightly different than physique, as all of the absolute effects must sum up to 1. If you want to fully weight to one bone, the abs effect is 1. If you want to weight evenly to two bones, the abs effect must be 0.5 for each one. For 3 bones evenly, it's 0.333 for each, and for 4 bones evenly, it's 0.25 each. You can do any numbers in between too, but they must all add up to 1. Look at the preview to verify it. If you want to fully unweight from a bone, input 0 into the abs effect, but make sure your vertices will still be weighted to another bone.
  If you're doing numbers other than 1 or 0, it's better to use the up and down arrows next to abs effect, because that way you can see the gradual change.
  
  
• In this case, I want to fully weight to R Finger01, so I just type 1 into the "Abs Effect" box.
  
  

    The nice thing about editing with the skin modifier is that if you want to weight fully to one bone, you can do it in just one step. However, weighting to multiple bones can take more steps. It's up to you to decide which is more convenient for you.

Additional Skin Operations
    Once your skin is complete, there are a few additional operations that you may need to do:

• If you're going to use your skin in X-Men Legends or X-Men Legends II and want to add the characteristic black outline to it, you can visit Supplement 6 - Outlines/Cel Shading.
• If your skin has separate objects that need to be turned into skin segments (to be hidden and shown via herostat/powerstyle code), you can visit Supplement 7 - Skin Segments.
  
  • If your skin is going to have an outline and uses skin segments, first follow Supplement 6 and then follow Supplement 7 after.
• For about 2/3 of the default characters in Marvel: Ultimate Alliance, most of the default characters in Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2, and some custom characters, there are additional bones that are used as attachment points for effects. Supplement 8 - fx Bones shows how to check if a character uses them (including a list of default characters who use them), and also shows how to add them to the skin. These bones are required, as the effects will not appear otherwise. They are not used in XML1/XML2, so they're not needed for any skins used only in those games.

Next Steps
    With your skin completed and any additional processes applied, you're now ready to export your skin! Proceed to Chapter 15 - Exporting Models.

Summary

• The skin modifier is a modifier that converts the physique modifier. You must convert from physique to skin during the modeling process, but it's up to you if you want to edit weights in the physique modifier or in the skin modifier
• The skin modifier can be used to edit the weights of vertices.
• If you've properly set up your model with Physique, all you have to do is convert it to a skin and move on. There's no need to edit it if it's correct
• If you do wish to edit the Skin Modifier, you can do so as well.

[BaconWizard17]

MARVEL  MODS  MODELING  TUTORIAL
CHAPTER 15: EXPORTING MODELS

By BaconWizard17

Introduction
    Below are the steps for exporting models for use in your game. There are different ways of exporting depending on the asset type.
    Note: If an image is too small, click to expand it.

Adding the Alchemy Export Dialog
    The first time you export, you'll need to set up the Alchemy Export Dialog. Here's how:

Expand to see steps

• If the Alchemy export dialog is present, you'll see it on the toolbar as a 6-sided icon:
  
  
• If it's not present, you'll need to add it. Here's how:
  
  • Right click the toolbar at the top and select "Customize."
    
    
  • Under the Alchemy category, choose "Open Alchemy Dialog" and drag it up to your toolbar.
    
    

Picking the Export Method
    Different asset types have different export methods. Be sure to pick the correct method for export to ensure that your assets come out correctly. Here's where to go:

• For skins or animated BoltOns with skeletons, proceed to the section called "Exporting Skins."
• For mannequins:
  
  • If the mannequin has complex animations with bones, proceed to the section called "Exporting Animated Mannequins."
  • If the mannequin has no animation or only has a simple floating animation, proceed to the section called "Exporting Static Models."
• For everything else, proceed to the section called "Exporting Static Models."

Exporting Skins
    This is the process for exporting skins, which includes animated BoltOns that use a skeleton.

Expand to see steps

• To get started, select all parts of the model (but not the biped).
  
  
• At the top of the screen, select the Alchemy Export Dialog. Don't export the model yet.[/i] There are several settings you'll need to change before you do.
  
  
• Under "Export Object Types," uncheck the boxes for "Lod," "Lights," and "Cameras."
  
  
• Next, expand the "Default Animation" section. There, uncheck the box for "Animation."
  
  
• After this, expand the "Default Object Properties" section. There, set the "Face Culling" option to "Backface Culling."
  Note: Turning on backface culling means that any face that's not pointing at the camera will be hidden. This is a performance optimization, and it's best practice to enable it. However, if you have a one-sided object, like a thin cape, this feature will prevent it from being visible. If that's the case, turn this setting back to "Default" or "Disabled." Unfortunately, this will also prevent cel shading from working correctly.
  
  
• Make sure that you do not check the box for "Optimize" under the "Optimizer" section. These optimizations can have unintended effects on your model and its compatibility with various platforms. The necessary optimizations can be performed after export.
  
  
• Next, expand the "Export Settings" section. Uncheck the "Save Full IGB" checkbox and then the "Extract Objects" checkbox. Unchecking these options allows the models to be compatible with last-gen consoles and XML2 PC. However, it will make it so that the skin doesn't show up in Insight Viewer. I'll refer to this as the "cross-compatible method." I don't recommend skipping this step, but if you do, the model will be visible in Insight Viewer (but will only be compatible with MUA1 PC and next-gen consoles). I'll refer to this as the "next-gen method."
  
  
• All of the settings configured up to this point can technically be set up at any point in the process, even right after importing your model. As you make models in the future, feel free to set up these settings first so that you don't have to redo them every time you have to go back to an earlier step.
• Finally, expand the "Actor Editor" section. Make sure the model is still selected. Click on the "Create from Selection" button.
  
  
• A new red (white when selected) box will appear at the character's feet called igActor01. If the pivots for all your objects were properly set to 0,0,0, then this will also be placed at 0,0,0. Otherwise, you'll need to move it to 0,0,0.
  Note: Sometimes, moving igActor01 can cause your mesh to move around as well. This is why I recommend to place all the pivots at 0,0,0 before applying the Physique modifier.
  
  
• Next, press H on your keyboard to bring up the list selection and select Bip01.
  
  
• In the export dialog, click the "Add Selection" button. Bip01 will appear in the list of Components.
  
  
• Press H again. There, select all of the bones of the biped.
  
  
• Finally, right click and choose "Hide Selection" to hide the skeleton. If you don't do this, a big white blob will be visible on your skin in-game.
  
  
• You're now ready to actually export the skin! Here's how:
  
  • Scroll up to the top of the Alchemy Dialog and choose "Export As."
    
    
  • The naming convention for your file depends on what method you selected in the Export Settings:
    
    • If you're using the cross-compatible method, it doesn't matter what you name your file. The file that you give a name to is not the file that you will be using. I usually just call mine z.igb. When you export with this method, 2 files are created: the file you named (z.igb) and a file called igActor01_Animation01DB.igb. The second file is your actual skin.
    • If you're using the next-gen method, name your file igActor01_Animation01DB.igb. This will ensure compatibility with igbFinisher.
  • You can now press "Save," and your skin will be exported!
    
    

    Congratulations on exporting your skin! Please note that your skin is not ready for release at this stage. There are still some required post-processing steps that you will need to do. However, at this point, you can test your skin in the game to see how it looks! Once you're satisfied with how it moves in-game, proceed to the section called "Next Steps," below.

Exporting Animated Mannequins
    This is the process for exporting animated mannequins:

Expand to see steps

• To get started, select all parts of the model (but not the biped).
  
  
• At the top of the screen, select the Alchemy Export Dialog. Don't export the model yet.[/i] There are several settings you'll need to change before you do.
  
  
• At the top, uncheck the boxes for "Lod," "Lights," and "Cameras."
  
  
• Next, expand the "Default Animation" section. Make sure that the box for "Animation" is selected. The "Animation Type" should be "Repeat."
  
  
• After this, expand the "Default Object Properties" section. There, set the "Face Culling" option to "Backface Culling."
  Note: Turning on backface culling means that any face that's not pointing at the camera will be hidden. This is a performance optimization, and it's best practice to enable it. However, if you have a one-sided object, like a thin cape, this feature will prevent it from being visible. If that's the case, turn this setting back to "Default" or "Disabled."
  
  
• Make sure that you do not check the box for "Optimize" under the "Optimizer" section. These optimizations can have unintended effects on your model and its compatibility with various platforms. The necessary optimizations can be performed after export.
  
  
• Next, expand the "Export Settings" section. Make sure that the "Save Full IGB" checkbox is checked. While I recommend that this box should be unchecked for skins, it should always be checked for animated mannequins. Otherwise, they won't appear in-game.
  
  
• All of the settings configured up to this point can technically be set up at any point in the process, even right after importing your model. As you make models in the future, feel free to set up these settings first so that you don't have to redo them every time you have to go back to an earlier step.
• Finally, expand the "Actor Editor" section. Make sure the model is still selected. Click on the "Create from Selection" button.
  
  
• A new red (white when selected) box will appear at the character's feet called igActor01. If the pivots for all your objects were properly set to 0,0,0, then this will also be placed at 0,0,0. Otherwise, you'll need to move it to 0,0,0.
  
  
• Next, press H on your keyboard to bring up the list selection and select Bip01.
  
  
• In the export dialog, click the "Add Selection" button. Bip01 will appear in the list of Components.
  
  
• Press H again. There, select all of the bones of the biped.
  
  
• Finally, right click and choose "Hide Selection" to hide the skeleton. If you don't do this, a big white blob will be visible on your skin in-game.
  
  
• If the character uses a scale_factor in game, or if you want to scale the mannequin to a custom size, select the scale tool. With igActor01 selected, type the scale_factor multiplied by 100 in the box at the bottom (so if the scale_factor for the character is 1.1, enter 110). This will scale the mannequin to the appropriate size.
  
  
• You're now ready to actually export the mannequin! Here's how:
  
  • Scroll up to the top of the Alchemy Dialog and choose "Export As."
    
    
  • Export it with the name 123XX (Mannequin).igb. You can optionally add a descriptor after "Mannequin", separated by a dash and spaces, if you're making multiple mannequins for the same skin that you want to differentiate (for example, 123XX (Mannequin - OCP Pose).igb
  • You can now press "Save," and your mannequin will be exported!
    
    

    Congratulations on exporting your mannequin! Please note that your mannequin is not ready for release at this stage. There are still some required post-processing steps that you will need to do. However, at this point, you can test your mannequin in the game to see how it looks! Once you're satisfied with how it moves in-game, proceed to the section called "Next Steps," below.

Exporting Static Models
    This is the export method for all remaining asset types.

Expand to see steps

• At the top of the screen, select the Alchemy Export Dialog. Don't export the model yet.[/i] There are several settings you'll need to change before you do.
  
  
• At the top, uncheck the boxes for "Lod," "Lights," and "Cameras."
  
  
• Next, expand the "Default Animation" section. Your choice here depends on how your model was set up:
  
  • If your model has some sort of animation, like a mannequin with a simple floating animation, make sure that the box for "Animation" is selected. The "Animation Type" should typically be "Repeat."
    
    
  • Otherwise, uncheck the box for "Animation."
    
    
• After this, expand the "Default Object Properties" section. There, set the "Face Culling" option to "Backface Culling."
  Note: Turning on backface culling means that any face that's not pointing at the camera will be hidden. This is a performance optimization, and it's best practice to enable it. However, if you have a one-sided object, like a thin cape, this feature will prevent it from being visible. If that's the case, turn this setting back to "Default" or "Disabled." Unfortunately, this will also prevent cel shading from working correctly.
  
  
• All of the settings configured up to this point can technically be set up at any point in the process, even right after importing your model. As you make models in the future, feel free to set up these settings first so that you don't have to redo them every time you have to go back to an earlier step.
• You're now ready to actually export the model! Here's how:
  
  • Scroll up to the top of the Alchemy Dialog and choose "Export As."
    
    
  • Use the following names for different file types:
    
    • 3D Head: 123XX (3D Head).igb
    • Mannequin: 123XX (Mannequin).igb (You can optionally add a descriptor after "Mannequin", separated by a dash and spaces, if you're making multiple mannequins for the same skin that you want to differentiate (for example, 123XX (Mannequin - OCP Pose).igb)
    • BoltOn: the name doesn't matter. You can use the in-game file name.
    • Other Model (Power or Map Model): the name doesn't matter. You can use the in-game file name.
    • Conversation Portrait (HUD): hud_head_123XX.igb
    • Character Select Portrait (CSP): 123XX (Character Select Portrait).igb
    • Power Icons: power_icons.igb
    • Loading Screen: 123XX (Loading Screen).igb
    • Concept Art: concept.igb
    • Comic Cover: comic_cov.igb
  • You can now press "Save," and your model will be exported!
    
    

    Congratulations on exporting your model! Please note that your model is not ready for release at this stage. There are still some required post-processing steps that you will need to do. However, at this point, you can test your model in the game to see how it looks! Once you're satisfied with how it looks in-game, proceed to the section called "Next Steps," below.

Captain America 3D Head


Scarlet Witch 3D Head


Captain America Default Pose Mannequin


Captain America Custom Pose Mannequin


Scarlet Witch Custom Pose Mannequin


Namor Trident BoltOn


Deadpool Sword BoltOn


Halo Magnum BoltOn

Next Steps
    At this point, your models will technically be usable in the PC game, but there are still several things that will keep them from being release-ready. To finish your model and prep it for release, proceed to Chapter 16 - igbFinisher. This tool will apply the necessary finishing operations, from file naming and hex editing to advanced textures and console-specific optimization.

Summary

• Different model types have different export methods.
• When exporting files, they way that they are named is important for igbFinisher.
• After exporting a model, it can be used in the PC versions of the game for testing, but there are additional steps that need to be performed with igbFinisher to get the model ready for release.