[All Games] Marvel Mods Modeling Tutorial

BaconWizard17 · February 22, 2020, 01:00PM

MARVEL MODS MODELING TUTORIAL
CHAPTER 16: IGBFINISHER

By BaconWizard17

Introduction
igbFinisher is a program that I created to run finishing operations on igb files after exporting them from 3ds Max. It helps juggle all of the different console formats and various optimization steps. It takes in an exported igb file, creates duplicates for each specified game and console, hex edits them (if needed), performs Alchemy optimizations, including optimizing the texture format, and copies the file with a proper name to folders based on the compatible game and console.

What igbFinisher Does
Before getting started, here's a high-level overview of what igbFinisher does, so that you can understand why it's necessary:

Expand to see overview

igbFinisher will take an igb file, detect various things about it, and ask you some questions depending on your settings. Based on the detected texture format, texture names, geometry names, and file type, it will make copies of the files, rename them appropriately, hex edit them if needed, optimize the textures, perform Alchemy optimizations, and send the files to a destination folder of your choosing. If you skip using it, you run the risk of potential problems:

Files that are not named consistently may be harder for players to understand how to use.
Skin swapping powers won't function correctly with your skins if they're not hex edited.
The Arcade androids in MUA1 won't be able to impersonate characters using your skins if they're not hex edited.
HUDs that are not hex edited may not show the correct texture.
Textures that are not optimized will have a high file size, so they won't work on certain consoles. It also takes longer for users to download them, and they'll take up more storage space for you.
Models without Alchemy optimizations will appear black when taking damage in MUA1 PC.
Models without Alchemy optimizations will not be compatible with many consoles.
Doing all of these optimizations by hand with other tools is a very slow and tedious process that will take much more time.

With the way that the textures and operations are set up, it's possible to get up to 19 console-specific versions of an asset across all 4 games (XML1-MUA2) with just a single exported file. Consoles that share the same format will also be grouped together.
igbFinisher can be used to create assets for any selection of consoles and games at your choosing.

Necessary Model Setup
In order for your model to work properly with igbFinisher, you must be sure that you exported your textures with the Marvel Mods GIMP Scripts (see Chapter 7 - Textures). You must also name it properly by following the export steps in Chapter 15 - Exporting Models.

Installing igbFinisher
You can download igbFinisher here. Follow the installation instructions on that page to properly install it.

Configuring the igbFinisher Settings
Once you've installed igbFinisher and the necessary prerequisites, you must first configure the settings. This will allow you to process your model. Many settings are model-specific, so you can change them for each model as needed. Here's how to do it:

Expand to see steps

All of the settings are stored in a file called settings.ini. To edit it, open it in a text editor. You'll see several settings.

igbFinisher includes a lot of settings to help customize your output to however you want it to look. To help you get started, I've pre-populated the file with my most recommended settings, and the only ones you'll need to change are in the "[CHARACTERS]" section. You can change the others as needed to suit specific assets. Here's how to fill out each one:

Expand to see settings options

Section	Setting Value	Explanation	Possible Values	Additional Information
[CHARACTER]	XML1_num, XML2_num, MUA1_num, MUA2_num	The 4- or 5- digit skin number for the specified game.	None: Skips processing for the specified game. Ask: Asks you for a skin number during runtime. Any 4- or 5-digit skin number.	For standard assets, I recommend that the last two digits of the skin number are "01." For any special NPC skins, boss skins, skin swaps, or animated boltons, this can be the specific number from the game. Skin numbers are not used with Power Icons, Comic Covers, Concept Art, or Other models, except to check if assets should be exported for this game.
[CHARACTER]	XML1_path, XML2_path, MUA1_path, MUA2_path	The path that the asset will export to for the specified game.	None: Skips processing for the specified game. Ask: Asks you for a path during runtime. Detect: To use the folder detection option for this game (see the section called "Folder Detection," below, for more information) A hard-coded path, which must exist.
[ASSET]	XML1_num_XX, XML2_num_XX, MUA1_num_XX, MUA2_num_XX	If the skin number should end in "XX" for the exported file name.	True: The last two digits of the skin number in the file name will be replaced with "XX". This is my preferred setting. False: Skin numbers in file names will not end in "XX" (the full skin number will be used instead). I only recommend this for any special NPC skins, boss skins, skin swaps, or animated BoltOns. Ask: Asks you about this setting during runtime.	This setting only impacts Skins, Mannequins, 3D Heads, Conversation Portraits, Character Select Portraits, and Loading Screens.
[ASSET]	XML1_special_name, XML2_special_name, MUA1_special_name, MUA2_special_name	A pre-set special name or descriptor for the game.	None: Follows the typical naming convention for this asset type¹. This is recommended for most normal assets. NumberOnly: Removes any descriptor or suffix and only exports the file with the skin number. Any pre-populated special name without a file extension.	For Skins, Mannequins, 3D Heads, Conversation Portraits, Character Select Portraits, and Loading Screens, this value is added as a custom suffix to the file name. For the other asset types, this value will be used for the full file name. A NumberOnly value will be ignored for any asset type that doesn't use a skin number.
[CONSOLES]	PC, Steam, GameCube, PS2, PS3, PSP, Wii, Xbox, Xbox_360	If assets should be exported for this console.	True: Assets will be exported for this console. False: Assets will not be exported for this console. Ask: Asks you about this setting during runtime.	If all games that use this console are skipped (like if they're disabled by the settings or if the asset isn't compatible with those games), nothing will be exported for the selected console regardless of what is entered.
[SETTINGS]	big_texture	If oversized textures should preserve their original size on weaker consoles.	True: Oversized textures should preserve their original size on weaker consoles (recommended for large characters, like Galactus/Ymir). False: Oversized textures will be scaled to the maximum allowed for the weaker console. Ask: Asks you about this setting during runtime.	The weaker consoles are the GameCube, PS2, and PSP. The maximum allowed texture size depends on the console and asset. For the GameCube, PSP, and MUA2 PS2, a True value will still cut the texture sizes in half.
[SETTINGS]	secondary_skin	If this is a secondary skin (like Human Torch's flame on skin), which should have its texture size cut in half on weaker consoles.	True: This is a secondary skin, so the texture size should be reduced in half for weaker consoles. False: This is not a secondary skin, so texture sizes can be the maximum allowed for the console. Ask: Asks you about this setting during runtime.	The weaker consoles are the GameCube, PS2, and PSP. The maximum allowed texture size depends on the console and asset. This setting only applies to Skins. For XML1/XML2/MUA1 PS2, this setting also applies to Other models, which are sometimes the same resolution as the more powerful consoles, but sometimes they are the same as the weaker consoles.
[SETTINGS]	untextured_okay	If it's okay to process an asset without textures.	True: It's okay to process an asset without textures. False: It's not okay to process an asset without textures. Ask: Asks you about this setting during runtime.
[SETTINGS]	generate_collision	If collision should be generated with the Alchemy 3.2 "igCollideHullRaven" optimization.	True: Collision should be generated. False: Collision should not be generated. Ask: Asks you about this setting during runtime.	This setting only applies to Other models and is only recommended for map models.
[SETTINGS]	igBlend_to_igAlpha_transparency	If igBlendFunctionAttr should be hex edited to igAlphaFunctionAttr and igBlendStateAttr should be hex edited to igAlphaStateAttr to allow transparent textures to appear correctly.	True: These values should be hex edited. False: These values should not be hex edited. Ask: Asks you about this setting during runtime.	For more information, see Supplement 9 - Post-Processing for Transparency.
[SETTINGS]	skip_subfolder	If the console-specific sub-folder should be skipped when exporting the assets, and the asset will just be exported directly to the chosen export directory.	True: The console-specific sub-folder should be skipped (not recommended unless you are only exporting for one game and console). False: The console-specific sub-folder should not be skipped when (recommended). Ask: Asks you about this setting during runtime.	Only choose this option if you're exporting for one game and console. Otherwise, the files will just overwrite each other.
[SETTINGS]	force_adv_tex_folders	If the advanced texture folder structure should be forced (separate XML2 PC and Xbox, MUA1 PC and 360, and MUA1 PS3 and Steam into their own folders).	True: This folder structure should be forced (recommended for portraits used with skins that have advanced textures). False: This folder structure should not be forced. Ask: Asks you about this setting during runtime.	A False value is ignored if advanced textures are detected.
[SETTINGS]	advanced_texture_ini	If an ini file for advanced textures should be used.	None: No advanced textures should be used. Ask: Asks you for a path to an advanced texture ini file during runtime. A hard-coded path to an advanced texture ini file.	If an advanced texture ini file is used, the asset will only be exported for MUA1 PC, Steam, PS3, and Xbox 360. This only works with 3D assets. For more information on advanced texture ini files, see the section titled "Advanced Texture Usage", below.
[SETTINGS]	forced_asset_type	If a specific asset type should be forced.	None: no asset type should be forced, assets will be recognized from the file name (recommended). Ask: Always ask for the asset type regardless of what is detected. Any of the following asset types: Skin, Mannequin, 3D Head, Conversation Portrait, Character Select Portrait, Power Icons, Comic Cover, Concept Art, Loading Screen, Other	If None is selected and the asset type is not recognized, you will still be asked for the asset type.

¹The typical naming convention is as follows (using example skin number 12301):

Skins: 12301 (Skin).igb (or 12301 (Skin - No Cel Shading).igb for XML1/XML2 skins without cel shading)
Mannequins: 12301 (Mannequin).igb
3D Heads: 12301 (3D Head).igb
Other models: The same name as the input file
Conversation Portraits (HUDs): hud_head_12301.igb (will include a descriptor based on the texture prefix if available)
Character Select Portraits (CSPs): 12301 (Character Select Portrait).igb (will include a descriptor based on the texture prefix if available)
Power Icons: The name of the texture (minus any game-specific prefix)
Comic Covers: The name of the texture (minus any game-specific prefix)
Concept Art: The name of the texture (minus any game-specific prefix)
Loading Screens: 12301 (Loading Screen).igb

After populating the settings, save the file. You're now ready to run igbFinisher! Any time you want to edit these settings, simply do so in between times of calling the program.
For even greater levels of customization, you can also specify a unique ini file to use when you run igbFinisher. See "Using igbFinisher," below, for more information.

Folder Detection
igbFinisher has a feature that allows it to detect the destination path of a .igb file based on its texture folder. This is a feature that I built in for myself because I process a lot of skins at a time for a single character and didn't want to have to enter a folder path each time. This feature will speed up your processing, but it may not be appropriate for every user because it requires a specific structure for file paths and is a bit of work to set up. Here's how it works:

Expand to see steps

For igbFinisher to use folder detection, the path option has to be set to "Detect" in the settings.ini file.
First, it's necessary to create the detection .xml file. I've already included some examples in the Folder Detection folder that comes with igbFinisher. Create a .xml file in this folder named after your character, and include paths for the different folder names based on the example.
Next, the texture path should be set up correctly. The path for the .xcf file should be like this:
- ..\(character name)\(asset type)\(asset name)\(texture name).xcf.
This will result in the GIMP script exporting to a path like so:
- ..\(character name)\(asset type)\(asset name)\(texture name).png.
Here's what each part means:
- (character name): and will be the same as the name of the .xml file in the Folder Detection folder.
- (asset type): This is not used by igbFinisher, but this is how I organize my files. Realistically, this folder can be anything, but it has to be in the structure like this.
- (asset name): is whatever you want to name the asset. This value corresponds with a tex_folder attribute within the .xml file.
- (texture name): Whatever the texture name is. This isn't used by the folder detection feature.
For this feature to work correctly, every texture used by an asset must be in the same folder.
An example texture path would be:
- ..\Cyclops\Skins\90s\12301.xcf, which would export to ..\Cyclops\Skins\90s\12301.png.
- The Cyclops folder corresponds with a Cyclops.xml file in the Folder Detection folder, and the 90s folder corresponds with a tex_folder="90s" attribute for one of the skin elements in the .xml file.
[

Advanced Texture Usage
igbFinisher has the ability to apply advanced textures (normal maps, specular maps, emissive maps, environment maps, and environment masks) for next-gen MUA1. If your skin needs this, here's how to set it up:

Expand to see steps

First, download this example ini file. Place it in the same folder as your skin's assets. Open it in a text editor to edit it.
Under the "[OPTIMIZE]" section, set the optimizationCount value to match the number of diffuse textures that you have that will need advanced textures.
If you have more than 1 diffuse texture that needs advanced textures, copy the entire "[OPTIMIZATION1]" section and paste as many copies as needed below it. The number of these sections should match the number you put for "optimizationCount." The number at the end of each one should increase (so if you have 3 textures, you'd have "[OPTIMIZATION1]", "[OPTIMIZATION2]", and "[OPTIMIZATION3]").
Under each optimization section, set up the values as follows:
- diffuseMapName: Enter the name of the diffuse texture that is getting the advanced textures. Do not include a path or extension, just the folder. If your diffuse texture included the number "12301" in it, be sure to replace that number with whatever you're using for the MUA1_num value in your igbFinisher settings, as this step takes place after hex editing.
- normalMapGreen: Enter the full file path to the green normal map texture for this diffuse texture (the file whose name ends in _n_g), including the file extension. If there is no normal map, just leave this empty.
- normalMapBlue: Enter the full file path to the blue normal map texture for this diffuse texture (the file whose name ends in _n_b), including the file extension. If there is no normal map, just leave this empty.
- specularMap: Enter the full file path to the specular map texture for this diffuse texture (the file whose name ends in _s), including the file extension. If there is no specular map, just leave this empty.
- reflectionMapRight: Enter the full file path to the right component of the environment map for this diffuse texture (the file whose name ends in _RT), including the file extension. If there are no environment maps, just leave this empty.
- reflectionMapLeft: Enter the full file path to the left component of the environment map for this diffuse texture (the file whose name ends in _LF), including the file extension. If there are no environment maps, just leave this empty.
- reflectionMapBack: Enter the full file path to the back component of the environment map for this diffuse texture (the file whose name ends in _BK), including the file extension. If there are no environment maps, just leave this empty.
- reflectionMapFront: Enter the full file path to the front component of the environment map for this diffuse texture (the file whose name ends in _FR), including the file extension. If there are no environment maps, just leave this empty.
- reflectionMapUp: Enter the full file path to the up component of the environment map for this diffuse texture (the file whose name ends in _UP), including the file extension. If there are no environment maps, just leave this empty.
- reflectionMapDown: Enter the full file path to the down component of the environment map for this diffuse texture (the file whose name ends in _DN), including the file extension. If there are no environment maps, just leave this empty.
- reflectance: Leave this value as-is.
- reflectionMaskMap: Enter the full file path to the environment mask texture for this diffuse texture (the file whose name ends in _m), including the file extension. If there are no environment maps or environment mask, just leave this empty.
- emissiveMap: Enter the full file path to the emissive map texture for this diffuse texture (the file whose name ends in _g), including the file extension. If there is no emissive map, just leave this empty.
- generateTangentBinormals: Leave this as-is
After this, simply save the file. When running igbFinisher, ensure that the setting for advanced_texture_ini is either set to the path of this ini file, or it's set to "Ask" so that you can enter this path.

Using igbFinisher
With igbFinisher set up and your assets exported, you can run igbFinisher! Here's how:

Expand to see steps

igbFinisher comes with an easy batch file to run the program. To use it, simply drag and drop your exported file onto this batch file.
- If you want to specify a unique ini file for the settings that's different from the default one, you can call igbFinisher from the command line: igbFinisher.exe (input file name) -s (custom settings ini file path)
The igbFinisher window will appear.
If the file was named correctly (see "Necessary Model Setup" above for more information), igbFinisher will automatically recognize it. If it's not named correctly, or if you dropped in a BoltOn or other model, you'll be asked about the asset type. You can navigate in the program with the arrow keys and the enter key.
If you set up igbFinisher to ask about any settings, it will ask you as it processes the file. Otherwise, it will process without any further need for input.
Once the program finishes running, it will announce completion, and the command window will close. Your assets are now processed!
To run igbFinisher on new assets, update your settings (if needed) and then drag and drop the next file.

Next Steps
Congratulations, you've now completed your assets, and they're now ready for release! I recommend doing one final test before you release your files. If you find any issues, go back to the earlier chapters of this tutorial and make any necessary adjustments. Once you're satisfied with your creation, get a screenshot in the game, package it up, and share it with us on the site!

BaconWizard17 · February 22, 2020, 08:46PM

MARVEL MODS MODELING TUTORIAL
SUPPLEMENT 1: KITBASHING MODELS

By BaconWizard17

Introduction
Kitbashing is the process of combining different models into one new model. It's a way to get a model that may not exist specifically. I use it on pretty much every skin that I do, to make sure it's accurate to what I'm doing. Originally, I was going to go step-by-step with an example, but since kitbashing is different every time, I'm just going to explain the general process and some tips.
For this section, I highly recommend you have a good degree of familiarity with 3ds Max, as these concepts are a bit more advanced.

Process

Start with a reference image. It'll help you determine what you need to do, and will guide the creative process.
Pick a model that will best suit your character. You want something that you can use many elements of. For instance, I wouldn't start with a Beast skin to make a Jean Grey skin. I would want to start with something of Jean's first.
Import your model into 3ds Max and get it properly set up. You want a properly oriented model before you start changing it.
Delete anything from the model that you know you won't need. You can select elements or individual faces to delete.
Edit your texture in gimp to delete anything on it that you don't need. To get a better idea of what's used and what isn't, you can use the "Unwrap UVW" modifier, which will show you how the model is mapped to the texture.
Identify what things you'll need to add. In separate files, import models that have the elements you need, and then trim down to just those elements.
Import the elements into your kitbash character's file.
Edit the texture of your kitbash character to include the textures of the new elements. You can move and scale texture elements, but make sure not to scale anything smaller than 80% its original size. Avoid scaling face textures down.
Apply the texture to all the elements on your character. Use the Unwrap UVW modifier to adjust the texture mapping so that everything is in the proper place.
Attach elements one by one to your main character (unless they're segments, capes, or items with separate textures; those can stay separate).
If you need to attach elements together, you can move the vertices around to get them close to one another. If you want to target weld individual vertices, convert from an Editable Mesh to an Editable Poly.
If you need to cut faces (either to create more edge vertices to line things up, or to add more flexibility to an area), convert to an Editable Poly and use the Cut tool in Polygon selection mode. Make sure that all your polygons remain as triangles. Cut up anything with more than 3 sides.
Once you've attached everything together, apply the texture one more time to the collective object, convert everything back to an Editable Mesh, reset the pivot to 0,0,0, reset XForm, and collapse your modifiers.

That's the general process I use for kitbashing models. It can be as simple or as complex as you want it to be, from just adding a small element to completely changing a skin. Once you're finished, you can head back the previous chapter that you were reading to continue on your modeling journey.

BaconWizard17 · February 23, 2020, 09:28AM

MARVEL MODS MODELING TUTORIAL
SUPPLEMENT 2: REDUCING POLYGON COUNT

By BaconWizard17

Introduction
Reducing the polygon count of models is very useful for getting models into spec for console applications. The process can be done easily through 3ds Max, but you have to be careful how much you do it.
Note: if an image is too small, click to expand it.

Polygon Reduction
Polygon reduction can be done through the MultRes modifier. Apply it to each element of your model that you want to reduce. You may want to detach certain elements (faces and hands are usually good) before reducing, depending on the initial level of detail and the amount you want to take out.
At the bottom of the MultiRes modifier, press "Generate," which will allow you to begin the polygon reduction. Adjust the Vert Percent or Vert Count to reduce the model. I don't recommend going below 50%, as it will heavily degrade your model. The higher the polygon count, the greater tolerance the model has for reduction.

Once you've finished, reset XForm on all objects and collapse the modifiers. You can now return to the previous chapter that you were reading to continue your modeling journey.

BaconWizard17 · February 23, 2020, 10:03AM

MARVEL MODS MODELING TUTORIAL
SUPPLEMENT 3: ADJUSTING MODEL PROPORTIONS

By BaconWizard17

Introduction
A lot of times, models of certain characters (especially really bulky or cartoonish characters) have proportions that don't quite line up with the default skeleton and height. Default models have longer legs than a lot of models from other games, which can make conversion tricky. Here's how you can better adjust the proportions to match the default shape.
Note: if an image is too small, click to expand it

Scaling the model
Here's an example on how to adjust the model:

Expand to see steps

For this example, I'll be using Hulk's Super War model, as Hulk models frequently have very short legs compared to their body.

Import the model into the scene, properly orient it, and, with the pivot at 0,0,0, scale it up so that it's about 7.25 blocks tall. Hulk's hips are about 3.5 blocks up, when they should be just above 4 blocks up. Setting up the skeleton like this would make him float a lot in the game.
Now, scale him up so that his hips are just above the 4th line. Now, he's 9 blocks tall, which would make him way too big, especially with his scalefactor of 1.3.
To remedy this, go to the "Hierarchy" rollout and select "Affect Pivot Only." Set the Z coordinate of the pivot to 41.82 (so its position will be 0,0,41.82), and then deselect "Affect Pivot Only."
Then, scale the model so that his head is at about 7.25 blocks up. His legs will be floating, but he's the correct height now.
Now, under the Modify rollout, press the black plus sign next to Editable Mesh, and select "Vertex." Select all of the vertices of his hips and legs from the waist down.
Use the move tool to drag the vertices down until the feet are about halfway between the original position and the origin.
Using the scale tool, expand the vertices vertically until the feet touch the plane. You may need to move them up or down slightly to make sure everything still looks natural.
The legs are now the proper length, but they look a bit skinny. Use the scale tool to make the legs a bit wider and a bit thicker.

And there you have it! Your model is now properly sized to fit a default skeleton. If you want your model to animate exactly like the default skins and match the proportions, I would recommend downloading the default biped templates. You can scale and adjust your model as necessary to fit them.

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)

You can now return to the previous chapter that you were reading to continue your modeling journey[/list]

BaconWizard17 · February 23, 2020, 10:29AM

MARVEL MODS MODELING TUTORIAL
SUPPLEMENT 4: ADVANCED BIPEDS

By BaconWizard17

Introduction
Many characters within the games don't have a traditional human skeleton. This is particularly found in NPCs. Some of them are simply just really tall, some have extra appendages, and some are completely non-human. Read all the information below before using these bipeds.
Below, I have a list of non-standard bipeds that have been extracted from the game and converted for use. I recommend that only advanced skinners use these, as there is an added layer of difficulty from the complex biped.
Many of these bipeds feature additional bones. I made as many of them out of standard bipeds as possible, but some had to be built completely out of plain bones. Non-biped bones don't follow the rules of figure mode, so you have to be careful when editing the physique. You can set the keyframe to the last frame to move your model and test it there and then move it back to the first frame to reset it. You can also just press "undo" a bunch of times, as using the "undo" button won't undo changes to physique.
Some of the bones in these bipeds look like they're facing the wrong way. This is not the case, and they're facing the proper way so that they can animate properly. I don't recommend changing the positions or rotations of these bones; it's better to adjust your mesh to fit the bones instead. For every biped, I've included one variant with the original rigged model so that you can tell how everything needs to be laid out.
Some of these bipeds feature fx bones. Fx bones aren't part of the physique/skin modifier. You can find more info in Supplement 8: FX Bones.
Lastly, I want to give a huge thank you to nikita488 for creating the tool that's allowed us to extract rigged models from the game. You're awesome!

The Bipeds
Here's a list of all of the advanced bipeds that are available so far:

Expand to see bipeds

Angel
- Angel's biped is pretty standard, but it features extra bones for his wings. I have included rigged variants of both his metal wings and his feather wings so that making new skins is easier for him.
- Plain Biped
- Feather wings biped and texture
- Metal wings biped and texture
Blackheart
- A standard biped, but he features a tail. He also has a longer neck than most conventional bipeds
- Biped
- Rigged Model
Fin Fang Foom
- Fin Fang Foom is very tall. He has a tail, 4 fingers, fx bones on his fingers, multiple neck segments, and a ton of additional bones for his face and hands. His wings are a separate bolton from this model
- Biped
- Rigged Model
Galactus
- Galactus is also very tall. He has 5 fingers, each with 3 bones, and he also has fx bones on each finger, and an fx bone for each eye
- Biped
- Rigged Model
Lizard
- Lizard has a generally standard biped, but he features extra tail bones. He also has a long neck
- Biped
- Rigged Model
Lockjaw
- Lockjaw has a very unusual shape, so I was not able to get him to work as a biped. He's just built out of regular bones. He has an extra bone for his jaw
- Biped
- Rigged Model
MODOK
- Modok uses a regular biped, but in a very strange shape. He also features 2 extra bones that control the weapons beside his head
- Biped
- Rigged Model
Scorpion
- Scorpion has a regular biped, but he has a series of bones for his tail. The tail bones are different from normal ones, since they come from Spine2. He also has an fx bone
- Biped
- Rigged Model
Ymir
- Ymir has a normal biped (aside from being very tall). He has 3 fingers instead of the usual 2
- Biped
- Rigged Model

BaconWizard17 · February 24, 2020, 11:25AM

MARVEL MODS MODELING TUTORIAL
SUPPLEMENT 5: ANIMATED MODELS

By BaconWizard17

Introduction
For a lot of mods, it's common to have some of the models be animated. Mannequins can be animated to change their presentation. Boltons can be animated to make a power look more realistic. In this section, I'll be covering 4 types of animated models: floating mannequins, looping-animation boltons, complex-animated mannequins, and rigged boltons.

Looping-animation boltons: these are boltons with a single animation that loops over and over while in use. An example would be Wasp's wings fluttering at high speeds
Rigged boltons: these are boltons that have bones inside of them that allow them to work with a certain animation set. Some examples are Nightcrawler's tail and Mr. Fantastic's arms.

Looping-Animated Boltons
Making animated boltons is a very similar process to the floating mannequin, but with an animated bolton, you can change it just about any way you want. Here's how:

Expand to see steps

You can move the object, scale it, rotate it, or even transform individual vertices, faces, and elements.
Note: This same process can be used for non-rigged mannequins, as well as for any kind of animated power models or even items found in-game.
Just like the floating mannequin, you want to start with frame 0 as your initial pose, and then put transitional frames in the middle. You can have as many key frames as you want and as many total frames as you want. Keep in mind that the first frame and last frame should be identical to one another for the animation to properly loop. To duplicate any key frame, you can shift+click it and drag it along the timeline.
For this example, I'm using this gun bolton. It starts facing up, and then at frame 25, I rotated it 90 degrees. At frame 50, I rotated it around another 90 degrees (so that it's upside down), and then I also pulled some of the gun's vertices out. At frame 75, I rotated it another 90 degrees, and had the vertices back to normal (to do this, I duplicated frame 25, but rotated it 180 degrees). Frame 100 is identical to frame 0 (again, I duplicated the frame).

When exporting it, export again as you would a regular model. For the Default Animation, you can choose either "Bounce" or "Loop." Bounce will go back and forth along the timeline, Loop will continually loop through it. Repeat has a similar function to Loop, and Clamp will only play the animation once.

Rigged Boltons
Boltons can have bones too, the same way a skin can. Here's how they're set up:

Expand to see steps

These are regular bones, which can be created under the Create rollout in the Systems section. There are a few approaches to making them: existing animations, single animations, and combined animations.
For existing animations, you just need to replicate the bone structure of some existing bolton in the game. For example, if you wanted to make a tail bolton that uses Nightcrawler's tail animations, but you wanted it to have a different shape, you could use Nightcrawler's bones (you can find the download below) to make your own tail. For this process, you don't have to make your own animations, since you can use the ones from the game. I do believe you'll have to create an actor to export rigged boltons. As bones of rigged boltons are extracted, I'll add them here as convenient templates.

Nightcrawler's Tail
- Bones only
- Rigged model

Single animation boltons are very similar to the complex-animated boltons or the looping animation boltons above. The only difference is that the bolton has a series of bones in it, so you can create a physique modifier and edit it, and then convert it to a skin. This allows you to make more complex animations for your bolton rather than animating each vertex by hand.
If you have a series of single animation boltons, you can make a new set of combined animations for your bolton. You can save several variants of the bolton, each with their own animation, and then export each one under a different name. You can then use the Alchemy 5 animation combiner to combine these into a new set that can be used with the rigged bolton. Keep in mind that this will only work for Ultimate Alliance on PC. I won't go into depth on the instructions for this process here, but you can find how to use the animation combiner in the animation tutorial.

Conclusion
Animated models aren't a necessity for any mods, but they can greatly enrich how a mod plays. Although I didn't really go into extreme depth on the process because of how different it can be for any item, I hope you understand how it all works. Feel free to ask any further questions as needed![/list]

BaconWizard17 · June 15, 2020, 11:06AM

MARVEL MODS MODELING TUTORIAL
SUPPLEMENT 6: OUTLINES/CEL SHADING

By BaconWizard17

Introduction
Cel shading is a technique for creating an outline around a 3d character that adapts to them as they move. It's implemented on all of the character models in X-Men Legends and X-Men Legends II, so if you're making a model for either of those games, I highly recommend adding it. The described technique also makes it so that the cel shading will automatically be hidden in Ultimate Alliance.
This technique for Cel Shading can also be applied to BoltOns
Note: if an image is too small, click to expand it

Adding the Cel Shading
Here's the process for adding the cel shading:

Expand to see steps

To add the cel shading, select all parts of your model (for skins, this should be done after the skin modifier has been applied). Press Ctrl+V on your keyboard or go to Edit>Clone on the toolbar at the top to clone the meshes. A dialog box will pop up, asking what you want to name your cloned mesh. It doesn't really matter right now, so you can just press OK.
Now, go over to the modify rollout, and select the Normal modifier (if it's not in your presets, you can find it under the Modifier List). Make sure that "Flip Normals" is selected. Then, apply the Push modifier, and set the Push value to -0.5.
With the outline meshes still selected, press M on your keyboard to bring up the material editor. Create a new material that's a Phong texture. First, press the black X icon to clear the existing properties (if there are any). Then, set the Ambient, Diffuse, and Specular colors to be 0, 0, and 0 RGB values. You can press the "Lock Colors" buttons next to them to make sure that all 3 are the same. Then, apply this material to your outline meshes. If you have them all selected, you'll be given the option to "Assign to Selection." Select that, and press OK.
Note: it is possible to make outlines in other colors. I generally do this if a character has some sort of energy quality to their skin. For instance, I give Iceman's icy skins a light blue outline; fiery skins for Magma, Human Torch, or Sunfire get orange outlines, etc. As the creator, it's up to you, but for most characters, black outlines work well.
Now, with the outlines still selected, right click in the viewport and go to Properties. Make sure "Backface Cull" is checked, and then also select "Vertex Color." Once you press okay, the outline will turn white. This is normal. Vertex color makes it so that the outline isn't affected by the lighting, allowing it to stay one solid color.
Now, hide the skeleton and inspect your model. You'll want to look for any places where the outline shows up strangely. Generally, the main places with problems are on the face. For some characters, you'll notice that a small amount of the outline is visible on the nose. Higher poly models will have lots of problems on the face, like how you can see on Scarlet Witch below. Some masks can also cause problems. To fix this, select an outline layer. Press the black plus sign next to Editable Mesh, and select Face. The outline layer will collapse down and be flush with the model.
Note: When I originally wrote this tutorial and took the screenshots, I recommended to delete vertices. However, this can sometimes cause unintended areas to get deleted. Instead, do this process by deleting faces.
Now, you can go through and delete any troublesome faces. Be careful not to delete too many, as you don't want to get rid of the outline. Only delete the faces that prevent the model from looking right. Wireframe mode (F3) can be helpful in doing this. Since Scarlet Witch's face is contained within the mask, I can delete most of the faces above the chin without problems. I'll also delete the faces along the interior of her mask. To view your changes, click on Editable Mesh on the right to make it turn gray, and then select the push modifier you've applied to it. This should make the outline go back to its place.
All that's left is to rename the outlines. You'll want to name the outlines such that they have the same name as the object they are outlining, with "_outline" at the end of the name. For Scarlet Witch, it'll be "12301_outline" for the body, and "12301_face_outline" for the face. For Captain America, it'll be "12301_outline" for the body, and "shield_segment_outline" for the shield. As long as you do not reset XForm after creating the outlines, then you won't have any problems naming them this way (you generally shouldn't reset XForm at any point after applying Physique).
Note: It's not common to do so, but if you really want your model in Ultimate Alliance to have cel shading, you can give your outlines some other name, such as "0701_shade" or something like that.

Next Steps
Now that you have the outline on the character, you can unhide the skeleton and save them. Then, return to the chapter you were in previously to continue working.

Summary

Outlines are generally added to skins in X-Men Legends and X-Men Legends II
Outlines will be automatically hidden in Ultimate Alliance if you name them properly
Cel shading is created by cloning the mesh, flipping the normals, and pushing it out
Cel shading is generally black, but can be other colors for certain characters
Ugly sections of cel shading can be fixed by deleting vertices of the outline layer

[/list]

BaconWizard17 · September 11, 2020, 02:03PM

MARVEL MODS MODELING TUTORIAL
SUPPLEMENT 7: SKIN SEGMENTS

By BaconWizard17

Introduction
Segments are portions of the skin that can be hidden and shown on a character. Usually they're weapons or similar objects that a character can take out or put away.
If you're making a new mod and trying to decide whether to use segments or BoltOns, it's better to go with BoltOns, unless you need each skin to have a different appearance for the weapon. There's a limit to the number of segments that can be hidden in the herostat at once, and after that, they all stop hiding, so it's best to keep segments to a minimum
If you're making skins for an existing mod, then keep to the original mod and make whichever segments are needed
Note: if an image is too small, click to expand it

Applying the Segment Node
Here's how to set up the segment properties on a model:

Expand to see steps

To make an object function as a segment, you need to first make sure it's named correctly (which you should've done in chapter 4 or 5). If you need cel shading, be sure to apply the cel shading first (as described in Supplement 6) before making the segment.
To make an object become a segment, select it (and its cel shading, if it has it). Then, under the Modify rollout, select Alchemy Object Properties. Once that's applied, select "Backface Culling" and "Segment Node." Now, you have the proper segment coding set up, and your object can be hidden! Do this one by one for each segment your model needs.

Next Steps
Now that you have the segment set up, you can return to the chapter you were in previously to continue working.

Summary

Segments are detached elements of a model that can be hidden
Segments should only be used when absolutely necessary, as there is a limit to the total number that can be hidden in the herostat
To apply the segment settings, you need to apply the Alchemy Object Properties modifier

BaconWizard17 · September 11, 2020, 02:05PM

MARVEL MODS MODELING TUTORIAL
SUPPLEMENT 8: FX BONES

By BaconWizard17

Introduction
A lot of characters in MUA1 and MUA2 use what are known as fx bones. fx bones are additional bones that are part of the model that allow effects to be connected beyond the regular skeleton. Usually, characters with bigger weapons have them. These bones are important, because the effects will not appear if they're missing. They can be added at the end of the modeling process because they aren't involved in the physique/skin modifier.
fx bones only work in Ultimate Alliance 1 and 2 (all versions). X-Men Legends 1 and 2 do not support them, so it's not necessary to include these bones for skins that are only for X-Men Legends or X-Men Legends II. However, they won't cause any problems if you do include them.

Checking for fx Bones
Before adding fx bones to a skin, it's a good idea to know if a character uses them and where they are. I've added a reference of all default characters with them in the next section, so this is only necessary for custom characters. Here's how to check for this:

Expand to see steps

First, decompile the character's powerstyle. Search for "fx0" and make note of any that you find. Some characters may only have 1 fx bone, but some characters have many.
Note: sometimes, fx bones have different names that don't start with "fx0". See some examples below.
Next, convert and import one of the character's default skins using the steps in Chapter 4 - Converting igb Files. Make sure that you don't delete the skeleton!
With the model imported, take a look at the bones in the scene and their location. For example, Deadpool has 5: fx01 is in front of his right pistol, fx02 is in front of his left pistol, fx03 is in front of his left sword, fx04 is in front of his right sword, and fx05 is in front of his left backwards sword.
Finally, press H to bring up the list selection and ensure that "Display Subtree" is selected. Locate each fx bone in the list, and make note of what is above it with one indentation less. For example, for Deadpool, the less indented bone above fx01 and fx04 is Bip01 R Hand, and the less indented bone above fx02, fx03, and fx05 is Bip01 L Hand. These bones are the "parent" bones of the fx bones. This will be important later.

Default Characters with fx Bones
This section contains lists of which characters in the base game use fx bones, the names of those bones, their parent bones, and their locations. This does not include any characters with advanced bipeds; those characters are covered in Supplement 4, and their templates already include fx bones.
The following default characters in MUA1 use fx bones:

Expand to see characters

Character	fx Bone Name	Parent Bone	Location
Black Panther	fx01	Bip01 R Hand	At the tip of the right dagger
	fx02	Bip01 L Hand	At the tip of the left dagger
Black Widow	fx02	Bip01 R Hand	In the right wrist/at the same location as Bip01 R Hand
	Gun1	Bip01 L Hand	In the left wrist/at the same location as Bip01 L Hand
Blade	fx01	Bip01 R Hand	At the tip of the sword
	Gun1	Bip01 L Hand	At the tip of the gun
Colossus	fx01	Bip01 R Hand	In the right wrist/at the same location as Bip01 R Hand
Daredevil	fx01	Bip01 R Hand	At the tip of the right baton
	fx02	Bip01 L Hand	At the tip of the left baton
Deadpool	fx01	Bip01 R Hand	At the tip of the right pistol
	fx02	Bip01 L Hand	At the tip of the left pistol
	fx03	Bip01 L Hand	At the tip of the left sword
	fx04	Bip01 R Hand	At the tip of the right sword
	fx05	Bip01 L Hand	At the tip of the left backwards sword
Elektra	fx01	Bip01 L Finger11	Inside the left shuriken
	fx02	Bip01 R Finger11	Inside the right shuriken
	fx03	Bip01 R Hand	At the tip of the right sai
	fx04	Bip01 L Hand	At the tip of the left sai
Ghost Rider	fx01	Bip01 R Hand	In the right wrist/at the same location as Bip01 R Hand
Hulk	fx01	Bip01 R Hand	In the right wrist/at the same location as Bip01 R Hand
Human Torch	fx01	Bip01 L Hand	In the left wrist/at the same location as Bip01 L Hand
	fx02	Bip01 R Hand	In the right wrist/at the same location as Bip01 R Hand
Iceman	fx01	Bip01 R Hand	In the right wrist/at the same location as Bip01 R Hand
Invisible Woman	fx01	Bip01 R Hand	In the right wrist/at the same location as Bip01 R Hand
Luke Cage	fx01	Bip01 R Hand	In the right wrist/at the same location as Bip01 R Hand
Nick Fury	fx01	Bip01 L Hand	At the tip of the left pistol
	fx02	Bip01 R Hand	At the tip of the right pistol
	fx03	Bip01 R Hand	Above the tip of the right pistol
	fx04	Bip01 R Hand	Level with fx03 but further away from the hand (used for the effect of his rifle)
Ronin	fx01	Bip01 R Hand	At the tip of the forward-facing sword
	fx02	Bip01 R Hand	At the tip of the backward-facing sword
	Gun1	Bip01 L Hand	In the left wrist/at the same location as Bip01 L Hand
Spider-Woman	fx01	Bip01 L Finger11	At the tip of the left fingers
	fx02	Bip01 R Finger11	At the tip of the right fingers
	fx03	Bip01 R Hand	Out past the right hand
	fx04	Bip01 L Hand	Out past the left hand
Storm	fx01	Bip01 L Finger11	At the tip of the left fingers
	fx02	Bip01 R Finger11	At the tip of the right fingers
	fx03	Bip01 R Hand	Out past the right hand
	fx04	Bip01 L Hand	Out past the left hand
Thor	fx01	Bip01 R Hand	In the middle of the head of the hammer
Venom	fx01	Bip01 R Hand	In the right wrist/at the same location as Bip01 R Hand
Wolverine	fx01	Bip01 L Hand	Where the tip of the center left claw would be
	fx02	Bip01 R Hand	Where the tip of the center right claw would be

The following default characters in MUA2 use fx bones:

Expand to see characters

Character	fx Bone Name	Parent Bone	Location
Bishop	fx01	Bip01 R Hand	In the right wrist/at the same location as Bip01 R Hand
Blade	fx01	Bip01 R Hand	At the tip of the sword
	Gun1	Bip01 L Hand	Near the base of the gun
Bullseye	fx01	Bip01 R Hand	In the right wrist/at the same location as Bip01 R Hand
Cable	fx01	Bip01 R Hand	In the right wrist/at the same location as Bip01 R Hand
	fx02	Bip01 R Hand	Past the tip of his larger gun
Captain America	fx05	Bip01 L Forearm	Above the shield
Deadpool	fx01	Bip01 R Hand	At the tip of the right pistol
	fx02	Bip01 L Hand	At the tip of the left pistol
	fx03	Bip01 L Hand	At the tip of the left sword
	fx04	Bip01 R Hand	At the tip of the right sword
	fx05	Bip01 L Hand	At the tip of the left backwards sword
Gambit	fx01	Bip01 R Hand	In the right wrist/at the same location as Bip01 R Hand
	fx02	Bip01 L Hand	Start in the left wrist/at the same location as Bip01 L Hand, but then move the X position to 42.413. This is where the tip of his staff would be
	fx03	Bip01 L Hand	Start in the left fingertips, but then move the X position to -38.329. This is where the bottom end of his staff would be
	fxskeet01	Bip01 Pelvis	Coordinates: 123.998, -3.729, -80.409
	fxskeet02	Bip01 Pelvis	Coordinates: 116.464, 45.972, -81.56
Green Goblin	fx01	Bip01 R Hand	In the middle of the right hand. The position of this is the same as his other ones.
	fx02	Bip01 R Hand	In the middle of the right hand. The position of this is the same as his other ones.
	fx03	Bip01 R Hand	In the middle of the right hand. The position of this is the same as his other ones.
	fx04	Bip01 R Hand	In the middle of the right hand. The position of this is the same as his other ones.
Hercules	fx01	Bip01 R Hand	In the right wrist/at the same location as Bip01 R Hand
Hulk	fx01	Bip01 R Hand	In the right wrist/at the same location as Bip01 R Hand
	fx02	Bip01 R Hand	To the right of the right hand and slightly forward
	fx03	Bip01 R Hand	At the same Y and Z coordinates as fx02 but slightly more forward
	fx04	Bip01 R Hand	At the same X coordinate as fx03 but further away from the hand
	fx05	Bip01 Pelvis	At the same location as Bip01
	FXcharproj	Bip01 Pelvis	Coordinates: 82.023, 40.211, 2.024
	FXhammerpickup	Bip01 Pelvis	Between the feet
	FXhammerslam	Bip01 Pelvis	Between the feet
Human Torch	fxskeet01	Bip01 Pelvis	Coordinates: 123.998, -3.729, -80.409
	fxskeet02	Bip01 Pelvis	Coordinates: 116.464, 45.972, -81.56
Iceman	fx01	Bip01 R Hand	In the right wrist/at the same location as Bip01 R Hand
	fx02	Bip01 R Hand	Past the right fingertips and slightly forward
	fx03	Bip01 R Hand	Similar location to fx02 and further forward
	fx04	Bip01 R Hand	Similar location to fx03 but further away from the fingertips
	fx05	Bip01 R Hand	In the right wrist/at the same location as Bip01 R Hand
	FX10	Bip01 Pelvis	Coordinates: 85.468, -2.942, 0.503
	FXcharproj	Bip01 Pelvis	Coordinates: 69.379, 0, 5.023
	FXhammerpickup	Bip01 Pelvis	Coordinates: 60.322, -35.037, 0.311
	fxskeet01	Bip01 Pelvis	Coordinates: 123.998, -3.729, -80.409
	fxskeet02	Bip01 Pelvis	Coordinates: 116.464, 45.972, -81.56
Invisible Woman	fx01	Bip01 R Hand	In the right wrist/at the same location as Bip01 R Hand
	FXhammerpickup	Bip01 Pelvis	Coordinates: 68.652, 0.0, 1.803
	FXhammerslam	Bip01 Pelvis	Coordinates: 27.239, 0.0, 1.803
Iron Man	fx01	Bip01 R Hand	In the middle of the right hand
	fx04	Bip01 Spine2	On the arc reactor
	fxskeet01	Bip01 Pelvis	Coordinates: 123.998, -3.729, -80.409
	fxskeet02	Bip01 Pelvis	Coordinates: 116.464, 45.972, -81.559
Jean Grey	fx01	Bip01 R Hand	In the right wrist/at the same location as Bip01 R Hand
	fx05	Bip01 Pelvis	Slightly lower than the pelvis and in front of the body
	FXhammerpickup	Bip01 Pelvis	Coordinates: 69.579, 0.0, 2.5
	FXhammerslam	Bip01 Pelvis	28.167, 0.0, 2.5
Luke Cage	fx01	Bip01 R Hand	In the right wrist/at the same location as Bip01 R Hand
	FXcharproj	Bip01 Pelvis	Coordinates: 82.026, 40.211, 0.0
	FXhammerpickup	Bip01 Pelvis	Coordinates: 68.652, 0.0, 0.0
Ms. Marvel	fx01	Bip01 R Hand	In the right wrist/at the same location as Bip01 R Hand
Nanite Nick Fury (Playable and Boss)	fx01	Bip01 R Hand	In the right wrist/at the same location as Bip01 R Hand
	fx02	Bip01 R Hand	Past the tips of the right fingers
	fx03	Bip01 R Hand	Same place as fx02 but slightly more forward
	fx04	Bip01 R Hand	Level with fx03 but further away from the hand
	FX06	Bip01 R Hand	Coordinates: 18.414, 0.554, 0.439
	FX07	Bip01 R Hand	Coordinates: 35.734, 0.881, 0.567
	FX08	Bip01 R Hand	Coordinates: 53.186, 1.21, 0.712
	FX09	Bip01 R Hand	Coordinates: 70.506, 1.536, 0.859
	FX10	Bip01 R Hand	Coordinates: 87.693, 1.86, 0.991
	FX11	Bip01 R Hand	Coordinates: 105.012, 2.187, 1.108
	FX12	Bip01 R Hand	Coordinates: 122.465, 2.516, 1.214
	FX13	Bip01 R Hand	Coordinates: 139.785, 2.843, 1.312
Nanite Nick Fury (LMD)	fx01	Bip01 R Hand	In the right wrist/at the same location as Bip01 R Hand
Nick Fury	fx01	Bip01 R Hand	In the right wrist/at the same location as Bip01 R Hand
	fx02	Bip01 R Hand	Slightly below the tip of the right pistol
	fx03	Bip01 R Hand	At the tip of the right pistol
	fx04	Bip01 R Hand	Level with fx03 but further away from the hand (where the tip of his rifle would be)
Penance	fxskeet01	Bip01 Pelvis	Coordinates: 123.998, -3.729, -80.406
	fxskeet02	Bip01 Pelvis	Coordinates: 116.404, 45.972, -81.56
Psylocke	FXhammerpickup	Bip01 Pelvis	Coordinates: 28.98, 0.0, 0.0
She-Hulk	fx01	Bip01 R Hand	In the right wrist/at the same location as Bip01 R Hand
Spider-Man	fx01	Bip01 R Hand	In the right wrist/at the same location as Bip01 R Hand
	fx02	Bip01 R Hand	Out past the right fingertips and slightly forward
	fx03	Bip01 R Hand	Similar location to fx02 but slightly further away and more forward
	fx04	Bip01 R Hand	Level with fx02 but even further away from the hand
	fx05	Bip01 Pelvis	Slightly below Bip01 Pelvis
	FXhammerpickup	Bip01 Pelvis	Coordinates: 0, 0, 0
	FXhammerslam	Bip01 Pelvis	Coordinates: 0, 0, 0
Spider-Woman	fx01	Bip01 R Hand	In the right wrist/at the same location as Bip01 R Hand
Storm	fx01	Bip01 R Hand	In the right wrist/at the same location as Bip01 R Hand
Thing	fx01	Bip01 R Hand	In the right wrist/at the same location as Bip01 R Hand
	FXcharproj	Bip01 Pelvis	Coordinates: 82.023, 40.211, 0.0
	FXhammerpickup	Bip01 Pelvis	Coordinates: 68.652, 0.0, 0.0
Thor	fx01	Bip01 R Hand	In the center of the head of the hammer
	fxskeet01	Bip01 Pelvis	Coordinates: 123.998, -3.729, -80.409
	fxskeet02	Bip01 Pelvis	Coordinates: 116.464, 45.972, -81.56
	hammer_segment	Bip01 R Hand	Coordinates: 0.69, 0.0, 0.15
Venom	fx01	Bip01 R Hand	In the right wrist/at the same location as Bip01 R Hand
	fx02	Bip01 Head	In the center of the mouth
	FXhammerpickup	Bip01 Pelvis	Coordinates: 43.276, 0.0, -0.21
	FXhammerslam	Bip01 Pelvis	Coordinates: 43.276, 0.0, -0.21
Wolverine	fx05	Bip01 R Hand	In the right wrist/at the same location as Bip01 R Hand

If any characters are missing from either list, please let me know, and I will add them.

Adding fx Bones
Once you know which fx bones your character uses, where they go, and what their parent bones are, here's how to add them to your skin:

Expand to see steps

In the Create rollout, go the the Helpers tab and choose "Dummy."
Click and drag somewhere on the screen to create the dummy. The size doesn't matter. For the time being, the position doesn't either.
Update the name to the correct name for this fx bone.
Move the fx bone to the specified position. The position doesn't have to be super precise, as fx bones don't impact the deformation of the mesh.
Press H to bring up list selection. Select the parent bone and the fx bone only.
Right click and choose "Hide Unselected."
Only the fx bone and the parent bone should now be visible.
Switch to the Select and Link tool.
Click and drag from the fx bone to the parent bone.
Switch back to the Select Object tool.
If you press H to bring up the list view, you'll now see that the fx bone is nested under the parent bone.
Right click and choose "Unhide All" to make everything visible again.
Repeat the process for all remaining fx bones.

Conclusion
fx bones are an often-overlooked but necessary step for skins that enables all of a character's effects to be used. While you technically don't have to include them, skipping them will cause the skin to not feel as complete.

Next Steps
Return to the chapter you were previously reading to continue your modeling journey!

BaconWizard17 · September 11, 2020, 02:05PM

MARVEL MODS MODELING TUTORIAL
SUPPLEMENT 9: POST-PROCESSING FOR TRANSPARENCY

By BaconWizard17

Introduction
With a completed model, there are some additional adjustments you can make to ensure that transparent parts of the model look right.

Uniform Semi Transparency
Uniform Semi Transparency is the only type of transparency that's set up in 3ds Max. For it to look right in-game, there are some things you'll need to do before, during, and after exporting the model.

Expand to see steps

Before exporting:
- For every object that does not use uniform semi transparency, apply the Alchemy Object Properties modifier.
- Set the "Face Culling" option to "Backface Culling."
During export:
- During export, under "Default Object Properties," set the "Face Culling" option to "Default" (normally I recommend that this is "Backface Culling").
After exporting (before using igbFinisher):
- Ensure that you properly configured Alchemy 2.5 Finalizer within the VM per the steps in Chapter 3. Otherwise, Finalizer will not work correctly.
- Open your model in Finalizer. On the left side is a hierarchy list. You'll have to expand this until you reach a particular attribute. The way to get there depends on the asset type:
  - For skins, expand the "_skinList," then the "igSkin," then the "_skinnedGraph" and its "_childList." Look for an "igGroup" or "igSegment" with the same name as the model portion that has the transparency applied. From there, keep expanding properties and "_childList"s until you find an "_attrSet" that has more than 1 object for the "_attributes" (typically 5-6). Under this, there should be an "igBlendFunctionAttr."
  - For other assets, expand the "_sceneGraph," then its "_childList," and then the "igGroup" with the same name as the model portion that has the transparency applied. From there, keep expanding the "_childList" and "igAttrSet" until you reach an "igAttrSet" that has more than 1 object for the "_attributes" (typically 5-6). Under this, there should be an "igBlendFunctionAttr."
- Right click on the "igBlendFunctionAttr" and choose "Edit object fields."
- Change the "_dst" value to 1 (the default is 5).
- Repeat for any other parts of the model that have uniform semi transparency and then save the file.
- You can now process the model through igbFinisher.

Non-Uniform Full Transparency
I added a feature into igbFinisher that can help with the appearance of Non-Uniform Full Transparency. Here's how to use it:

Expand to see steps

If you have a model that has distinct edges to the transparency (like a hole, tattered edges to fabric, etc.), the transparency will look strange; the model will be transparent in other areas and might even look inside out. To fix this, there's an attribute that can be changed. To apply this fix in igbFinisher, simply set the "igBlend_to_igAlpha_transparency" to "True."

Without the fix applied:

With the fix applied:

Additional Transparency Optimizations
BloodyMares has put together some additional ways to apply transparency effects (and lighting effects to transparent models) through Alchemy 5. Since this is done in Alchemy 5, it will only work for next-gen MUA1 consoles (which is the only place it's needed, because this is only needed with advanced lighting). For more information on applying optimizations in Alchemy 5, check out the Alchemy 5 tutorial. These steps should be performed after processing the model through igbFinisher.

Expand to see steps

Quote from: BloodyMares on September 14, 2023, 05:45AMHere are the latest discoveries about some of the Alchemy attribute functions and how they impact transparency and lighting:

1) If the model has transparency applied via igBlendState, then it will fade into background when near very bright glowing effects or shadows. To prevent that, you can add the "igDepthWriteStateAttr" attribute in the Finalizer and set it to "Yes" (credits to MrKablamm0fish for finding it). This will allow you to keep the transparency, but light or shadows won't impact the visibility of the model.

Here's the result:

2) If the transparent model is supposed to glow (has emissive map), then it can be achieved by setting igBlendFunctionAttr::_dst = 1 under "igBlendFunctionAttr" tree (it needs igBlendStateAttr to also be enabled). It also makes the model look much brighter. It can be used to imitate glowing textures if you're playing without advanced lighting.

Here is how "igBlendFunctionAttr_dst = 1" looks in the game mixed with the previous fix:

3) Finally, if you want to keep the original color of the diffuse map even with Advanced Lighting on, then you can add two more attributes. The first is "igGlobalColorStateAttr" set to Yes, and the second is "igLightingStateAttr" set to "No":

That way, the model will have its original vibrant color and won't look gray. Combined with all of the previous attributes, it makes the transparent glowing models look very appealing:

Here are some of the examples of the models that this method can be used for:
- Holographic glowing objects
- Objects that consist of pure energy or light
- Fire-looking objects. Useful for mannequins that rely on fire textures such as Ghost Rider or Human Torch.

IMPORTANT: It's not recommended to use "igLightingStateAttr" for non-glowing models, because it makes it so the model is unaffected by any light source or shadow (or renderfx). So, your regular skin or mannequin can end up looking bland: As you can see, regardless of the Advanced Lighting settings, the model keeps the original diffuse colors but doesn't have any shadows rendered on it.

Conclusion
With an exported model, the transparent aspects may not always look right. There are many additional things that you can do to make the transparency look right.

BaconWizard17 · February 15, 2021, 09:21AM

MARVEL MODS MODELING TUTORIAL
SUPPLEMENT 10: CONSOLE-SPECIFIC FORMAT AND OPTIMIZATION DOCUMENTATION

By BaconWizard17

Introduction
This supplement covers the specific texture formats and other optimizations needed for different consoles. The texture formats and optimizations are all applied through igbFinisher. This documentation covers all of the steps so that everyone knows what steps are being automated.

XML1 GameCube