not compatible *.bes

[mro]

After a deep analysis (today is Sunday and I could improve) I have the solution about the shape of some *.bes.
In fact all the problems I was putting in evidence were in "importing and exporting only sophisticated objects”, like soldiers or animals… as I wrote recently, “I didn’t realise this fact previously, because I was working on squared objects like houses”.
Actually the fact did not depend on “rounded” or “squared”, but on “new” or “old” *.bes file system.

I checked a lot of VC1 *.bes files: quite all the characters and several other files are “old system 3D files, not supported by 3dsMax plugins”… I don’t know, but maybe they were created in origin, with the oldest versions, and not implemented nor updated with coming improvement of editors.
So the fact that shape problem didn’t happen with houses is only a coincidence (or it is not strictly connected with object shape): just might be that authors created all the characters at beginning and kept them unchanged.

So it’s like to say that “does not exist a really working plugin for char range of *.bes”, while of course BesImport and BesExport read the format and work.
Result is that you can import them, but, once loaded, 3dsMax doesn’t find an appropriate interface to read / process some of its values… in those cases they’re obviously applied “flat” (zero) or standard values.

For this reason the objects were good, but after “passed” through editor, were wasted… not being compatible, to use Max it’s same as cancel their properties.
If someone is interested, I have a list of values that are kept unchanged:

Unchanged:
- UVW mapping
- Bitmap / texture
- Number of poly
- Primitive shape

Lost values:
- Bevel (the edges smoothing) **
- Material properties, which is not recognized as a PteroMaterial
- As above: reflection, light, shining, etc…

(**) = my 3ds versions are in Italian, so don’t remember the exact definition in English version of “bevel modifier”: it’s not the “Mesh Smooth” (which adds faces) but the “Edge Smooth”.
Might be that this is also connected with the strange increase of vertexes / but poor result.

So I’m starting to re-smooth all characters, of course I haven’t the Ptero smoothing values per each item, so will be hard to match their standards, and remaking all with PteroMaterials.

My only remaining question is: “who made Fist Alfa added new characters, which also are not supported” which means that F.A. authors knew the standard values to apply… if I well understood, Indiglow participated as authors of some *.bes: this work should be much easier just having this source.

I didn’t check with VC2 yet, but if I’m right most probably with new edition this problem was solved.

[mro]

Studied again:
there is the possibility to re-input smooth and other values, as ligh, etc.. just filling
the User Defined values in Max.
This could be the way to solve the "no shape" problem without using the 3ds "morpher".
But actually I can't source the original bes propriety / values.
Or I didn't find the way to source them (either ptero collisions and values) or in these
"char objects" (where it says "not supported yet, old model... call Beny") the real values
are really lost once imported.

So
1) need to understand better the engine structure (folders, ini and levels) before proceeding
(I'm referring to my scheme of folders and subfolders I posted: is it correct or not Rick?)
2) and to know if you know the way to source the original settings of an imported bes

Thank You

[Chavez]

When i import .bes's i get property values and also the .bes and texture coordinates...unfortunately i dont get the textures into the right texture slots...BUT if i add each texture to a material ball...the texture will appear on the .bes.

as far as smoothing...i have never been able to add a smooth modifier to any of my terrains, models, or objects...

not exactly sure how they used the smoothing feature in the game...

Rick

[mro]

SOLVED
When You import these char bes it says "not supported yet", because tat beginning Pterodon applied a sort of smoothing with parameters that were chaqnged with following files.. You have to apply a "morpher smooting" (editable mesh > modifier morpher smooth) for chars the correct limit angle should be between 80 to 82 (over is too much and looses some shapes, lower is too low and shows edges).
Once You apply this morpher smooth (which doesn't add faces, it's not the smmoth function "mesh smooth" modifier, but simply "smooth") with above angle range, the bes changes in "compatible" and when You open ii again it is accepted with "Ptero" functions.
It is not necessary to apply the modifier for each group of model: enough to set "automatic morpher" and put this parameter.
Meanwhile, I consider "strange" the suggestion of Pterodon (in its Help): it says to set "User Defined values in Object Properties", and that making the bes the engine will work with those values (lightning, smoothing, etc..): You should insert the Angle in format xx.yy, (comma without spaces), smoothing ID groups.. (!).. but once You defined the smoothing group this means that You already applied the morpher of 3dsMax editor: so it should be nonsense: in fact Ptero Engine applies these values again and odel is lost again.
So simply apply the morpher smooth of 3ds and stop..
(sorry for name of modifier: as I already said my 3dsMax versions are in Italian, and don't remember the English definition of each modifier)

[mro]

I have to check better, but there is a novelty: when you add the smooth
function to char bes, they work well in pterodon.. but once you re-import them in 3ds, they loose again the smoothing, and you have to smooth them AGAIN.
this really means that the plugins don't work very well :-(
the engine interact with 3ds and looses its properties EVERY TIME you IMPORT a bes.. luckily now I know how to do, but this is a fact.
So, as consequence, to search for ptero material properties when we import a bes, often may be lost time (cancelled importing).
CRAZY PLUGINS

[Zybero]

Hi,
we have no way how to import BES file into MAX, we never need it as all our BES files comes from MAX, so we have MAX files already ( oops, strange sentence :-) )

TT - mode, we will release the new user editor that includes TT mode script very soon ( next week ).

Heres your answer, taken from PTERODON forums


Erik, from PTERODON wrote this several years ago...Found it by accident

[mro]

But WHERE is ithis post I can't find it, which thread?
So Erik is back again!

[mro]

But from that my sentence some more info from my research:
about smooth and many other of "user defined" options (obj properties>user defined table)
you have to set the modification in 3dsMax and repeat them exactly in user defined for Ptero:
example:
smooth, auto, 40.0 degrees in 3dsMax >then> user defined you write Smooth=40.0,1
(Smooth=[degrees][group] (you have to set 1 even if it is the whole object
if you don't write ,1 it crashes
if you don't set the exactly identical modification in 3dsMax too it crashes
"crashes" = when you export BES it closes 3dsMax without saving, and BES is 0Kb, then crashes the Ptero Editor if you use it
many functions work in same way: set in 3ds and meanwhile in ptero user defined
other work without setting in 3ds, only in ptero user defined: e.g. Wobble (works well)

The only settings I still cannot use are TexMove and TexPing: do as explained in tutorial, but they don't react :-(

[Zybero]

Nov 19, 2009 3:22:57 GMT -8 mro said:

But WHERE is ithis post I can't find it, which thread?
So Erik is back again!

This was the whole post....
No Erik ain't back..Last post was from 2008 but that was because Vietcong had 4(or 5) years birthday...(Don't ask me why their NUTS)

[mro]

pity
however grat news: I learning how to use vc2 scripts (in part).. soon news