I've been working on this for a while, and I think it's finally ready for public testing. Keep in mind you will need to be familiar with Blender before you think about trying to use this.

Click here for home page and download link

Edit (May 12th): A few changes to note. The free hosting I was using really sucked so the above link is now my home. I'll put redirects on the old page if I can get into it. Also, I fixed a bug for Blender 2.33 and seperated the tutorial from the script download.

QUOTE (readme.txt)

Introduction ============= This is the first public beta version of a new script for importing and exporting models for GTA3 and GTA:VC. I am pleased to be able to offer a new alternative which surpasses many of the limitations of the other options available to the modding community. "Beta" means the script has only been tested under a limited set of conditions (my own PC). By using this script you are participating in experimental testing. I offer no guarantee that the program will run properly, and like everything there exists the remote possibility that it could damage your computer. Requirements ============= Blender 2.31 or above (for Windows): www.blender3d.org Supported DFF Features ======================= - hierarchy (meshes+dummies) - materials - vertex colors - normals (export only) - UV textures - alpha maps - reflection maps (export only) - bump maps (export only) - skeletal mesh (with limitations) - file locking Known limits/bugs ================== - object names are limited to 20 characters in length - limit of 16 materials per mesh - importing more than one model can cause name conflicts, messing up hierarchy - import can "hang" on high-poly models with 'msplit' option enabled - DFF UV coords and vertex colors are shared by adjacent faces, Blender's are not - normals are not imported, they are calculated automatically - quads are not automatically converted to triangles (exports a corrupt file) - VC skeletal models are partially supported (must reuse skeleton of existing model) - VC cutscene models are not yet supported (mesh works, but no skeletal support) - multi-clump DFFs are not yet supported (only first clump will be imported) - cannot import DFFs exported by the old 3DS Max R3 plugin Acknowledgements ================= Special thanks to the following people for their help: Alastair Burr ('KCow')  ... file format help Oleg M                  ... file format help Steve M ('ST.MU')      ... file format help 'ashdexx'              ... example models 'Theeth'                ... code tips JM Soler ('jms')        ... code tips Nick Winters ('z3r0_d') ... code tips And of course Rockstar Games, Blender Foundation, and the online communities, for providing me with a fun and challenging hobby.

This post has been edited by Hollower on Wednesday, May 12 2004, 20:13

This mod is hosted at GTAGarage.com

Downloads:
Download Blender I/O Script v0.1 + Tut - 0.335MB, uploaded on Jan 03 2010, downloaded 9078 times

Click here to view the mod at GTAGarage

wow impressive. is there any player model tutorials in the works?

EDIT: also, is there any possibility of you writing a script for max? like version 5 or 6. i have a LEGAL valid liscence and SDK if that matters

EDIT2: ahh the tut is in the zip

This post has been edited by TRN4L on Saturday, Mar 6 2004, 01:23

I think someone deserves some nice shiney stars!

There is a tutorial in the download that covers everything I could think of. As for Max, I don't have it and don't plan to get it either legally or illegally. I'd be happy to help anyone with file format info but I don't know maxscript. I know Blender isn't newbie friendly but it is powerful and free.

how do i get the text editor in a verticle shape. i can make a new panle horizontal, but not verticle

I'm not sure what you mean. To get a screen like the one shown in the tutorial you right-click the border between the 3D window and the buttons window, then select 'split area'. That should give a vertical border to place. Then change the window type.

http://download.blender.org/documentation/html/c371.html

wee! im downloading blender as i type this. maybe its jsut alot of people downloading it at once, but i had a transfer rate of 400 BYTES per second, when i tried to get your script from your site.

at the risk of sounding rude and/or ungrateful (im not, i swear!), i have a few ideas id like to toss around for future versions...

-.ipl / ide support for map modding. since you support vertex coloring, its ideal to make buildings in blender and add the lighting in there end export right to the game. if we could generate / import the ipl / ide data right from blender with multiple objects, that would streamline the process a bit. just a thought. collision support would be neat too, but not as much.

actually, that was the only idea im comfortable mentioning right now. congrats on the release. i hope it works well

Nice. I am gonna try to add arthas from WC3 into vice with this. Hope it works. BTW, could i add this and the other things you made to my site? Also, have you made any player models with this?

This post has been edited by JBandit on Saturday, Mar 6 2004, 03:35

Hmm. I've been trying to find a decent free host. Gone through several already with similar problems. Bleh, there's always a catch isn't there. I'll keep looking. I'll try to get some mirrors up on other hosts that haven't deleted me yet.

[quote=ashdexx]
if we could generate / import the ipl / ide data right from blender with multiple objects, that would streamline the process a bit. just a thought. collision support would be neat too, but not as much.
[/qoute]

Not a bad idea. Currently it's not coded well for exporting multiple objects at the same time, but maybe eventually. And I was already planning to support collision files.

edit: gah, what is with these quote tags?

This post has been edited by Hollower on Saturday, Mar 6 2004, 04:01

I have of course made test models enough to know it works, but they are definately not releasable. I still have problems with deformed joints, but it's a modelling/weighting problem not a bug. I need more practice.

BTW I warn in the tutorial not to dive straight into a mod project, let alone a player model, without first getting very cozy with Blender usage. Maybe you can handle it, but I felt it bears repeating before everyone's excitement turns to frustration.

Sure, you can put it on your site. Just make sure people know it's a beta, and try to update it when I release a new version.

hollower, i can host this on 3dfx-core.net if you want. its got a good connection.

Cool. Anyone else who wants to host it, just read the copyright at the end of the readme.txt file. I'm okay with redistribution as long as the archive remains unaltered.

Is there something wrong with the script? Cause everytime I try to open it, a messege pops up saying that its not the right file type or something.

I'm currently hosting the script on my site, to help ease the possible stress on the free host...

THE DOWNLOAD

TRN4L: Thank you!

Redkiller: You're probably going to the main menu. Perhaps it's wasn't clear in the tutorial, but you're supposed to open it from the File menu at the bottom of the Text Editor window.

This post has been edited by Hollower on Wednesday, Mar 10 2004, 00:09

Well done with the script Hollower.

I'm a newbie with Blender, the problems I have is the parenting and creating group vertices. I don't have a clue about Blender, but soon I will, hopefully .

Hollower, Blender has animation support. Will you be adding animation support to models in the future?

Yes, I plan to support animation when I learn how. This is going to sound insane but when I started this project I was a newbie to Blender, and in many respects I still am. I learned what was necessary to make the script...as I was making it. When I figure out how to read/write Blender animation data from Python I will work on import/export of IFP files. How fast it goes depends on how much free time I spend on it in place of a social life

Ok, good to hear. IFP files are found in dffs, arent they? Ill look in the weapon.dat if you want to see what I find.


Edit: Errr, i found out where most ifp animations are at.*hits head at table*

This post has been edited by Phreak2k4 on Thursday, Mar 18 2004, 00:21

Thought I'd bump this.

Hollower, does blender allow .dff importing?Is it possible? It'd be a lot easier if we could model our player model in Zmod, then export , import into blender and make the bones.