[AK-73]

PS2 .MDL Importer

This tool basically allows at this point the import of the PS2 (and PS2 only)
LCS and VCS .MDL files into GMax (and 3D Studio Max 4+). Both LCS and VCS
skinned actors are supported (except for cutscene actors), though VCS actor import may
benefit from a bit of refinement.

There is an issue with face orientation that I currently don't know how to
solve yet. As a consequence, as this point you'll have to correct that by
hand for now.

IMPORTANT!
This importer is deliberately open source. Anybody can do about anything with
it without asking me for explicit permission. Indeed if you have any bug fixes
or enhanced features, please send them to me and I'll include them in the
official version. Just in case anyone wants to publish a spin-off version,
deviating from the official .MDL importer, please make sure you ask for
permission first - I just wouldn't want many different versions of the script
floating around, causing unnecessary confusion.

Other than that you may consider this an open source project to which anyone
may contribute, if they want to.

ALSO IMPORTANT!
I do not encourage anyone distributing LCS/VCS models converted with this
script on the the internet freely and on a massive scale. Anyone who does
so is doing it *at their own risk*. Talking about risk, I do not accept
responsibility for anything that may result from installation/usage of this
script. Use at your own risk.

While gtagarage is undergoing an overhaul the lastest version of the script can be downloaded here:
http://lcs.cat3illa.com/MDL_importer_latest.zip.

Please do not ask me for a PSP version of the script. I don't have a PSP, never will, and I am not interested. However, if anyone wants to add PSP support on top of it, you're welcome to do so. Just make sure nobody is else is working on that already.


Seems to be about all for now... if you got any questions about the tool, this is the place to ask.


Alex

This post has been edited by AK-73 on Monday, Feb 18 2008, 15:40

[City_Poke912]

WOW! It's a very good program! I download this.

[H13N.H3N]

QUOTE (AK-73 @ Feb 18 2008, 09:57)

Seems to be about all for now... if you got any questions about the tool, this is the place to ask. Alex

ye well... will sound like a stupid question, but.. i can't find any .MDL file in GTA LCS, and... neither one inside VCS, i'm missing some other extractor?

[Shadow-Link]

use imgtool made by dustcrazy.. look into the misc ps2 lcs file format thingy thread..

EDIT:
http://dustin.gzwn.net/YAIE.rar You can open img files with it. The other img files are encrypted and not cracked yet..

This post has been edited by Prince-Link on Friday, Feb 22 2008, 11:49

[H13N.H3N]

QUOTE (Prince-Link @ Feb 22 2008, 06:45)

use imgtool made by dustcrazy.. look into the misc ps2 lcs file format thingy thread.. EDIT: http://dustin.gzwn.net/YAIE.rar You can open img files with it. The other img files are encrypted and not cracked yet..

thnks pal, as G-IMG from ReSpawn didn't work i guess i needed a "special" img extractor after all, this will be of use for a while, thnks again.

[gamerzworld]

QUOTE (H13N.H3N @ Feb 22 2008, 12:16)

QUOTE (Prince-Link @ Feb 22 2008, 06:45) use imgtool made by dustcrazy.. look into the misc ps2 lcs file format thingy thread.. EDIT: http://dustin.gzwn.net/YAIE.rar You can open img files with it. The other img files are encrypted and not cracked yet.. thnks pal, as G-IMG from ReSpawn didn't work i guess i needed a "special" img extractor after all, this will be of use for a while, thnks again.

The stories games use a new version of the IMG format, most likely because of the new engine. Also, the new archives don't use .dir (directory) files. Dustin's program can open the new IMG files and it creates a .dir file for the IMG files.

[Jony.]

QUOTE (gamerzworld @ Feb 22 2008, 23:37)

QUOTE (H13N.H3N @ Feb 22 2008, 12:16) QUOTE (Prince-Link @ Feb 22 2008, 06:45) use imgtool made by dustcrazy.. look into the misc ps2 lcs file format thingy thread.. EDIT: http://dustin.gzwn.net/YAIE.rar You can open img files with it. The other img files are encrypted and not cracked yet.. thnks pal, as G-IMG from ReSpawn didn't work i guess i needed a "special" img extractor after all, this will be of use for a while, thnks again. The stories games use a new version of the IMG format, most likely because of the new engine. Also, the new archives don't use .dir (directory) files. Dustin's program can open the new IMG files and it creates a .dir file for the IMG files.

Even compressed ones?

[gamerzworld]

QUOTE (Jony92 @ Feb 23 2008, 21:05)

QUOTE (gamerzworld @ Feb 22 2008, 23:37) QUOTE (H13N.H3N @ Feb 22 2008, 12:16) QUOTE (Prince-Link @ Feb 22 2008, 06:45) use imgtool made by dustcrazy.. look into the misc ps2 lcs file format thingy thread.. EDIT: http://dustin.gzwn.net/YAIE.rar You can open img files with it. The other img files are encrypted and not cracked yet.. thnks pal, as G-IMG from ReSpawn didn't work i guess i needed a "special" img extractor after all, this will be of use for a while, thnks again. The stories games use a new version of the IMG format, most likely because of the new engine. Also, the new archives don't use .dir (directory) files. Dustin's program can open the new IMG files and it creates a .dir file for the IMG files. Even compressed ones?

Compressed "IMG" files (.LVZ) are a another story. There is an uncompresser that was made by Aru but the end file is just one big CHK file.
http://gzwn.net/Documents/lcs-vcs-unimg-bin.zip

[H13N.H3N]

worked very fine, i can't ask for more, i'm very pleased, i extracted ALL cars from VCS and LCS now the forelly car and the sprit, the new borgnine plus some other cool cars can be on my game (i'm not planning to distribute them as a mod right now, cause i'm a little tired of conversions) freaking cool i must say, other thing, apparently G-IMG does it work, don't really know if after use YAIE created a DIR file, but it worked, fool of me that i didn't extracted the IMG file from the disc at first =p. thanks for this tool pal, i'm in doubt with you

[catzilla]

Doesn't work on peds for some reason..
3dsmax freezes

[simkas]

QUOTE (catzilla @ Mar 2 2008, 07:18)

Doesn't work on peds for some reason.. 3dsmax freezes

Works for me. Which version are you using?

[Jony.]

QUOTE (simkas @ Mar 2 2008, 13:43)

QUOTE (catzilla @ Mar 2 2008, 07:18) Doesn't work on peds for some reason.. 3dsmax freezes Works for me. Which version are you using?

I just get a weird cube in the 3dsmax, I'm using 7.0 and, What config do I need to get the models right? (Anti-strips and all that crap in MDL importer)

[simkas]

QUOTE (Jony92 @ Mar 2 2008, 15:22)

QUOTE (simkas @ Mar 2 2008, 13:43) QUOTE (catzilla @ Mar 2 2008, 07:18) Doesn't work on peds for some reason.. 3dsmax freezes Works for me. Which version are you using? I just get a weird cube in the 3dsmax, I'm using 7.0 and, What config do I need to get the models right? (Anti-strips and all that crap in MDL importer)

Might be the max version you're using. I'm using 8 and it works.

[catzilla]

Max: 9
Script: the latest version from he 1st post

This post has been edited by catzilla on Monday, Mar 3 2008, 02:57

[AK-73]

In theory it should work for all versions. I haven't tested the importer for all files, of course. Also, there's always some chance of an updated version introducing a bug into the import of .mdls that used to work.

Anyways... if you got some .MDL that doesn't import properly, send me and I'll fix it.

Alex

[Mythbuster]

Well, I spend 3 days finding out why the import thing wasn't working, then I read again and saw it was for ps2 only, lol. Now I've got the ps2 files, but the only model I can import so far is model411.mdl.(which is a petrolpump, and I just wanna have some cars xD) With the other files it just says "Clump/Atomics not recognized... exiting." in the bottom left.

I am using 3DsMax 7.

Anyone know what I'm doing wrong? (I just tried some models, and the only one so far is model411.mdl, so I am not sure how many and which others will actually work.)

Mythbuster

EDIT: And yeah, I did read a few topics about all this, but not everything, so I could've missed something about this, just so you know before you start flaming me, lol...

EDIT2: I just found out the VCS files import just fine..., just the LCS models don't Anyway, because the VCS files work, I started converting the Polaris V8(model is model178.mdl by the way)....

This post has been edited by Mythbuster on Friday, Mar 21 2008, 20:24

[[MenaceMovies]]

Nice useful tool dude, good work! I hope this will boost the popularity of PS2 GTA modding.

//MenaceMovies

[AK-73]

hmm... lcs import has been working for me. Perhaps you are having a problem with actor models only? mdls 1-93 (circa)?

I'll have to look into it.

Alex

[simkas]

I'm not fully sure if this is a problem with the script, but when I imported a ped from VCS, then tried to export it as a dff, I got this error:

Is there a way to get rid of that or do I have to re-rig the model?

[GTAfanattic]

QUOTE (simkas @ Apr 4 2008, 17:52)

Is there a way to get rid of that or do I have to re-rig the model?

I know that problem - I had it myself not so long ago. It means that there is either a gap somewhere in your physical model, or there is an area on your model which is not rigged to any bone. I'd check your rigging first.