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Using the Mod Kit Viewer

by Travis Baldree
Edited and appended by Surdin

For a Printer Friendly version click here.

Who Should Use This Tutorial

This tutorial is intended for the casual modder... One who needs a place to quickly check if her modded textures are working correctly on the model, or for quickly checking the changes to textures, taking screen shots, and other simple tasks where installing the mod and running the game would be more time consuming than profitable.

This tutorial is not intended for the modder who is making and animating her own models in a 3D modelling program. Therefore some of the advanced features of the viewer, such as those dealing with animation, may be shown, but probably not explained in any detail.

From the Creator

This section is taken directly from the Mod Kit documentation written by Travis Baldree.

Links: Mod Kit WildGames Forum Topic

Download: fate-modkit.zip

A Viewer is included that will allow you to view any of the 3D models in the game.

Valid 3D models that may be viewed are -

AMS
SMS
MDL
SCN

Editor's Note:

The initials above refer to the filename extensions for the various 3D file types used in FATE. They are as follows:

AMS:

Is an animation sequence not attached to a specific model. I.E. Explosions, and breaking crates and barrels (This may appear to be attached a model, the crate or barrel, but actually the crate model is replaced by the animation sequence, which is in turn replaced by the litter model, and each exists independently of each other).

SMS:

Is a skinned mesh animated model. I.E. Characters and monsters.

MDL:

Is a 3D model that requires no animation of it's own. I.E. Swords, helmets, and props.

SCN:

Is a 3D Environment model, and there is only one in FATE -- the town of Grove (One could argue the dungeons are as well, but the dynamic random map generation feature makes pointing to a specific file and saying “that’s a dungeon level” quite impossible).

To view 'em, just drag them onto the viewer.

The 3DSMax sample files included were created with 3DSMax version 7. I've received verification that the STATIC models (weapons, props) can be opened in MAX 5 and 6, but you will likely have issues with any of the skinned characters if you do not have MAX 7.

Note that the characters in the PLAYER folder may not be easy to view, due to the fact that there are lots of pieces of geometry that share the same skeleton, and have custom animation lists that won't be immediately picked up by the viewer.

This is an unsupported release, so I hope it doesn't cause you any problems, but there are no guarantees. I also recommend that you back up any data files you are changing - although reinstalling will put them right again.

Anyway, happy modding!

Appendix I: The Options Menu

This menu has a list of viewing options:

Stencil Shadows:

A 3D shadow rendering technique used in modern 3D applications...

All you need to know: Turning it off can improve performance.

For those interested in the jargon filled yawn fest that is the full explanation, please go here... especially if you have insomnia: Stencil Shadow Volume article @ Wikipedia (Please, be very careful if you do visit... I was reading aloud to keep myself awake, and bored 3 flies to death).

Normal Mapping:

A method for adding fine detail to low polygon models by applying the textures of more complex high polygon models...

All you need to know: Makes things look better while decreasing performance demands.

For a slightly less mind-numbing experience, you can read more about normal mapping here: Normal Mapping Article @ Wikipedia

Reflections:

Toggles reflection effects on armor and weapons on and off, like so:

Dynamic Reflections:

I have no idea what it does.

Scene reflections:

Toggles reflection effects in SCN files.

Glow Trails:

Toggles glow trails for particle effects. Easier to show you... Below is 2 shots of the same particle effect for lightning. On the left is with Glow Trails, and on the right without Glow Trails.

Appendix II: The Display Menu

This menu has a list of display options:

Helpers:

Toggles animation viewing markers (these are animated in the viewer) for AMS files. Note that these are kind of necessary for viewing some animations (i.e. “blast.ams”)... because without them you can’t see the animation taking place from the camera starting position in the viewer, like so:

This is literally the default view for the file “blast.ams:”

This is the same view with the “helpers” enabled:

And finally, from a view where you can actually see the animation, one might look like this:

Help Text:

Toggles the FPS and help text in the upper lefthand corner of the viewer on and off, like so:

Wire Frame:

Toggles viewing between the skinned mesh and the wire frame mesh, like so:

Grid:

Toggles the “floor” grid off and on, like so:

Bone Helpers:

Toggles wire frame markers for Skinned Mesh files, like so:

Appendix III: The Scale Menu and Navigation

As you can see, the scale menu is a simple list of numbers indicating a relative distance scale:

1/100ths scale for very fine movement.
1/10th scale for fine movement.
1 for normal movement.
10 times for larger movement.
100 times for very large movement.

First thing you should notice is that scale, in the sense used here, is tied to movement... rather than size of the models or what have you. Indeed, moving around in the viewer can be a little tricky at first, so in this section, were going to try and de-mystify it a little bit to help you get started.

As you can see in the “Help Text”, The movement keys are the First Person Shooter (FPS) standard of “W S A D”. This makes movement seem like it will be a breeze, until you realize that you have no mouselook and full access to the “Z axis”.

First thing we do is click and hold the right mouse button... ahh, that's better, we now have mouselook! However, we not only have have left and right to deal with, we also have to deal with pitch -- so be aware of whether you are pointing up or down as you move.... think of it less as an FPS and more of a flight simulator and you begin to get the idea (fortunately, they left out yaw).

The scale, from the scale menu above, determines how fast you move... with the smallest numbers being slowest, and bigger numbers fastest.

Knowing all this, and with a little practice, you will be zoomin’ around your models in no time.

Appendix IV: Viewing Textures and the Media Menu

The Media Menu:

This menu allows to choose a location and save the textures to a location on your system where you can view and edit them. However, as far as I know, you cannot import edited textures directly back into the viewer unless your save location and model location are the same (Hopefully, you’re using a copy of the game files, rather than the game files themselves).

For example, you want to work on banded boot textures. Make a folder called, say, “banded boots”, and copy over the files you will need to use the viewer to see the boots. All of these files can be found in the “PLAYER&rdquo folder under the main game folder.

Filenames capitalized as found.

The Skinned Mesh file:

The Animation Files:

The Texture Files:

Once all these are copied over to the “banded boots” folder, then you can drag and drop “bandedboots.SMS” to the viewer directly from this folder to view the model and textures.

Then you can work on your textures from this folder, save them here, and view changes... actually, the Media Menu doesn’t really come into play much, since you will most likely be opening and saving, from and to, this folder directly to your image editing software, but it’s there if you need it.

Appendix V: Just a Couple More Things

On the “Help Text:”

“TAB advances motions”

This means that animated models (*.SMS files) will advance through the available animations for that model... if the TAB key is pressed while they are in the viewer.

This can be mis-leading if you try it while viewing a model that has no animation, or animation sequences -- which are always animated -- as nothing will happen and you may think the thing doesn’t work, but it does.

“R reset camera”

Moves the camera back to the default starting position... helpful if you get totally lost and can’t find your way back to the model you’re viewing (it happens).

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