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MDL Information

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2008-11-05, 13:54 by Keshire
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Keshire Administrator 2008-12-15, 04:34 #1
Member since Nov 2008 · 29 posts
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Subject: MDL Information
Since Hunter asked me about it.

I've mentioned before that MDL is a pretty standard and generic format. There may be differences from version to version and game to game, but it's going to be roughly the same.

Anyways it looks like they used the SoftImageXSI SDK to make a few changes to the format itself. Plus like all the other files they stripped the headers.

Anyways, I've seen reference to polymsh and grid mesh types. I guess they forgot to rename those submeshes....

I'll take a closer look and see if I can write up a spec within the next few days.

For a good example of what I'm talking about:
File: LucienGuard_Collar.mdl
MeshName: polymsh_detached1
http://www.kxcad.net/Softimage_XSI/Softimage_XSI_Documenta…
Apathy Cannot Inspire.
Ambivalence cannot lead.
Loved me. Feared me.
Changed me. Killed me.
Anything would be something.
But nothing is worst of all.
This post was edited on 2008-12-15, 05:00 by Keshire.
TodX Administrator 2009-06-20, 02:44 #2
Member since Oct 2008 · 16 posts · Location: San Diego
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Took a whack at the models.
This is based on a clothing item/non-static mesh.  I know the static meshes have diff format, at least for verts.

*Updated: most of the layout is done.  Now need to make sense of unknowns.  HW chokes on these structures due to zstring bugs.*
Requires HexWorkshop 6: But doesn't working either way

#include "standard-types.hsl"

#pragma byteorder(big_endian)
#pragma maxarray(65535)

struct BoneEntry
{
    zstring    BoneName;
    DWORD    BoneID;
}BoneEntry;

struct BoneTransform
{
    DWORD Unk1[11];
}BoneTransform;

struct Material
{
    zstring TextureName;
    zstring SpecularMapName;
    zstring NormalMapName;
    char Unk1[3];
    float Unk2[3];
}Material;

struct Vertex
{
    float Unk1[3];
    DWORD Unk2[3];
    float Unk3;
}Vertex;

struct Unk16
{
    float Unks[4];
}Unk16;

struct Mesh
{
    DWORD Unk1;
    zstring MeshName;
    float Unk2[2];
    char Unk3[21];
    float Unk4;
    DWORD Unk5[3];
    DWORD MaterialCount;
    Material Materials[MaterialCount];
   
}Mesh;

struct SubMeshDesc
{
    DWORD Unk1;
    char Unk2;
    DWORD Unk3[3];
    float Unk4[6];
}SubMeshDesc;

struct MeshBuffer
{
    DWORD Unk8[2];
    DWORD SomeCount1;
    DWORD TriangleStripLength;
    DWORD VertexCount;
    DWORD SubMeshCount;
    SubMeshDesc SubMeshes[SubMeshCount];
    Vertex Vertices[VertexCount];
    WORD Faces[TriangleStripLength];
    Unk16 Unk16[VertexCount];
}MeshBuffer;

struct MDL_File
{
    DWORD Unk1[8];
    DWORD BoneCount;
    BoneEntry Bones[BoneCount];
    DWORD BoneTransformCount;
    BoneTransform BoneTransforms[BoneTransformCount];
    float Unk2[10];
    DWORD MeshCount;
    DWORD Unk3[2];
    char Unk4[13];
    DWORD Unk5[5];
    DWORD Unk6Count;
    float Unk6s[Unk6Count];
    DWORD Unk7;
    Mesh Meshes[MeshCount];
    MeshBuffer MeshBuffers[MeshCount];
}MDL_File;
This post was edited on 2009-06-20, 05:42 by TodX.
TodX Administrator 2009-06-22, 21:21 #3
Member since Oct 2008 · 16 posts · Location: San Diego
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I've been looking at the vertex format, and the one above is definitely not correct.

I can't quite make out what they are doing in the vert data.  I've managed to find the bone indices and weights, but that's about it.  I've tried to read the data as 16bit floats and I can't seem to get a definite match on anything.  I still need to try packed 10bit data, but either way I can't seem to make any sense of it yet.

I wouldn't mind a little help here if anyone could take a look.  (Like, maybe Kesh? =)

Once we bang this out, I'll start on a 3DS Max import plugin so we can play with the models.
LittleCodingFox 2009-06-27, 06:30 #4
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TodX, can you at least verify if the vertex element data uses the same size as your vertex specs' size?
TodX Administrator 2009-06-27, 18:18 #5
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I wouldn't have posted it if I hadn't.
LittleCodingFox 2009-06-29, 03:25 #6
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Quote by TodX on 2009-06-27, 18:18:
I wouldn't have posted it if I hadn't.

Touché. Still, i have Windows 7 and Hex Workshop 6, and i'm unable to use your specs because Hex Workshop just blocks and keeps adding more and more memory, reaching over 700MB of RAM until i terminate it's process. Got any idea of what i should do? Is that even "normal"?
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JohnDoe Moderator 2009-07-02, 02:46 #7
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Quote by LittleCodingFox on 2009-06-29, 03:25:
Is that even "normal"?
HW5 and HW6 has some issues with zstrings, it seems HW6 is worse.
Okay, sorry, lame movie reference, I just had to.

But yea, TodX had the same problem. As for what to do about it, well, I'd suggest writing a parser. ;)
An optimist is a pessimist in the making.
This post was edited on 2009-07-02, 02:52 by JohnDoe.
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