Exporting ASE mesh as CM collision model ?

[motorsep]

Is it possible to export ASE mesh as CM collision model (and then somehow view it to visually confirm if it's good or not) ? If I select my model and then go to File > Export Selected as Collision Model, I get model selection dialog window popping up and when I select model there and hit Ok, nothing happens (window closes and I am back in the Editor). No .cm file gets saved.

[JackFarmer]

I take it you need a CM for a moveable entity?

If so, then check this.

[motorsep]

After reading that article, it sounds like only brushes can be exported as CM files?

[JackFarmer]

2 hours ago, motorsep said:

After reading that article, it sounds like only brushes can be exported as CM files?

Yes, that's at least my recollection. Keep the CM model as simple as possible. I always use simple cubes for this.

[nbohr1more]

Anything collection of polygons can be a collision model.

It just needs a collision texture. To convert a non-solid visual model to collision, replace the texture with a texture that has inherent or explicit collision.

To make a collision model visible in DR? Re-Texture it with a visible texture or skin.

Beware of nonsolid entity arguments that override the collision texture.

See also "surface parameters":

https://modwiki.dhewm3.org/Global_material_keywords_(Doom_3)

[JackFarmer]

19 minutes ago, nbohr1more said:

Anything collection of polygons can be a collision model.

 

No restriction as stated in the Wiki?

[nbohr1more]

There is no need to "export" a model as a "model". You can export a model as a different model format if desired but there is no logic to it. The model is already in optimized form and ready to be re-textured with collision textures.

[motorsep]

14 minutes ago, nbohr1more said:

There is no need to "export" a model as a "model". You can export a model as a different model format if desired but there is no logic to it. The model is already in optimized form and ready to be re-textured with collision textures.

Well, I am not sure where you get your information from, but I couldn't export selected ASE mesh in the map as CM model. It's either a bug in DR or the limitation is that only brushes can be exported as CM (which is in fact how dmap generate .cm files - only from brushes)

[nbohr1more]

4 minutes ago, motorsep said:

Well, I am not sure where you get your information from, but I couldn't export selected ASE mesh in the map as CM model. It's either a bug in DR or the limitation is that only brushes can be exported as CM (which is in fact how dmap generate .cm files - only from brushes)

There is no such model format as "CM".

A CM is either an OBJ, ASE, or LWO with a collision texture.

The cm data in the map compile cannot be natively manipulated, it is the result of a dmap operation.

[motorsep]

3 minutes ago, nbohr1more said:

There is no such model format as "CM".

Yes, there is

terrain_test8.cm

[nbohr1more]

https://wiki.thedarkmod.com/index.php?title=Collision_Models

https://wiki.thedarkmod.com/index.php?title=Clipmodel

and what is an example of a TDM CM?

3 minutes ago, motorsep said:

Yes, there is

 

terrain_test8.cm 23.32 kB · 0 downloads

That is what DMAP produces. It is a map-wide representation of collision. It is not a "model". ( hence all the brush references in the text )

Look again:  barrel01_cm.lwo is a typical collision model in TDM. It is a Lightwave object. ( LWO ). If you know of a single editor program that manipulates Doom 3 DMAP collision products ( cm files ) I would be happy to hear of it.

[motorsep]

https://modwiki.dhewm3.org/CM_(file_format)

Literally what .cm files are for - map and movables. So, I don't understand why you change the original meaning of CM.

[LDAsh]

Radiant is looking for brushes, convex solid geometry, and it will save that as a CM when you select your mapobject.  I don't know why the save dialog seems like a model loader, but it does work.  The CM file can be opened with Notepad and it might be possible to finagle all that data, or in the meantime you could try to convert your triangles into brushwork, which is not recommended.  If your collision data can't easily be made with just brushes, it might be too complex for this engine.

[HMart]

Afaik yes .cm files (means collision model) can be used as a separate collison model, for a ingame entity, I think that there's even a special func entity for that but the fact is, it was hardly used by idsoftware for that purpose, majority of Doom 3 models have the collision surface incorporated in the model itself (like the shadow model) they did it on Maya, 3DS Max and Modo.

So motorsep I ask, why would you want to make a separate collision model in DR? Can't you edit the model in Blender for example? 

[motorsep]

7 hours ago, HMart said:

So motorsep I ask, why would you want to make a separate collision model in DR? Can't you edit the model in Blender for example? 

I can. In fact, I just set flag "solid" "1" on ASE model and it gives me collisions. I just figured maybe .cm collision file might have some benefits over direct per-poly collision with the ASE model. So I wanted to give it a try.

After I asked original question, I did a lot of tests and I think it's just physics of AFEntity that give me issues and whether it will be .cm or material key or entity key, it wouldn't matter.

[motorsep]

8 hours ago, LDAsh said:

Radiant is looking for brushes, convex solid geometry

Maybe that's the requirement my mesh doesn't fulfill - it's not convex. 

[HMart]

21 hours ago, motorsep said:

I can. In fact, I just set flag "solid" "1" on ASE model and it gives me collisions. I just figured maybe .cm collision file might have some benefits over direct per-poly collision with the ASE model. So I wanted to give it a try.

After I asked original question, I did a lot of tests and I think it's just physics of AFEntity that give me issues and whether it will be .cm or material key or entity key, it wouldn't matter.

Solid 1, if no collision surface is available, will use the model geometry itself for collisions (search for combat model in the code also), so yes is not the best approach, doing a custom collision model is always preferable for performance, but doing it on DR is something I personally don't do and IMO is at most, best for simple box like collision models. 

Like I said the best is to create the collision surfaces in a 3D Tool like blender, you can use the shadow model for it, just change the material from "shadow" to "collision" or even the lower poly LOD model, can't be easier.

Btw isn't AFEntity for ragdool physics? I thought that was only for skinned MD5 models not static ASE or LWO models.

[motorsep]

17 minutes ago, HMart said:

Btw isn't AFEntity for ragdool physics? I thought that was only for skinned MD5 models not static ASE or LWO models.

Yeah, but also for vehicles. Vehicle is MD5, terrain is ASE.

Edited January 24, 2023 by motorsep