Converting Half-Life models to Torque?

#1 Isn't MilkShape able to import Half-Life models?

#2 Hehe, wow. If that's true, there's a MASSIVE resource of conent throughout the HL modding community.

#3 You can't forget licenses and intellectual property! You can't just steal the models without permission!

#4 Robert has a very good point... you would have to find the authors of each model and request their permission to use it (preferably in writing)...

#5 There are a number of sites with free Half-Life models available, so there would be no need to steal them. Usually the main points to watch out for are restrictions on which games they can be used for and whether they can be used in commercial games/mods.

#6 Oh yeah, I'm not suggesting just up and taking them, but there are so many models out there that you could do stuff with with permission.

What other games' models can be imported into Torque? Unreal, Quake III, any of those? Any lists anywhere? Don't mean to be stupid, just interested.

Also, would you have to animate these models, or can you import animations as well?

#7 [url="http://www.swissquake.ch/chumbalum-soft/ms3d/index.html"]Pretty big list of supported formats[/url]

Is it relatively simple to just plug those into Torque, or does it take a bunch of tweaking to get them to look right?

#8 I suppose my real question at this point then would be, how difficult would it be to edit/write a tool that would import models and textures from a different game into Torque (one that isn't supported here)?

#9 To make .dts Half Life:


Get Shaper demo. Import dts. Export milkshape ascii. Import Milkshape ascii in milkshape. export to half life.

#10 Well, my experience with model plug-ins was not very easy, but not impossible; it just takes time to fully generate one. I think the hardest part would be to find the actual file format. From there on is just a matter of coding, which can vary in complexity from file format to file format. File formats tend to change from version to version to cope with the new stuff they add to those crafty models. So, it is not a plug-in that will survive forever... To generate a plug-in is time consuming to say the least!

To start with, you could take a look at the file format for the Quake2 models from NVIDIA, and you might get a feel for what a file format plug-in would take. Also consider that MD2 is outdated, and new ones are more complex.

@JesusPhreak: Yes it might take some tweaking because some models store AXIS alignment in different ways, amongst other things that might make a model difficult to properly be imported. For example on format might have the X and Y axis swapped. So, you will need to sort out all the lighting/texturing/etc data accordingly.

You also have to be careful because some file formats are not royalty free if you want to write code to manipulate the file format and use them commercially.

But, if you find a model, its file format, clearance with royalties, and you are willing to code it with me, I am game...

#11 For convert models of half-life(.mdl) to models torque(.dts) I'm using the program Milkshape 3D whith the plugin "ms2dtsExporterPlus.dll".This program have a problem:it exports the models half-life to models torque in only one colour (white).What can I do for texture the models of torque?.Wait a response.

my e-mail is Lopeantonio72@hotmail.com

#12 I'm interested in this also, but I'm too poor for most of the modeling programs out there. All I have to work with is Blender (of course) and maybe Houdini ($99 isn't too bad).
I'm a novice at both programs, which is why I'm trying to port over models already rendered instead of making them from scratch.

#13 Dave - Blender should suit you fine, it has an MD2 importer. Just import your HL-ready meshes, and export to DTS (or Collada). Of course, you might have to do some intermediate fixing, but nothing much that you wouldn't have to deal with in another program/exporter anyway.