Hello. I'm reading the tutorial of T7Nowhere (http://www.lucasforums.com/showthread.php?t=143805) "A-Z of modeling a new lightsaber" and I don't understand a stage:

"Now that you have a nice cylinder you will need to be able to see through in order to build your hilt within it. SO to do this we are going to set the opacity to around 50%. Select your cylinder and hilt "m" to bring up the Material editor hit New-->select standard--> hit ok. Change the opacity to 50 and hit apply and close the Material editor."

I don't find Material Editor and he didn't put a picture. Can you help me please?

PS:Moderators, don't delete this thread when they answer my question. Perhaps, after question, I will have new problems...

Select your cylinder and hit "m" to bring up the Material editor hit New-->select standard--> hit ok.

Does that typo correction help?

Select it and hit the 'M' key.

_EW_

Ok. I did. Thank you. But, I have another problem. He tells to new=Standard. I do this. After we should to set the opacity to 50. Ok, I do this. But, the apply button Isn't linghtng. It doesn't want work.
http://img117.imageshack.us/my.php?image=gmax8aq.jpg)

In this tutorial you will learn how to model a simple lightsaber hilt, Rig it for export and use cchargins replacer function in MDLops. This tutorial is written assuming the reader has basic knowledge of how to use gmax. If you have never used gmax before I highly recomend completing a couple of discreets gmax tutorials to get a feel for the program.
http://www.turbosquid.com/gmax)

Making lightsaber hilt is more about using gmax (or 3dsmax). I'ts verry important to have basic knowledge about modeling.

But, I won't read ALL tutorials. I cancel the window of material editor and I not clicked on "Apply" button because he doesn't want to work.
I will continue the tutorial. I tell you if I have another problems. :)

In 3dmax it is a tool which tell you dimmensions of your object. In gmax isn't. So if you want to have some guide only to know how big will be your hilt make a cylinder. However, you must know how to apply a material to mesh if you want to have a mapped hilt in game. I don't like to read but with this tutorial I was make an exception and read-it 3 times. You should try to read at least once. :)
Select your cylinder and hit "m" to bring up the Material editor hit New-->select standard--> hit ok. Change the opacity to 50 and hit apply and close the Material editor.
1.

Hit New->Standard
2. Set opacity to 50
3. Apply the material to the object

Eeeeeeeeh! I didn't understand! But I've 2 questions:

Why does the hilt model not appear in center of screen, like in tutorial?
Where is the command Hit new?

You got me here.
1. In lower-right part of gmax you will find a button "Zoom Extents All". That should bring your hilt back in center.
2. I belive "command Hit new" means click on "new" button.
However, we come away from topic. This is not about modding anymore.

Ok, thank you. I will try.

I will all start again.
The Command "Zoom Extents All" will not work. When I click on it, nothing changes. I did all instructions until With the ngon selected click the modify tab and select Extrude from the Modifier List and make the amount 2.0cm and hit enter. Now right click your ngon and convert it to Editable Mesh.

It is nothing in the "Modifier List", just "Use Pivot Points". Normally, The 3D Model should appear on the screen of Gmax. Here, never...
Look at thishttp://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g307/Yoda121/g-max.jpg)
And thishttp://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g307/Yoda121/T7.jpg)

The first is my screen after 3 stages of T7nowhere. The 2 is the screenshot of T7nowhere when he begin. It is Normal?

Yes, that's the button but what do you want to show in gmax since you don't have any object?
Please run some gmax tutorials first.
And yes, second pic is normal.

I wan't to see the model which we can modify.
I can't, I don't know why...

KOTOR ans TSL is full of models which you can edit.
Even to edit a existed model you need to know modeling and how to use gmax (or 3dsmax) and some basic knowledge about aurora models. All this will come in time with practice. Trust me. Making your own hilt is the easy way to learn all this than editing existed one.

Ok, but, what model do I edit?
I must extract a model with KOTOR Tool and convert him to ASCII with MDLops.

Ok, I prefer start a new model. I tried with a mod, I didn't succeed. I perfer read stage and stage of tutorial, It's better than modify a new model.
But I have a question:
How do we zoom on a model?
Because mine... It is very little. :D

Yoda121

T7's tut is very precise you will find it hard to get anything better with pictures included for
modeling in kotor

To zoom in max or Gmax
The easy way click the view port label in the top left of any view you want,
front / right / left / perspective ect.. whatever view port you are working
in or want to work in, now you see it has a highlighted boarder meaning
it's now active. Next you simply roll the wheel on your mouse one way is in the other is out,
it makes it very easy.


Holding down the wheel button gives you the pan tool so if you zoomed too far in or out and your
mesh is off center you hold it down and move your mouse around.

Now click the cylinder guide mesh so it's active then you hit M on your keyboard
it's the materials shortcut then >>> change the opacity to 50
I would go down to 20 - 30 % here and hit apply and close the Material editor."


For another option this is the way I use the old hilt for scale.


I'm old skool and prefer to scale my new model to the approximate size of the default,
I also like to see all the mesh while building mine. So I begin by importing one of the
game models and since it's needed later on anyways why not start with it in there ;)

Before I even begin changing setting on the old model I right click the the view port label
in the top left of the perspective view port, then I left click Edged Faces now I can
see the wire frame over the smooth model.


Once it's in there I select the hilt and change the mesh colour to red as in “BAD”
On the right of my Command panel under Name and Color I click the object colour box
and choose the one I want ;) then rename it to old for my rigging process later,
I also unlink it at this point. Then by right clicking the selected model I choose
Properties.... on the left side under Display Properties there is an option for
See-Through and I check it on.

The short cut for See-Through is Alt + X and again to toggle it off,
but for this it's good to explore the softwear.

Now the model looks like glass and easy to work around , I can still use it for scale. But I can
still select it by accident making modeling my hilt a pain.

So to stop selecting it while modeling.
With the old hilt selected I Just right click the old mesh and I choose
Freeze Selection. The wire frame turns light grey and can't be selected until I turn off
freezing by selecting Unfreeze All, by again right clicking to bring up the Quad menu.

Then i have the default model set as a guide, and completely trouble free when building my own model
over it.

As both T7's tut, Oldflash, and one of my own found here http://www.lucasforums.com/showthread.php?t=134510)

have suggested it is worth your while to do some beginner tuts in Gmax. The only way to make anything is
to learn the tools, with a few easy tuts you will have much more knowledge of the power of the tool
at your finger tips. I'm sure you will see that you can really have some fun in 3d when you are
more comfortable with it.

Good luck

svцsh

Ok. Thank you svцsh. I will try which you tell me, and I will read your tutorial. I prefer finish one tutorial and begin another...

It is ok for zoom. :)
But... With the ngon selected click the modify tab and select Extrude from the Modifier List and make the amount 2.0cm and hit enter. Now right click your ngon and convert it to Editable Mesh.

Where is "Extrude"? He isn't in the Modifier List...

Where is "Extrude"? It isn't in the Modifier List...

Yes it is. Is your ngon selected?

I know for a fact it is, because I used this tutorial myself a while back and I remember that T7's directions were very correct.

_EW_

Yes, Ngon is actived...

http://img239.imageshack.us/my.php?image=clipboard029mx.jpg)
http://img424.imageshack.us/my.php?image=clipboard018sx.jpg)

With me, "Extrude" button is not in the modifier list. There is "Face Extrude" and no "Extrude". I actived Ngon with the button "Ngon". It isn't?

After you hit ngon button, scroll down a little, in "parameters"=> set "Sides:" 8, and in "Keyboard Entry" set "Radius:" 2 then hit "Create" button. After this you should have (finaly) a ngon. (http://oldflash.batcave.net/funny/clipboard01.html)
@svцsh Thanks for "Alt+x" hint. I didn't know about this. :) Verry usefull.

!!!!!!!!!!!!
I didn't know we should to hit on create button in Keyboard Entry! But, we should to make the Radius to 1.6 in "Parameters" and Radius to 2 in "Keyboard Entry"?
And we hit on create button...
Thanks to Oldflash, svцsh, and EnderWiggin :) ...
!!!!!!!!!!!!

No problem oldflash :) it really is handy I rarely model without it. I forgot to mention you can change the quality that the transparency is displayed in the view port, by right clicking the viewport label and changing transparency from; best / simple /and none, by default it's on simple and looks like a badly compressed .gif or some 16 bit .bmp image ;) . I'm glad you got it sorted out Yoda121.

svцsh

Yes, but I'm not finish this tutorial.
I understood several things with you and I thank you...
But, it is a big party which I have to do.
I have to modeling the cylinder and complete model.

If I need help, I ask you in this topic :)

I succeed with Ngon and the "Extrude" button is appear.
If I understand, when we change a category, we should hit on "Create" Button in "Keyboard entry" for modifications are apply, it isn't?

Sorry, I've a new problem. When I select "Extrude" and I make Amount to 2.0, it is a very little cylinder than T7nowhere screen's.
http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i84/EnableConsole/nwmax.png)


http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i84/EnableConsole/T7NWMax.png)

Do I should to make Amount to 20.0?

T7's tut is very precise you will find it hard to get anything better with pictures included for modeling in kotor

First lightsaber I buld-it it was step by step after T7's tut. From that I build few more and developed a personal style. But you need to build one first to understand how to do.
So extrude 2.00cm as T7 says. You will understand later why. :)

Ok, but, the screen isn't same one...
and I don't think it is normal...

Sorry...
I have a new problem:

Now we have 2 sections that are pretty unimpressive so we'll give it a bit more detail to make it look more saber like. We'll start on the first section we made and select every other poly on the side of the hilt. when clicking the individual polys hold the Crtl key until your scene looks like this:

But, when I hold CTRL on the cylinder, it doesn't happen anything...

What I should do?
What is a poly?


????????????????
It is one day that I test and...nothing. :smash:

I suggest to run few gmax tutorials.
when clicking the individual polys hold the Crtl key What you have't undestand? Polys means Poligons. Press key "4" to get on poys edit. CTRL+click do multiple selection.

Sorry, I've a new problem. When I select "Extrude" and I make Amount to 2.0, it is a very little cylinder than T7nowhere screen's.

Do I should to make Amount to 20.0?

That looks like your ngon's Radius is much more that 2cm. I would normally start mine at 1.6 - 1.8 and then extrude from there. However, The guide cylinder radius should start at 2.0.

The dimensions are important as it is better to build to the games model size rather than to your own. By doing this you will save alot of time by avoiding having to scale the model, which can cause noobies more problems ;) .

Also as I told you in a PM you really should follow a couple of the gmax tutorials, it will really help you to understand where things are in gmax and also help you to understand the 3d modeling jargon.

At the beginning, I make de Radius to 2.0 and Height to 30.0 like your tuto. I select "Create" button.
After, in the "Shapes" party, I select Ngon in top view and I make 8 sides and the Radius to 1.6 cm.
I select "Create" button in "Keyboard Entry" party.


I installed tutorial, but, when I go to Help=>Tutorials, nothing happens...
Before, all worked very good, but, now...I don't know what happens.

Oldfash, thank you, I found the polys.
But, I can't do like T7 screen's.

I don't know what my tutorial and my help file don't want to work, but, I'll try to reinstall them.
I think the tutorials which I downloaded could help me, but, when they work, they are better utility than now. :)

I installed tutorial, but, when I go to Help=>Tutorials, nothing happens...
First, when you install gmax tutorial you need to locate gmax directory on your hdd (use browse button)
http://img139.imageshack.us/my.php?image=clipboard018mn.jpg)
After that all you need is to start gmax and press "F1" key
http://img138.imageshack.us/my.php?image=clipboard023bn.jpg)
That is all. :)
Edit: I downloaded help instead of tutorial... But you will find here all info you need about navigation and basic modeling.
For tutorials is same step to follow: locate gmax install directory on your hdd (first pic) and under gmax run "tutorials" under help menu.