3D Game Programming All in One

By Kenneth C. Finney

Chapter 13

Modeling with Milkshape

Modeling with Milkshape

Milkshape 3D

• Low-cost 3D modeling tool

• Supports plug-ins for importing and exporting models

• Continual evolution of software adds new features

Modeling with Milkshape

Milkshape GUI• A window contains the program

• The program contains frames

• One frame contains viewports which display views

• A view shows an object or scene from a particular angle

• Another frame contains the modeling toolbox

Modeling with Milkshape

Milkshape GUI• Upper-Left Viewport : Front View

• Upper-Right Viewport : Right View

• Lower-Right Viewport : 3D View

• Lower-Left Viewport : Top View

Modeling with Milkshape

Milkshape GUI

• Toolbox tabs:– Model tab– Groups tab– Materials tab

(Joints tab missing from book illustration)

Modeling with Milkshape

Navigating in Views

• To move around in wire-frame views, click-drag the cursor while holding the Control key

• To zoom in or out, click-drag with the Shift key (except in Select mode)

• Use mouse wheel to zoom also

Modeling with Milkshape

View Scale & Orientation

• In the front view:– X-axis: positive going up– Y-axis: positive to the right– Z-axis: positive to the front

• Right-handed coordinate system

Modeling with Milkshape

View Scale & Orientation

• Become familiar with model scale and axis orientation and how they relate to in-game appearance

• Calibrate your model scene scale

• The Left Viewport in Milkshape is used as the Right View in Torque

Modeling with Milkshape

Lab 3: The Soup Can Revisited

• Work with a simple shape primitive—a cylinder

• Assign a material

• Export as a Wavefront obj file to unwrap

Modeling with Milkshape

UV Unwrapping

• UVMapper is used to work with exported can

• Refer to Chapter 9 for more discussion of UV Unwrapping

Modeling with Milkshape

Lab 4: UVMapper• Learn to use obj model exported from

Milkshape

• See how to generate unwrapped layout template for pre-existing skin

• Learn to export new unwrapped version of model as obj file

• Learn how to import obj file into Milkshape

Modeling with Milkshape

Lab 5: Enhancing the Soup Can– Practice modifying a Milkshape

model– Alter the Soup Can to have an

opened lid– Practice exporting a Milkshape

model with the ms2dtsExporter

Modeling with Milkshape

Menus– File

• Save, open, import, & export files

– Edit• Select, duplicate, undo, redo, hide,

unhide

– Vertex• Vertex snapping, welding, mirroring,

modify vertices

Modeling with Milkshape

Menus• Face

• Reverse, divide, smoothing, winding

• Animate• Set, delete, copy, paste keyframes

• Tools• Access plugins and user tools

• Window• Window selection, display adjustment

Modeling with Milkshape

Toolbox

• Model tab– Create and modify vertices, faces,

cylinders, spheres, and boxes

• Groups tab– Organize polygons visually or

logically

Modeling with Milkshape

Toolbox

• Materials tab– Create and modify materials using

textures

• Joints tab– Select and assign joints for

skeletons

Modeling with Milkshape

Preferences

• Viewport tab– Adjust viewport settings

• Misc tab– Adjust animation, joint, & autosave

settings

Modeling with Milkshape

UVMapper

• File Menu

• Edit Menu

• Help Menu

Modeling with Milkshape

UVMapper

• File Menu– Load models– Import UV coordinate data– Save models– Export UV coordinates

Modeling with Milkshape

UVMapper

• Edit menu– Adjust settings– Vertex tools– Select and Assign to groups– Rotate – Create UV Maps

Modeling with Milkshape

UVMapper

• Help menu– Obtain stats about model– Hotkey help

Summary

• Milkshape is well-featured shareware modeling tool

• Pay attention to side view variation between Milkshape and Torque

• Calibrate model scale when starting

• Use plug-ins for more features

• UVMapper integrates with Milkshape via .obj files