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Old 24-07-18, 08:54   #1
not again!
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Default Outfit Building Starter Pack for Blender

update: that outfit starter pack is long obsolete, so if you arrived to this thread via google search have a look at this thread for up to date workflows.


What's this for?


If you are thinking about making a custom outfit for Lara, you will find that you can't export the original model as a whole from the classic games, but that the model comes separated into bodyparts, which upon import into any 3d modeling software form a heap of disjointed bodyparts.



If she was a molecular biologist she would be intrigued with herself

I've adapted the offset values provided in this thread A guide to remapping outfits by sapper* for the default settings of Blender and have thus assembled Lara's models from the first, third and fourth game. And since I've already gone to the trouble, I might as well share and maybe save someone else the hassle?

*At this place thousand thanks to sapper for writing and maintaining so many tools for TRLE and providing tutorials to go along with them!


DOWNLOAD

Thank you to Titak and AkyV for hosting this resource and including it in the Trle/trng resources thread!


For reference, the offset values for a fully assembled Lara in Blender are as follows:

Code:
PELVIS			X:0	Y:0	Z:0

LEFT THIGH/HIP		X:-0.42	Y:-0.02 Z:-0.20
LEFT SHIN/KNEE		X:-0.33	Y:-0.05 Z:-2.05
LEFT FOOT/ANKLE		X:-0.32	Y:0.03 	Z:-3.97

RIGHT THIGH/HIP		X:0.43	Y:-0.02 Z:-0.20
RIGHT SHIN/KNEE		X:0.33	Y:-0.04 Z:-2.05
RIGHT FOOT/ANKLE	X:0.33	Y:-0.02 Z:-3.98

TORSO/WAIST		X:-0.01	Y:-0.11 Z:0.49

R UPPER ARM/SHOULDER	X:0.58	Y:0.01 Z:1.91	
R LOWER ARM/ELBOW	X:0.68	Y:0.03 Z:0.96
RIGHT HAND/WRIST	X:0.69	Y:0.04 Z:-0.05

L UPPER ARM/SHOULDER	X:-0.58	Y:0.01 Z:1.92
L LOWER ARM/ELBOW	X:-0.67	Y:0.03 Z:0.94
LEFT HAND/WRIST		X:-0.68	Y:0.04 Z:-0.05

HEAD/NECK		X:0.01	Y:0.12 	Z:2.47

=============================================
Contents of the download
=============================================

- compare.blend (a file containing all three models in separate layers so you can compare them directly)

- offset_values.html (contains the same info as the table posted above)

- TR1_Lara_assembled.blend

- TR3_Lara_assembled.blend

- TR4_Lara_assembled.blend

- readme.txt

=============================================
A few pointers on how to use
=============================================

Some general points to take note of:

- This pack was made with the latest version of Blender (currently v.2.79b), which comes with a built in .dxf import/export plugin which you need to enable under Files>User Preferences>Add-ons>Import-Export. Take note that there are actually two plugins which you need to enable - one for import and one for export.

- The models are mirrored in Blender. So if, for example, you want to add a compass to the right side of Lara's belt, you need to keep in mind that in Blender this would be the left side.

- Any coordinate values that have more than two decimal figures get rounded up or down when importing into STRPIX3.
(Basically, if you have a coordinate value of 0.12112 it gets rounded down to 0.12) so it's best to use snap to grid while editing to prevent wandering vertices.

- Blender has the option to use layers (to be found at the bottom of the window), which in our case are going to be used to switch between different models:



(empty square means empty layer, dot in the square means there is a model in this layer)
Just click on the layer you want to view, or press and hold shift to select multiple layers to display.
  • The first layer always contains the unaltered, original version of the model, which is a bit asymmetrical and does not line up all that well.
  • The second layer contains a cleaned up and symmetrical version for quicker and easier editing. This way you need to edit those bodyparts which are supposed to look the same on both sides, boots for example, only once and can then mirror the mesh to the other side (and then maybe re-add some asymmetrical details as final touch?)
  • The third layer contains Hulky Lara which is here to help you with exporting your finished model, but more on that later.


--------------------------------------

The following is not a Blender tutorial - it's assumed you already have some basic modeling knowledge - it's just giving a few pointers what to look out for when making custom outfits for TRLE in Blender:


If you open any of the three Lara model files with Load UI enabled, you'll notice the white dots all over the model - the origin points for each body part.

The origin points usually have the coordinates X:0 Y:0 Z:0, and when I was previously talking about assembling Lara using the correct offset values, I was more precisely talking about moving the origins. This is vital to keep in mind, because the object origin points are now exactly in the place they need to be and you should not shift any of them during your editing until the very end where they have to be reset to 0 before exporting.

- if you move a mesh in object mode the origin will move with it

- if you move a mesh in edit mode, the origin will not be affected but stay in place.




Now, depending on your working style you probably will want to join some of the body-parts for better editing.
Inconveniently all the parts you join will inherit the origin of the last mesh you selected and lose the one that they will need for export.
Here's a short youtube tutorial that covers object origin, joining and separating meshes nicely: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FIfwMEDMGz8

Now, this means that you need to give the meshes their initial origin points back after you are done with editing and have separated the parts again.
This is where Hulky Lara from Layer Three comes into play.
This model's meshes have been moved out of the way in edit mode, so the origin points are still in place, and it serves as a source of correct-origin-having-meshes from which your edited meshes can inherit said correct origin points from.



Hold the Shift key and select the third layer to toggle Hulky Lara into your current layer.
Select a mesh which has lost its origin and then select on Hulky the corresponding part which has the origin you need. Join (but remember to select your altered mesh first and hulky second). Separate. Done.

Resetting the origins to X:0 Y:0 Z:0 for export when you are done with editing is refreshingly untedious - in Object Mode hover with the mouse cursor over the location field, hit the backspace key on your keyboard and all three values will reset to zero without you having to type in anything manually. Hooray!

tl;dr: here are some Blender files, so you can skip the tedious part of having to assemble Låra in Blender like an Ikea shelf and can go straight to the fun part of modeling.

Last edited by not again!; 06-01-21 at 21:37.
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