Table Of Contents
Welcome to the world of modeling! In this tool pack you will find a selection of tools designed to help you in your modeling endeavors for Blizzard®'s masterpiece, Warcraft III®. If you've downloaded this pack you're probably looking for a free easy way to make your own models for your map. Well, with this pack of select tools, you can start creating or editing models in no time.
Before you begin, be sure to download gmax from discreet®'s web site and try out the tutorials that come with it to get used to the program. If you want to more about how to add animation to your model so it works for Warcraft III®, I recommend reading this excellent tutorial.
Here is a complete list of all the tools in the pack, complete with a short description. By clicking the name you can get to a tutorial on using the tool to help you model.
| Tool Name | Tool Description |
| • Warcraft 3 Viewer 2 | Warcraft 3 Viewer is an excellent tool for exporting models, or exporting skins from Warcraft III®. It's also great for taking a screen shot, or an animated GIF of your model. For modeling with gmax, you will use this tool for the exporting of models and skins, as well as converting your skins from BLP (BLizzard Image MaP) to TGA, JPG, or BMP and back again. |
| • Warcraft III File Format Converter | Warcraft III File Format Converter is a simple tool for converting MDX to MDL and back again. This is a very widely used tool, and is a must for modeling in gmax. It also allows the conversion of image files, but it isn't used much for that purpose. |
| • MDX Importer/Exporter v2.0 | MDX Importer/Exporter is the only tool for importing existing MDX type models with gmax. Unfortunately, this script is not complete, so it doesn't allow the user to import/export with animations or skins. That's why it's better just to start models from scratch rather than using this tool, since it adds a bit of a complication to the editing process. |
| • ChilliSkinner v3.0.2 | ChilliSkinner is a tool for skinning your model. It flattens the model and allows you to arrange the skin very easily. Unfortunately, because ChilliSkinner is freeware, it can not handle skinning high poly models or complex meshes (like spheres or other rounded objects), but it's great for those quick modeling jobs. |
| • 'DeX Script | 'DeX Script is a great tool for exporting your made-from-scratch models. It supports animation and skins and it exports to MDL, so you don't have to worry like you would if you used MDX Importer/Exporter. Unfortunately its incomplete, so there are a few bugs, but I'll get to that in more detail in the tutorials. |
| • Ultimate Unwrap 3D v2.15 | Ultimate Unwrap 3D is an excellent tool for skinning your model. It allows the texturing of high poly and complex shape models. It also has available to it an MDX plugin, so you can skin your model in MDX format. Unfortunately, Ultimate Unwrap 3D is not free, but you can buy a full version at it's web site. |
In this section you will learn how to use the tools included in the pack. You can skip through to the tool you want to learn with the Table of Contents or with the Tools List.
Warcraft 3 Viewer can be used for few of the steps in a modeling process - extracting and converting. You use Warcraft 3 Viewer to extract a model from the MPQ archive if you wish to edit a model, and you use Warcraft 3 Viewer if you wish to convert a skin from JPEG, TGA or BMP to BLP. Let's start with the extracting process.
Begin by opening Warcraft 3 Viewer.
To extract a model, go to the Treeview window (if the Treeview window is not open, click the 
icon. Makes sure the MDX radio button is selected (
). Now, scroll through the list to find the model you wish to edit (for example, if you want to edit a Demon Hunter model you would go to Units, then to Night Elf, then to HeroDemonHunter). Remember that not all the models are located in the war3.mpq, and you can switch to war3x.mpq any time by clicking File>Open MPQ...
Now that you've selected the model you want to edit, you have to extract it. Do so by right clicking the model and clicking Extract MDX... If you want to edit the skin you'll also want to extract the Textures. Do that by right clicking the model and clicking Extract (and convert) used textures..., and then selecting the skin you want to extract.
Warcraft 3 Viewer is also used for converting your model's skin to BLP (BLizzard Image MaP) format. To do this, begin by opening Warcraft 3 Viewer. Then click Convert Files>BMP, TGA, or JPG -> BLP or press Ctrl+V.
Warcraft III File Format Converter
Warcraft III File Format Converter is used for converting MDX files to MDL and back again. It is a crucial tool in the modeling process.
Begin by opening the program.
To convert an MDX to MDL for editing, click Load File, find the file on your hard drive, and click Open. Then click Convert to MDX.
To convert an MDL to MDX at the completion of a model, click Load File, find the file on your hard drive, and click Open. Then click Convert to MDL.
NOTE: When closing Warcraft III File Format Converter, you will most probably get an error message. Just click OK and ignore it, it doesn't do any harm.
MDX Importer/Exporter v2.0 is used for importing models into gmax for editing. To use it, make sure you place it in the scripts folder of the gmax directory on your hard drive first.
Start by opening gmax up. Now, click on the 
icon on the side toolbar to get to the Utilities tab. Click MAXScript, click Run Script, and choose the impexpmdx.mse file. Click MDX Importer/Exporter on the Utilities bar.
Now select Static and turn Bone Rotation off. Click Import MDX..., select the model you want to edit and click Open.
A tutorial on using ChilliSkinner can be found here. Do all the steps up to and including number 9. Then, go to the Modify tab, select the model, and click Unwrap UVW on the Modifier List. Then click Edit... on the Parameters rollout and take a screen shot using an imaging program. Resize it to either 256x256 or 512x512, depending how detailed you want the skin to be. Remember the larger the skin, the larger the file is. Now save the image as TGA, JPG, or BMP (I would suggest using TGA). Finally, go back into your model in gmax. Click the 
button on the top toolbar, select the File System radio button, and select the unwrapped skin from your hard drive.
'DeX Script is used for exporting your completed models to MDL format. It's an excellent tool, essential in the modeling process. You begin, by putting it in the Scripts folder of your gmax directory. Next, open up gmax and load your model. Make sure your model is selected and converted to editable mesh or poly before exporting the model.
Now you start exporting. Click the icon on the side toolbar to get to the Utilities tab. Click MAXScript, click Run Script, and choose the 'DeX 0.185m.mcr file.
Now fill in the fields as you see fit. Call the model what you want and add in the correct animation sequences if it is animated, and click Print to Listener. Next, open the MAXScript window by clicking MAXScript>MAXScript Listener... or press F11. Fill in the skin path as you want it to be in the Image "", quotes, get rid of the 'DeX Version text at the top and get rid of the Export Successful text at the bottom. Once perfected to your liking, copy and paste the entire text into a blank text document.
NOTE: There is a strange bug in the MAXScript Listener that prevents you from selecting the entire text at one time. You have to copy and paste the text in sections for it to work.
Finally, save the text document as a .mdl file.
Ultimate Unwrap 3D is used for unwrapping complex shaped or high poly models. To learn to use it refer to the tutorials on their site.
This tutorial was written and compiled by oz02.
Thanks to the creators of all these tools, they're a great help.
A special thanks to all the users on Wc3Sear.ch for whatever I learnt from them.
The biggest thanks of all goes to Darky28 for creating Wc3Sear.ch and allowing me to be a big part of it. Thanks Darky!
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