[TerminX]

Looks cool! I was actually just playing DN:MP last night.

[Lunick]

Always good to see Manhattan Project get some lovin'.

[DNV]

Hey guys. Already I have recorded a few video walkthrough tutorials from ArenA v1.01. Maybe someone need this.

map a02

map b04

map b08

map c01

map c05

map d07

[TheZombieKiller]

Recently, I've been trying to convert Manhattan Project's models into a more usable format (and possibly get them back into the Granny 1 format to make the game more moddable).
I've managed to get Duke's model with its skeleton, but I can't seem to get the animations because grnreader98 won't convert a model unless it has a mesh (eg, animation only files won't convert)

Attached are a bunch of tools if you wanna mess around with it yourself. Just drag the "grn" model of your choice onto my custom version of Granny Viewer, and wait for the model to convert. Then close Granny Viewer and open "gr2convert.bat" and type in the original name of the model or any name you want, eg, if you're converting "duke.grn", then just type duke and press enter.

Materials don't appear to remain intact.

I'm going to try and mess around with "TriExporter", to see if I can get the models into the DirectX model format, which can then be imported into something like Blender.

Attached File(s)

•  dnmp_grn_tools.zip (1.03MB)
  Number of downloads: 2106

[Tea Monster]

I don't know if this would be any good. Looks like a different version of Granny being used, but it might help.

http://forums.civfan...ad.php?t=496855

[TheZombieKiller]

I tried using Nexus Buddy 2, but it seems to crash without an error on my PC.
I most likely won't end up using TriExporter, as I don't feel like getting EVE Online just to find out its file structure to get TriExporter to work.

HOWEVER

I found an open-source version of Granny Viewer designed for Granny1 (grn) models, which is what DNMP uses.

Source
Binaries

This might aid in development of a proper importer and exporter for the format.

Problem is, it seems to crash for me. I get an error: "Open Error an exception occured: Could not load stitchin.def: F:\UO_AoS\stitchin.def(.\iris\loaders\StitchinLoader.cpp, 78)"

EDIT: I managed to fix it by editing "xml\config.xml" to contain this:

<!--
	Ultima Iris Configuration File
-->
<CONFIG>
    <UO>
		<MULPATH>.\</MULPATH>
		<AOS>1</AOS>
	</UO>
</CONFIG>

And then I also had to create a blank "stitchin.def" file in the root directory.

[Tea Monster]

Also, this.

http://aoe3.heavenga...&f=14,38424,,10
#

[TheZombieKiller]

Problem is, I don't have 3DS Max.
If I had 3DS Max, I'd probably have converted everything already, as there are tutorials out there to get a gr2 into a usable format with skeleton AND animations.

[Tea Monster]

The scripts are for a specfic, older version of Max, so I don't know what you'd do about that. There may be advance it would work with the latest version, but no promises. You can get hold of a student version of max for free, but it will be the most recent version.

The only thing I can suggest is to speak to one of the script people on the forum, such as Drek, Plagman or Hendricks and see if they can either update it to work with the latest version of max or preferably, Blender.

[TheZombieKiller]

Currently, the best bet for an importer/exporter is for someone to delve into the source code for the Iris1 Developer Tools' Granny Viewer, and make an import/export script for Blender, or at the very least a program to convert the grn files to other formats and then back into grn again.

I would attempt to make a plugin for the format myself, but I'm pretty much dumbfounded.

If Iris1's code is no use, then the results from importing model data with DNMP's "granny.dll" could help uncover some of the format's specs, as this is what was done with some games that used the newer granny2 format.

In other sections of modding DNMP, I'm assuming that "duke/sys/duke_base.dll" is the equivalent of Quake 3's "gamex86.dll" or Half-Life's "hl.dll", which means that if the source code for this is released, a huge array of modding capabilities get opened up. This is all only if my assumption is correct, and that the file contains no Granny3D code. I have contacted Fresch about the code to this file, and I'm feeling hopeful, as Interceptor have pretty much acquired 3D Realms.

EDIT: So I was editing the ".def" and ".sc" files to mess around and change player models etc, and first up, I replaced the pistol's model with the shotgun's:


BUT THEN I CHOSE THE WRONG PIG MODEL AND MADE THIS MONSTROSITY (which actually animates correctly, surprisingly)

[TheZombieKiller]

Update
My apologies for the double post.
I've managed to get mods working in their own separate directories (a la Half-Life), and I am currently programming a new launcher that will handle mods for the user, similar to EDuke32's launcher.
Fresch hasn't gotten back to me on the duke_base sources, so mods that change more than maps or character models aren't really possible right now.

Oh and btw, I replaced Duke with the pigcop model and DAMN, it looks really cool to see some of the cutscenes with the pigcop rather than Duke.
Heh, maybe I should make the guy from the intro (president?) playable too.

[Tea Monster]

Is it yet possible to add your own custom models? I know that tutorial says you can, but you need a particular version of Max to do so.

[TheZombieKiller]

Not until a "grn" format exporter is created. Once that's done, then custom models will be easy. Currently only gr2 models appear to have exporters.
In the meantime, have some screenshots of the example mod that'll probably be included when the new launcher is released (heh, I named the mod "Hail to the Pig")

[TheZombieKiller]

Here is a WIP version of the launcher. I've tried to make it as faithful as possible to the original, whilst adding the new "Game Directory" option.
The launcher will detect mods in the game directory, and will generate the required files for DNMP to run them.



Currently the "Advanced" button, and the graphics settings do not do anything. I've been focusing on the mod capabilities. Once these are done however, the launcher will essentially be complete.
If you wish to make "ArenA v1.01" playable as a separate mod, make a new folder in the DNMP directory and name it anything you want (I use arenav101), then copy the "base" folder into this new folder. The base folder is located in the "duke" folder inside ArenA's zip file.

You could also just dump the contents of the base folder, rather than the folder itself, into the new folder.

EDIT: Just a few notes that modders can take note of:
* The launcher allows you to use "zip" and "pk3" files in the mod folders, rather than just "zipfs".
* There is no need to make a custom "init.cfg" file, as this is generated with all the correct folders and files automatically. Any edits you make to the generated file will be overwritten when the game is launched next.
* In the "GameInfo.ini" file, any instance of "$GAME" will be replaced with the name of the mod's folder

Optionally, you can create an additional "GameInfo.ini" file in the new folder and put the following inside of it:

[GameInfo]
Title=ArenA v1.01

Everything else is handled by the launcher.

EDIT: Attached file, it didn't seem to upload correctly the first time

Attached File(s)

•  DNMP_ModLauncher.zip (76.56K)
  Number of downloads: 799

[DNV]

I glad to see people interested in DNMP modding

[TheZombieKiller]

GET HYPE

[Mr. Nukem Roses]

it's cool to see mods and such for MP

[Kyanos]

Tea Monster, on 05 March 2014 - 12:55 AM, said:

Is it yet possible to add your own custom models? I know that tutorial says you can, but you need a particular version of Max to do so.

TheZombieKiller, on 05 March 2014 - 12:58 AM, said:

Not until a "grn" format exporter is created. Once that's done, then custom models will be easy. Currently only gr2 models appear to have exporters.In the meantime, have some screenshots of the example mod that'll probably be included when the new launcher is released (heh, I named the mod "Hail to the Pig")

@TheZombieKiller
If you can link me to any information you have on the grn model format, + the gr2 exporters, I'll look at getting a Blender script. No promises, but I will try.

[TheZombieKiller]

Drek, on 21 June 2014 - 09:08 AM, said:

@TheZombieKiller
If you can link me to any information you have on the grn model format, + the gr2 exporters, I'll look at getting a Blender script. No promises, but I will try.

Here you go, a whole bunch of stuff
Not all of it may be useful to you, but I'm some most of it should (for example, there are some gr2 exporters for 3ds Max in there, as for the grn format, I can't find any info so it seems that going off the gr2 format and doing some reverse engineering will be required)

[TheZombieKiller]

Progress! Mods are now fully supported (and so is the autoload folder), and the launcher will remember the settings that you choose.
The game will now also show "D3D9" in the graphics menu when using DirectX 9.

All that's really left to do now, is to add code to read/write the cfg files so that the settings can be changed without
having to make the launcher create an "override" config file.

(if any programmers around here could help me out with that, I'd be grateful, the current code I have seems to run out of memory while parsing the config.cfg file)

[Hendricks266]

TheZombieKiller, on 27 June 2014 - 09:04 PM, said:

(if any programmers around here could help me out with that, I'd be grateful, the current code I have seems to run out of memory while parsing the config.cfg file)

Hit me up, that sounds like a fixable error.

[TheZombieKiller]

Better yet, I could just post the current source code.
Basically I want to read the config file, and get the values of all console variables relevant to the launcher. Then I want these values to be reflected upon the launcher's options.
Then, when the game is run, I want the launcher to modify the config files to make the changes.

I had the code I was using to try and modify it, but I removed it last night in favor of temporarily using some ini files.

Source attached, still pretty WIP, and a little untidy in a few places where I've been in a rush to get something working.

EDIT: Basically, the older code iterated through the file using an ifstream, and then parsed each line to get the name of the cvar, and its current value.
EDIT2: I should probably attach the OpenGL-to-Direct3D9 stuff required by the launcher as well

Attached File(s)

•  quicksetupplus_src.zip (72.65K)
  Number of downloads: 730
•  qsplus_dx9.zip (630.44K)
  Number of downloads: 717

[Hendricks266]

I didn't have time to look at the actual problem since I don't have DNMP installed atm.

However, I did:

1. Tweak the resource file so that I could build it with MinGW.
2. Add "mingwbuild.bat" to build with MinGW easily.
3. Fix warnings of any importance as produced by MinGW.
4. Add a manifest to the resource file so that modern controls would be used.

Before:



After:



I'll have time to revisit this later if you don't solve it on your own.

http://hendricks266....wip_20140628.7z

[TheZombieKiller]

It works fine with the demo (including mods) if you want to test it with that.

I tried compiling it in VS2010 (I don't have MinGW installed right now) and it didn't seem to use the modern controls.
Afterwards I tried building in debug mode and it threw these errors:

1>------ Build started: Project: Quick Setup, Configuration: Debug Win32 ------
1>CVTRES : fatal error CVT1100: duplicate resource.  type:MANIFEST, name:1, language:0x0409
1>LINK : fatal error LNK1123: failure during conversion to COFF: file invalid or corrupt
========== Build: 0 succeeded, 1 failed, 0 up-to-date, 0 skipped ==========

I'm still new to C++, so I'm pretty dumbfounded as to what's gone wrong here. Changing the manifest's ID from 1 to 2 made it compile, but it still didn't use the modern controls.
EDIT: As the error hinted, another manifest file is defined in the project properties. Removing it allowed the project to compile, as well as use the modern controls.
EDIT2: I also had to add this to the manifest, otherwise it kept forcing the resulting binary to request administrator privileges:

  <trustInfo xmlns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:asm.v3">
    <security>
      <requestedPrivileges>
        <requestedExecutionLevel level="asInvoker" uiAccess="false"/>
      </requestedPrivileges>
    </security>
  </trustInfo>

[TheZombieKiller]

I apologize for the double post, but I've found some information that may prove crucial to creating model importers and exporters for the GRN format.
Inside the Iris1 developer toolkit source code, there is a folder called "granny" which contains code that describes the format for the granny1 (grn) format.
I'm not sure how close to the DNMP version of Granny1 this is, but it should definitely help in the process of creating an importer and exporter.

I'm not well-experienced in the creation of model importers/exporters, even when this kind of info is available to me, so I can only hope that this will help someone to create one.

All that's really needed is an exporter, as models can already be imported into software by converting them to the gr2 format and then to the SMD format. Problem is, animations can't be converted this way.

Attached File(s)

•  grn_format.zip (63.04K)
  Number of downloads: 846

[Mr. Nukem Roses]

something seems to be wrong with the mod launcher on my end. it's like it no shows when trying to put it anywhere. the quick setup.exe thing. makes no sense

[TheZombieKiller]

NukemRoses, on 29 August 2014 - 11:24 PM, said:

something seems to be wrong with the mod launcher on my end. it's like it no shows when trying to put it anywhere. the quick setup.exe thing. makes no sense

Try this version: Download
And here's a little something for the autoload folder: DNMP Beta Theme Song

Extract it to your DNMP game folder, overwrite files if you're asked. Also, from now on, the filename will be "DukeNukemMP.exe", instead of "Quick Setup.exe"

[TheZombieKiller]

I've sent an email to RAD Game Tools regarding getting some importers and exporters released for the grn format. I doubt they'll actually release them, but you never know...

In other news, here's a new version of QuickSetup, and here's the source code. Oh and also, I've started a thread over at XeNTaX, in the hopes that someone over there
can create some importers and exporters in the event that RAD don't hand them over.

[TheZombieKiller]

Since I couldn't find it on YouTube, I ripped the bik file from the original DNMP trailer exe and uploaded it:


Much better trailer than any of the trailers used recently imo

(Also RAD never responded to me, so we can't really expect any GRN tools from them)

[TheZombieKiller]

Anyone fancy a transparent PSD of the DNMP logo?