Quick question(s) about modelling.

[ams agent 000 10]

Now i understand there are tutorial videos on modelling but all of it still seems pretty overwhelming for the average person(or just me). So my question is: If all i wanted to do was to edit some Arma 2 character models like changing their camo or position of magazine pouches, where would i start?

[max power 21]

You should start with the fundamentals. Changing the positions of pouches is not difficult, but creating a new unit or a unit replacement can be. The tuts would be a good place to start.

[ams agent 000 10]

Well i finished watching all of gnats tutorials and I'm still not sure how to start. In fact i only have more questions. Where am i supposed to find the character models? How do I open/import these models once i find them? Do i have to change pbo. files to something else? How do i edit an addon?

[PuFu 4600]

Well i finished watching all of gnats tutorials and I'm still not sure how to start. In fact i only have more questions.

1. Where am i supposed to find the character models?

2. How do I open/import these models once i find them?

3. Do i have to change pbo. files to something else?

4. How do i edit an addon?

1. inside your characters.pbo in \arma2\addons or arma2\extension\addons or OA\addons (depends on the case A2, CO, stand OA). The models file extension is called .p3d

2. You will need BIS tools installed before anything else. Even if you are gonna be modelling in another software than O2, you will still need those.

Now, the bad news is that you won't be able to open/import those .p3d files that you are going to find, since those are in ODOL format (binarized)

You can always try your hand with A1 models available here, in MLOD format that you can work with.

There have been few changes from A1 to A2, but depending on Addon, it might work or not.

You could also try THIS Soldier Template released bi Binko some while ago

3. You need to open those. You can use a number of tools such as (my favourite trusty) cpbo, Eliteness (i use that as well) or unPbo (that is if you find a link to get it)

Once opened, it will extract (just like an zip archive) the contents of those files.

4.That is really really general question. An addon is anything from a set of scripts, to a config file, to a new model, to some retuxered one etc

The above answers your pointed questions, but i am sure it will not help you out all that much. Making (or even changing a new model) takes a lot of time, patience and skills.

If you haven't done any previous 3d models and worked with 3d modelling software before, it is gonna take a while to get your head around all the problems that you might encounter.

Before anything else, i would watch some tutorials about what moddeling actually means. there are plenty on the web(gnat tuts are great and all, but those are not actually modelling tuts, and he starts from the premises that you are already sort of familiar with BIS development environment - which obviously you are not).

Edited July 26, 2010 by PuFu