Game crashes on imported weapon test

[Sakai 1]

Hello lads! I've been working on getting a gun working in arma 3, got all the lods, model.cfg and config.cpp working, animation work as well but one problem is... That whenever I want to preview the gun in the editor game does not respond on the loading screen...

Could anyone point me at the right direction as in which one could be making the game crash? I do believe it is the p3d model HOWEVER! it meets all the requirements!

EDIT: I think I have found the suspect! as I thought it is the model

Error: m16a1\sak_m16.p3d: Shadow polygon doesn't have 3 vertices - it has not been considered.

however could anyone please tell me what I have to do to fix it? Edited April 22, 2013 by Sakai

[das attorney 858]

Have you triangulated the faces for your shadowVolume LOD's?

[Sakai 1]

Have you triangulated the faces for your shadowVolume LOD's?

I did, all tho they do not look anything similar than the other guns I used to see in oxygen >.< I did it as told in a tutorial, Triangulate and then press U...

Actually to say when I did triangulazing process the look of the shadowlod did not change and yet same error appears and game crashes.

Edited April 22, 2013 by Sakai

[John Spartan 89]

Hi Sakai, I don't know will this help but here is my experience with weapons mods for A3, I had some work done with BIS sample model M4, and please see the link with all the source files and config, it works for me so maybe this can guide you to an answer. BIS sample model EULA applies, otherwise have fun.

M4 for A3 source files

[Sakai 1]

Looked at it John and surely something wrong with my model, the LOD model look way different when switching aka faces...

They are almost too perfect in look when in the shadowlods and other few... I have no idea what I have to do to fix it I did triangulate process and nothing changed, the only problem which causes the crashes is the shadowLOD not having its "faces" aka low polly look but how the hell am I suppose to get that?

Edited April 22, 2013 by Sakai

[das attorney 858]

How many faces does your shadowVolume 0 LOD have?

IIRC, you should have less than 1000. Maybe import one of your further away LODs to shadowVolume and retry.

[John Spartan 89]

Maybe just for test purpose, copy my shadow lod, and see if then game starts up, and your model loads properly. At least then we can know for sure what's the issue, and take it from there. Or send me a shadow lod mlod, i'll take a look at it mate.

[Sealife 22]

Error: m16a1\sak_m16.p3d: Shadow polygon doesn't have 3 vertices - it has not been considered.

that can be indicative of a few problems in my experieince

A: you have no shadow lod and the first resolution is used but too highpoly (guess)

B: you have a shadow lod but combined with the poly count of the resolution lod the total model poly count is excessive and the model has failed binarisation ( in most cases not even in the pbo when opened ( without warning in game )

I usually slap the geolod in a shadow lod /close and triangulate to test and see if the game likes the model

[Sakai 1]

Aite I will try it out when im back home lads! Thanks!

[Sakai 1]

Thanks lads managed to get it fixed, it seemed that the whole model from shadowLOD was screwed up, had to be re-done :P

[das attorney 858]

Awesome - look forward to checking out the results when you're done :)

[Messiah 2]

How many faces does your shadowVolume 0 LOD have?

IIRC, you should have less than 1000. Maybe import one of your further away LODs to shadowVolume and retry.

An old myth. I have an 8000 face shadow volume and it works perfectly well. The rule of thumb, as ever, is as low as possible, but the 1000 face 'rule' is outdated.

[das attorney 858]

An old myth. I have an 8000 face shadow volume and it works perfectly well. The rule of thumb, as ever, is as low as possible, but the 1000 face 'rule' is outdated.

Thanks for setting the record straight. - I read up on a lot of O2 modelling threads and it is hard to sort out the old wifes tales from pertinent information. Will be adding this to my "favourites" list. :)

[Messiah 2]

No problem :) Not that 8000 faces is particularly efficient though, and just like resolution LODs, you need to make a low res version too, so that can be under a 1000 faces, if not even less.