AoM BRG Editor

Contents

1. Requirements
2. Installation
3. Editor Information
4. Usage
5. Issues
6. Changelog
7. Credits

Requirements

• .NET Framework 4
• 3ds Max (Only tested on 2013/2014, could work for previous versions)

Installation

1. Extract everything from the 7zip file ABE folder, to your 3ds Max directory.
2. In 3ds Max select Maxscript -> Run Script, and choose RunABE.ms.
3. Enjoy! :)

Editor Information

With this program you can edit 3D model files for the Age of Mythology. Here is a list of supported features:

Features:

• Attachpoints -- Add, remove, and edit attachpoints straight from 3ds Max.
• Custom Frames -- Have a custom amount of frames for any duration of time.
• Custom Materials -- Use any number of materials, with a selection of various special properties for each.
• Animated UVs -- Animate your textures to create cool effects.

Usage

In order to best use this program, you'll want to follow this general workflow:

1. Open a file, or select New to start from scratch.
2. Use the file menu to export the data to 3ds Max.
3. Make all the edits you want to your model. Feel free to use the attachpoint box to add (dbl-click), or select attachpoints.
4. Select the Mesh flags/format/properties that you want. This tells the program what to import.
5. From the file menu, import from 3ds Max.
6. Change additional settings such as time mult, mesh flags/format/properties, and material flags. Make sure to use the Update Settings buttons to save the changes you made.
7. Save the file as a brg from the file menu.

Many of these steps are optional, but the important thing is that you do them in this order, or you may lose some settings changes that you've made.

Helpful Information

• When using animated UVs, the key frames of the animated UV are used for the creation of the meshes.
• Its best to choose the MM:SS:TICKS option in the timing dialog of 3ds Max. There are 4800 ticks in a second.
• Material texture names are taken from the filename.
• Material flags are created from scratch on "Import from Max", so make sure to remember them if you'd like to recreate them exactly after the import.
• For the material submaps, bump maps are used for player color, reflect/refract for reflection textures, self illumination for glowing textures, and diffuse for the basic texture
• The bump, self illumination, and diffuse maps must all use the same bitmap texture.
• Don't use the attachpoints controls in the UI when you're not editing your model.
• You can set a default open, and save directory for the plugin by editing the AoMEngineLibraryPluginSettings.xml file in your 3ds Max directory.
• Make sure to minimize the amount of texture vertices you have for a slimmer brg model. Your brg model vertex count will always be >= to the texture vertex count.
• 3ds Axis (AoM Axis Color) -- X (Blue), Y (Red), Z (Green)

Example adding 3ds Max Teapot to AoM:

1. File -> New in ABE
2. Create a Teapot in 3ds Max, and convert it to editable mesh
3. Make multi-material object, set it to 1 map, and set the first map to a standard material. Apply multi-mat to teapot.
4. Set flag MATERIALS, and TEXTURE, and format HASMATERIAL in ABE
5. File -> Import from Max in ABE
6. In ABE, go to the Materials tab, and set DIFFUSETEXTURE. Then press teh Update Flags button.
7. Save the file, and test in game.

Issues

• If you get errors try one of the following:
  • Make sure the folder that you put the files in is not readonly.
  • Make sure you have the requirements.

Changelog

• 3.0.2014.0205
  • Duplicates vertices so there's always at least as many vertices as texture vertices
  • Fixed vertex animation not working when there's a Skin or Unwrap modifier
  • Rewrote a bit of how the attachpoints work to remove many bugs
  • Improved attachpoint rotation, it should correspond perfectly with AoM now
  • Now normalizes the normals on "Import from Max"
  • Always starts with the "New" option
• 2.0.2014.0131
  • Added support for Bone/Skin Animation
  • Fixed inversed normals
  • Fixed not being able to add attachpoints from New
  • Added center to viewport feature
  • Ability to set default open/save directories
• 1.2.2014.0129
  • Fixed Export to Max bug due to OS language
• 1.1.2014.0127
  • Fixed bugs on Import From Max
• 1.0.2014.0124
  • First Release

Credits

• Dnas - Teaching me how to get only the required [texture]vertices.
• EmjeR - Further improved our knowledge of the brg file, including attachpoints.
• inconnuxxx2009 - Figured out the variable animation part of brg.
• Ryder25 - For creating the program. (tasevp(at)yahoo(dot)com)
• Scorpion Ra - Tested the program, gave me general 3ds Max knowledge, and made the promo picture.
• WarriorMario - Assisted me in figuring out certain parts of the brg.
• Ykkrosh - First to figure out parts of brg file.
• famfamfam.com - For the "silk" menu icons.