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View Full Version : Importing a .chr, .cdf, .cgf into XSI


chuckles
05-29-2008, 07:58 PM
Hi,
I want to import a character file into XSI, modify the geometry, and then export it back to a cry character file (hopefully without losing any of the other properties).
Can this be done?
If so, how?
I read in a vague answer from Bellsey (maybe in a crymod thread) that said you could do it using Crosswalk. I have been unable to find any documentation explaining the process though.

My goal is to replace the 'objects/characters/human/us/nanosuit/nanosuit_us_fp3p.cdf' with something like the 'objects/characters/human/us/marine/marine_04_helmet_goggles_on.cdf' so that I could play as a different character. I have been successful in getting this to work in the 3rd person mode without a hitch.
It does not work in 1st person because the 'torso' of the model is always visible. (I know that the 1st person arms are a separate object entirely but I'll worry about that later.) I believe that in order to make it work, one would simply have to cut the model in half, and apply the same invisible shader properties to the new torso attachment as the torso attachment in the 'nanosuit_us_fp3p.cdf' has.

If someone knows of a better way to do this, or ANY way to do this, please let me know. I am not advanced enough to create my own custom models and animations in XSI or Max.
Thanks for your help.

P.S I know that the cryExporter doesn't support animations yet but since the imported file would theoretically have the same structure, I could use the Character Editor to apply the new file to the existing animations and they would work.

--Update
I got the model I wanted (minus everything but the mesh) into XSI by first Importing it into maya. However, the CryExporter only seems to only export to .cdf files and I need a .chr. This means that even if I created a new character from scratch to replace the one in the game it wouldn't work because I would need a .chr file to act as an asset for the main .cgf file.
It looks, to me, like the only way to create a new playable character that works in both 3rd and 1st person is to use 3DSMax.

Bellsey
05-30-2008, 06:55 AM
you cannot import .chr, .cgf, and .cga, files into XSI. This is because these files are the compiled game data for the SB2/CryEngine2.

I do recall seeing a thread in the Crymod forums, where you could export data from the SB2 as an OBJ file, and then import that file into XSI. XSI fully supports the OBJ format and anyone exchanging data to and from zBrush/Mudbox would be familier with this.

However, even you were able to get data into XSI, you would not be able to re-export as either a .chr(characters) or .cga(animated objects) because at present the XSI exporter only supports static objects only(.cgf)

chuckles
05-30-2008, 05:54 PM
Thank you,
Its good to get some confirmation on my thoughts.
I appreciate your help.