Best tool for the job...

[Captain_2D]

So I'm working on taking models from an xbox game and eventually turning them into papercraft models sometime in the (potentially) near future. I was just wondering if anyone had any suggestions as to what would be the best tools to make it happen. I already have metaseq, though i have just started dabbling in it and am a bit lost at best. I've contacted the game devs to see if they would release the models to me, otherwise I'm going to have to get creative with something like 3dripperx and an interesting xbox to pc hookup, but either way I'm going to have to convert them into piecemeal style, for which I currently have Pepakura 3. If anyone has any ideas as to what might be a better course to take or a better program to use, by all means let me know, as I am currently stumbling through this, one step backwards at a time.
Thanks

[codex34]

I recommend running Fdisk
The nintendo papercraft forum is where you'll find the experts in this.

[Captain_2D]

Originally Posted by codex34

I recommend running Fdisk
The nintendo papercraft forum is where you'll find the experts in this.

Much appreciated. I'll look in on their den and see what I can find out.

[codex34]

If you haven't already found the xentax forum you might want to look in there.
So long as your going to put some effort into learning to extract the game models yourself and not go requesting models from others they won't have any problem helping you out.

My personal opinion on game models (not this forums opinion),
is that if you extract the models yourself, make them buildable (not just unfold them), do not redistribute the original 3D data (within say a pepakura file, use .jpg,.png or .pdf instead), and credit the game and game company in a form of free advertising, then you have a genuine 'fanart' model.
Throwing a game model you found into pepakura, unfolding it in a way that is impossible to build unless you build it 3 feet tall and then 'publishing' the pepakura file with your name plastered all over it, that isn't modeling, it's just blatant theft.
The internet is full of such models and a growing attitude of 'forget the buildability, look at the textures', it's sad to see.

Anyway, enough ranting on this topic, wish you luck and hope you learn something from extracting the game models.

[Lex]

Originally Posted by codex34

If you haven't already found the xentax forum you might want to look in there.
So long as your going to put some effort into learning to extract the game models yourself and not go requesting models from others they won't have any problem helping you out.

My personal opinion on game models (not this forums opinion),
is that if you extract the models yourself, make them buildable (not just unfold them), do not redistribute the original 3D data (within say a pepakura file, use .jpg,.png or .pdf instead), and credit the game and game company in a form of free advertising, then you have a genuine 'fanart' model.
Throwing a game model you found into pepakura, unfolding it in a way that is impossible to build unless you build it 3 feet tall and then 'publishing' the pepakura file with your name plastered all over it, that isn't modeling, it's just blatant theft.
The internet is full of such models and a growing attitude of 'forget the buildability, look at the textures', it's sad to see.

Anyway, enough ranting on this topic, wish you luck and hope you learn something from extracting the game models.

Well I can't agree more... The best way to create a game paper model is to design one from scratch... You'll find that designing might actually be easier than trying to simplify the extracted 3D files into a buildable form. (I know some modellers who builds extracted 3D models right off, but for most casual people these models may and will end up in a mess...)

[Captain_2D]

Originally Posted by codex34

If you haven't already found the xentax forum you might want to look in there.
So long as your going to put some effort into learning to extract the game models yourself and not go requesting models from others they won't have any problem helping you out.

My personal opinion on game models (not this forums opinion),
is that if you extract the models yourself, make them buildable (not just unfold them), do not redistribute the original 3D data (within say a pepakura file, use .jpg,.png or .pdf instead), and credit the game and game company in a form of free advertising, then you have a genuine 'fanart' model.
Throwing a game model you found into pepakura, unfolding it in a way that is impossible to build unless you build it 3 feet tall and then 'publishing' the pepakura file with your name plastered all over it, that isn't modeling, it's just blatant theft.
The internet is full of such models and a growing attitude of 'forget the buildability, look at the textures', it's sad to see.

Anyway, enough ranting on this topic, wish you luck and hope you learn something from extracting the game models.

Thanks a lot man. I do want to put the work in to make them actually buildable and I do want to give credit where it's due cuz I definitely think Rare deserves all it can get. My main reason in trying to rip the game models was just to have a solid base to start on, rather than the mountain I'd be building if I started from scratch. Regardless, I plan on putting some actual effort into this and seeing what I can come up with, and if no shortcuts are applicable, then so be it....though time to complete each model may be months at the least.

[Captain_2D]

Originally Posted by Lex

Well I can't agree more... The best way to create a game paper model is to design one from scratch... You'll find that designing might actually be easier than trying to simplify the extracted 3D files into a buildable form. (I know some modellers who builds extracted 3D models right off, but for most casual people these models may and will end up in a mess...)

I'll see what happens. I appreciate the heads up though, as I have heard that sometimes those geometries that collide and overlap end up creating about 5 tons of $%@# you have to hammer out before you can actually make it a feasible construction. Either way I've gotta work on my 3d modeling quite a bit.

[Lex]

See how it goes, never say when we haven't tried yet

[codex34]

Time to complete each model may be months even with a pre-textured game model, that's the thing, they aren't designed to be buildable, just to look good, which is why it makes me cringe when I see them thrown at pepakura. It's one reason there is a pdo converter, so someone with more patience can do a better job.

3dripper and 3dvia are ok but they tend to mess the model up. If your lucky the models and textures might be in a format that has already been documented, alot of games use the same game engines. Reverse engineering the formats are alot more fun though