We will be using a pre-existing skeleton, a.k.a. Biped, from an Unreal Character that is already in the game. If you want to create a custom rig using the biped tool in max, the process is long and you have to re-create every animation that is found in the game and export it to Unreal. Once your model is complete with textures, collapse the stack so the UVW Coordinates are embedded in the mesh. Make sure your texture is applied to the model. I am using one texture map for the entire mesh, but most characters use one for the head and one for the body. Save your file with only the mesh in it. Delete all other image reference planes and anything that you do not want in the game.
Open up a pre-existing character file from unreal. They can be found here. I am using Matt Marshall’s tutorial so I am also using MercMaleA_rig.max Once that file is open, select the Merc character mesh and delete the Physique modifier in the stack, then delete the mesh entirely. Also, right click and select unhide all. Then delete the !ground object. We will use the grid as our reference to the ground. This leaves us with just the skeleton to work with.
Rigging Overview – Attaching your Mesh to the Rig :
Now you should just have the rig sitting there in model space. Now, select File > Merge and find your character file and merge your mesh with the current rig still open. Now, Scale your model to fit the size of the rig. Do not move the rig at all. You will probably have to adjust your character mesh to fit the rig properly. Notice his arms do not line up, All you have to do is go into edible poly mode and rotate some edges and verts. This makes sure that your model fits the rig. Before you attach them together. This is important!
Now, Assign a Physique modifier to your mesh. This will allow us to initialize a bone structure (biped) to the model.
Now under the physique pull down menu on the right, click the “attach to node button” and select a bone on the rig. I selected the Bip01 Pelvis bone. Then you will get a pop-up window. Select “3 links” and click “Initialize”
Rigging Overview – Envelopes and Review :
Now you should be able to move the bones and your mesh will move with them. There will be some stretching and wacky stuff going on with your mesh so under the Physique modifier select envelopes and adjust them to your liking.
Once you are done with this long process, you can now start the export process into Unreal Tournament with the Actor X Plug-in
Importing into Unreal – Exporting from Max :
Now that we have our model rigged and applied our Physique modifier, we are ready to export the model as a .PSK file that can be read by Unreal Editor 3.0. First we have to download the Actor X plug in for Max. This will allow us to export the model as a .PSK file. You can find it here. Place the plug in inside of your plug in folder for Max. Then once inside of Max, click Utilities Panel > More > Actor X. Now we have to change some settings. Under Actor X Epic Games pull down click Browse and set up a location for your .PSK to be found. Then name your mesh under the “mesh file name” I simply used “xyle.” Now under the Actor X – Setup pull down, check persistent settings, persistent paths, and all skin-type. I am not sure what these do but it works
Now that the settings are correct click the Save mesh/repose button under the Actor X – Epic Games pull down; while your mesh is selected. You have just exported your model as a .PSK file that can be read by Unreal Ed 3.0!
Importing into Unreal – Understanding Packages :
Now that our model is exported as a .PSK file, we have to create a package inside of Unreal Ed 3.0 that we will house our mesh and our animations in. We will have two packages one is an Animation Package that will hold the mesh and animations for the mesh. This animation package will save out as a .UKX file that Unreal Tournament can read and use in game. The second package is a texture package (Which we will make later in the tutorial) that will hold the texture file (the .TGA used to texture your model) and it will also hold the Portrait image we make which is also a .TGA file that you can make in Photoshop and will be used in game play and at the character selection screen. This texture package will save out as a .UTX file that Unreal Tournament can read and be used in game. So now our next step is to create these two packages inside of the editor. I have found that it is difficult to jump right into the editor without understanding the way packages work so that is why I am taking the time to explain to you how the two packages work and how UT 2004 uses them. It is nice because all we have to do is write a few lines of simple code later on to be able to see our character in the game. With that said, lets begin building our packages. We will start with the hardest one, the Animation Package. It is the hardest on because we have to copy info from an already working animation package and save it as our new animation package. (Ok so its not that difficult)
Importing into Unreal – The Animation Package :
Open up Unreal Ed 3.0. Click View > Show Animation Browser. Once in the browser click File > Open > chose an .UKX file with a character that resembles yours. I chose the HumanMaleA.UKX file since that is the kind of character that I took my characters skeleton from when rigging it. A UT 2004 character should appear in front of you. (This HumanMaleA.UKX file is a pre-existing animation package that we are using to work in until we have our character ready to be saved out into its own animation package.)
We will now import our mesh (the .PSK file we exported from max) into this animation package.
Click File > Mesh Import > “your character.PSK”
A window will pop up. Leave the package to the name of the package you are already in. Leave the Group blank. And write your characters name in the name space. My settings are below.
