Creating an object from a 3ds file

Programs you need: TMOG, Anim8or, an image editing program (Paint Shop Pro or the like), a 3d software to create the object (if you don’t use Anim8or for this) .

First of all, choose an  object to be cloned in TMOG. In this example, I’ve chosen an End Table.

Now clone it, and give it the name you like, then export it: deselect the “Just change color” option and choose “One zoom all channels”

Now you have all the sprites you need, for all three channels: p (color), a (transparency), z (depth).

After having created your object with the 3d software, save it as 3ds mesh. In this example, my object is called EndTable.3ds.

Open it in Anim8or. Choose  View – Ortho. Center the view by clicking the buttons  . Now the orthogonal view is centered. Click the  button: a green circle with 4 squares will appear.

Place the mouse over one of the left or right squares and drag until the axes are perfectly symmetric. Click the button again to turn off the green circle. That’s how the object appear now, with the right angle for TMOG.

Click  again, and widen the view by clicking the button and dragging the mouse. The object must be as large as the view area, and even more. You’ll adjust the size in the rendering phase, in order to have an image of the right size for TMOG.

Now, render the object. Choose File – Render Preview. In the dialogue window, use these settings:

When you click OK, you’ll see your object on a black background.

Save the image as BMP, replacing the sprite for the p channel of the front view (endtable-graphic_large_front_p.bmp).  Be sure you save the image – click the gray Save button on the left – not the file! You’ll be offered two save options: BMP and JPG. Choose BMP.

Now click Alpha Ch. You now see the black and white image for transparency:

Save this image too as BMP, replacing the sprite for the a channel of the front view (endtable-graphic_large_front_a.bmp).

Go back to the editing vindow by clicking Close. Rotate the object to obtain a back view, and repeat the rendering operations (endtable-graphic_large_back_p.bmp and endtable-graphic_large_back_a.bmp).

Now you can close Anim8or.

Open the sprites of the a channel (the black and white images) in the image editing program. Save them as Gray Scale, and make a negative image, so that the object is white and the background is black. In Paint Shop Pro, choose Color and then Gray Scale and Negative Image. Now the image looks like this:

Now you have to modify the z channel, to adapt it at the new object. You can start with the z channel of the cloned object and modify the shape to adapt it to the new object. Anyway, you have to develop your own way to deal with the z channel, because a method proving good for all situations does not exist. This is an example of z channel treatment:

Do the same for the sprites of the back view.

Now you are ready to import the new object in TMOG. Click Import and good luck! If everything goes right, this is the result:

The new object is ready for the game! Congratulations!