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Jolly Joe edited this page Oct 3, 2024 · 1 revision

Carnivores 2 - Extracting Models

By Jolly Joe

Jolly Toolkit GitHub - Download python tools from my GitHub. I will be updating it.

Hello and welcome to my journey into extracting files from Carnivores 2.
I found some tools and ended up making a few of my own tools as well.
This will give you the steps I take in extracting the models from the game.


Issues

Some issues I am dealing with include texture transparency for blacked-out parts, like making in between the teeth transparent. The game uses 'flags' which work on the face level of the mesh. It doesn't help that the texture colors are a little wonky (black shades are all over, and it doesn't have an alpha channel). I made other tools that make the color black an alpha channel, which only created holes throughout the texture of the model.


Models

Completed:

  • All Dinosaurs
  • Hunter
  • Dropship

Need to do:

  • Weapons

Workflow

The tools I use are as follows to get the mesh objects from the .car files under /carnivors2/HUNTDAT/.
First thing is to use a beta tool:

C3Dit_v0-0-99-5 (*The updated version on GitHub doesn't work).


Prep

Make a folder to work in (i.e. Project/model) in the folder model and place the copy of the .car file you want to work on.


C3Dit

  1. File > Open (select the .car file)
  2. Data > Export Model (save as .obj file)
  3. Data > Export Texture (save as .tga file)
  4. Exit

OBJ VN FIXXER

  • Run OBJ_VN_FIXXER.py
  • Enter the .obj file path from C3D (don't include the .obj)

Dino MTL Maker

  • Run dino_mtl_maker.py
  • Select Generate MTL
  • Select the .obj file with ending in _with_normals.obj
  • Exit

TGA-2-PNG

  • Run tga_2_png.py
  • Enter the project folder (it will go through subfolders as well)

Now you can fix the rotation by importing it into Blender.


Blender - Obj Import Settings

Add these changes to improve the orientation of the object. Keep the rest the same (save the settings to use again later):

  • Forward Axis: -X
  • Split by Object ☑

Now you can export to other file types and mod it any way you like.
The Python tools I made myself; message me if you want to collaborate or talk shop.
I have another part that will be the tools I made to extract the animation data.

→ To Be Continued...

Animation Viewing

Blender Addon