The Modder’s Workshop is a program created by Short Fuze to bring new content (props, animations, characters, costumes) into Moviestorm or alter existing content. Currently, users can only import non-interactive props.

Read each entry about the Workshop carefully before following its steps. Mistakes in the Modder’s Workshop may be small, but none go unnoticed and some are show-stoppers, keeping your model from working correctly or appearing at all.

To use the Modder’s Workshop, click Settings on Moviestorm’s front page, then Advanced Features.
In Moviestorm versions 1.2 and 1.3, a “Modder’s Workshop” button is available from the Moviestorm launch screen.

To access the Modder’s Workshop you must have a Modder’s License. For now, getting one is only a matter of requesting one from Short Fuze. To learn how, read the first entry in the Modshop Beginner’s Guide, Getting A License.

Note: All Modder’s Workshop users must download and install the Microsoft Visual C++ 2008 Redistributable Package (x86). This library is used for the new SketchUp importer. The Modder’s Workshop will no longer function without this library installed.

Download the ModdersWorkshop.addon file, and install it, using the ‘Install AddOn File’ button on the Get More Content panel.
You will probably need to restart Moviestorm after loading it for the first time. It may quit with a warning message saying “No Licence!” Don’t worry, this is normal. This pack is only used by Modder’s Workshop and doesn’t affect the rest of Moviestorm.

    Send a private message (PM) to “Fulkster“ from the Moviestorm Forums.
    or ... come to my personal fan page for Moviestorm and contact me there.

 
Available mods:

  The Poor-man’s Elevator
     See the instruction movie: http://www.moviestorm.co.uk/MSDB/MoviePageServlet?id=1494
 
  Clear Coffeeshop Window
     (Requires the Coffee Shop Addon)
 
  Signs

     Just plain signs to put on the walls.  Various sizes.

Meter Stick Addon
     An in-game device for measuring objects withing Moviestorm- three meters tall, divided to tenths of a meter.

For example, you might want to add decals to the universal head - more scars, facepaint, eyebrows, beards, bullet holes, etc.

While not integrated with the modders workshop, this is relatively simple modding process. The end result is this zipped up addon:
File:Red Cross.zip

Starting with a making a new addon folder, it needs some other folders created folders:
I’m making a red cross to go on a guys face, so I created these folders:
Image:red cross 1.jpg

In the Male01 folder i had created, I made a new file called “Universal Head.bodypart” (note - I made it as a txt file, and changed the extension to .bodypart)
It’s contents are as follows:

<mscope.things.BodyPart_-MorphPart>
  HEAD</partsCovered>
  <name>Universal Head</name>
  <decals>
  <material>
    <name>Red Cross 1</name>
    <diffuseColor>1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0</diffuseColor>
    <shininess>1.0</shininess>
    <maps>
      <entry>
      <string>diffuseMap</string>
      <string>Heads/RedCross/RedCross.png</string>
      </entry>
    </maps>
    <flags>
      <string>TINTABLE</string><string>ADJUSTABLE</string>
    </flags>
   
      <entry>
      <string>group</string>
      <string>Makeup</string>
      </entry>
    </parameters>
  </material>
  </decals>
</mscope.things.BodyPart_-MorphPart>

The interesting bit is between the <decals></decals> section - you can have multiple decals, each within it’s own <material></material> tags.

I also made an image, a red cross on a transparent background, as a .png (you can also use .dds files). I put this in my Heads/RedCross folder, and then put the relative path from the .bodypart to the image, in the entry for the diffuse map.

I set the name, in the material, to something of my choice ‘Red Cross 1’, and I created a .jpg thumbnail with that name, and the .jpg extension, and put that in the Heads/thumbs folder.

I also set which decal group my new decal should appear in.

I then went to the modders workshop, and published my new addon, and then tried it out.
Image:Red Cross 2.jpg

Exporting from Blender to Moviestorm

This requires a custom export script export_moviestorm.zip.
The Moviestorm Blender export script is based on the export_cal3d.py script by Jean-Baptiste Lamy, Campbell Barton and Matthias Braun.
The export_moviestorm.py script should be placed in your Blender scripts folder (likely C:\Program Files\Blender Foundation\Blender\.blender\scripts on the PC).  It will add a new option to your File -> Export… Menu: ‘0:Moviestorm Export…’.  It is named with a zero, as I expect most people who install it will want to see it at the top of their export choices.

In order for the export script to work, your Blender file must contain:
A.) For bodyparts - One or more meshes, weighted to appropriately named vertex groups and selected when exporting.
B.) For props - One or more meshes and an armature, with a root bone with at least one child - all selected when exporting.
C.) For animated props - coming later.

Note: You may need to install Python 2.5 for the script to work properly, only do this if you get errors about Blender not finding Python.

To export:
1.) You should be in Object mode.
2.) The meshes (and armature for props) you wish to export must all be selected when you run the script - usually you can just select all (AKEY).
3.) From the ‘File’ menu, select Export -> 0:Moviestorm Export…
4.) Enter the primary mesh file name, if you have multiple meshes, the file names will be distinguished by the Blender mesh name.
5.) Click the Moviestorm Export button.
6.) In the pop-up that appears, choose your type of export (Bodypart or Prop), see above for what the choice means.
7.) Copy the exported files to your Moviestorm addon folder.
For props, copy the .cmfs, .crfs and .csf to:
Moviestorm Release\Addon\<Your Addon Name>\Data\Props\<your folder structure>\
For bodyparts, copy the cmfs and crfs to:
Moviestorm Release\Addon\<Your Addon Name>\Data\Puppets\<Male01 or Female01>\<Bodypart Type>\<your folder structure>
Don’t forget to copy textures to the ‘Textures’ directory in the folder where you copied the other files.
8.) Set up your new assets in the Modder’s Workshop.

See Also:
Weighting Bodyparts in Blender
Creating Bodyparts in Blender

Blender is the free open source 3D content creation suite, available for all major operating systems under the GNU General Public License.

It is available from http://www.blender.org

The default install includes many exporters, unfortunately the only Cal3D exporter included is for xml files, which are not useable by Moviestorm.  However, a Moviestorm exporter is currently a work in progress, the alpha version was used to create most of the props in this addon.
If you are willing to experiment, a beta version (0.12) of the Blender Moviestorm exporter is available: export_moviestorm.zip

Learning Blender
User Manual
Blender Noob to Pro Wiki
Document and Tutorial links

Using the Moviestorm Exporter
Creating Bodyparts in Blender
Weighting Bodyparts in Blender
Exporting from Blender to Moviestorm

Introduction to Retexturing

The goal of the following guides on retexturing Moviestorm models is to explain how to create an Addon with custom variants of MS assets without having to overwrite MS texture files or include the MS meshes (.csf, .crf, and .cmf files) in a user-made Addon. They assume that you’ve gone through the previous Modshop Beginners Guides, and are familiar with both the Modshop and the file structure of Moviestorm’s directory. 

Textures

General - Although Moviestorm can use images in the format of .jpg, .png, and .dds, Short Fuze has decided to switch to the .dds format to increase performance. Most of their textures are already in this format, and, to modify an existing Moviestorm texture, you’ll need to have an image editor that can at least read .dds files. Some image editors do not support the .dds format out of the box, however, most do have plug-ins available that do so. For texture performance guidelines and tutorials on creating specific types of textures, see Creating a texture, which is still a Work in Progress.

Modifying a Moviestorm Texture - When creating a 3D model, a texture template can be generated. This template is basically a texture with blank areas that, when filling them in, will apply the correct image to the correct place on the model. When retexturing a Moviestorm model, we don’t have access to these templates, so, we typically have to modify the Short Fuze created texture that was supplied with the model. For personal use, you can make any type of modification that you wish, without restriction. However, since Short Fuze owns the originals, if your intention is to distribute these textures, whether as a single file or in an Addon, there are restrictions that must be followed.

On redistributing altered Moviestorm textures, Moviestorm wrote:

We have no problem with you distributing edited versions of the Moviestorm textures provided that they are a significant change to the original. We reserve the right to ask you to cease distribution on any texture that we feel is too close to the original. You may not distribute the original mesh or the original texture. In the future, we may have to restrict this further on, for example, licensed content that we distribute.

“Significant change” is, of course, intentionally vague. With one texture alone, the amount of different ways to modify it is undefinable. Add to that the infinite amount of textures that Short Fuze could release and there’s simply no one set of guidelines that could cover every possibility. When asked for even a vague definition of “significant change”, Matt gave these very unofficial and personal (not Moviestorm’s) views on the subject.

On the definition of “significant change” relating to Moviestorm textures, Matt wrote:

My unofficial guidelines (i.e. the main criteria I would use if asked to make a call on whether a mod was significantly different) would be whether a viewer can tell the difference between the original and the modded one. My rule of thumb is more or less this: if the modded item would be considered a different item in a store, that’s sufficient.

So, for example, changing a couple of pixels on the texture isn’t significant. Changing the colour of the guy’s shoelaces in an outfit from #878787 to #878788 doesn’t cut it. Adding a tiny outline round the back pocket on a pair of jeans isn’t enough.

On the other hand, changing the logo on a polo shirt, turning a pristine coffee table into one covered with dirt and grime, creating a face with heavy eyeliner, or giving the sneakers a few contrast stripes, making a blouse cerise instead of scarlet - all seem fine by me.

But, as I said, these are unofficial guidelines, so don’t hold me to it, especially as it may very well not be me making the final call. Just be reasonable, and we’ll all get along fine.

Retexturing Methods

Regardless of the format type (Sketchup, .3ds, .obj, or an original Moviestorm asset), retexturing a model will always be done in one of two ways, as a Puppet (Costumes, Heads, Accessories, etc.) or as a Prop (any other object). Both methods are similar, with the biggest exception being for how variants are handled.

With any type of model, a file is created, a template, that tells MS which Mesh to use, which Materials to show, and which textures and settings to apply to each Material.

Prop Variants - For a Prop, this template file is called a TEMPLATE. It is stored in the Prop’s folder. To create a variant of a prop, a new TEMPLATE must be created and saved within your Addon. For each variant, you’d create an additional TEMPLATE. In MS, in Set mode, clicking on a Prop will bring up the Customization window which allows you to choose its variations, its TEMPLATES. Your variations will be added to the existing Prop’s customization list.

Puppet Variants - For a Puppet, this template file is called a BODYPART. It is stored in the Puppet’s folder. Variations of a Puppet all exist in one BODYPART. To create a variation of a MS Puppet, you must create a new BODYPART in your Addon. In MS, in the Character Customization screen, this variation will not be applied to a MS Puppet’s customization options. It will create an entirely new Head, Hairstyle, Costume, etc., which you can then add variations to.

Continue to Modshop Beginners Guide - 7. Retexturing a Prop
Continue to Modshop Beginners Guide - 8. Retexturing a Puppet

Retexturing a Puppet

Note: If you haven’t done so, read the Modshop Beginners Guide - 6. Introduction to Retexturing before proceeding. Also, with the upcoming changes to the Modshop, this tutorial could very well be outdated soon after it’s finished. Because of this, it’ll most likely remain in 1st draft form.

This is the easiest, least tedious, and least informative way of adding a new variation of a BODYPART. The following is a walk-through for retexturing a Head using textures made by roguevirus and available at Machinimods. The same steps apply for retexturing a Costume, Hairstlye, Hat, an Accessory, or anything else considered to be in the Puppet category

Make a copy of the BODYPART

0) Before you make a copy of the bodypart file, make sure file extensions are showing: in Windows, open a file browser and browse to any folder.  In the browser’s menu bar, click on “Tools” and select “Folder Options”. Click on the “View” tab. Locate “Hide extensions for known file types” (you may have to scroll down a little way) and remove the tick. Click on “OK”.  File extensions (also known as “file types”) will now show in the file browser.

1) With Moviestorm NOT running, browse to Moviestorm/Addon/Core/Data/Puppets/Male01 and locate the BODYPART file named Head Euro Young.bodypart. We are choosing this one because the textures we will be using are designed for the mesh used for Head Euro Young.

2) Whatever your method, PC or Mac, copy and paste the file in this location. You will now have a new BODYPART named Copy of Head Euro Young.bodypart.

3) Rename this copy as Head Euro Young_Bruised_Mod.bodypart. You can actually name it whatever you like, however, it needs to be a name that SF will not choose in the future.

4) Open the renamed file with Notepad or the Mac equivalent.

5) In the first line, between <name> and </name>, change the text to Head Euro Young_Bruised_Mod (or whatever you named it), and save the file.

Move the BODYPART to your Addon

1) With Moviestorm NOT running, make sure that you have an existing Addon to use or create one by browsing to Moviestorm/Addon and creating a new folder.

2) Fire up Moviestorm and go to the Modshop. 

3) In the Master Browser, go to Models>Puppets>Male01>Body Parts and locate the Head Euro Young_Bruised_Mod.

4) Right-click it and choose Addons>Move to>Your Addon.

5) Go to the left corner of the screen and change the Current Addon to Your Addon.

6) Go back to the Master Browser, left-click Head Euro Young_Bruised_Mod, and, at the bottom of the window, hit Save. This just ensured that, when you save again later, you don’t accidentally save the BODYPART in the wrong Addon.

7) Browse to the Moviestorm directory, locate, and open Your Addon. Notice that, when moving the BODYPART, the proper folder structure was built.

8) Within the Male01 folder, create a Heads folder. Within this folder, create a Modified Euro folder. Within this folder, create a Young folder. Within this folder, create a Textures folder. You should now have this path- Your Addon/Data/Puppets/Male01/Heads/Modified Euro/Young/Textures

Add the New or Modified Texture(s) to your Addon

Note: If, instead of using a pre-made texture, you’re creating or editing one yourself, see the Texture Editing tip at the bottom of this page.

1) Download roguevirus’ Black Eyes Male from Machinimods.

2) Unzip and extract this to Your Addon/Data/Puppets/Male01/Heads/Modified Euro/Young/Textures

Setting Up the New BODYPART

1) Back in the Modshop, with Head Euro Young_Bruised_Mod still highlighted, go to the lower window of the Master Browser and scroll down to the list of Materials.

2) Heads/Euro/Young/Young_Euro_01 and 02 are the Materials which contain the facial textures for this model. Rename them to Bruised 01 and Bruised 02. In the list of Materials that have already been applied, double-click a Material. This will open up the Material’s name text for editing.

3) Click Add Material, choose Heads/Euro/Young/Young_Euro_01, and rename it Bruised 03. roguevirus included ten textures in this zip, so, you can continue adding Materials up to Bruised 10. However, this walk-through will only go through the first three. Note: This is how variants are handled in a BODYPART. You add the same Material over and over, renaming it, and applying different textures to it. This particular Material is the face. When in the Character Customization screen, clicking on this Head and scrolling through its options, you’ll be scrolling through these Bruised Materials.

4) Click Bruised 01. The Body Part Material Editor (BPME) window opens. Next to Diffuse, click inside the file path, change Euro to Modified Euro. After Textures/, change the rest of the path to male-01.dds. Hit enter. If you had Specular and Normal textures, you’d add these now. Note: Sometimes the Modshop’s Browse feature doesn’t notice a Texture folder or its texture files, even after you’ve published an Addon and restarted. This was the case for me when writing this tutorial. You should try to Browse to Heads>Modified Euro>Young>Textures and choose the textures.

5) Highlight the entire modified path and (for PC) press Ctrl+C (copy) or Command + C (Mac).

6) In the Master Browser, click Bruised 02. In the BPME, highlight the entire Diffuse path and (for PC) press Ctrl+V (paste) or Command + V (Mac). Change the 01 at the end of the path to 02.

7) Repeat step 6 for Bruised 03, remembering to change the 01 to 03 and that there are a total of ten textures if you choose to add them.

8) Save again.

9) Login as a Publisher and, remembering to untick the Requires a License box, publish your Addon.

Tip: Texture Editing - If you’re going to create your own texture (or edit one), for a model, it’s helpful to set up the new template first. Once you’ve done so, leave the Modshop running, open your image editor, edit the image, and save it into Your Addon, in the model’s Textures folder with a name ending in 01. Fill in the appropriate file path and see how the texture looks. If you need to make changes to the texture, do not save it with the same name. The Modshop will not re-read the texture and will continue to display its first iteration until it’s been restarted. Instead, save the new texture with the same name but change the 01 to 02. Then, in the file path, change the 01 to 02 also. Do this as many times as you like (03, 04, 05, etc.) but remember to delete any unused textures before you do a final publish and pack of the Addon.

ONE YEAR LATER:

I came back and changed some stuff, mainly tidying away what Keith Waterhouse would’ve called “aberrant apostrophes” in some of the Modder’s Workshop entries.

Retexturing a Prop

Note: If you haven’t done so, read the Modshop Beginners Guide - 6. Introduction to Retexturing before proceeding. With the upcoming changes to the Modshop, this tutorial could very well be outdated soon after it’s finished. Because of this, it’ll most likely remain in 1st draft form. This is the easiest, least tedious, and least informative way of adding a new variation of a Prop.

Make a copy of the TEMPLATE

1) With Moviestorm NOT running, browse to the MS Addon containing the Prop you wish to retexture, locate that Prop’s folder, and the TEMPLATE with the correct Prop name. As an example, the Prim_Backdrop_01 TEMPLATE is the flat backdrop and the Prim_BackdropPan_01 TEMPLATE is the curved backdrop.

2) Whatever your method, PC or Mac, copy and paste the file in this location. You will now have a new TEMPLATE file with the same name along with - Copy.

3) Rename this copy. You can name it whatever you like, however, it needs to be a name that SF will not choose in the future.

4) Open the renamed file with Notepad or the Mac equivalent.

5) In the first line, between <name> and </name>, change the text to whatever you named the TEMPLATE, and save the file.

Move the TEMPLATE to your Addon

1) With Moviestorm NOT running, make sure that you have an existing Addon to use or create one by browsing to Moviestorm/Addon and creating a new folder.

2) Fire up Moviestorm and go to the Modshop. 

3) In the Master Browser, go to Models>Props and locate the TEMPLATE that you just created.

4) Right-click it and choose Addons>Move to>Your Addon.

5) Go to the left corner of the screen and change the Current Addon to Your Addon.

6) Go back to the Master Browser, left-click the TEMPLATE, and, at the bottom of the window, hit Save. This just ensured that, when you save again later, you don’t accidentally save the TEMPLATE in the wrong Addon.

7) Browse to the Moviestorm directory, locate, and open Your Addon. Notice that, when moving the TEMPLATE, the proper folder structure was built.

8) Within the Prop’s last folder, create a Textures folder.

Add the New or Modified Texture(s) to your Addon

1) Copy, move, or save the new texture(s) into the Prop’s newly created Textures folder. Note: If, instead of using a pre-made texture, you’re creating or editing one yourself, see the Texture Editing tip at the bottom of this page.

Setting Up the New TEMPLATE

1) Back in the Modshop, with the new TEMPLATE still highlighted, go to the lower window of the Master Browser and scroll down to the list of Materials. Note: When dealing with models, Materials are all of the surfaces of a model that shared the same texture when the model was imported. Two surfaces can be on opposite sides of a model, however, if they were both given the same texture in the modelling program, when selecting a Material and applying a texture, it will be applied to both of the surfaces.

2) At a glance, which Material is the one you wish to retexture may not be easy to determine. Click on any Material and the Body Part Material Editor (BPME) window will open. At the end of the file path for the Diffuse texture there will be a .jpg, .png, or .dds. Delete the last letter and hit Enter. On the model, the corresponding Material will turn black or grey. You now know if this is the Material you want to change or not. Add the last letter back into the path and hit Enter. Continue until you’ve found the correct Material.

3) Once the correct Material has been located, fill in the appropriate file path to your textures (Diffuse, Specular, Normal, Emissive) and hit enter. You should first try using the Browse button. If that doesn’t work, start with Textures/ and then the texture name and file type (.jpg, .png, or .dds). You may have to expand the path to Data/Props/Prop Name/Textures/texture name. Note: Sometimes the Modshop’s Browse feature doesn’t notice a Texture folder or its texture files, even after you’ve published an Addon and restarted. Also, if you have the correct file path and the texture appears solid black or grey, see Texture Sizes and Performance.

4) At the bottom of the Master Browser, hit Save.

5) To create additional variations, you’ll need to restart this entire process, including shutting down MS. Note: You can alleviate the need to restart MS by right-clicking the name of the Prop in the Master Browser and creating a new TEMPLATE. However, although this new TEMPLATE retains the meshes, Materials, and file paths of the original, it does not carrying over the ticked boxes and Shininess of any of the Materials. You’ll have to either continuously flip back and forth between the TEMPLATES to mimic its settings or take note of ALL the settings for ALL of the Materials, including those that you have no intention of retexturing. It may simply take less time to restart MS, and, you could be doing something more useful.

6) Login as a Publisher and, remembering to untick the Requires a License box, publish your Addon.

7) Close Moviestorm, restart it, go into a movie, and check out the Prop in Set mode. Place the MS model on set and, in the Customization window, you’ll find your variant side-by-side with SF’s.

Continue to Modshop Beginners Guide - 8. Retexturing a Puppet

Tip: Texture Editing - If you’re going to create your own texture (or edit one), for a model, it’s helpful to set up the new template first. Once you’ve done so, leave the Modshop running, open your image editor, edit the image, and save it into Your Addon, in the model’s Textures folder with a name ending in 01. Fill in the appropriate file path and see how the texture looks. If you need to make changes to the texture, do not save it with the same name. The Modshop will not re-read the texture and will continue to display its first iteration until its been restarted. Instead, save the new texture with the same name but change the 01 to 02. Then, in the file path, change the 01 to 02 also. Do this as many times as you like (03, 04, 05, etc.) but remember to delete any unused textures before you do a final publish and pack of the Addon.

Importing Sketchup Models

As the Sketchup Importer is, for the moment, PC only, Mac users wishing to import Sketchup models can follow the directions found in Modshop Beginners Guide - 5. Importing Other Models.

Getting a Model into Moviestorm

Prepare - Download and install SketchUp. Version 7 was just released and has a few new features that shouldn’t be missed. You can also have both, versions 6 and 7, installed separately. Keep in mind, though, that Moviestorm’s SketchUp Importer only supports files from version 6, so, if using version 7, you’ll need to save each model as a SketchUp 6 file.

Tips-

1.) When setting up SketchUp consider setting its measurements to “metres” as one Moviestorm floor tile is one metre. For SketchUp 7, you can easily choose a template upon each startup. For version 6, you must edit the settings.

2.) As of 12/08, the “Recent Files” browse function of the SketchUp Importer doesn’t work, causing additional steps each and every time you import a model. A workaround would be to create a SketchUp Models folder right inside the Moviestorm Directory. Fire up SketchUp, go to Window>Preferences>Files and, for Models, browse to your newly created folder. When you open or save a model, SketchUp will now default to this location and when using the Importer’s browser, you’ll only need to go up a couple of levels.

Create your Addon’s folder - In your Moviestorm directory, open the Addon folder. In this folder, create a new folder with the name of your Addon.  This Addon can have multiple items in it. You do not, for organization’s sake, need to have a separate Addon for each item.

Build or get a SketchUp model - Within SketchUp, you can access the official help files to get you started. Additionally, even a casual Internet search will bring up tons of user made tutorials. You can grab a Google Warehouse model by going to File>3D Warehouse>Get Models. Be aware that the Google 3D Warehouse’s Terms of Service states that the creator of a Warehouse model owns that model and that you are not allowed to distribute groups of models in one package (content pack or addon). Short Fuze has stated that “you will not be able to sell models pulled from the Warehouse in the Modder’s Marketplace but I assume that there may be the potential of making an agreement with the model’s creator.

See the SketchUp Importer page for performance issues for SketchUp models, the Importer, and Moviestorm.

Save your model - For SketchUp 7, once you hit Save, locate the Save as type pull down menu and choose Sketchup 6.

Read on or watch the video - davidwww’s Importing a SketchUp Model video tutorial can walk you through the remaining main points. It’s based on an old version of MS, so, if you have any problems, come on back.

Import your model - Start Moviestorm and load up the Modder’s Workshop. First (and very important), along the top, under Current Addon, choose the Addon that this model will be placed in. Next, click the Import button in the top left corner and choose Import SketchUp Model. Browse to the location of your model and, under Moviestorm name, give it a unique name (ex. Television_AB_01). You could now hit Convert and get a working model or see the SketchUp Importer page for a full description of the selectable options.

Publish your Addon - Login as a Publisher and, making sure to untick Requires a License, publish this model’s Addon in the Master Browser.

Restart the Modder’s Workshop - The ModShop must now be restarted in order for your model to appear in the prop list of the Master Browser.

Apply settings to your prop - When a prop is scalable, can be walked on, or can stack on top of other props, it’s because of the settings applied to it.

a.) In the list of props locate your prop and, above the Textures and Templates folders, left-click on its name. This menu doesn’t have a name at the moment, so, we’ll call it the “Descriptor” as that is the name of the file that it writes once you save it (DESCRIPTOR). Some of its options do not function (???).

b.) Choose your settings, the most common of which is Scalable and choose or create at least one tag for categorization.

Save the Descriptor - Scroll down to the bottom right (you might have to expand the window) and hit Save. There will not be a dialogue box but, yes, it did save.

Your model is now ready to use in Moviestorm. Shutdown the Modshop, restart Moviestorm, load up a movie, and locate it in props list.

Note: The textures applied to the model are the ones from Sketchup. They are used as the Diffuse texture and your model is lacking Specular, Normal, and/or Emissive textures. Because of this, your model will seem cartoonish and lacking in detail compared to the Moviestorm assets. To learn how to create these detail enhancing textures, go to Textures. To apply these textures to your model, continue on.

Applying New or Additional Textures to a Sketchup Model

This section assumes that you’ve gone to Textures, created your new textures, and saved them in the appropriate location.

Find your prop - Once the Modder’s Workshop has been restarted, go to the Master Browser and open the Props folder. Browse through, locate, and click the “+” next to your prop. The Textures folder only lists the textures that are in your prop’s folder. You cannot interact with those files. The Templates folder will have the template that the SketchUp Importer created for this prop. A Template is basically a blueprint which tells Moviestorm how to show a model and what characteristics its textures have. You can make variations of a single model by creating new Templates. Then, when you customize an item in Moviestorm, you’ll be able to pick from the different variations. Click the template.

Add textures to the materials - When dealing with models, Materials are all of the surfaces of a model that shared the same texture when the model was imported. Two surfaces can be on opposite sides of a model, however, if they were both given the same texture in the modelling program, when selecting a Material and applying a texture, it will be applied to both of the surfaces. Right now the materials only have Diffuse textures. You need to designate which textures are used, which ones the materials “point to”.

Note: Steps A and B will be expanded as the Textures category is expanded.

a.) Scroll down and in the list of Materials, click the first one. It is now the “active” material and any textures (and their settings) you designate will be applied to it. In the space below, that has Ambient, Diffuse, Specular, and Emissive buttons, the textures applied to this material are listed. The only way to tell which surface this material is, is to have, for .png or .jpg images, a browser window open to your Moviestorm directory Addon\YOUR_ADDON\Data\Props\YOUR_PROP\Textures, or for .dds, and image editor browsed to that same location. So, if the first Material’s Diffuse texture is “Textures\texture00.png” you can look at your browser, see texture00, and then locate where it is on the model. You can have one of each type of textures applied to a material and the steps are the same for Diffuse, Specular, Normal Map, and Emissive.

b.) Click the “Browse” button to the right of the Diffuse texture type. This opens the Modshop file manager. Its default is the Textures folder of the prop that you’re currently in. If you have a texture in that folder and you choose it, it will be applied to the material. However, if you browse up to use a texture outside of your prop’s Textures folder, the material will turn light grey when you apply the texture. This is a Modshop bug. The file path for the texture is incorrectly written and the Modshop cannot locate it. To fix this, simply click in and scroll to the left of the file path and delete everything to the left of “Data” and hit “enter”. If the texture remains light grey, check to make sure that there are no spaces in the file path. Sometimes the Modshop will add them and the toughest to spot are the ones hiding after a ”  _ “. Repeat this step for the Specular, Normal Map, and Emissive (if needed).

c.) Apply settings (shininess, invisible to camera, etc.), as needed, for the textures on this material.

d.) Repeat all of these steps for each of the materials that your model contains.

e.) Scroll down to the bottom right (you may have to expand the window) and hit save.

Publish your Addon - Login as a Publisher and, making sure to untick “Requires a License”, publish this model’s Addon in the Master Browser.

Once again, your model is ready for use in Moviestorm.