Unit Makers! Tutorial

yunings · 发表于 2006-10-23 13:20:23

Tutorial author: Zielevitz
Original posted at:
http://www.heroesofmightandmagic ... ex.php?cat=tutorial

Do You always wanted to make Your own unit? But You dont know anything about it and can't find any informations? Your idea is good? You think you can try? This section of My website is for You!!

Let's start from the begin. You need a Idea. There is no something like "I want to make samurai!" (samurai will be my example in this tutorial)
You must define: He have to be old or young? How he have to look? From which unit I want to make it? Or maybe I make a 3D model and animate it? I want to edit something or use already done elements?. There are much more important details which could make Your unit better or worst.

My example - I want to make Japan samurai

His looks is naked torso, big sword and muscle body. I think about element I have to use (Here I'm doing it using 3DO units, maybe soon there will be section about 3D units). When I'm ready, I extract this DEF's from h3sprite.lod by Resedit(which as all other programs described here could be find in the download section) which I need, for my example it is:
-CRANGL.def
-COHDEM.def
-CELF.def
-CMAGE.def

(All unit's def names, begins from the "C" letter so it makes searching easier.)
When I got whot I need, I must unpack this animation frames which is necessary to make unit by Defview:

OK, we have all animation frames in BMP's - extension readable by almost all graphic programs. Whats next? What program use? Well, the best way is gimp, excellent graphic tool on GPL license (what means that GIMP is free!) but I use paint because its more comfortable (of course only if I want to *stick* some parts.... paint is useless for other tasks). So I have now that:

I have in one file all elements which will be first frame of my dream monster. Now I'm editing this (cut something, paste somewhere, You know :)) to make something like that:

As You can see I editted those elements a bit. Elf Head is too small, so on next picture it will be bigger. Now, when You have something like that, You must carefully stick all to make nice unit:

I have done first frame. Now I must make rest of animations. I need following parts:
- Gesture (that what he do on mouse over)
- Walk
- Get damaged
- Defense
- Attack (upper hex)
- Attack (middle hex)
- Attack (lower hex)
- Turn over

All of those should be done, using orginal unit's animation, but You can try to make all by Yourself not using orginal animations part:

For now it is end, maybe soon I put tutorial for 3D units (modeling, rigging, animating).
Enjoy!!