Custom Model Guide

[inf]

The Custom Weapon Model Guide

Custom weapon models allow you to create a weapon model that will be added to the game and which you will be able to use on your weapons later. Custom models are requested on this board. You need to fill the required information, wait for the developer to review the information and the model, and for the game to be updated so your model will be included. Once the model is included in the game, the developer will reply to your topic and give you a 'model key'. This model key can later be used in-game to obtain the custom model which you requested. For full details, visit the Gear Design Guide.

Custom Models can be imported into the game live, or with a patch. If you want the custom model to be imported live, make sure that the total size of the files is less than 2MB (unpacked, not the size of the .rar. or .zip file that you're providing).

To request a new custom model, click on the 'New Topic' button in this board. You will be redirected to a form that requires you to fill in the required information. Once you click 'Save', a new topic will be opened, listing the details you entered. Once the model has been reviewed, you will be given a model key in a reply to this topic.

The information that you need to provide is the following:

• Character name - this is the character that will be able to claim the model in game using the custom model key. You can use the new model on any character, but you need to enter the key from the character that you specified here.
• Link to the model files -- a downloadable link containing the files of the new weapon model. Please use google drive or mediafire links in order to have your models properly checked by our automated tool.
• Model Template -- type of the weapon that the model is meant to be attached to. Eg. Pataka, Glaive, Sword, Dual Axes etc. This will not lock your model to only that specific type of the weapon, but it will be locked to that weapon type's group (e.g. Pataka models can be applied to Glaive/Magic Sword/Pataka/Wand weapons)
• Number of Hands -- one or two. If there's something in both hands of your character (e.g. a sword and a shield), the model is two-handed. If there's something only in one hand, the model is one-handed.
• Show Rune Effects -- yes or no. If 'yes' is selected, rune effects will show around your weapon while you're wearing it in game.
• Model preview -- A short video previewing the way the model looks in-game. This is not mandatory, but this way it's easier for me to verify whether I've made a mistake when importing your custom model files into the game.
• Additional Information -- Any additional information that you might want to give.

** You can have a maximum of one unclaimed in-game model if you want to request more custom models. If you have requested custom models and they were approved and added in-game, but you haven't claimed multiple of them, you will not be able to request more custom models. This is done to prevent the players from spam-requesting custom models, but never obtaining them in-game.

Weapon model ownership rules & guidelines:

• You, and only you, own the weapon model under the following situations:
• You bought the model files from a designer and the model is currently not in-game on any custom weapon.
• You bought the model files from somebody else who used to own the model and the model is currently not in-game on any custom weapon.
• You are the designer of the weapon and you have not sold the model.
• You share the ownership of the model if you bought a shared model attached to a Gear Design item from someone in the game. This model cannot be made unique again.
• Lying about any of the information that needs to be provided will result in permanent removal of the custom model, without any refunds.

Weapon model buying & selling rules:

• Do not buy and sell files of the models which are already in-game and used by a custom weapon. We have an automated system which will check whether a model is already present on an existing custom weapon, and if it is, your custom model request will be denied.
• If a model is already in-game, you can buy it or sell it to other players by trading a Gear Design item that has this model.
• The model that was once in-game, but has been rewritten in the meanwhile can be requested again. In this case it's OK to buy the files of the weapon model.

Weapon model rules & requirements:

• The model must not be taken from another server without permission, if it's unique to that server.
• The model must not contain effects which were taken without permission if they were created by someone other than EPW / PWI.
• The model must not contain anything inappropriate.
• The model must not cause a noticeable FPS decrease.
• The model effects must be directly attached to the weapon and not cause effects on or around the character.
• The model must not contain any spawn effects.
• The model itself must be a weapon. This means that you cannot have NPC, Pet, Genie, Common Item etc as a weapon itself. In general, if the weapon does not look like a weapon, it will not be accepted.
• The trail that the model leaves behind has to satisfy one of the following (check examples under "Trail examples"):
• If the trail is solid or thick/noticeable, it must not exceed the length of 3 character lengths while moving at maximum speed.
• If the trail is faint/transparent and barely noticeable, it must not exceed the length of 4 character lengths while moving at maximum speed.
• The trail that the model leaves behind must not linger in air behind the character for more than 2 seconds while moving at maximum speed.
• The model and its effects must not extend into the character's bounding box.

Guidelines for designers:

• The model must not replace any existing effect files in gfx.pck. If it's the same file, but on another weapon, you'll need to rename the effect file.
• The model must not have total more than 10 .gfx and texture files for gfx.pck. For example, this means you can have 2x .gfx, 3x .dds and 2x .tga files (2+3+2=7), but not have 4x .gfx, 5x .dds and 2x .tga (4+5+2 = 11) or 2x .gfx, 9x .dds (2+9=11) etc.
• IMPORTANT File and folder layout guidelines:
• Add all of the custom files that your model uses. The script which extracts and processes the files separates them into different folders for each model. This means that the files you've sent with other models or the files which you've added in earlier patches need to be sent again if they're being used by the new model. Common mistakes include:
• Not sending .SMD files. These need to be sent or the model will be rejected.
• Not sending GFX or texture files that are already in-game. While this will work for the files that aren't custom, most custom files are in specific folders and need to be sent
• Do not add files that you're not using. Adding extra .ecm files can result in your model looking wrong (how are we supposed to know which .ecm to use?). Duplicating files can result in our script getting confused and missing effects or textures.
• Folder/File Layout:
• Create two directories:
• ecm -> Place the .ecm/.smd/.bon/.ski files belonging to the main model in this folder, along with the 'textures' folder that's used to skin the main model.
• gfx -> Place the extra effects/textures/models in this folder. Create three directories within this folder:
• custom -> Place all of the custom .gfx files here.
• textures -> Place all of the custom textures here.
• models -> Place all of the extra gfx models in here, making a different folder for each one.
• If the model doesn't have some of the above, feel free to not add any directories for that part.
• Failing to follow any of the above can result in the model missing important elements or being rejected.

Trail examples:

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Solid color trail (2 max)

Good solid color trail



Bad solid color trail

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Thick trail (3 max)

Good thick trail



Bad thick trail

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Faint trails (4 max)

Good faint trail



Bad faint trail

Testing whether the model causes FPS drops:

• Go to element folder and open EpicPW-DirectStart.bat with notepad.
• Write this: start "" elementclient.exe startbypatcher console:1
• Save the file.
• Launch EpicPW-DirectStart.bat to open EPW.
• Log into game and press Shift+` to open the console (` is the button next to number 1 on keyboard)
• Write d_fps into console. You should then see fps in red text in your top right screen. Look at RFPS, not TFPS.
• 

• Go to a place where you consistently get 95~105 fps, there should be no other players around. To boost the fps, you can try resizing the window until you reach the required FPS.
• Take off any weapon, and see what the FPS is. Make sure that you have set max GFX, Textures, Sharpen and Warp in the settings.
• Equip your custom weapon model and observe how the FPS number changes. Make sure you don't rotate your camera, and keep cursor around the same spot.
• If the FPS drops by more than 15fps, the model will not be accepted.
• Below is an example of testing fps drop, you can see fps is originally 92fps, after equipping the weapon it becomes 88 fps, so the model drops 4 fps, which is completely fine.

Weapon model video examples:

Front view:

Back view:

Side view:

Top view:

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Mada's Notes:

Old weapons will not be removed except for the ones that used models without permission and the ones that look partially or completely inappropriate. (this decision is final)Generally characters' bodies should be visible enough for other players can see the buffs/debuffs/castings/animations during PK
designers can use d_boundbox to see boundboxes
the main concern here is the character's body boundbox, Gfxs should NOT be blocking/covering the body visibility.

*examples on what is acceptable

*examples on what is NOT acceptable

Old/current weapons that cover/block body visibility will be removed (this decision is final)
if there is a player with a weapon gfx completely covering their body feel free to report them to inf or me.