Load your model into MilkShape 3D and choose File|Export|Viewpoint Experience Technology.... You will be asked for the .mtx filename. Please export into the same directory, where your .ms3d model is. This is important, that the relative path names of the textures stay intact. Otherwise you will loose the textures. You can move your .mtx/.mts files later to another location, because the textures will be included in the .mts file.
Click the Save button and the VET Tool will start with the content of MilkShape 3D.
The VET Tool comes with a preview. The final VET model will look as it looks in that preview. So zoom in/out, rotate and pan the model until it looks fine to you. The exported model comes with exactly the same camera settings as in the preview.
The option bar allows you to set some values and preview the effects. You can play with them to see the result. However, I will explain the most important ones.
In the Publish MTX/MTS section you can leave all values as they are. They are default values and give good results in most cases. You might want to change the Author name to your name.
In the Publish HTML section you can specify a template HTML file, which must be in the ./VET/html folder relative to the ms3d.exe. There are already a few templates included. You might want to add your own templates. See the section templates below.
You also have to provide a broadcastkey, so that there's no watermark over your VET model, when you publish it on your site. The options bar screenshot shows the broadcastkey URL of my site. It is valid also for the forum.
The sections Publish MTX/MTS and Publish HTML are saved, so that you will start with the same values like that last time.
Section Scene has Background Color which has currently no effect. The VET plugin renders the model with the background color of your page anyway. More important is the Render Mode. You can change it to Texture, Wireframe, L. M. Texture (LightMapped Textured) and L. M. Texture Mod. (LightMapped Textured Modulated). If you want to remove the shiny effect of VET models, simply choose Texture.
When all options are set, choose File|Publish MTX/MTS Pair from the menu or hit the
button.
If everything goes fine, you will see this message box.
Then optionally choose File|Publish HTML from the menu or hit the
button. The exporter
will use the specified HTML template and replace the Plug-in Width, Plug-in Height and
Broadcast Key values. The HTML page is ready to be viewed (depending on your template).
Animations are not yet supported.
The HTML templates are used to export a HTML file ready to use. MilkShape 3D comes with a few templates, which must be in the ./VET/html subfolder of MilkShape 3D. Add your custom templates into that folder.
Here is a sample HTML template. As you can see, there are for place holders, which will be replaced by the exporter with the appropriate values.
<html>
<head>
<title>Title</title>
<script language="javascript" src="http://www.swissquake.ch/chumbalum-soft/MTS3Interface.js"></script>
<script language="javascript">
<!--
var vmp;
//-->
</script>
</head>
<body>
<script language="javascript">
vmp = new MTSPlugin("((VMP))FILENAME((VMP))", ((VMP))Plug-in Width::400((VMP)), ((VMP))Plug-in Height::400((VMP)), "((VMP))BROADCASTKEY((VMP))", "popUp");
</script>
</body>
</html>
After exporting to HTML, it will turn into:
<html>
<head>
<title>Title</title>
<script language="javascript" src="http://www.swissquake.ch/chumbalum-soft/MTS3Interface.js"></script>
<script language="javascript">
<!--
var vmp;
//-->
</script>
</head>
<body>
<script language="javascript">
vmp = new MTSPlugin("test.mtx", 120, 80, "http://www.swissquake.ch/chumbalum-soft/broadcastkey.mtx", "popUp");
</script>
</body>
</html>
Ok, that's it. Upload your files and with the correct broadcastkey it will look like it looks locally in your disk.
- Mete