How Can I Make 3D Mods for GTA: San Andreas?

Preparing the Model

• 1

  Open 3D Studios. Select "File" and "Import" from the KAM script. This will be a direct conversion, so press "Ctrl + A", then deselect the mesh by holding the "Alt" key and clicking on your mesh. Press the "Delete" key to remove the original boneset, leaving the desired mesh.

• 2

  Import a model from "GTA: San Andreas" and, using the "Rotate" and "Move" commands, align your mesh with the model from "GTA" precisely. It needs to be as exact as possible, otherwise there will be many technical issues with the final product.

• 3

  Align your models perfectly. You need to switch perspectives between points of view in order to achieve precise positioning . Right click on the "Viewport" name, such as "Perspective" and choose another view.

  Reset the "Pivot Position" and "Rotation" to 0.0;0.0;0.0.To accomplish this, go to the "Hierarchy Panel" and select your model, then click on "Adjust Pivot Only."

• 4

  Right click on the "Viewport" to select the square next to "Move" and change the values "X," "Y," and "Z," to 0. Repeat this process with "Rotation." Leave "Adjust Pivot Only" by clicking on it again, and go to the "Utilities" tab. Select your model and then press "Reset Xform," then press "Reset Selected."

Rigging the Model

• 5

  Click the skinned character, the model which you imported directly from "San Andreas," and go to "Editable Mesh" in the "Modifier" tab. Select "Okay" when the dialogue box appears. Go to "Vertex Mode" from the "Menu" and select the whole mesh. This will cause the verticles, or the "dots," to all appear red.

• 6

  Go to the "Attach" option and select your model under the menu "Edit Geometry." Again, select "Okay" in the dialog. Now press the "Delete" key and the original skinned pedestrian model will be erased. Now you only will see your model with the skeleton on it. Exit the "Attach" function by clicking on it again and then leave "Vertex Mode."

• 7

  Examine your work and make sure everything is as you want it. Pay attention to the body and make sure that nothing has gone wrong in the transfer, such as pixellation or corrupted data. As of now, the model is technically complete. However, since you used another model to acquire the movement programming, your model will attempt to move in the same fashion, which leads to bugs and glitches, as the new character doesn't have the same body type as the original model. You will need to correct the movement of your character by manipulating the verticles.

• 8

  Click the option "Verticles" from the "Skin Modifier" menu. The problematic areas tend to be joints and centers of movement, such as the hips or the thigh. For this example, focus on the thigh. Go check out the "Left thigh," selected from the "Side Menu." There will be lots of verticles that compose the left thigh, marked in yellow. You will notice that there are also dots that shouldn't be there, such as verticles that belong in the right thigh. This is a potential glitch, since you can't move your left thigh and have your right move similarly at the same time. Select these rogue verticles and reassign them to the right thigh. Repeat this process for the rest of the body, paying special attention to problem areas like the arms and torso.

• 9

  Export your model to the" GTA" game file. In order to do so, open the "DFF IO" from Kam's Scripts (again, this will be the pedestrian model). Click on the "Model" only, and in the "DFF IO" dialogue, select "GTA: San Andreas" as the destination for the model. Select "Skip COL" and then click on "Bones/Skin Export." Select the destination folder "Models" in your "GTA" program files, and it will be imported directly into the game.