Crash Course on Adding Custom Meshes to Multiplayer Maps

From Red Faction Wiki


    • This crash course tutorial will walk you through the easiest way to use custom static meshes (clutter) in your multiplayer maps.

    Notes:

    • This guide assumes you already have a functional static mesh in .v3m format.
    • The first 4 steps are technically optional, but properly positioning your mesh will be difficult if you decide to skip them.
    • In step 1, you technically could use any static mesh filename used by a stock clutter object (list in clutter.tbl). The bench is always my go-to, so it's the example I used in this tutorial.
    • I recommend taking a backup of your map file before following this tutorial, so you can always revert back if something goes awry.

    Steps:

    1. Name your static mesh "bench.v3m" and drop it into \Red\meshes\ inside your root Red Faction directory, then restart RED.
    2. Open your map, and place the clutter object "bench01". It should appear as your custom mesh.
    3. Position the clutter object with your custom mesh as you like in your map, then save your map and close RED.
    4. Rename your static mesh (which is currently "bench.v3m") to something unique - "gbrtrashcan01.v3m" or something - and move it out of your \Red\meshes\ folder. (put it somewhere you know where to find it - you'll need it again soon)
    5. Reopen RED, and your map - you'll notice that your custom mesh is a bench again.
    6. Go to Object mode, and place a Switch_Model event (in Modifiers) and open its properties window. Set "Filename" to the filename of your custom mesh ("gbrtrashcan01.v3m" in my example). Hit OK to close the Properties window.
    7. Place a When_Dead event (in Catalysts).
    8. Link the When_Dead event to the Switch_Model event, and link the Switch_Model event to the bench clutter object (the one you positioned in step 3).
    9. Save, create a packfile, close RED.
    10. Open your level's vpp packfile (in VPP Builder) and add to it your custom static mesh ("gbrtrashcan01.v3m" in my example) as well as any textures your mesh requires. Save the vpp packfile.
    11. That's it! Launch the game and load your map. You should see your custom mesh where the bench otherwise would be.\

    NOTE: Keep in mind that your custom mesh is still the clutter object you originally placed - bench01 in my example. This means it maintains any and all settings configured for that clutter class in clutter.tbl - material, life, debris, corpse mesh, etc. Given that, you may wish to use a Make_Invulnerable event to stop it from being destroyed, and/or browse through clutter.tbl to find an existing clutter class that has the settings you want for your custom mesh.

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