029 - Model viewers!

Some of you might know that I've been searching for model viewers for other games (and I still am, so please inform me about them if you know any). Since sharing is caring, I'll now introduce some model viewers for you.

Warcraft III Viewer
download

Basically it does the same thing as WoW model viewer but in WC3. I just downloaded it yesterday and from the small fiddling around it seems to do almost all the same tricks as WMV does. The program can view charachters and things like bridges, trees etc. I might use it in UEv0 or some other movie.

It should also work with the Frozen Throne addon.


ModelViewer2k4 - an Unreal Tournament 2004 Model viewer
homepage

I was like w00t when someone mailed about this to me at WCM. Unfortunately it's no use for me since it lacks the blue/greenscreening options. Also my version of UT2k4 was too new and the models were kind of screwed up. I don't think this tool is much use to us machinimakers but UT2K4 modellers might get something out of it.


Half-Life 2 model viewer
Available only through Steam, original copy of HL2 required. Comes along with Source SDK.

I used this one in UEv3. It has some use for machinimaking, but the controlling of the models is not easy (or as straightforward as in WMV). Fraps does not work correctly with this one either (on a single-core system), when I recorded something with my main pc the resolution was cut in half (I used my laptop for the UEv3 shots).



ModelViewerWX
homepage

As an idea a very promising model viewer. This program can view Final Fantasy X, X-2, XII and Kingdom Hearts 1 + 2 models. But the downside is that you need to extract an image of your game disc to your hd and after that extract the models from the image.

Also the modelviewer is currently in quite early stages, so it's not good for machinimaking yet. For example you can't change the background color (only grey available) and the camera controls are not the best. For creating fan-art or website graphics this tool sounds nice.

Hopefully this model viewer gets developed even further, I really would like to feed some FF charachters to murlocs. Muahahah >:D


Need For Speed 6 model viewer
homepage

I used this one in Project Sunset (gawd that movie sucks). It can rotate the cars from the game and that's pretty much all it does. No wheel animation or anything else. If you want to get a WoW charachter into a car, either Photoshopping or using masking is the way to go.

Dreamfall: The Longest Journey model + map viewer (Dreamview)
homepage

This one is a pretty cool tool, but unfortunately rather useless due to the low resolution it uses. It allows you to view both models and scenes (maps) from the game. Worth checking out if you can get your hands on the game.



And then there are the original WoW model + map viewers, but I think everyone knows those two so no longer explanation about them is needed.

Last but not least there is of course Garry's mod. I do not consider as a model viewer but a cool tool instead. I have just gotten it, gotta learn more about it and see in what perverse ways I can use it in machinimation.