Neptunia + MK2 Models

[kotakoni]

I'll give this a whirl on my upcoming dayoff. Were you looking for both games models? Or just mk2's?

Mk2 has all of the character models in them, but I prefer Mk2. Even the Beach Queen costumes if you can, since they're a part of the game now.

EDIT: If you meant the characters, then I want them characters from all of the games if you can. I'm warning you, the model files can be HUGE or small, depending on how their meshes are packed. From what I heard from the first game, the meshes were horribly compressed so they were huge, but I heard that mk2 was actually extractable (Hence the preview files on the wiki, etc).

[kotakoni]

I don't have a blu-ray (other than my ps3) OR any kind of model software like 3dsmax or whatever.. But I'm curious if I should get something to that effect. Some questions for you people who ARE into modeling stuff.

1: Are there any good modeling softwares like 3dsmax that is free?
2: When someone extracts a model, does it come with their animations? How about their bones and joints? Or do they just come out as static thing that you have to bone/joint/whatever modelers do from square one? They DO come with the textures right? Or do you need to remake those too?

Well, Metaseq is a B2U (Buy 2 Use) program to use, and it's really cheap. There are versions that are pre-cracked and pre-activated on the internet floating around, so that counts as well. The textures come WITH the models (they're supposed to be in the models' folders when they're extracted). You can apply your own textures if you wish. They come static, but adding joints and bones is not the hard part, it's weighting the bones and rigging it that's difficult. You have to get every bit of mesh, and models like Soma are difficult when it comes to this because her hair is in about 8 parts but the parts are mixed in together to look like 4, making it look messy when trying to weight it out (You have to make the hair a completely seperate material before even trying to weight them). Sorry for the tl;dr paragraph.

[kotakoni]

Wasn't some models like... posted at the official/some website, though?

Nope, and I love your avatar. Chihaya forever, even though my favorite is Hibiki. Wait, disregard that, I love them all too much to have a favorite.

[kotakoni]

I got no blu-ray drive. Though I DO have a modded PS3, not sure if that could do something to that effect or not?

Modded PS3 <3. I heard it was possible to extract the files ONTO your PS3 and then use a USB port to put the contents on the computer, but I only heard one instance of this work, and you need a huge HDD in order to extract the models (because when extracting the folders, you get the models + a ton of stuff like bgm, gameplay engne, physics, and voices). Promise me, the BGM doesn't sound like it's a lot, but it is... It... is... Usually game BGMs are around 3/10GB for these type--- I got off topic. I am into this kind of thing so I got carried away. My friend and I are trying to do Finnel's model, and rigging her bones is NOT an easy job. Oh god the ribbons.

[Sik]

I'm warning you, the model files can be HUGE or small, depending on how their meshes are packed. From what I heard from the first game, the meshes were horribly compressed so they were huge, but I heard that mk2 was actually extractable (Hence the preview files on the wiki, etc).

Do you mean the compression or the optimization? Because if you mean the compression, I don't think that even matters since we would need the files uncompressed in the end anyways (and that's what's going to end up into RAM either way).

If you mean the meshes of the first game are badly optimized (e.g. not shared vertices, unused vertices, etc.), then that'd explain why the first game can slow down so easily, despite not doing much... (though it seems like it slows down mostly when lots of blending is going on, not when rendering too much stuff)

B2U (Buy 2 Use) program

"Buy to use"? Really? Do we need new terms for something that already had a proper term? (what's wrong with just saying "paid program"?)

[PringlesXD]

Wasn't some models like... posted at the official/some website, though?

Nope, and I love your avatar. Chihaya forever, even though my favorite is Hibiki. Wait, disregard that, I love them all too much to have a favorite.

I know, right? She's my second favorite now.

[kotakoni]

I'm warning you, the model files can be HUGE or small, depending on how their meshes are packed. From what I heard from the first game, the meshes were horribly compressed so they were huge, but I heard that mk2 was actually extractable (Hence the preview files on the wiki, etc).

Do you mean the compression or the optimization? Because if you mean the compression, I don't think that even matters since we would need the files uncompressed in the end anyways (and that's what's going to end up into RAM either way).

"Buy to use"? Really? Do we need new terms for something that already had a proper term? (what's wrong with just saying "paid program"?)

New terms are fine too. The first game was terribly optimized when loading effects specifically and the models made the system cry screams of pain. Sometimes the hybrid animated pictures in the visual novel part of the game would take too long to load. (In the original game de,p shown at its first debut was working 100x better, and it wasn't as noticeable as in the later copies). The pictures weren't compressed like they were supposed to be. It would be nice if someone extracted the hybrid animation pictures, but that's asking wayyyy too much considering I've got an entire list.

[Sik]

No, the real issue is that the game is behaving like it's running off a hard disk. Optical drives are much slower than hard disks: if you want to read anything you may need to wait a lot of time (even seconds) before the drive is done seeking and can even start reading. The game doesn't take this into account, which results in blatant loading times.

The worst offender of this is rendering the dungeons. The game only loads the meshes the first time they have to be shown. The end result is that when a mesh isn't loaded first it's completely gone, then suddenly it pops up out of nowhere (and this isn't distance related, there's one dungeon where the missing mesh can end up loading when it's nearer to the camera than the player!).

This also happens when switching characters in a dungeon. When you switch to a different character, it will disappear for a moment - that's the time between unloading the current mesh and waiting for the new one to be done loading.

And no, I didn't hack the game at all. I've noticed all this just by observing how the game behaves. I've programmed long enough to figure out this kind of behaviors =P

[kotakoni]

No, the real issue is that the game is behaving like it's running off a hard disk. Optical drives are much slower than hard disks: if you want to read anything you may need to wait a lot of time (even seconds) before the drive is done seeking and can even start reading. The game doesn't take this into account, which results in blatant loading times.

The worst offender of this is rendering the dungeons. The game only loads the meshes the first time they have to be shown. The end result is that when a mesh isn't loaded first it's completely gone, then suddenly it pops up out of nowhere (and this isn't distance related, there's one dungeon where the missing mesh can end up loading when it's nearer to the camera than the player!).

This also happens when switching characters in a dungeon. When you switch to a different character, it will disappear for a moment - that's the time between unloading the current mesh and waiting for the new one to be done loading.

And no, I didn't hack the game at all. I've noticed all this just by observing how the game behaves. I've programmed long enough to figure out this kind of behaviors =P

The dungeons made me lag when they loaded before I got too close. This is why in Neptunia MK2, dungeons are in sections instead of being in one place. There are times in MK2 where the game may transition from hybrid animations to 3D models if your copy is too early in versions. My copy has the option to switch from 3D to the animations anyway. I have a friend who doesn't have the option. You can also tell in the model that it's been smoothed dramatically. The pauses between changing characters didn't startle me because the models had tons of smoothing on them. Basically the models were made to look polygonal, and someone who is really good at smoothing meshes came along and smoothed the meshes to make them look more professional, and then applied the textures to the models. I was satisfied with the game, and at least it wasn't as terribly optimized as Love Death 555. If anything HDN and MK2 were optimized better than most games are. The only thing I'm not satisfied with is the fact that the models themselves do not have eyes. The eyes are just textures like they were in Ar tonelico Qoga. Every blink looks like it was done by the 3D model, but it was actually just a texture animation that was done frame-by-frame, perfectly. The mouths are the same way as well.

[SakiChan]

Getting them models actually would be kinda hard. All I can say is getting textures does work, but depends on the file size of the original file and how they're organized. From what I tried, Metaseq didn't really work with Atelier Totori's model files,so I dunno about those from CH since it's a pain to extract these anyways in all ways

[kotakoni]

Getting them models actually would be kinda hard. All I can say is getting textures does work, but depends on the file size of the original file and how they're organized. From what I tried, Metaseq didn't really work with Atelier Totori's model files,so I dunno about those from CH since it's a pain to extract these anyways in all ways

You have to convert the textures to png. Bmps do not work in Metaseq. I successfully got Finnel into metaseq with no problems, Suzunomia too.

[SakiChan]

You have to convert the textures to png. Bmps do not work in Metaseq. I successfully got Finnel into metaseq with no problems, Suzunomia too.

Hhmhm okay thanks,I'll try to check into Neptunia's files later then.

[kotakoni]

I still find it impossible to do anything with these models. Super-encrypted crap is impossible...

[SakiChan]

I still find it impossible to do anything with these models. Super-encrypted crap is impossible...

That's the problem with it being one of Compile Hearts games,doing something with GUSTs is ways easier...

[kotakoni]

I still find it impossible to do anything with these models. Super-encrypted crap is impossible...

That's the problem with it being one of Compile Hearts games,doing something with GUSTs is ways easier...

I already have Meruru's and Qoga's files extracted though. I'm done with GUST right now.