How would I go about extracting models from a pc game?

[namine207]

I have been trying to find a model of Green Arrow from DC Universe Online. I figured that I might try to request it, but I wanted to at least try to learn how to do it first. So, my question is, how would I be able to rip models from a game like DC Universe Online for the PC? Or, if it's easier, how would I extract the models from the PS3 version?

[puggsoy]

You can try looking around in the game files for anything that seems to indicate that it contains the Green Arrow's model. Then you can search the internet to see if there's a program that can open or convert the files.

As far as I can tell Solink ripped all of the current models, so you can to PM him and ak for some tips if you're having trouble. Although he hasn't been online in a while, so emailing might be more effective.

[namine207]

Alright. I'll look around and see what I can find. Thank you very much!

[TGE]

You can rip models from PC games and Gamecube/Wii games using 3d screen rippers like:
3D Ripper DX
3D Via Printscreen
and some others like GameAssassin ect.

[namine207]

You can rip models from PC games and Gamecube/Wii games using 3d screen rippers like:
3D Ripper DX
3D Via Printscreen
and some others like GameAssassin ect.

The one thing about these programs is that I don't think any of them support Directx 10, which is the minimum requirement to play dcuo. But thank you for the suggestion though!

[namine207]

I went through the games files and found several hero model files, all in .upk format. Then I used a viewer application to view each until I found Green Arrow's. However, the viewer didn't have any type of export option, so I downloaded the UDK (Unreal Dev Kit) to attempt to open them. However, when I open them, it tells me that they were made with an older version of the UDK and couldn't be imported into the new one. Are there any other programs that can read models in .upk format and export them?

[puggsoy]

This looks like a good tutorial. It says you can use Umodel (the download page calls it UE Viewer but the program's still called Umodel) to export the models to PSK, then import them to 3D Studio Max. The problem is that you'll (obviously) need 3D Studio Max, which costs.

You can also try out a PSK import script for Blender here (you'll need to scroll down a wee bit). If it doesn't work you can try a fixed version that someone made when it didn't work for them, here.

Sorry I can't really help too much since I neither own the game nor am I a model ripper, so all I can do is look around for what seems to work

[Garamonde]

.PSK, eh? You can use Noesis to open .PSKs and export them as many formats like .DAE, .OBJ and .SMD with their original rigging which are the majorly accepted formats.

[namine207]

Thank you all for helping me with this! I extracted the Green Arrow model and several other models. Luckily, I have a slightly older version of 3DS Max on a cd, so it's installing now. I'm thinking that the textures may be crazy because they were in the viewer, but maybe it exported them fine. Once it's finished installing, I'll update with a screenshot!

And, hopefully, if I can fully extract these models, I can submit them to the DCUO section of Modelers Resource to complete the hero and villain models!

Edit:
Sorry, that took me a little longer than intended to find the disk. XD I haven't used it in forever. Now I'm going to install it!

Update:
Alright! So I got the model into 3ds max and it looks great! Except one thing... I have the textures in .bmp files, but they didn't load with the model. I'm a maya person, so I am having difficulty figuring out how to apply in 3ds max (Bought it, never really used it, am trying to learn how now XD). I've set the bmp images as materials and applied them, but I still can't see them on the grayish model. I'll try googling and testing.

For now, here's a screenshot:

[MOD NOTE: Spoilered the large image.]

[namine207]

Oh, my...



I don't think I got that one quite right. :/ But those were the textures that it gave me...

[Garamonde]

Well, the textures should be in .PNG format, I'm not sure why it'd give you .BMP.
Also the model should automatically have its textures properly applied if you exported with Noesis properly, unless you're loading the .OBJ.
Then again I've not ripped from this game so it might handle the models differently.

[namine207]

At first, they were in .tga, but I converted them to .bmp. Maybe I should try converting them in Noesis again. I'll make sure that it has the textures on the model while converting, and then I'll update this post, so that I don't double post again .

Update:
When I load it in Noesis, it just gives me a gray model. Maybe I'm missing a way to apply textures? However, when I load the converted .obj into 3ds max, it tells me that it can't find unused.mtl in the folder, as well as two material files that exist in the "MaterialInstanceContent" folder.

Here's my directory for the model (after I exported it from umodel)

There are three folders, MaterialInstanceContent, SkeletalMesh3, and Texture2D.

Inside MaterialInstanceConstant there are two .mat files with really long names that suggest that they maybe the hair and body textures.
Inside SkeletalMesh3 is the mesh.
Inside Texture2D is three .tga files that are the loaded textures you see in the image above.

Is something wrong with my exported folder?

Thank you so much for the help you've given me thus far! I'm relatively new to this, but I'm a fast learner!

---

Yes! I used the Umodel tutorial by puggsoy to directly import the extracted model and it loaded all the textures correctly! I've saved it as a .obj and as a .3ds.

Thank you so much, puggsoy, Mighty Jazzers, and Enigma for helping me figure out how to do this! Hopefully I'll be able to convert all of the dc universe characters and submit them for others to use!

[Garamonde]

That's awesome you managed to fix them! I'm glad I was able to help.

[puggsoy]

Congratulations! I know the feeling of finally being able to rip properly after so much struggle, so I'm really glad you got it working.
Happy to have been of assistance

[namine207]

So, would the finished model be good for submitting to the Models Resource?
It's here:
http://www.mediafire.com/?y8fz5p5dffu7ag5

Also, I'm really sorry, Jazzers, you keep having to edit my posts. :/ I'll be good from now on!!!!