The File menu holds the basic file system commands for BINedit.
Whether you click "Yes" or "No" will depend on what you're building. Wheels in MTM2 must be centred on the vertical axis (in fact all axes should converge in the exact middle of the model), but truck bodys generally do not:
For a truck body model, the bottom of the body is usually at or around 0 on the vertical axis, so the truck sits up a little. If you were to centre it vertically, the body would be dropped down and would appear low in the game (which you might want if you're building a custom truck).
The next thing BINedit will do is display the following message box asking if you want to convert all faces to MTM1 type (again, assuming that the faces on the model are not already set to MTM1 type):
Again, it will depend on what you're building, but using MTM1 face types in MTM2 is generally not recommended so you'll usually just want to click "No" here.
BINedit will then present the window to save the .BIN model. If you are saving it as a new model, try to choose a unique but descriptive name to avoid filename clashes with exisiting .BIN models. If you enter the name of an exisiting .BIN file, BINedit will prompt you to confirm that you want to overwrite the file.
If you're saving the final version of a model that you intend to use in the game, it's best to keep filenames to the 8.3 format (ie. the name of the file should not exceed 8 characters, with a 3-character file extension). However, in the case of work-in-progress models that won't be added to the final .POD, you can exceed this if you want.
NOTE: For future storage of additional .BIN information (such as vertex and face groups), BINedit will create a file {binname}.BIN.info for every saved BIN. See the Groups page for more information.
NOTE: For future storage of additional .BIN information (such as vertex and face groups), BINedit will create a file {binname}.BIN.info for every saved BIN. See the Groups page for more information.
The Import Truck command is a hangover from MTM1 that originally had limited success with MTM2, because the format of .TRK files has changed between the two versions of the game. It's fixed now, but if you are running the original OP-built version of BINedit, you'd have the problems and would need to use the workarounds detailed below.
First, the program brings up a window which allows you to select the .TRK you want to load. If you have the newest version of BINedit, both MTM1 and MTM2 .TRKs should load up without error. If however, you are running the original version of BINedit and select an MTM2 .TRK file, the program will load the wheels and axles but give the following error message when it tries to load the body model:
The truth is that the file is there - BINedit just can't decipher the .TRK file. This leaves you with the axles and wheels, but no body!
However it's not too big a problem, as all you need to do is use the Insert... command to load your truck body into the current model(s).
You will notice that BINedit does not display the shocks and driveshaft, which are MTM2 inventions and hence not supported, but it still gives you a darn fine view of your truck :)
v #x #y #z
- define a vertex at coordinates #x, #y, #z.
Examples:
v 0.34445 -12 133.4
v 1 1 1
f #1 #2 #3
f #1 #2 #3 #4
- define a face using the vertices #1 #2 #3 (triangle) or #1 #2 #3 #4 (rectangle).
Examples:
f 12 33 4
f 1 2 3 4
f 0 1 2 3 is invalid (vertex 0)
NOTE 1: Wavefront numbers the vertices 1, 2, 3... but BINedit starts at vertex 0.
NOTE 2: Wavefront supports faces with any number of vertices, BINedit only supports 3 or 4.
You can use this format to define your models outside of BINedit by using NotePad or some other text program to manually edit the data in the file, although this is not the major use for these files (you can do it if you want, but a complex model will have many tens or hundreds of lines each for vertex coordinates and face definitions, and the thought of all those numbers makes my head hurt). No, Wavefronts are best used for converting between BINedit and some other 3D-modelling program, such as 3D Studio Max, AutoCad or TrueSpace.
This means that while working in another 3D program, you can save directly into the Wavefront format (if the program supports it), then load the Wavefront into BINedit. You can also do the opposite - save into Wavefront format from BINedit, and open the Wavefront with the other 3D program. If the other program does not support Wavefronts, you may need to save in a common model format (eg. .DXF, .3DS, .ASC, etc.) and then use a conversion utility to create a Wavefront from it so you can open the model in BINedit; and vice versa.
Wavefronts have two file extensions: .OBJ (object) and .WRL (VRML). Both are compatible with BINedit, but BINedit is only configured to recognise .OBJ. All that needs to be done with a .WRL file extension is manually change it to .OBJ. When you open a Wavefront into BINedit, it will automatically be enlarged to an extreme degree - it is not uncommon for a model to be adjusted to well above 100,000,000 editor units (390,000 feet) in size along the largest axis. This means you will probably want to resize the model (keeping proportions) to a more reasonable and workable size (22 feet?) before you do anything else to it.
BINedit does not support texture mapping for Wavefronts. This means that if you import a Wavefront into BinEdit, you will be prompted to load a texture file and will then need to map the faces of the model to it; and, if you export a model as a Wavefront, you will lose any texture mapping you have done.
Click here to download and view the MTM2 Bigfoot truck as a VRML model! (If you don't have a VRML plug-in installed, you will probably just see the text contained in the file.)
This command is mirrored in the Shortcut Buttons.